Posts Tagged ‘Windows 7 OS’
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.
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.
Toshiba Launches Laptops Pre-loaded With Windows 7
Toshiba has rolled out its flagship Consumer and Commercial models pre-loaded with Windows 7 Operating System.
Toshiba’s range of Notebook PCs feature high definition (HD) CSV screens, LED display, multi-touch control panel, power saving Eco-Utility, higher battery life, new patterns, 3D HDD protection, Fingerprint recognition and Face recognition using HD Auto macro integrated wide angle web-camera.
Toshiba Notebook PCs are now available in all screen sizes from 10.1-inch to 16-inch including Tablet PC models.
For all existing customers, the company has also introduced a free upgrade offer program from Vista to Windows 7. Toshiba provides International Limited Warranty on all models including parts and labour.
The Portege M900-D3212 comes with leather texture finish and is available in Luxe Brown. It is equipped with a 13.3-inch Wide High Definition (HD) Screen with Clear Super View (CSV) technology and Nvidia Graphics Controller with 512MB of dedicated Video memory.
The Satellite M500-D4311 has a Champage Gold Aero design, a 14-inch Wide LED backlit flush screen and a chrome border that encompasses not just the Notebook PC but also the Touchpad console, speaker grills and hinges. This notebook also comes with a backlit keyboard that allows the user to work comfortably even in dark areas and during night. The Satellite M500-D4311 provides the best-in-class multimedia experience with features like Nvidia graphics controller, 512MB dedicated video memory, Harman/kardon speakers and 1366×768 resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio. This notebook can be connected to an LED/LCD Television using the HDMI-CEC REGZA link to deliver high definition multi-media experience to a larger audience.
The new Satellite L500-D5310 and L510-D4311 come in a Black casing with Breeze ID color. The glossy appearance runs on the LCD cover and keyboard alike. This new model of Satellite Notebook PCs are equipped with DDR3 memory that provides better performance along with power saving features. Both these Notebook PC’s comes pre-loaded with Intel Core2 Duo Processor, 3GB of Memory and a 320GB HDD.
The Satellite L500-D5310 is the lightest Notebook PC in the 15.6-inch display category at just 2.72 Kgs. The model boasts of features like High Definition 15.6-inch screen with Clear Super View technology, stereo speakers, HDMI and USB/eSATA port, USB sleep-n-charge function and full-size 104 keys keyboard.
The Satellite L510-D4311 provides superior multimedia experience with its Nvidia graphics controller, 512MB dedicated video memory and a 14-inch LED screen with Clear Super View technology. This model also comes with HDMI, USB/eSATA port and USB sleep-n-charge functions.
Microsoft Windows 7 – The Missing Features
We already did the definitive review of Windows 7, and without a doubt, it is a great OS. But there are a few features that were initially promised that are missing from the final release.
WinFS
We’ve been waiting for this one since the early days of Vista’s development, but it’s still not here. Microsoft’s new WinFS file system was supposed to use a huge database that could recognize data attributes to speed up searching and correlating different kinds of information, rather than relying solely on folder structures as we currently know them. Development continues but it’s still not ready for primetime.
Accelerators
Just like the ill-fated Smart Tags in Microsoft Office, Accelerators allow you to select text in any program and then add it to a calendar, translate, spell check, search online with Live Search, get directions using Live Maps, send by Live Mail, etc. Maybe they were too invasive or maybe Microsoft was afraid of criticism because of their close ties with their own online services.
Guest Mode
Early demos showed a Guest Mode which basically let administrators freeze the state of an account on a PC so that no changes to files or system settings were retained when guests use it. The computer’s hard drives were locked down and even files they save were wiped out when a new session begins. Without explanation, this feature is missing in the final release.
Ultimate Extras
After Vista’s promised Ultimate Extras failed to materialize, the concept has been dropped for Windows 7 Ultimate.
Windows Live programs
With the coming of the Windows Live suite of downloadable programs, regular fixtures like Windows Mail, Movie Maker and Messenger are no longer preinstalled by default. You can install whatever you like by visiting www.download.live.com.
Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade Cheaper for New PCs
Picking up that netbook but not wanting to deal with that Starter Edition of Windows 7?
Are you not entirely happy with the limitations of the Windows 7 Starter or Home Premium of that new computer that you were thinking about buying? Microsoft today announced that discounts are on the way.
Starting next week, those who buy a new computer have the option of picking up an Anytime Upgrade Package at a discount.