Since the appearance of Windows 3 and the proliferation of Microsoft’s operating system, the comparison with Apple’s Macs and operating systems is a popular and never-ending issue of discussion. A lot of ink -and now web pages- are devoted to a topic with no clear answers in sight. The equation became even more complicated when Linux entered the market in several different flavours, each with its own virtues. And not only that! Microsoft users have got in the debate process as to whether it is worth moving on to Vista or sticking to XP.
I consider the whole process of trying to convince other users as to the superiority of a particular operating system as a waste of time -therefore the ”black hole” title. And here is nine reasons:
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Most people participating in the discussions are simple users, and by this I do not imply a low level of sophistication for applications they use, but simply the fact that the operating system is the underlying platform on which software is run for work or pleasure. So if for example you are a graphic user that uses Photoshop 90% of the time what is the difference between operating systems? Nothing, absolutely nothing!
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Instead of arguing about a situation that you can only change with your personal choice, focus your attention on your work instead. Having an opinion is a good thing, but being a supporter of any company is not going to win you extra money. Concentrate on your work instead for extra income and satisfaction.
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Posted in PC, software | Tagged: apple, application, Microsoft, operating system, OS X, Vista, Windows, XP | No Comments »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on February 7, 2008
About 2 weeks ago we discussed here whether the Lumenlab Q is worth $10,000. I did not hide the fact that I fancy its daring and innovative concept, but unfortunately a 10K product is definitely not accessible by the majority of us.
Earlier this week, Lumenlab presented the cheaper Q42, as a follow up to two important steps:
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It created the Q, an expensive and impressive product to differentiate itself from the competition and draw press attention, a goal I think it has achieved for its small size. This way it created anticipation for a cheaper model.
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Less than a month later it presented the cheaper Q42 model, probably the central product in its effort to get a market foothold.
The two product announcements were too close together to be a result of online comments on the high price of the Q. Whatever the case, at $3,850, the Q42 is a much more affordable model that sports the same cool appearance and functionality of the Q. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in HD, PC, display | Tagged: 1080p, display, HD, Lumenlab, PC, Q, Q42 | No Comments »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 22, 2008
Are you worried how to get your PC multimedia content to your TV? Worry no more because Lumenlab has taken a drastic measure to satisfy you, it is actually bringing to the market a device that is HDTV and PC at the same time! Everything comes integrated in a slick 3.5 inch thick aluminium box. The 42 inch display is 1080p while the integrated PC consists of:
Posted in HD, PC, display | Tagged: Lumenlab, Q | 1 Comment »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 21, 2008
Further to our post yesterday on PC game piracy and the tendency towards online downloads and online gaming, EA’s confirmation of the changes to come arrives in the form of its new Battlefield iteration. Unlike the traditional model, the idea here is to give gamers the software online for free but get revenue as they pay for cool equipment and clothes as they progress in the game.
Since John Riccitiello became CEO of EA, the company is eyeing innovative distribution models with renewed interest. The first effort took place in 2006 in South Korea with a free version of FIFA soccer. Whereas Europe and North America largely stick to disc based gaming, Southeast Asian markets are leaders in online distribution. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in PC, games | Tagged: Activision, Battlefield, EA, online distribution, online game, Vivendi | 1 Comment »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 20, 2008
Since the inception of computer gaming, piracy has been a great headache. Access to the web and the downloading of pirate copies has exacerbated the problem beyond all proportions. As most titles are released in autumn for the Christmas party buildup, January is a good time to look back and judge the sales results. There are voices of concern about the future of PC gaming, despite recent efforts to promote the PC as a great gaming platform. The word “great” of course is for gamers that use pirated titles in large numbers and not for the developers and distributors that see a huge piece of revenue from their work not coming in at all… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in PC, games | Tagged: games, gaming, PC, piracy, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 | 2 Comments »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 17, 2008
eSATA is offering the convenience of internal SATA speeds with a connector that lets external drives be connected to a PC. The aim is to provide the convenience of USB or Firewire. The later have been around for some time now, have a huge user pool and present a formidable obstacle to wide eSATA adoption. In an effort to attract more customer attention, the Serial-ATA International Organisation (SATA-IO) will bring in the second half of 2008 a new version called Power Over eSATA. It will offer enhanced convenience as no power connection will be required for external drives of up to 2.5 inches.
So far, very few PC users are even aware of the presence of eSATA, while the number of motherboards and PCs supporting it is limited. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in PC, storage | Tagged: eSATA, Firewire, NAS, SATA-IO, USB | No Comments »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 15, 2008
Some Windows Vista users have already installed the beta version of Service Pack 1. Now Microsoft publicly releases SP1 RC Refresh, to be used as the final test before the final release. Unlike initial XP safety vulnerabilities, Vista has fared much better in this sector, but not well enough in others, as for example in drivers or older software installation. Many users have been sceptical about Vista and the question is whether SP1 will help its shaken image. It is difficult to predict whether the adoption rate will increase but here is some facts that in my opinion play an important role:
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When XP was introduced it was a major step up from Windows 98 SE and Millennium, both of the later unstable by today’s standards.
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Posted in PC, software | Tagged: Microsoft, SP1, Vista, Windows, XP | No Comments »
Posted by Dimitrios Matsoulis on January 4, 2008
Intel announced yesterday Thursday it is pulling out of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project. The OLPC project is the creation of MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte and has passed several hurdles to arrive at the critical point of being able to realistically serve children of developing markets.
The first major problem was that the projected price of $100 per child was not possible to achieve and since October it has become $200 through a donor program. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in PC, mobile | Tagged: Classmate, Intel, Negroponte, OLPC | No Comments »
