Legit Reviews News History
Windows XP 64 goes gold
" MICROSOFT HAS released the final version of Windows XP 64 to manufacturing, meaning that those with machines that have 64-32 bit processors in from AMD and latterly Intel can now see what the extra addressing brings to the party.
No doubt people can also look forward to future service pack releases from Microsoft, but we mustn't be too churlish about this, even though the OS is long delayed. Only the most absurdly cynical would suggest that it's been delayed because Intel was hurriedly racing to catch up and make its chips similar enough to AMD64 processors to run the OS. "
Posted by | Thu, Mar 31, 2005 - 01:23 AM
PC Drive Reaches 500GB
" Hitachi's new Deskstar 7K500 drive marks several milestones in the storage industry: It's the first desktop hard drive to reach 500GB and one of the first to use the speedy new SATA II interface. In terms of how it stores data, though, the Deskstar may be among the last of its kind, as drive manufacturers begin to approach the limits of how densely they can pack data using today's standard recording technology. "
Posted by | Thu, Mar 31, 2005 - 01:19 AM
Symantec Acknowledges Two Holes in Antivirus Products
"Security software company Symantec has acknowledged that software flaws in some of its antivirus products could allow malicious hackers to use denial of service (DOS) attacks to crash systems running the software, disrupting automatic protection features. "
Posted by | Thu, Mar 31, 2005 - 01:16 AM
Longhorn could be tough sell for Microsoft
" Longhorn has already survived several major delays, intense scrutiny from the industry and a radical redesign of its features.
But the toughest test for Microsoft's next release of Windows is still to come: Will anyone buy it?
Even though it's been five years since Windows XP's debut, Microsoft could still face a tough sell when it releases Longhorn next year. With past updates, users had clamored for more stability and security, but analysts say people are pretty happy with Windows XP.
"Microsoft for the very first time is going to be faced with the challenge of being the player whose (operating system) is 'good enough'" as is, said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.
"
Posted by | Wed, Mar 30, 2005 - 12:13 PM
ATI R520 has 24 plus pipelines
" ATI'S FUTURE R520 CHIP will end up with a minimum of twenty four pipelines. We are talking about an extremely big chip and it won't be a problem to plumb it with more than just twenty four pipes. "
Posted by | Wed, Mar 30, 2005 - 12:04 PM
Intel releases new high-end Xeon processors
" SAN FRANCISCO--Intel released on Tuesday a new generation of Xeon chips, its first high-end models to include 64-bit features designed to easily accommodate large amounts of memory. "
Posted by | Tue, Mar 29, 2005 - 08:53 PM
Morning Reviews
X-Bit has a lab on the mainstream Geforce 6600GT by Leadtek on the review bench. Looks like they think it's a decent card.
"Please meet a new graphics card from Leadtek, which has just left our labs. Excellent performance, high-quality cooling solution and nice accessories bundle ? this product is definitely worth taking into consideration when shopping around for a graphics card. More details in our review!"
Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH Graphics Card Review @ X-Bit labs
- Wireless Networking: Setup and Security @ Bigbruin
- EPoX EP-9NPA ULTRA Motherboard @ HardOCP
- The Danger Den Fillport Review @ OCModShop
- Dual Layer DVD Shootout - ASUS vs. Gigabyte @ TweakTown
- Club 3D PCIe, AGP X800 XLﾴs & X850 PRO Review @ Beyond3D
- The Inkjet Printer Shell Game @ The Tech Zone
- Gigabyte's GA-K8VT890-9 motherboard @ The Tech Report
- Asus Star Ice CPU Cooler Review @ PC Perspective
- VIA K8T800 Pro (Socket 939) Roundup : ABIT AV8 @ Hardware Zone
- Leadtek PX6600GT TDH PCI-E Video Card Review @ GruntvillE.com
Posted by | Tue, Mar 29, 2005 - 10:22 AM
Indian Ocean Region: Tsunami Warning
It looks like Sri Lanka, Thialand, and Indonesia are telling those living in low lying areas to move to higher ground. Since a good chunk of our readers are in Asia we hope the best and that you have already made it to a safe location. Sri Lanka issued a warning that the earthquake may spawn a tsunami that would reach Sri Lanka's shores by about 3 a.m. Tuesday (4 p.m. ET USA Monday). With a few hours to go we urge anyone within 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of the epicenter (just west of Indonesia) to evacuate coastal regions.
Posted by | Mon, Mar 28, 2005 - 11:40 AM
Adobe Photoshop CS2 coming soon
" Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS2, a major upgrade to the professional industry standard for digital image editing and creation. Available as a stand-alone software application or as a key component of Adobe Creative Suite® 2, also announced today (see separate press release), Photoshop CS2 software brings a new level of power, precision and control to the digital photography experience and to the overall creative process.
"Photoshop CS2 pushes the envelope with powerful features and simplified workflows that provide photographers and creative professionals the freedom to deliver stunning images," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Digital Imaging and Digital Video Products at Adobe. "In light of the four million digital SLRs expected to ship this year, more photographers than ever will be making Photoshop CS2 their digital darkroom of choice." "
Posted by | Mon, Mar 28, 2005 - 11:34 AM
Hidden Web Browser in Sony PSP
" The newly launched hand-held game console from Sony has some secrets up its sleeves. The Sony PSP seems to have a little nifty secret which allows PSP users to browse the internet with their web browser. Sony hasn't announced of any such integrated browser with the PSP, however, some folks managed to find the hidden treasure. In other words, Sony is working on some brand new communication software.
Soon after the release of the Sony PSP in Japan, Sony announced that the Sony PSP will include several future updates such as a text editor, spreadsheet, on-screen calculator, web browser, email program and add-on which allows you use the PSP as a mobile phone. "
Posted by | Mon, Mar 28, 2005 - 11:31 AM
Monday Morning News
I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and made it safely back to the daily grind of work. Not too much news going on today yet, so I thought I'd just link to some things going on here at the site. For starters, we have a review on the Sapphire X850 XT PCIe video card that was written by Rich. He runs it against the X850 XT PE, and a pair of 6600GT's in SLI mode that were all purchased via the retail channel. No cherry picked samples on that review!
When you get done with the review, take a look at the new topics that are going on in the forums right now. If you are already having a bad day at the cube then take a look at the topic on crushing big things in a massive shredder. These flash movie files of items from boats to computers being crushed should put a smile on everyones face. If you are a console fan then you must follow up on the Sony PS2 lawsuit that might shut down all Sony PS/PS2 sales if an appeal isn't granted. Then keep an eye out on our Skyhawk PSU thread, because I have a feeling that it is going to become HOT in the near future. I'm waiting on hearing back from them shortly.
More hardware news will be posted later today. I'm off to grab some Oolong tea and see if I can't wake up!
Posted by | Mon, Mar 28, 2005 - 07:17 AM
First Look: Sony's Impressive PlayStation Portable
"It's black and shiny with clear acrylic buttons; it plays games, music, and movies; and it's coming to a store near you March 24. It's Sony's $250 PlayStation Portable, and after two days of intense testing, I've reached a conclusion: You're probably going to want one of these, despite a few minor flaws.
The first thing you notice when you remove the unit from the box is that big display.
The PSP's 4.3-inch, 480-by-272-pixel TFT LCD screen is absolutely beautiful, with bright, vibrant color on display during both game and movie play. Everyone who peeked at the PSP commented about how good the screen looked, and I have to agree, it's striking.
However, there are several drawbacks to the display's brilliantly shiny surface, chief among them fingerprints. Within minutes of opening the box, I'd covered the device with prints that were so noticeable you wouldn't need a crime scene investigation unit to lift one. I guess that's why Sony ships the special gray chamois cloth with the unit. I predict that the PSP will inspire many gamers to perform a new ritual: wiping fingerprint grease off the screen before playing a game or watching a movie."
Posted by | Fri, Mar 25, 2005 - 06:36 AM
Amazon
"Extra zeros on Amazon.com's listing for a ViewSonic Tablet PC drew a blizzard of bogus "buyer" reviews of a system so powerful that one claimed "the singularity used to power this device is unstable" and another wrote "I was able to create my own flux capacitor to travel back in time."
Although the listing's technical details have been corrected -- and the page claims that the ViewSonic TPCV1250S-1303 "is currently not available" -- for a while Wednesday and Thursday, Amazon had the Tablet PC's AMD processor as a "10.0 GHz" Athlon and its hard drive as a "30,000 GB" IDE model (3 terabytes).
All for the low, low price of $2,200.
Buyers noticed the extra digits -- the actual speed of the tablet's AMD chip is 1.0GHz, and the hard drive holds 30M -- and immediately began using Amazon's Customer Review feature to post tongue-in-cheek reviews.
A small sampling of the more than 80 "reviews" posted so far:
"I hooked up my scanner to this beast and now there are two of me.... and my copy (no - really - the COPY) is getting me into all kinds of trouble."
"I wasn't home when they turned it on, which Mommy said was a good thing, after she stopped crying yesterday. I saw the flash of light from my school several blocks away. Our neighbor's house was burned pretty bad and I wondered where our house went -- there was just a big hole in the ground. Mommy said something about suing ViewSonic for not using a big enough heat sink. I just want my sister Suzie back."
"This item ships from the future. It requires an additional charge of 7,000 Earth Barter Notes. An EBN is roughly equal to $60. It is SO worth it, though."
"We have been using one of these at work for the basis of our SKYNET project. We are so impressed by this hardware that we plan on switching over the nation's defense grid to be under complete control of this machine sometime next week. I'll post a follow-up review after we do to tell you how it went..."
Posted by | Fri, Mar 25, 2005 - 06:31 AM
Intel looking for market to migrate to 600-series CPUs by 3Q, mobo makers disagree
"Intel is hoping the market will migrate from 500-series Pentium 4 CPUs to 64-bit 600-series by the third quarter of this year, with the chip giant promoting the fact that 915- and 945-series chipsets will support the 64-bit CPU platform, according to market sources.
Sources at motherboard makers commented that quotes for the 600-series Pentium 4 processors are still too high for customers, even though the new CPUs have the added features of support for Enhanced Memory 64-bit Technology (EM64T) and more L2 cache. Although Intel may lower prices for the 600-series CPUs in August, the sources pointed out that prices for 500-series will drop as well, and the price gap between the two should remain at about US$20.
However, motherboard makers in Taiwan believe that Intel will introduce new EM64T-enabled Pentium 4- and Celeron-series products for desktop PCs in the second quarter of this year."
Posted by | Fri, Mar 25, 2005 - 06:25 AM
Broadband scuffle reaches Supreme Court
"Two competing visions of the future of high-speed Internet services will face off before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a closely watched case that could set the rules of the road for broadband competition in America for years to come.
At stake is whether cable broadband providers must share their lines with rivals--as happens in the phone industry--or whether they should be exempt from such rules. Though seemingly arcane, the issue could influence how quickly high-speed Internet services come online across the country, what features they will have and how much they will cost--particularly in those regions where cable is the only broadband choice for consumers."
Posted by | Fri, Mar 25, 2005 - 06:23 AM
Super-cooled AMD Venice benchmarked
" SPODS at Xtremesystems have gotten themselves all in a lather over some AMD chips.
After fiddling with a pair of 90nm 'Venice' samples, the overclockers reckon to have unearthed evidence that the Prince Harry* of chipmaking has cured a bug which afflicting 'Winchester' cores.
The boys booted their Venice 3500+ at temperatures down to -40C, which may be good news for overclockers, though normal folk probably don?t give a toss.
Earlier Winchester CPUs "wouldn?t boot at low temperatures because of a bug with their internal temp probe that is supposed to protect them from working at too high temps. It reads the low temps incorrectly and thinks its actually too hot to run and doesn?t even boot".
These Venice samples boot like a chilled-out dream, it seems."
Posted by | Fri, Mar 25, 2005 - 06:20 AM
Taiwan vendors sign-on with Samsung for NAND flash
"The average consumer?s demand for mobile storage will top 100GB by 2007 ? a five-fold increase from current levels ? as a wider variety of consumer electronics applications and richer content become available on the market in the next few years, according to Chang-Gyu Hwang, president of Memory Division, Device Solution Network of Samsung Electronics.
Anticipating the marked increase in demand, several Taiwan-based DRAM module makers recently signed long-term contracts with Samsung to guarantee NAND flash supply, sources indicated.
Since 2001, consumers? need for mobile storage has grown from about 1GB to 20GB, with most of the increase coming from devices utilizing flash memory, Hwang said. Demand for mobile devices is now the major driving force in the semiconductor business, and the market value of the segment will match the PC segment by 2007, Hwang added.
In addition, Huang believes NAND flash will be the memory product benefiting most from the growth in mobile storage. Citing the example of smart phones, Huang pointed out that the demand for NAND flash used in these products will grow 21% this year, while demand for NOR flash will grow only 8% and DRAM and SRAM will see only 6% growth in the smart phone segment."
Posted by | Thu, Mar 24, 2005 - 07:35 AM
Yahoo bolsters e-mail storage to 1GB
"Yahoo on Tuesday said it plans to once again boost its free e-mail storage limit--this time to 1GB, the same amount offered by archrival Google.
Beginning in late April, Yahoo will upgrade free users to the new storage limit of 1GB, up from its current 250MB. The company said it will take about two weeks for all Yahoo Mail users to see the boost.
Yahoo's storage upgrade comes one week after Google started offering Gmail accounts to random visitors of its home page. This has led to heightened speculation in news articles and blogs that Google plans to open Gmail's doors to the public on April 1, a year after it launched in its current test form."
Posted by | Thu, Mar 24, 2005 - 07:32 AM
PCI Express represents 15 per cent of add-in cards
" PCI EXPRESS ADOPTION is taking its time. It is having a hard time to establish itself as the primary choice for consumers and gamers. Regardless of all reviews and the noise that reviewers and the industry are making, AGP is still by far much more popular than PCIe. "
Posted by | Thu, Mar 24, 2005 - 07:30 AM
Mid-Week Reviews
Today's Interesting Read: The Future of SLI @ [H]
Brent Justice has spent some time recently with some SLI cards and takes a look at how the have progressed over the past months. I'm glad to see that the Forceware drivers now support 70 games in SLI mode!
"NVIDIA has made some very important strides in support of SLI with ForceWare 71.84. We are very glad to see the supported games list increase to over 70 games. We expect to see this list grow larger in the future. We are very glad to see the inclusion of a method to force whatever SLI mode you want in games that do not have profiles yet. "
Read the full article at HardOCP
Reviews Around The Web
Athlon 64 4000+ review @ Guru3D
n00bs Guides: Fundamentals of Upgrading a PC @ PC Stats
Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Mouse @ Mikhailtech
Mutant Mods Acrylic ATX Case @ PimpRig
ATI RADEON X700 PRO Shootout @ Hardwarezone
Sunbeamtech Giveaway @ SystemCooling
Silex Pricom SX3700WB Wireless USB Device Server @ HardCoreWare
Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH @ Bjorn3D
A Conversation with Terry Welsh of Really Slick Screensavers @ ExtensionTech
Sony Open House 2005 Coverage @ Designtechinca
Gigabyte GeForce 6200 with TurboCache 256MB @ Hardcoreware
4-way NFORCE 4 SLI Motherboard Round-up @ Gamers Depot
Leadtek WinFast PCIe PX6200TD Overclocking test @ Madshrimps
Intel EM64T Technology @ MBReview
ATI's 0.11 Micron Chip on the Run: ATI RADEON X800 XL @ X-Bit Labs
Memory Market Overview @ X-Bit Labs
Posted by | Wed, Mar 23, 2005 - 06:06 PM