Microsoft Direct3D

Direct3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX API. Direct3D is only available for Microsoft's various Windows operating systems (Windows 95 and above) and in the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360

console systems. Direct3D is used to render three dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games. Direct3D also allows applications to run fullscreen instead of embedded in a window, though they can still run in a window if programmed for that feature.

Direct3D uses hardware acceleration if it is available on the graphics card, allowing for hardware acceleration of the entire 3D rendering pipeline or even only partial acceleration. Direct3D exposes the advanced graphics capabilities of 3D graphics hardware, including z-buffering, anti-aliasing, alpha blending, mipmapping, atmospheric effects, and perspective-correct texture mapping. Integration with other DirectX technologies enables Direct3D to deliver such features as video mapping, hardware 3D rendering in 2D overlay planes, and even sprites, providing the use of 2D and 3D graphics in interactive media titles.

Latest Technology in Computer Hardware

The rate at which new computer hardware products are arriving in the market is simply mind-boggling. As the technology advances, the size and the price of the devices come down, while the efficiency and capacity increase. The scenario is same in all cases, whether it is about internal components like processor, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and hard disk or for peripheral accessories like mouse, keyboard, and monitors. Personal computers became popular only before about three decades back. But already there are huge piles of outdated and antique hardware components and devices. This is a tribute to the tremendous rate of development of latest technologies in computer hardware field. Perhaps, the newest entrant into the archeological catalogue of computer peripherals is CRT monitors. The sleek looking LCD monitors are spreading like computer virus.Data storage devices have attracted considerable attention of the technology developers. New kinds of storage devices such as newer version sions of flash memory cards, hard disks using latest technology and disks of ever-increasing capacity are the results of advancement in latest technology in compute hardware. The memory size of the random access memory (RAM) cards is soaring to enable the smooth functioning of graphics animation software packages and streaming video websites. Also, computer motherboards have undergone substantial changes over the years. More and more functions are being added to the motherboard. Also, despite the incredible improvement in performance and functionalities, the price of these components has actually fallen steadily.The most vital component of a computer is the microprocessor. It is in this field that a battle of developing latest technologies in computer hardware takes place. The pace of development of microprocessor increases as the competition between the major processor chip manufacturing companies, Intel and AMD, intensifies. Both the companies are engaging in a neck and neck competition and continuously outdo each other in introducing new technologies.In the field of computer peripherals, the latest technology in computer hardware is in developing yet another version of wireless mouse and keyboard. The concept of wireless mouse and keyboard is about a decade old. But the development of these items is still a work in progress. The latest products of wireless mouse and keyboard are said to be highly durable and error free.

Apple OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

Apple unleashed Snow Leopard, the latest version of the Mac OS, late last night. PCMag's early testing proves it's a solid operating system—and at $29, something of a bargain. With Microsoft's "Vista" nearing dirty-word status and Windows 7 ($120!) still months away, you might think this stellar new OS will have months, if not years to steal market share from Windows. You'd be wrong. In terms of market share, the Mac is going to stay a minor player in the PC world. But that is OK, because Apple is way out in front where it really matters: mind share.

Few people know Apple's real market share in the U.S., let alone abroad. I asked five people here at the office and got estimates ranging from 15 to 30 percent. Everyone agreed it was rising—fast.
What is Apple's actual market share? According to IDC, it is 7.6 percent in the U.S. That puts Apple behind Dell, HP, Acer, and Toshiba. Worldwide, Apple's market share is even lower, probably around 2 to 3 percent. (Although Apple did recently pass 10 percent market share in Canada; Snow Leopard will find a welcoming habitat up North.)


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IDC isn't the only research firm running numbers, of course. Net Application's Market Share research shows just 4.86 percent of worldwide traffic coming from systems running the Mac OS. Even if you throw in iPhone users, the number barely passes 5 percent. Hardly a mass phenomenon.


I realize this is shocking to all those who walk into Starbucks and see MacBooks outnumbering PCs three to one. It is inconceivable to everyone who watches John Hodgman trip over USB cables while Justin Long boasts about being virus-free. I reveal these numbers not to bash Apple, but merely to make the facts known. It is for educational purposes only.(Speaking of educational purposes, I'm betting Apple's market share among students is much greater.) The numbers don't lie; well, at least they don't lie much. The fact is, Apple has a small sliver of the market and it isn't growing much. But here is the kicker: That's a good thing.

Small market share helps Apple stay small. The company employs about 35,000 people. Compare that to Dell's 78,900, Microsoft's massive 93,000, and HP's hulking 321,000 workforce. (See, there are practical applications for Wolfram Alpha.) Being smaller than its competition has helped Apple stay flexible and innovative. If it were the same size as Microsoft, it would move at the same speed. And then the iPhone OS would look like Windows Mobile.

Apple doesn't want to attract new customers—it mostly wants to keep its existing customers happy. Now, you might think that Mac people are so self-satisfied they don't need any help being happy. And you would probably be right. Still, these customers have proven they are willing to pay a premium for a product that is more commodified every day. In fact, Apple has a stunning 91 percent of the market for PCs that cost more than $1,000. Clearly, these are customers Apple wants to keep.

Plus, these extra funds fuel innovation.I don't have space here to go into all the reasons the Mac OS is so great, but our review covers it pretty well. Likewise, Apple's PCs have consistently been in the vanguard for performance and design, if not always features and value. Even market failures, like the MacBook Air, have spurred the industry forward and inspired copycats. If you doubt it, just count the number of one-inch thick, CULV-based systems that will be on store shelves this fall.

I'm not saying Apple doesn't want to grow its market share, just that it doesn't have to. The company has cherry-picked the most attractive customers, side-stepped price competition, and made everyone who isn't using a Mac just a little uneasy that they are missing something. Snow Leopard won't move Apple's market share up much, but it will be enough for the company to maintain its mind-share dominance.

Product Overview for HP Mini 1151NR Netbook (Verizon Wireless)

HP Mini 1151NR Netbook (Verizon Wireless) Detail

It’s ultra-portable. Lightweight. Less expensive than standard notebooks and functions on America’s largest and most reliable 3G network.You can keep on top of business and stay informed and in touch when out of the office and even when out of the country! The HP Mini comes with Genuine Windows®XP Home Edition Operating System, is global capable*, features a 10.1” display, 1GB of RAM and 80GB of Hard Drive. It comes with a built-in Web-cam and microphone, Bluetooth and Windows Media Player.

HP Mini 1151NR Netbook (Verizon Wireless)

Mobile Broadband Capable
80GB Hard Drive
1GB RAM
Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
Built-in Webcam and Microphone
Bluetooth

Included Accessories

VZW Mobile Broadband Service Quick Reference Guide
Product Essentials Manual
Worldwide Tech Support Numbers
Warranty Information
Notepad
Home office card
LifeLock security card
HP & LifeLock (ID Theft Protection) Coupons
Screen Wipe

Gateway releases 16-inch MC series laptops

Gateway on Monday released its first 16-inch laptops, the MC7801u and the MC7803u. With a 16:9 aspect ratio screen, 16-inch (and 18-inch) models are beginning to emerge.

Unlike traditional 16:10 laptop displays, a 16:9 screen matches the ratio of movies and HD content. Similar to the redesigned MacBook, the display on Gateway's MC series laptops features a glossy glass overlay that runs edge to edge. The 16-inch screen features a 1366x768 resolution; you'll need to bump up to an 18-inch model for 1080p playback.

The $950 MC7801u features a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T5800 CPU, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 64-bit Vista Home Premium, and a 320GB hard drive. So what don't you get on this sub-$1,000 laptop? You miss out Intel's latest Centrino 2 platform, and the laptop relies on integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics.

A second model in the 16-inch MC series, the $1,000 MC7803u, will feature a dedicated 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 graphics card. Providing the MC models with a distinctive look, a thin pleather strip runs down the middle of the lid. The lower-end MC7801u features a burgundy lid, and the higher-end MC7803u features a black lid.

Other features include HDMI and VGA ports, backlit keyboard and multimedia controls, Webcam, DVD burner, Draft N Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard and media card slots.

The Gateway MC7801u is being sold through Best Buy and is included in our holiday retail laptop roundup. Look for our review next week.

Intel flaunts its latest Core i7, world's fastest desktop chip

Time marches on. PC processors get faster. But this one is unusually quick, especially when overclocking. The cool-running 3.3GHz Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition is a $1000 quad-core chip currently aimed at gamers who can afford to spend $8000 on a PC, but don't let that discourage you. This will be an average processor a couple of years from now.

It starts getting geek-gasmically astonishing when you hear tales of the guys at Hot Hardware Review overclocking this sucker, revving it up beyond 4.1 GHz. They reported the chip wasn't even breathing hard at that much-higher speed, and only noticed a "small voltage bump" when the chip reached its 50°C maximum temperature. And that was with a normal heatsink, no fancy liquid cooling required.

High Definition Audio

The High Definition Audio on the chips runs at a maximum of 192KHz 24-bit sample rate with eight channels, plus Dolby, DTS and DVD-Audio support. It also supports array microphones with up to 16 elements, a rather under-utilised technology that's useful for noise-cancelling voice recognition systems. This may be a feature of future operating systems. The final trick that the audio subsystem knows is 'jack retasking': it senses whether you've plugged a microphone, speaker or line-level audio connection into each jack and routes the audio signal appropriately. This could spell the end of the incomprehensible audio icon.

Intel's High Definition Audio supports array microphones with up to 16 elements -- useful for voice recognition systems.

925X and 915G/P chipsets

Alderwood and Grantsdale -- more properly, the Intel 925X and the 915G and P Express Chipsets -- introduce a set of upgrades and new features. Most are shared across the family: PCI Express, 800MHz frontside bus, dual-channel DDR2 533MHz memory support, integrated Gigabit Ethernet, four serial ATA and eight USB 2.0 ports, and Intel's High Definition Audio. The 925X supports ECC memory, unlike the 915 chips, while the latter work with a selection of older Pentiums and slower memory options. The 915G also includes integrated graphics, Intel's new Graphics Media Accelerator 900, and the chips include some high-level support for wireless access points (although the wireless network adapter itself isn't included).

The 925X chipset supports ECC memory, unlike the 915G (with integrated graphics) and 915P parts.
The chipsets support legacy PCI as well as four PCI Express (PCIe) x1 'lanes' (a lane is a single uncontended bidirectional 500MB/s bus running around 6.5 times faster than PCI). Intel has dropped AGP in favour of PCI Express x16. This combines 16 PCI Express lanes into one slot, together with 75 watts of available power. With 4GB/s available simultaneously in both directions, PCI Express x16 has around four times the total bandwidth of AGP 8X and is the performance graphics bus of choice for the next generation of PCs.
Intel claims it can render four simultaneous 720-line high-definition TV images at 50 frames per second (fps).

The 915G's integrated graphics are DirectX 9- and OpenGL 1.4-compatible, support QXGA (2,048-by-1,536 pixel) resolution at 85Hz and include hardware-accelerated pixel shading, shadow maps, volumetrix textures, depth bias and two-sided stencils. Intel says that the 915G delivers around 1.7 times better 3DMark 2001 performance than the graphics subsystem on the previous 865G chipset.

New chipsets underpin Intel's latest desktop PC platform

Although processors are the stars of the show in computer design, without their supporting circuitry they're only printed sand. And as processor design advances in speed, complexity and capability, the chipsets that surround them must change to support those capabilities with new and faster features.

Intel's latest motherboard chipsets, previously codenamed Alderwood and Grantsdale, are aimed at high-performance motherboards and designed to work primarily with new and repackaged Pentium 4s ranging from the Pentium 4 520 at 2.8GHz to the P4 560 at 3.6GHz. All come with 1MB of Level 2 (L2) cache and an 800MHz frontside bus; there's also a repackaged Extreme Edition part. All are housed in a new Leadless Grid Array LGA775 package. This presents the chip's connections as a grid of conductors flush with the bottom of the case -- a technique previously used on the Pentium II core.
Intel's new LGA775 package presents the Pentium 4's connections as a grid of conductors flush with the bottom of the case.

GA-7GEWH-RH (1.0)

• Dual Intel® Xeon™ at FSB 667/1066/1333MHz/LGA771
• Intel®5000X/Intel® 6321ESB/Intel 6702 PXH-V chipset
• Max 32GB Fully Buffered DIMMs with 533/667MHz Two PCI-E x16 Slots(One by 16 and another one by 8)
• Two PCI-X 64-bit/133MHz/3.3V slots (compliant to PCI-X rev 1.0)
• One PCI-X 64-bit/66/100MHz/3.3V slot (compliant to PCI-X rev 1.0)
• LSI® PCI-X 1068 SAS controller/8 Ports
• LSI® Host RAID 0, 1, 10
• LSI® Software RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 (RAID 5 is optional, reserved for ibutton)
• LSI® Hardware RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 (RAID 5 is optional, via ZCR slot)
• Intel® SATA RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 (RAID 5 is optional, reserved for ibutton/Windows only)
• Dual Intel®Gigabit Ethernet controllers
• EATX Form Factor(12”W * 13”D)



Specification

Processor Supported • Dual-Core Intel® Xeon™ (Dempsey/Woodcrest) processors
• Supports 667/1066/1333MHz/Socket LGA771
Chipset Description • Intel®5000X
• Intel®6321ESB
System Memory • 8 x ECC Registered FB-DIMM
• Supports up to 32GB 533/667 memory
• 4 Fully Buffered DIMM channels
System BIOS • Phoenix® Server BIOS, 8Mb ROM
Integrated SAS Controller • LSI® SAS1068 SAS Controller
Integrated SATA Controller • Built in Intel®6321ESB with SATA RAID 0,1,10
Support RAID Function • Intel® 6321ESB with SATA RAID 0,1,10
• LSI®SAS1068 supports 8 independant SAS 3.0 Gb/s with Host RAID 0,1,10
Integrated Network • Build in Intel® 6321ESB supports dual Gigabit Ethernet ports
Integrated Super I/O Controller • ITE®ITE IT8718 with HW Monitor
Integrated Audio Controller • Realtek® ALC883
I/O Connectors • 2 x PS/2
• 8 x USB 2.0 (4 by cable)
• 1 x Parallel
• 2 x COM (2 by cable)
• 2 x LAN RJ45
• 6 x Audio jacks
• 1 x Optical SPDIF OUT
• 1 x Coaxial SPDIF OUT
On-Board Connector • 1 x ATA-100 connector
• 1 x Floppy connector
• 2 x IEEE1394 connector
• 1 x SPDIF In pin header
• 6 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s connector
Expansion Slot • 1 x PCI-E slot by x16
• 1 x PCI-E slot by x8 ( in x16 socket)
• 2 x PCI-X slot support 64/133MHz
• 1 x PCI slot supports 32/33MHz
Board Dimension • EATX Form Factor
• 12"W x 13"D

Intel Announces Two New Atom Processors On Atom's First Birthday

Beijing, China
-- Celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Intel Corporation's introduction of its wildly popular Intel Atom processor family, Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, introduced two new processors for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and several other milestones during his keynote today at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing.

Chandrasekher was joined by two other Intel executives, Craig Barrett and Pat Gelsinger, whose keynotes focused on the company’s directions for the next year and beyond. The event, held at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, was geared toward the Chinese market in support of local innovation and Intel’s industry leadership in the region.

During his keynote, titled "Mobility's Next Wave of Growth," Chandrasekher demonstrated the first live demo of Intel's next-generation Atom-based MID platform, codenamed "Moorestown." Chandrasekher provided a sneak peek into the low-power innovation of the platform by showcasing a greater than 10x idle power reduction compared to today's Atom-based platform in a side-by-side demo. This dramatic reduction is made possible through a combination of new power management techniques, a new partition optimized for the MID segments and Intel's Hi-k 45nm manufacturing process.

Due by 2010, the Moorestown platform is comprised of a System on Chip (codenamed "Lincroft") that integrates a 45nm Intel Atom processor core, graphics, video and memory controller, and a companion input/output (I/O) hub (codenamed "Langwell"). The platform will be accompanied by a new Moblin software version that is optimized to enable the rich, interactive, PC-like Internet experience along with cellular voice capabilities.

Intel also announced two new Atom processors for MIDs: the Z550 and Z515. The Z550 extends the performance of the MID product line to 2GHz with Intel Hyperthreading technology support, setting a new standard for the highest performance processor in the under-3-watt power envelope. The Z515 incorporates the new Intel Burst Performance Technology (Intel BPT), which enables the processor to run at 1.2GHz when performance is needed in existing small and sleek MID form factors.

These new Atom processors further extend customer choices to enable the best Internet experience in pocketable MIDs. Chandrasekher also announced several new MID designs for the China market.

Discussing Intel Centrino 2-based laptops, Chandrasekher pointed out additional OEMs choosing to include Intel ultra low-voltage processors to create ultra-thin laptop designs that are less than 1 inch thick. While lighter in size and weight, these notebooks still offer great performance and battery life consumers have come to expect. Chandrasekher then described the next-generation processors for laptops based on the Nehalem architecture that will be available in the second half of this year on the "Calpella" platform. These processors will be more powerful then their predecessors by including such technologies as Intel Hyper-Threading Technology and Intel Turbo Boost Technology.