Hasta La Gadget!

CNET have taken the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Snow Leopard for a spin around a 2008 MacBook Pro, and produced a decent first peek at comparative performance. Of course, there are significant provisos to get through first — it’s only one machine, running on Apple’s drivers, testing mostly Apple applications, and the two systems default to different versions of QuickTime — but we can still glean some indication of where the two heavyweights are relative to one another. Snow Leopard appeared consistently quicker in time-based tests, with faster bootups, shutdowns and MP3 encoding, but Windows 7 showed its muscle in producing better frame rates in games and a significant advantage in Cinebench rendering. Battery life was found to be distinctly better under Snow Leopard, but we’d put that down to the underlying hardware being optimized for OS X. Hit the read link for the full testing procedures and more of those old school bar charts — it should get you well prepped for the forthcoming flood of similar head-to-heads once WIndows 7 officially ships next week.

[Via Apple Insider]

Filed under: Software

Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro: big cat’s faster, 7 is better for games originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell’s “highly experimental” Mini 10v with Ubuntu Moblin Remix may not be ready for the mainstream just yet (though it is on sale to everyone who dares), but it’s more than ready for the enthusiasts over at ArsTechnica. After purchasing a $299 base unit, they proceeded to take a closer look at just how Moblin fared on a netbook — probably because the actual hardware specifications are the same as always. Reviewers noted that the UI they were graced with looked an awful lot like the shell they saw back in May, though this build was decidedly more stable and “complete.” That said, they still managed to uncover a few bugs, and they were indeed saddened to find that the integrated web browser was downright “weak.” All told, critics were impressed with the progress on Moblin, but they still proclaimed that it has a long ways to go before it’ll be “ready for regular users.” If you’ve been thinking about exiting your comfort zone and picking one of these up, you owe it to yourself to give that read link a tap.

Filed under: Laptops

Dell Mini 10v reviewed with Ubuntu Moblin Remix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man, remember LiMo? Amazingly, there are some 40 handsets on the market today based on the platform, but precisely none of them are boasting a profile as high as any one of the Android smartphones also on store shelves. As Motorola scrambles to re-make itself and prove that its CLIQ is a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning Android phone sector, the company has also decided to remove itself as a “founding member” of the LiMo Foundation. The company recently noted that the outfit was sliding down to “associate member,” stating that “at this time it feels that the Android platform gives it a richer, more consistent foundation with strong support for the ecosystem and developer community.” That’s a pretty damning statement to our ears, but we won’t go so far as to call the breakup between Moto and LiMo official; we’re guessing “it’s complicated” would be entirely more appropriate here.

[Via phonescoop]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Motorola quietly takes one step away from LiMo, looks to Android for consolation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eager to get your pulsing palms around Nokia’s N900? Yeah, we feel your pain. As if the phone itself and Maemo 5 haven’t been talked about enough, Nokia itself has published a new video showcasing the Mozilla-based web browser. Only time will tell if said browser lives up to the hype, but if the video posted up after the break is any indication, we’d say things are looking good. Six minutes may be a long time to look at something you can’t touch, but we’re guessing you’d listen to six minutes of the host saying anything. Have a listen — you’ll see.

[Via HotHardware, thanks dafrabbit]

Continue reading Nokia shows off N900’s sweet web browsing skills on video

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia shows off N900’s sweet web browsing skills on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, would you look at that? With the launch of Microsoft’s next operating system merely 21 days away (give or take a few hours based on time zone), the Redmond giant seems to be proactively sending out Win7 Launch Party packs already. The first “unboxing” we’ve seen comes to us from a most unusual spot, one that Microsoft wasn’t actually equipped to ship to when the program first started. After a stern email or two sent over several bodies of water and through countless Stimulus-inspired road construction hang-ups, the bundle you see laid out above landed in the beautiful Cayman Islands. Within was a Steve Ballmer Signature Edition of Win7 (so, we’re up to seven versions now?), a pack of Win7 playing cards, a poster, some napkins (to wipe the drool from your friends’ faces after they experience Aero Shake for the first time) and even a puzzle. So, should we book a flight to Grand Cayman, Little Cayman or Cayman Brac? This is one shindig we definitely won’t miss.

[Thanks, Jared]

Filed under: Software

Windows 7 party pack fittingly arrives on party-filled Cayman Islands originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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