Mendelson Tiu

Intel has launched a new line of processors that promise faster and optimised performance for both desktops and servers.

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The new Intel Core i5 processor family, two new Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel Xeon processor 3400 series bring the company’s latest Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream desktops and entry server markets.

According to Intel, the new Intel Core Processors for consumers are designed for consumers who need top-notch performance for digital media, productivity, gaming and other demanding applications.

All processors are lead and halogen-free and feature Intel’s exclusive Turbo Boost Technology. The top-of-the-line Core i7 processors also support Intel Hyper-Threading Technology. These features give computer users absolute “intelligent” performance when necessary and optimum power-efficiency when the computer is lightly loaded.

The new Core i7 and i5 processors are the first Intel processors to integrate both a 16-lane PCI Express 2 graphics port and two-channel memory controller, enabling all input/output and manageability functions to be handled by the single-chip Intel P55 Express Chipset.

Previous Intel chipsets required two separate chips. A new Direct Media Interface (DMI) connects between the processor and chipset. The chipset supports 8 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Ports (2.5GT/s) for flexible device support.

Dual graphics cards are supported in a “2×8” configuration. The chipset also supports 6 SATA 3 Gb/s Ports with Intel Matrix Storage Technology providing RAID levels 0/1/5/10. Up to 14 USB 2.0 Ports can be supported with the chipset’s integrated USB 2.0 Rate Matching Hub, along with Intel High Definition Audio for premium digital sound. The new processors are the first to be supported by the new Land Grid Array (LGA) 1156 package and socket technology.

Small businesses requiring 24/7 operation and educators now have more reasons than ever to buy a purpose-built server with Intel’s new Xeon processors and Intel 3400 and 3420 chipsets. These new products improve small business productivity by running email, file, print and dynamic Web serving tasks more efficiently.

They also improve education by enabling dependable classroom collaboration and making school administrative services more productive. Servers based on Xeon 3400 processors provide more dependability over desktop systems through differentiated features such as Error Correcting Code memory and RAID 0/1/5/10 for server operating systems.

They are designed to help small businesses grow by enabling up to 64 per cent more sale transactions and up to 56 per cent faster business response time. This improvement is enabled with Intel’s Nehalem microarchitecture and a 4x improvement in memory capacity (32 GB). Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enable these servers to automatically adapt their performance to unique business needs.

The processors launched today also include the Intel Xeon L3426, a low-power variant that delivers up to 188 per cent improvement in energy efficiency per dollar than the previous-generation Intel Xeon X3380, and enables innovative server form factors for space and thermally constrained environments.

BenQ announced its new 11.6-inch green netbook which is mostly made out of recyclable materials.

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BenQ Joybook Lite U121

The company says that the Joybook Lite U121 Eco draws 40 percent less power than previous generation netbooks because of its new Intel Atom processor and mercury-free, low-energy LED display.  In addition to this, 75 percent of the mechanical elements and 70 percent of packaging are also recyclable, gaining EPEAT recognition.

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (or EPEAT), is an online tool helping institutional purchasers select and compare computer desktops, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes.

The Joybook Lite U121 Eco weighs 1.3kg, lasts for up to 8 hours, and comes with a ‘quick charge’ feature which recovers 80 percent of battery life in just an hour of charging. It is powered by Intel Atom processor, runs on Windows XP, and has four USB ports, microphone in and headphone out sockets, a 4 in 1 card reader, 1.3-megapixel camera, and built-in speakers.

BenQ General Manager for Australia, Chee F. Chung said, “The market for netbooks – or mini notebooks – is in a state of rapid growth, and BenQ is well placed to capitalize on this trend with the release of the U121 Eco as it boasts superior features and benefits such as the unique 11.6 inch screen, long-life battery with ‘quick charge’ and of course, the fact that the product is designed and engineered for minimal environmental impact.” 

Joybook Lite U121 Eco is now avaialble for $899.00.

The new Hitachi wireless tablet is aimed at educators and businesses who want to allow other users to interact and participate during presentations.

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According to Hitachi, up to seven WT-1 systems can connected to a PC at any one time, enabling multiple users to interact and participate during presentations. Volume control is available directly from the tablet, and PowerPoint presentations can be fully controlled via the function button on the device.

The WT-1 comes with an interactive pen with two customisable buttons, has a wireless range of up to 9 metres and battery life which supports up to 16 hours of continuous use. The tablet also includes 16 shortcut function keys, handwriting recognition, search engine integration and a built-in LCD indicator screen to alert users when battery life is coming to an end.

Hitachi Australia’s StarBoard Products Specialist, James Burke said, “The Hitachi WT-1 Interactive Wireless Tablet is a great product for any classroom, training room, lecture hall or media conferencing centre. The way we traditionally deliver information has become stale and boring. With the WT-1 users are able to inject new life into their presentations, increasing interactivity when they are teaching or presenting to groups.”

The new Hitachi LCD projector can be networked, controlled and maintained from one remote location via a network connection.

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The Hitachi CP-X3010N has a brightness of 3,000 lumens, a 2000:1 contrast ratio and the convenience of multi-networking capability. It features 16 watts of built-in audio and a low noise rating of 29 dBA in Eco Mode. Additionally, the CP-X3010N features a long lamp life of 3,000 hours in Standard Mode and 6,000 hours in Eco Mode.

Hitachi’s Product Manager, Digital Presentations Solutions Division, Bill Christoforou said, “The Hitachi CP-X3010N projector brings networking functionality to applications such as education and corporate environments, where the ability to monitor and manage multiple projectors is often required. With this projector, Hitachi has addressed the increased demand for networking technology with tools that lower the total cost of ownership as a result of added convenience, security and ease of operation.”

Hitachi’s proprietary My Image functionality allows AV/IT administrators to transfer still images, such as emergency alerts, from a PC to each projector on the network. This is ideal for applications in which multiple projectors are networked across a large space, such as a school, campus or large corporate environment. My Image is ideal for sending presentation images ahead to a projector, sending morning announcements to rooms on campus or sending important notifications to boardrooms.

Hitachi’s Projector Messenger Application (“PJMessenger”) software also allows an administrator to send real-time (or stored) text messages that appear on the screen of the projector. This is perfect for sending campus or company-wide announcements and important notifications. When used in conjunction with the scheduling function, notifications can be shown at pre-set times, making each screen a virtual message board.

The CP-X3010N also comes with Hitachi’s Projector Control Application (PJCtrl) which allows a user to control the functions of their Hitachi Projector through a toolbar on their desktop or laptop PC. Since all of the functions for controlling the projector are on the PC, PJCtrl helps to reduce costs associated with lost remote controls and battery replacement.

Furthermore, the CP-X3010N features a Transition Detector, requiring a password to operate the projector when it is moved from a fixed position. The CP-X3010N also offers PIN Lock and MyScreen functions, along with a security bar that enables the use of a heavy chain to prevent theft.

HP has launched a home server that can store movies, photos, music, and documents, as well as provide easy access to the files though any Internet-connected PC anytime.

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According to HP, the MediaSmart Server is designed to ‘offer maximum capacity, high-performance processors, ultimate control, Mac support and an intuitive user interface.’

The MediaSmart Server lets you store your photos, music, videos, documents, downloads in a central location, which can be accessed remotely online. It also offers a video converter that automatically converts videos that can be played at home or remotely.

Users are able to control how their videos are converted by selecting the device the video will be played on or by choosing specific video settings using the advanced controls features. In addition, the server also automatically collects and organises media files on your PC and streams it across a home network and the Internet.

With the ability to administer the HP MediaSmart Server from a Mac using Microsoft’s new Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2, the Server delivers a true cross-platform experience. The HP MediaSmart Server offers additional features, including administration, media collection and a new disc recovery utility providing bare metal recovery on Time Machine.

In addition, owners of an iPod touch and iPhone can download a free HP MediaSmart Server iStream application from Apple’s App Store enabling them to stay connected to their digital media stored on the Server. Users can easily access their pictures, listen to their music collection and watch their videos – all streamed directly to their mobile device from their HP MediaSmart Server.

Key features of the unit include: Remote access, HP Media Collector, HP Video Converter, HP Media Streamer, Intuitive user interface with web-based home page, Server for iTunes, PC Hard Drive Backup, Server Backup, Smart Power Management, an Intel Atom or Celeron processor, and up to 7 terabytes (TB) internal storage and 17 TB of storage using internal and external drives.

The HP MediaSmart Server LX197 and EX490 with 1 TB of hard disk storage have an RRP of $599 and $899 respectively and will be available from October 22, 2009.

Looking for a cheap desktop with good specifications? Head to your nearest Aldi store this Thursday (October 1) and pick up the Medion Akoya E7330 D sold for only $799.

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The E7330 D comes with an Intel Core 2 Quad processor (2.5Ghz), 4GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GT220 (1024MB) graphics card, a 640GB drive, and an abundance of ports.

Up front, users can find two USB ports, a microphone and headphone jack, an e-SATA port, as well as a CF, MS/SD/MMC, and SM/XD reader. The back of the unit hosts PS/2 ports for the mouse and keyboard, four USB ports, Firewire, Ethernet port, line-in, front line-out, back surround line-out, side surround line-out, centre/subwoofer line-out, as well as an HDMI, DVI-I, and S-Video out.

Located on top of the case is an HDD bay designed for Medion’s HDDrive 2 Go Ultraspeed hard drive. This drive will be available starting on October 1 for $129 (see more information here), which is good as it can act as a secondary drive to store additional data.

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The unit comes pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 2, but can be upgraded to Windows 7 for free via redemption. Also pre-installed are the following: Microsoft Works 9.0, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60-day trial), Windows Live Essentials, Corel Suite (Home Office, Draw Essentials 4, Painter Essentials 4), Cyberlink Power2Go 4, and BullGuard Internet Security Pack (90-day trial).

The E7330 D can be hooked up to any home or office network using the Ethernet port or built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n). The desktop can be connected to a monitor via VGA or DVI port or to a HD TV via HDMI. Users can also experience surround sound by plugging their 5.1 speakers on the audio ports.

During our test, we ran a couple of programs to test its multi-tasking ability. We were able to check various websites without experiencing slowdowns despite the unit rendering videos and playing music.

The E7330 D recorded a score of 15560 in 3DMark03, 5921 in 3DMark06, and 7000 in PCMark05.

The Medion Akoya E7330 D is available starting this Thursday, October 1, 2009, for $799.

The new Sharp projector features the DLP sealed system, which prevents dust, dirt and smoke from entering core parts of the optics.

The Sharp PG-D4010X projector is a high brightness single-lamp system that claims to offer an outstanding brightness of 4200 ANSI Lumens and 2500:1 contrast ratio. It features the DLP sealed system, which prevents dust, dirt and smoke from entering core parts of the optics.

Its filter-free design results in less maintenance, lower ownership cost and longer projector use. When the full projector brightness is not required, use of a low power “Eco” Mode is recommended, which extends the projector lamp life and reduces fan noise for quieter and even more economical operation.

Inbuilt high power output stereo speakers (5W per channel) are sufficient for use without the need for a peripheral audio system in some situations, further contributing to total installation cost savings.

The PG-D4010X provides XGA native resolution (1024×768), but in Intelligent Compression System it is compatible with the signal resolution up to UXGA enabling projection from a wide variety of input sources. It offers HDTV compatibility for use with current and future video technologies as well as extensive connectivity.

The PG-D4010X includes a DVI-I analogue/digital source, RGB and component inputs, S-video, composite video and stereo audio, an RS-232C port and a USB input for mouse control. There is also a RJ-45 LAN connection for remote control and access by a Web browser for diagnostics and automatic e-mail of product status.

The PG-D4010X is well suited for permanent installations as well as offering additional features designed for safe mobility, including lens cover protecting optics and the inbuilt carry handle. Other useful features include image shift function, theft deterrent system lock, key lock preventing unauthorised use and presentation-assist functions by remote control (page up/down, pointer, spotlight and mouse control).

The Sharp PG-D4010X projector is available now for $3,299.

Lenovo has announced four new ThinkPad PCs, the T410s, T410 and T510 laptops and the W510 mobile workstation that uses the new Intel Core dual-core processors.

Lenovo Australia and New Zealand Product and Marketing Director Chris Kelly said, “ThinkPad laptops are built for business with the performance, portability and wireless capabilities users need and the manageability, reliability and durability IT departments require. These latest enhancements in processing speed, battery life and wireless technologies will help users work faster and longer.”

The T410s provides a thin and light design with full performance for extremely mobile users, while the T410 and T510 are designed for full performance for mainstream business users. The high performance W510 mobile workstation fits the needs of professionals in data and graphics demanding fields.

The W510 has four memory slots for up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, supports an Intel Core i7 quad core processors,  and also offers the Nvidia Quadro FX  880M GPU with 1GB VRAMAs. It is also the first ThinkPad to offer USB 3.0, allowing users to transfer data 10x faster than USB 2.0. 

The W510 also comes with an optional multi finger touch screen.  Lenovo includes the SimpleTap application to help make navigating the touchscreen simple.  The W510 also has added an optional colour calibrator, first debuted in the ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation, to help ensure the most accurate colours on its high gamut full high definition screen.

The T410s is now available with Nvidia switchable graphics with 512 MB of VRAM so users can balance a visually intense graphics experience with energy efficiency and battery life.

The laptops are also certified under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program for Windows 7. This means they start up significantly faster than identical configuration, non optimised PCs. For example, on select Think PCs, Windows 7 starts up to 56 percent faster compared to running Windows XP or Vista and shuts down in as little as five seconds.

For added convenience, a powered USB port comes on all the new PCs and can be used to charge MP3 players, phones and other devices when the PC is on, on standby or off (if plugged in).

The new laptops also improve the typing experience with larger Escape and Delete keys. Since Lenovo found users hit the Delete and Escape keys up to 700 times a week on average, the sizes of these keys have been increased starting with the T400s laptop.

Lenovo is also offering a new nine cell slice battery on the T410, T510 and W510 laptops for up to 21 hours of battery life. The laptops also offer optional 3G connectivity leveraging EV-DO and HSPA wireless networks with Qualcomm Gobi 2000 technology.

The ThinkPad T410s, T410, T510 and W510 laptops are available now, with pricing for models starting approximately at $2399 for the T410s, $2499 for the T410, $2349 for the T510 and $3999 for the W510.