Oct 22
The new redesigned Mac Pro sports an anodized-aluminum chassis and will be available in December, according to Apple. Prices will start at $3,000 for the lowest-end configuration.
     |
Oct 02
The long-running distinction between dedicated game consoles and gaming PCs is disappearing with Valve’s announcement of its own operating system, SteamOS. The hardware is changing too, with next-gen consoles from Microsoft and Sony offering much more than the ability to play disc-based games, not to mention both being built on PC architecture (x86). And PC gaming has never been more friendly in the living room, between Steam’s Big Picture Mode and solid gamepad support for many games.
With one of Valve’s other announcements last week, Steam Machines finally put a name to the living room PC gaming initiative we’ve long heard about (what the press dubbed “Steambox“). Though we heard about Xi3’s Piston back at CES, and we knew about the company’s financial ties to Valve, it was unclear how tied its little modular gaming PC was to the initiative. Now, however, it’s more clear than ever: Xi3’s release date press release repeatedly describes the Piston as “the Piston Console,” meant to push up against the big three game console manufacturers. Sure, it costs $1,000 (and up), but it promises to handle modern PC games with aplomb. And it’s a tiny little box!
We caught up with Xi3 this week for a second look at the Piston game “console” — a custom version, for the game Loadout — and its first-party wireless controller. We also got a chance to actually play some games on the little box: the first time anyone outside of the company did as much, we’re told. Head past the break for our impressions.%Gallery-slideshow99844%
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals, Software, HD
Oct 02
When the Xi3 Piston modular PC / game console ships this November, it’ll ship like most PCs do: without a gamepad. Sadly, the in-house controller from Piston will be sold separately for a separate, undisclosed price. “There will be a future announcement about our plans for controllers,” was the most that chief marketing officer David Politis would share during a brief interview this morning. We managed to snap the pic you see above before the controller was whisked away; Politis and co. refused any closer snaps, not to mention a opportunity to go hands-on.
The PC-cum-game-console will launch with “some version” of Windows (the console we saw here was running Windows 7), rather than SteamOS. The only look we’ve had at Xi3’s GUI was brief, during SXSW’s gaming expo. And Politis called that brief glimpse “presentation-ware.” He said we’ll see it running “before we officially ship” in video form at the very least, and it’ll run as a Windows-based program on the shipping box. He did speak to how it will work, though. “It’ll be customizable … when [the Piston] is ready to run, you’ll be in our GUI. You won’t be in an OS per se,” Politis told Engadget. “It’s connected to the net, so you should be able to access any type of content you already have ownership of or licensing rights to from inside of the GUI. And you’re gonna be able to do that. You can start thinking through, ‘What do I already own or have license rights to that I can access through the internet?’ These are ticking off the different types of things that you and your readers own or have access to.” When we specifically noted Amazon, Netflix and Hulu, as well as gaming services like Steam and UPlay, Politis confirmed our (obvious) guesses.
Update: Xi3 told us that the custom GUI will ship with the console in November. Please excuse the confusion!
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals, Software, HD
Oct 02
If you’ve been actively waiting to pre-order a brand new operating system on DVD, then a) We’re glad this article found you, and b) You might be gratified to hear that boxed copies of Windows 8.1 are currently available to purchase at the source link, for delivery on October 17th. Unlike Windows 8.0, which came with all manner of introductory deals and discounts, pre-ordering 8.1 on DVD will set you back the regular, final price of $119. Of course, if you’re already running Windows 8, your resurrected Start button will be offered as a free-of-charge download on the same day as everyone else.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software
Source: Microsoft Store
Oct 01
Michael Dell and investment firm Silver Lake Partners’ joint bid to take Dell private has just cleared its final obstacle: regulatory approval. That means the deal is now all but completed. The transaction, valued at $25 billion, will see Dell transitioning to a private entity by the end of the company’s fiscal Q3 2014 (which wraps this month). It also puts the company back firmly in Michael Dell’s control, as he’ll now own 75 percent of the new entity. And, as he discussed on the company’s last open call with investors, that means a return to “innovation” for the PC, tablet and enterprise markets that will come to define the new Dell.
Update: The post has been updated to reflect accurate timing for the transaction.
Filed under: Desktops, Tablets, Dell
Source: Dell
Oct 01
Okay, okay, NVIDIA’s “Battlebox” PCs won’t quite power the Large Hadron Collider, but it will offer more power than you’ll need to play basically any game available (or any game arriving in the coming holiday deluge). The initiative focuses on NVIDIA working with several boutique PC makers to provide 2-way SLI setups on its GTX 780 and Titan GPUs, capable of supporting gaming in 4K resolution. Providers vary between North America and Europe, but the usual players are on board: Falcon Northwest, Maingear, Cyberpower, etc.
Of course, with great power comes great cost — Chillblast’s Fusion Battlebox, for instance, starts at £2,999.00 (about $4,870), and Maingear’s Shift starts at $2,300 — so you’d better be ready to shell out some serious cash for 4K gaming.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, HD, NVIDIA
Source: GeForce (US), GeForce (UK / EU)
Sep 30
Lenovo intros four IdeaCentre all-in-ones, including a super-wide 29-inch model
Posted in: Today's Chili
Lenovo is known for all-in-one PCs that stand out, and that’s certainly true of a new four-model update to the company’s IdeaCentre line. The headlining B750 is reportedly the first PC to include a 29-inch, 21:9 aspect ratio display; its 2,560 x 1,080 panel is potentially ideal for both movie aficionados and multitaskers. Lenovo appropriately equips the B750 with a 2.1-channel JBL audio system, and gamers may like the combination of Haswell-based processors with standard GeForce GTX 760A graphics. The system ships in October with a $1,199 base price.
Don’t need an extra-wide screen? Don’t worry — Lenovo’s other three introductions may catch your eye. The A530, B350 and B550 improve on their predecessors with both Haswell chips and options for 1TB hybrid hard drives that combine speed with capacity. These smaller IdeaCentres should arrive alongside the B750 in October, with prices ranging from $799 for the 21.5-inch B350 to $1,199 for the 23-inch B550. %Gallery-slideshow99551%
Source: Lenovo
Sep 30
As if shelling out $900 this holiday to snag the two next-gen game consoles wasn’t enough, Xi3’s Piston modular gaming PC is arriving on November 29th for $1,000. Should money be no object to you, the adorable little box is available for pre-order right this minute, and that’ll lock in an earlier arrival by two weeks. Included in today’s news of the Piston’s launch date is word that internal storage capacity was upped by another SSD connector; Xi3 says up to 1TB of SSD storage is now supported.
In a hilarious nod to Valve’s Steam Machines news last week, Xi3 notes, “By adding a second SSD to their Pistons, users will be able to load a second operating system onto their machines, including the newly announced SteamOS.” As previously reported, Xi3 is (at least in part) financially-backed by Valve, and the Piston is a bit of a “Steambox” (the previous name for Valve’s Steam Machines effort) itself. SteamOS is said to be coming “soon,” ahead of Steam Machines’ official launch in 2014, and you’ll see no surprise on our faces should SteamOS arrive ahead of Piston’s November 15th pre-order availability.
On Xi3’s homepage, the Piston is positioned with a wireless, Piston-branded gamepad (seen above). It’s unclear if it ships with the system later this year, so we’ve reached out to Xi3 for more info.
Filed under: Desktops, Misc, Gaming, Peripherals, HD
Sep 27
Microsoft reportedly close to unifying its app stores across Windows and Windows Phone
Posted in: Today's Chili
Microsoft is apparently far closer to bringing together its disparate stores than many thought. The company has reportedly already demoed a single app portal for both Windows and Windows Phone behind closed doors at its annual company meeting in Seattle, according to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley. One of her sources tells her that the new unified store will likely launch alongside the next iteration of Windows, version 8.1, although other sources were less certain on this. In any case, the gossip tallies with comments by Microsoft’s Terry Myerson last week, who said that he sees the unification of Microsoft’s platforms and APIs as a priority.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Microsoft
Source: ZDNet
Sep 25
iFixit tears down Apple’s Haswell-based iMacs, finds room for extra storage
Posted in: Today's Chili
As is its custom, iFixit has torn down the new Haswell-based iMacs to gauge their repairability — and the company has found a few surprises despite the iterative design. In addition to new processors, graphics and WiFi, the updated all-in-ones now have unoccupied PCI Express slots in their base configurations. DIY enthusiasts willing to pry open their systems can add PCIe-based SSD if they like, iFixit says. Not every change is good news, however. The 21.5-inch iMac’s processor is now soldered to the motherboard; while earlier models weren’t all that upgradable, the move prevents even determined hobbyists from using their own CPUs. Whether or not you plan to tinker with Apple’s desktops, you’ll find quite a lot to explore at the source links.
Via: Cult of Mac
Source: iFixit (1), (2)
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.