Hardware

What do you do with a computer that you no longer need? You can always give it away, but then there's worries that another person might have access to previous and private information once held on the PC ... or, you can just store it in a garage and ... watch it take up space and gather dust. Neither option sounds very appealing, does it? ;-) Now computer maker Dell is offering another choice to U.S. consumers: If you own a Dell brand PC or accessory, you can recycle it for free. A company worker will come pick it up from your home at no charge. Computer recycling, however, is hardly a new ... (view more)

Did you know that India is one of the fastest growing technology markets in the world? The dudes at Dell sure did. The company plans to build its first factory near Chennai, the fourth largest city in India -- with over 6 million people in its metro ... area. The facility is expected to open its doors in the first half of 2007. (Source: statesman.com ) "We will start with a production capacity of 400,000 units and quickly ramp up to much higher numbers," according to Rajan Anandan, Dell India's vice-president and general manager. "We are building this factory with the simple objective of ... (view more)

A Microsoft representative confirmed Friday that Windows Vista will be distributed on a single DVD disc. Vista is said to be released in January 2007. The single DVD will include the most basic version of the operating system, and will also include ... the version with all the bells and whistles, dubbed "Vista Ultimate." (Source: news.com ) Prices for Vista Come January, consumers can choose between the following versions (prices in US Dollars): Windows Vista Home Basic: $199 Windows Vista Home Premium: $239 Windows Vista Business: $299 Windows Vista Ultimate: $399 (Source: pcworld.com ) New ... (view more)

Television fans from across the globe have a new reason to celebrate. No, Fox hasn't introduced the OC: Next Generation, and Seinfeld isn't back on the air with new episodes -- TiVo has gone High Definition (HD). This past Tuesday, TiVo Inc. began ... selling its new HD digital video recorder (DVR), Series3, on its website. The product will be available at U.S. retail stores later this week. (Source: marketwatch.com ) This long-awaited new product from the company who's name is synonymous with DVR technology is not its first foray into HD technology. The company has a high definition system with ... (view more)

Not so long ago we reported on Microsoft's demand that those corporations responsible for the tech industry's hardware should make computers far more affordable. At the time, the magic number was around $100, enough to afford the very basic frame of ... a computer without the faintest hope of running legitimate Microsoft software. The notion itself was aimed at the quickly developing third world, such as India or China, where tech production and manufacturing is quickly becoming integral to foreign economies. With that said, apparently Americans like the idea of cheap computers, too. This week ... (view more)

Imagine a game without graphics or sound. To succeed, all players need are reasonable spelling and typing skills -- not a speedy trigger finger or lightning-fast eye-hand coordination. Imagine something like this... "You wake up. The room is ... spinning very gently round your head. Or at least it would be if you could see it -- which you can't. It is pitch black." That is how the computer game version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins. Based on the famous book by Douglas Adams, the all-text game was released in 1984 by Infocom, Inc. At the time, Infocom was the king of the text ... (view more)

All right, I am officially "ticked" (I can think of a better word for it, but my editor has a clean mouth). ;-) Not long ago I wrote about my experience in acquring a laptop for purchase. Sure, they're portable and that's very neat-o, but when it ... comes to getting the best bang for your buck, desktop systems are where it's at. So, if you don't mind, I'll now vent about my recent, frustrated experiences in finding a good desktop system. First off: if you've read much of my material in the past, you know that I like the games. Not so much that I'd turn down an evening out with friends for a ... (view more)

If you've been visiting the site often, you'll have read something about the plethora of Sony notebook batteries being reluctantly recalled by computer giants Dell and Apple. And although it has been Dell and Apple who have thrown their names into ... the fire by officially announcing the recalls, Sony batteries came into an infamous limelight in recent months with actual video of their wares causing laptop fires. Of the handful of flaming machines, the most memorable was the one caught on film in Japan. (Source: betanews.com ) Rick Clancy, spokesman for Sony, has assured the public that there ... (view more)

So, you want to buy a notebook? Well, I've been thinking of doing so myself. And, although my cheap arse hasn't yet decided on whether to go with a less expensive, bulky desktop or a sleek laptop, we can look over some of the important details to ... consider when purchasing the latter in today's market. There sure are a lot of things to consider, so let's get started. First, what kind of processor do you want? Better yet -- what exactly is a processor? A processor is the engine of your computer (in this case: the laptop). Although other components, like memory, will help determine overall speed ... (view more)

Not so long ago, we received a query concerning buying a computer and what all the hype was about concerning 32-bit vs. 64-bit, and so on. Since the gift giving season is rolling around and prices for computer equipment is going down, I decided to ... try and give you all some help. 32-bit vs 64-bit Computing To start, let me explain the difference between 32 and 64-bit systems, and the 'why' behind it. In your computer, you have several 'items' that, normally, you don't concern yourself about. One of those is the 'data buss'. It doesn't go across town or anything like that, but it does provide ... (view more)