Sure, they’re not as useful as some purpose-made cases, but these case mods are pretty cool. If your favorite gaming console bites the dust, you too could turn it into a PC with a little wire, glue, solder, duct tape and nerves of steel. My fave by far is the Game Boy hack, because using the screen for the fan input is just awesome. When someone figures out how to casemod my Blackout Tranformers figure, I’m stoked. → Read More
Yesterday was “Hey, look at the new Acer gaming PCs” day. Today is “Hey, we’ve got some early pricing and specs for you” day. TrustedReviews.com has some interesting information in that the Predator line of PCs won’t be customizable — the machines will just be sold off-the-shelf in stores. That’s good for people who don’t want to wait, but bad for people who like to tweak stuff like, oh, I don’t know, gamers? Anyway, on to the specs and prices. → Read More
Here’s the Acer Aspire Predator that’s presumably coming out sometime soon, although an exact date and price aren’t known yet. The case looks like a futuristic dumpster mixed with a legless AT-ST, and I mean that in a good way. The front of the case is like a goalie’s hockey mask that flips up over the top of the machine (also in a good way). Specs include… → Read More
For the first time ever, Cuban citizens can purchase personal computers. There’s only one model available and it’s priced too high for most Cubans (and it’d seem like a downright rip-off to most Americans), but this is a good start nonetheless. The computer is a QTECH PC and costs just under $800. It’s got a Celeron processor, 80GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, Windows XP, CRT monitor, and a DVD drive. By comparison, according to the Associated Press, “For about $80 less, buyers in the U.S. can get a desktop with more than twice the memory, an 80GB SATA hard drive and 22-inch LCD flat screen monitor. → Read More
eMachines has announced two new desktop PCs today; the T3646 at $299 and the T5254, priced at $399 (shown above). Let’s take a look and see what each of these newcomers have to offer at such low price points. → Read More
If you really sit down and think about it, do you NEED rent money, a car, and food? Would you even miss those things if you had the new Alienware Area-51 ALX CFX (starting at $5,149)? If you’ve got that much money to burn, you’ll get an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor that’s been overclocked to 4.0GHz and liquid cooled, 2GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz, a standard dual ATI Radeon HD 3870 Crossfire setup, 20x dual-layer DVD burner, 8-channel audio, two gigabit Ethernet ports. Most everything can be upgraded, too. You can opt for a dual ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 setup in CrossFireX Mode, 4GB of RAM, up to 4-terabytes of storage (160GB drive standard), Blu-ray drive (read-only or read/write), and a bunch of other stuff. Area-51 ALX CFX [Alienware.com] → Read More
[photopress:scaled.IMG_1449.JPG,full,pp_image] I think my Hot Pockets are ready Most of us here are MacTards but I still have a soft spot in my heart for the many cool cases I’ll never be able to use with my beloved OS X. These cases run the gamut ultra-small to bigger than Peter Ha. Our special favorites show up near the end of the slide show and include the Top Gun and the monstrous, dial-covered I-Curve9 from Aerocool. [photopress:scaled.IMG_1448.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1453.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1440.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1467.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1444.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1442.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1465.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1445.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1439.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1455.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1464.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1449.JPG,thumb,pp_image][photopress:scaled.IMG_1459.JPG,thumb,pp_image] → Read More
Straddling the line between PC and work of art, the Nova P22 is a Core 2 Duo desktop with 802.11n and Bluetooth. It comes in black or orange/white and is two inches thick. It has a 1.86GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 160GB of hard drive space. It’s available now for $938. I’d hit it. Product Page → Read More
They have WiFi, so why not bring your old Packard Bell in? ImprovEverywhere via via BB → Read More
Asus is putting all its proverbial eees in one basket with its new line of desktop PCs. or example, we have the E-DT, a $199 desktop running linux sans monitor. They’ve also got the T-Monitor, a 19-inch LCD tv with built-in Linux and TV tuner for about $499. Finally, they’ve got the E-TV, a 42-inch LCD TV. It’s good to see Asus taking the Linux lead here. Everex is also doing similar work but I think the eee has really hit a chord with consumers looking for thin and lights without the $3K price tag. Asustek announces Eee family product lines [Digitimes] → Read More
[photopress:Rzr_Destructor_MainPic.jpg,full,center] Razer distinguishes itself from every other PC peripheral maker by focusing on making higher-end products…like this one! It’s the Destructor, a “gaming-grade” mouse surface. (I don’t play twitchy PC games, so I’ve no idea what the difference is between “gaming-grade” and the everyday kind.) Razer claims that the technical wizardry—optical and laster mouse optimization, “ultra wide” size—of the Destructor allows for up to 25 percent more accurate mouse tracking. It even comes with a protective case—that’s how serious this is. Or is supposed to be; I haven’t used it to say one way or another. Wanna see my *crazy* mousing surface? Of course you do. → Read More
These FX-edition laptops and PCs from Gateway come in black and brown. The gaming laptop, for example, features high-end Intel processors and NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS 512MB GDDR3. It has HDMI out. The laptop is priced at about $3,000 and will be available next month. The flagship model, the Gateway P-171XL FX Edition, comes with an Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900 processor, NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800M GTS 512MB GDDR3, 17-inch WUXGA display (1920×1200), 3072MB of DDR2 SDRAM, 400GB(1) of storage (two 200GB 7200RPM SATA hard drives) and an HD-DVD player (DVD-RW). It is priced at $2,999.99. The Gateway P-171S FX Edition will be available with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 processor, NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800M GTS 512MB GDDR3, 17-inch WXGA+ display, 3072MB of DDR2 SDRAM, a 250GB(1) 5400RPM SATA hard drive and a slot-load multi-format dual layer DVD-R/RW/DVD-RAM drive with LabelFlash™ technology(2) which lets users laser-burn scratch-resistant personalized images directly on CDs and DVDs. It is priced at $1,599.99. The Gateway P-171X FX Edition comes with the new Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 processor, NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800M GTS 512MB GDDR3, 17-inch WUXGA display, 3072MB of DDR2 SDRAM, a 200GB(1) 7200RPM SATA hard drive and a slot-load multi-format dual layer DVD-R/RW/DVD-RAM drive with LabelFlash technology(2). It is priced at $1,999.99. → Read More
The TX 2000 Whoa, there, Mr. Packard! HP has just launched two new laptops, the HP Pavilion tx2000 mdash; a $1,299 convertable tablet — and the Pavilion HDX series of notebooks the Blu Ray playback and 20-inch ultrabright display (about $1,999). The tx2000 is aimed at students and artists who need handwriting recognition and a nice touchscreen while the HDX is a monster gamer/meda player: For an unrivaled home theater experience in a portable and affordable solution, the HP Pavilion HDX series Entertainment Notebook PC offers 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS video graphics and the latest Intel® CoreT 2 Extreme(2) and Intel® CoreT 2 Duo processor technology,(3) giving it desktop-caliber performance. Now with Blu-ray and HD DVD support,(4) the HDX series plays high-definition DVD or Blu-ray movies on the world’s first 20.1-inch diagonal WUXGA XHD Ultra Brightview display. HDX Integrated Audio provides a best-in-class audio experience with four discrete Altec Lansing speakers and the integrated HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer. HP QuickPlay software makes it easy for consumers to use their HDX series PC to view photos, as a television to access live or recorded TV, or as a karaoke machine to entertain friends and family. People can also watch, pause, rewind and record live TV with the integrated HP Digital + Analog Hybrid TV Tuner.(5) Other features in the HDX series PC include a mobile full-function remote control, dual hard disk drives for more storage and an eSata port for high-speed data transfer. → Read More
Let’s face it. Much of TiVo’s charisma is due to its excellent software interface. The boxes are nice, yes, but the real power is in the UI. Well TiVo and Nero have just struck a deal wherein "Nero will develop a software solution that will bring TiVo features to the personal computer." Hot damn. No word on timeframe or how much it’ll cost but this is good news nonetheless. TiVo and Nero Partner to Deliver the TV Experience to the Personal Computer [Press Release] via Digital Trends → Read More
Lenevo today introduced new ThinkStation brand workstations into the PC market. The two new models include the S10 and higher-end D10 workstations. The S10 will offer Intel Core 2/Core 2 Extreme processors, graphic solutions from NVIDIA, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and multiple slots, bays and USB ports. The D10 will feature all of the above except with the quad-core Intel Xeon processor. Make sure you don’t keep anything flammable next to that thing. And before you ask, no word on new laptops. Lenovo News → Read More
Wal-mart just plotzed out the Everex Green gPC, a low-end machine with low-end specs running Ubuntu Linux and a version of Enlightenment that its creators called GOS. Some may say that this is the “Google PC” but it’s actually running a version of Linux specially tweaked to let you “launch” Google apps — still in the browser — from the task bar. The PC runs a 1.5GHz VIA C7 CPU and is already up on Wal-Mart’s homepage so W00T W00T. Eighty gigabytes of hard drive space and 512 MB memory really seal the deal. Seriously. It’s only $199 so pick it up, try Ubuntu for an hour, and then install an copy of XP. Your sanity will thank us. [UPDATE - I've seen the error of my ways. A $199 Linux PC is a pretty good deal, no matter how you slice it.] Product Page → Read More
Some dude had nothing better to do, so he set up 86 PCs in a row and knocked them over in a domino effect. Yes, it’s a slow news day. Look at them fall! → Read More
Real life kids have been getting their hands on the highly anticipated (?) OLPC. And you know what? For all the nay-sayers out there, the kids like it. According to one twelve-year-old who writes better than pretty much all of us here It was cleverly designed, imaginative, straightforward, easy to understand (I was given no instructions on how to use it. It was just, “Here. Figure it out yourself.”), useful and simple, entertaining, dependable, really a “stick to the basics” kind of computer. It’s the perfect laptop for the job. Great for first time users, it sets the mood by offering a bunch of entertaining and easy games and a camera. The OLPC is so kid-friendly that the youngsters in the above video were able to replace the motherboard in just a few minutes. I wish the PowerBook were as easy to repair as the OLPC, seeing as though I just destroyed my own workhorse trying to replace its hard drive. And really, OLPC haters, what is so wrong with introducing kids to an affordable laptop in their formative years? They seem to like it, so that’s all that should matter. Children’s Reviews of OLPC XO Technology [OLPC News via Slashdot] → Read More
We like Steampunk. For those not familiar with the term, it’s the name given to a modding movement that aims to recapture the warmth and style of the H.G. Wells and Jules Verne era, but with modern electronics. Computers and cellphones and other personal gadgets have all been modded with wood and iron and gears and valves to attain a Victorian-era look, while retaining all of their usefulness. That affection for fake antiques might be big business for computer manufacturers, according to a straw poll by Sneaky Business. Off the record, PC industry executives see “retro” computing as a potential market, and rightly so: Steampunk is popular, and the success of Apple’s personal computers shows that since everyone’s going to have a computer, they’re going to also want it to look good. We’re for that. Don’t expect to rush out and get a gaslight Dell quite yet, it’s still in the incubatory stages. But even as a concept, it’s interesting. Look for at least niche manufacturers for Xmas this year, and if it’s popular, for the big boys to follow suit soon. teampunk niche to drive PC industry growth [Sneaky Business] → Read More
Geeks like to eat sweets. Don’t believe me? Go find a geek, you’ll find junk food. But homemade cake is better than store bought cake. And homemade cake from your favorite computer is the best of all. Most Peecee desktops have at least one 5 1/4-inch drive slot that sits idle. Fill it up with this EZ-Bake Oven and you can make little tarts while you frag jerks. It’s powered internally off your computer’s internal circuits, but it’s more than just a slot and a lightbulb. The baking drive includes open source baking software that automatically detects when your project is done. That is so awesome. And it’s only $30. Buy one for your favorite geek’s birthday, ok? → Read More
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