Firefox 3.1 Beta With 3D Tabs!

Firefox 3.1 has a Beta release available for your usage. One of the new features will be the 3D tabs. Pretty slick!

The beta site is here. 

New Apple Laptops, not cheaper, nor better

I just read an article on Giz that sums up a portion of my discontent with Apple: They charge too much for too little.

Example: 

"Let's just look at the 13-inch MacBook that was just announced, for example. For $1,300, it comes with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. Over at Dell, I can grab an Inspiron 13 laptop with a 13.3-inch screen, a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, 3GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive. For $750. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a $550 difference, and the specs are better on the cheaper Dell." [Giz]

I am with this statement all the way. The worst part of this whole thing is that some Apple users believe that they are better than everyone just because they are willing to shell out $400 - $1000 more per laptop for the same technology.

When Apple is willing to meet the middle class person half way on price, I will meet them half way on features.

Windows 7 To Be Next OS, Not Just a Code Name

The next version of Windows will simply be called...Windows 7. This, according to an article on Gizmodo's website, was done for simplicities sake.

"The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Over the years, we have taken different approaches to naming Windows. We've used version numbers like Windows 3.11, or dates like Windows 98, or "aspirational" monikers like Windows XP or Windows Vista. And since we do not ship new versions of Windows every year, using a date did not make sense. Likewise, coming up with an all-new "aspirational" name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows"

Whats in a name anyways? 

Asus Eee Touch Screen

According to an article on Giz, Asus is allowing pre-orders of their new "tablet"-esque PC. The stats are listed as "1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive and 15-inch screen running Windows XP."

This promises to be an over priced, under usable, piece of hap-hazard designed hardware, aimed at those who can't afford real tablet PC's.

Again, this is if Asus lives up to it's promise...we shall see.

Apple Rumors, Get Your Apple Rumors Here!

Follow this link to get your hands on the latest, but not greatest Apple rumors to date!

OLO: iPhone Netbook?

For those of you who thought the latest iPhone would render the end of the know universe things may be getting worse.

It seems that some company, OLO, would like to merge the iPhones capabilities into a netbook. While that me sound like a good idea, what does Apple think? I would believe that Apple would be doing this long before I'd believe some random company, especially one I have never heard of.

The concept isn't too bad if you think about it. A uber cool phone turned into a mediocre netbook. The price points should remaining the same, if not go up.

Eventually we will hear more about this, until then, just worry about the next Macbook Air.

Link here.

Asus Eee May Soon Have Touch Screen

According to Giz, Asus will begin to show off it's next Eee design...the touch screen model. The article also hints at other future changes for the compact low cost laptop, including Dual Core Intel Atom processors.

AMD Breaks Up

According to a post on Gizmodo, it looks as if AMD will break its company into 2 parts: One for chip production and one for chip design.

According to the article, "The new firm, known as the Foundry Company for now, will makes chips for other companies as well as AMD, who will continue to own 44 percent of it."

It sounds like a sound move if your chip production is a large drain on resources and cash flow. How this will affect the chip makers chips and profits will, hopefully, be beneficial to us all.

Linux Netbooks Are Returned 4X More Than Win XP Versions, Says MSI

For some reason, I believe there is someone out there screaming "I TOLD YOU SO!" According to the article, it seems the main reason people are returning these is that they get the machine, realize it's not XP, then realize they have no idea what they're doing or how to use it.

$300 is a good deal for a small compact netbook. But if you can't use it due to your lack of Linux skills, maybe the $400 XP option is better.

AMD + DirectX 11

According to Gizmodo, it seems that AMD is expecting DirectX compatible GPU's to be available in 2009.

If your in to obvious stuff, it also looks like they're expecting Windows 7 in 2009 too...[PIC]

Samsung SSD Survives Free Fall

For those of you who enjoy the painful and untimely death (or at least murder attempt) of electronics, this video is for you.

It seems that there is no end to how to get attention for your product, or simply prove someone wrong, big time. 

Samsung dropped one of there SSD's 3 stories, plugged it into a laptop, and it still worked. That's some hot stuff right there.

link here

Netbooks Big on Amazon.com

This is a pretty good link from Gizmodo about how Amazon has jumped on the "we sell Netbooks!" bandwagon. 

What I think is funny though is how hard it is to buy a Netbook via like Best Buy or Circuit City. Seriously, does any physical store actually carry more than say 2 Netbooks or more than 1 model of them?

For how popular these seem to be, they are hard to find outside of the interweb!

Asus Eee Going 3G

According to Gizmodo, the Asus Eee 901 computer will be getting a sizable upgrade in the near future...3G. 

"The 3.75G chip will be in all 901s that ship from October onward.

Claiming 7.2 Mbps down/2 Mbps up over the air, the updated 901's chipset should work with AT&T's network here in the states. Currently the 901 goes for around $500 in its various flavors—and Asus is not mentioning any price changes at the moment for the 3G-packing models." [Gizmodo]

Cd's Replaced By "SlotMusic"?

According to some reports, the age of CDs' may be in the final stages of life. While it is doubtful that anyone would disagree with this considering the surge over the last 10 years of digital music downloads and MP3 players, the trend that may drive the last nail might be.

According to a report on Fox News, the latest trend is Micro SD cards, preloaded with the album. The music would have no copyright protection. The report says that the Micro SD card may be as large as 1GB.

This has been tried previously with USB jump drives. These came preloaded with music and some cover art on the drive itself, or at least on the packaging.

So here is the obvious question: If one wanted, could you rip the music from the card, wipe the card clean and reuse it?

Although this is not a bad idea, why would anyone who doesn't need a new Micro SD card buy one with music, when they can download the same music for a possible lower price?

More I'm A PC Commercial Goodness

On Sunday, I finally saw one of the new Microsoft "I'm a PC" ads. Actually I saw two. I was impressed with the simplistic "everyone in the commercial is a PC, because they use PCs'" storyline. 

The fact that they did not try and mimic the Apple ads entirely is a good tribute to the ability for the Microsoft folks to do something at least partially original. I also liked the fact that the first person you see is the Microsoft employee saying "I'm a PC and I am a stereotype." That was beautiful and very realistic.

The only issue I have with the approach was that one of the commercials featured Bill Gates, or B.G as one hip young gentleman referred to him as. In my mind, if you are trying to change the common view of your company, don't show or mention the previous master of the company. Although I have nothing against Bill Gates, I think that too some people he personifies Microsoft and their ills.

Again, I loved the commercials, even with B.G. And I have to say, like in the commercials...I'm a PC.