Hasta La Gadget!

I clearly remember that back in the days when fat, chunky CRT TVs were the staple in any decent living room, the TV was divided into two categories – one that had a curved display, while the other was a pure flat display. Panasonic had the Tao, while Sony called theirs the Trinitron (where the name did date back further, of course). Well, one thing is for sure – Sony does come up with aesthetically pleasing devices from time to time, and they used to be well known for the build quality in their products. The thing is, no company remains at the top of their game without doing anything, and somewhere along the way, it did seem as though Sony must have gone off tangent, as their reliability ratings suffered, and more and more people moved on towards South Korean goods. Well, Sony’s foray into the computing world is a hit or miss affair with select models, but at least the Vaio name remained, and their latest PC expression comes in the form of the Sony Vaio Tap 20 PC.

The Sony Vaio Tap 20 PC is said to come with a bright, responsive 10-point multi-touch screen that boasts of engaging interactive applications, family computing options and being able to deliver new experiences in terms of mobile productivity. Steven Nickel , VP, Sony VAIO, said, “VAIO Tap 20 is creating a new category of PCs by combining desktop PC functionality, battery-powered mobility, and multi-angle viewing.This along with the innovative VAIO Duo 11 and the intuitive touch solutions incorporated across our existing PC portfolio, offers consumers flexibility to optimize their Windows 8 experience. Through the combination of compelling applications, Sony’s network services, and cross device connectivity, VAIO is leading the way in developing a new Touchworld experience. We expect when consumers think of touch PCs, they’ll think of VAIO.”

The VAIO Tap 20 might be classified as is a family tabletop PC, but it will be a whole lot easier to use than before, where it has been specially designed to take advantage of the intuitive ease of Windows 8. Boasting a 20” screen, you can lay this mobile desktop PC flat on a coffee table for the entire family to play games (make sure no one has greasy fingers!), while the presence of a removable battery ensures you are able to move the VAIO Tap 20 from room to room without worrying about plugging and unplugging the power cable.

Your ears will also be more than pleased, where the VAIO Tap 20 will incorporate stereo speakers that rely on Sony’s audio fidelity expertise, including Dolby Home Theatre v4 Audio Technology for one to experience full-impact surround sound.The VAIO Tap 20 is said to arrive at the end of this month in either black or white shades, where it will retail for $879.99 and above.

Press Release

[ Sony Vaio Tap 20 PC announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

We recently got the opportunity to test one of Shuttle’s newest slim PC’s, behold the XH61V. This model is the “Ivy bridge” upgrade from last year’s “Sandy bridge” XH61 model. Both have LGA1155 sockets supporting Intel i3, i5 and i7 CPU’s with the difference that the new XH61V supports the third generation of these aforementioned CPU’s.
What Shuttle says
“More connectivity, performance and efficiency”
The ultra-compact Shuttle Slim-PC barebone XH61V is an ideal basis of a slim-line nettop PC …

When Paul Allen isn’t busy writing memoirs or suing everyone, he’s… providing insightful operating system commentary? While “software reviewer” isn’t normally part of his job description, Allen has seen fit to dissect Microsoft’s Windows 8 interface and learn how the company he co-founded is getting along without him. It’s coping gracefully, thank you. The industry pioneer has decided the OS has a lot of promise for tablets, where the touch interface and legacy Windows support could provide the best of both worlds. He doesn’t spare his former coworkers from criticism, though: he warns that the split between the Windows 8-style UI and the traditional desktop is potentially confusing, notes the absence of useful Android and iOS features like touch-friendly app folders, and doesn’t find the conventional Windows interface very practical with fingers alone. It’s hard to ignore the soft spot Allen likely has towards the platform he fostered for years, but his preview still offers a unique perspective on what many of us will see in three weeks.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Microsoft

Paul Allen takes a look at Windows 8, finds his ex-workmates mostly doing well originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xi3 has been one of the more inventive PC builders in the field, designing its Modular Computers in the belief that small, more upgradable desktops are the way of the future. The company is planning two new systems to further that dream, the X3A and X7A, but it wants our help: it’s running a Kickstarter funding drive until October 28th to assist the development and garner some early adopters. Put down $503 or $603 and you’ll get the entry-level X3A, a dual-core 1.65GHz (likely AMD E-450-based) PC with 4GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD and either Linux or Windows installed; splurge with $1,103 or more and you’ll get the more performance-driven X7A, which jumps to a quad-core chip with a 3.2GHz peak speed, a Windows-loaded 64GB SSD and faster graphics. Assuming Xi3 makes its target, we should see the X3A and X7A arrive in January and February respectively, with Kickstarter supporters beating the larger herd by a week. Even existing owners are accounted for through a Primary I/O Board upgrade, due before the end of this year, that carries more Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports. Crowdfunding is an unusual approach to buying that next PC, without the certainties of shopping at an online store — but we’re also dealing with an unusual PC from the get-go.

Continue reading Xi3 goes the crowdfunding route for future X3A, X7A modular PCs (video)

Filed under: Desktops

Xi3 goes the crowdfunding route for future X3A, X7A modular PCs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Being the industry underdog means you’re always in need of a punchy pitch. Fortunately, AMD’s latest briefing to journalists in London yesterday contained exactly that: for something like the cost of an Intel Core i3 you’ll be able to pick up an overclockable Trinity A10-5800K which, we’re told, belongs in the same weight class as a Core i5 with HD 4000 graphics. Exact pricing won’t be revealed until the full stack of A10, A8, A6 and A4 processors hits shelves next week, but the top-end A10 will likely cost around $130, based on recent leaks and a glance at what Newegg currently charges for an i3. Unluckily, however, whereas Ivy Bridge was compatible with some previous-generation motherboards, Trinity will require the purchase of a new Socket FM2 motherboard.

The claim of performance parity with the Core i5 just cries out to be tested, but we’ll have to wait until early October before we can round up verdicts from full reviews on specialist sites. In the meantime, check out the More Coverage links below for some early previews. Also, if you require something more directly head-to-head with an Intel chip, then that’s exactly what you’ll find in the video after the break, albeit under AMD’s auspices and solely in relation to a single game, Sleeping Dogs. As you’ll see, there’s nothing to turn hardcore gamers against discrete graphics cards, and there are no clues about non-gaming performance (which is arguably more relevant on an APU-powered system). But the quad-core A10-5800K does offer plenty of scope for escapism on a low-power HTPC or all-in-one. Indeed, the more expensive Core i5 is left for dust, not least because it’s locked — unlike AMD, Intel charges a premium for its overclockable K-denoted chips. We’ll add further preview links as they become available.

Update: Just added HotHardware‘s preview, which shows that the A10 really does game as well as our video suggests in addition to providing a mostly fluid computing experience. As mentioned, however, it’s impossible to reach a final verdict until AMD allows sites to publish full benchmarks next week.

Continue reading AMD Trinity desktop chips due next week, promise Core i5-matching power at Core i3 price

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming

AMD Trinity desktop chips due next week, promise Core i5-matching power at Core i3 price originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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