Windows 7 Starter Edition for Netbooks Loses 3-App Limit

A reversal seemed highly likely from the moment Microsoft announced a three-application limit in the Windows 7 Starter Edition OS planned for netbooks. You could practically hear the industry utter a collective boo even before the electronic ink was dry on that Microsoft decision. Credit Paul Thurrott who got the goods about Microsoft removing the app limit.

The three-app limit (a max of three applications running concurrently) was Microsoft’s way of stopping users from taking W7 Starter Edition and running it on more powerful hardware, figuring netbook users could get by with just running three apps concurrently. It may even be questionable whether most netbooks can run much more than three apps anyway. (I’m still not convinced networks will be much more than a very small niche part the market, but then again, that’s for a different blog post. ) But the last thing Microsoft needs to do is help out full featured netbook contender Linux, by imposing seemingly capricious limitations like the app limit.

As a product developer, it has been my experience that customers hate what they perceive as arbitrary software limitations, resulting in something we frequently call “crippleware”. All of us in the network world can remember back to the days when Check Point priced their software based on the number of IP addresses exposed on the outside interface of the firewall. Under the covers it was still the exact same software, with a governor applied to restrict outgoing network traffic to a certain number of IP addresses, unless more dollars were forked over for more IP addresses. I’m sure no one put a proxy server in place behind the firewall to fool it into thinking there were only a few internal IP addresses trying to get through the firewall. Nah.

Customers generally will accept that lower priced software has fewer features compared to more expensive, higher end versions. The problem here is that isn’t the case with the Linux alternative. All the same Linux stuff is available on a netbook, no features were removed or crippled, and the $0.00 Linux price is also very attractive. Just like Vista’s Home and Home Premium editions have fewer and more features, respectively, Microsoft will either have to figure out if they can still apply that same approach for netbooks, or be forced to rely on the speed and processing power of the lower spec’d netbooks to be the limiting factor.

On the flip side, Microsoft’s gaining a lot of value by being so transparent about Windows 7 decisions like the 3 app limit. It’s reminiscent of the recent reversal of the decision to lower the default UAC setting in Windows 7. (See this related blog post .) After some very vocal feedback, Microsoft has now reversed both of these decisions early enough to make adjustments prior to the Windows 7 product launch.

Credit Microsoft for not only listening, but also changing these kinds of decisions in time to include them in the final product. That’s very promising, and is something I hope we’ll see more of.

NOTE: Also check out this related blog post, Windows 7 UAC Fix Doesn’t Address UAC’s Fatal Flaw.
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Retailers Taking Orders for Laptops With Core I7 Chips

Retailers are now taking orders for what could easily be the world’s fastest laptops, powered by Intel’s speedy Core i7 desktop processors.

U.S. retailer AVADirect and Canadian retailer Eurocom are offering variants of Clevo’s D900F laptop with the Core i7 processor, a chip usually included in high-end gaming desktops. The chips, launched in November, were dubbed the “world’s fastest chips” by Intel until the company’s Xeon server processors were introduced in March.

The laptops will come with 17-inch screens and are intended to be desktop replacement PCs. The machines don’t skimp on features and include a full array of components one would find in Core i7 desktop systems, according to laptop specifications on the retailers’ Web sites. AVADirect, in particular, decided not to wait to bring the Core i7 hardware to consumers in a portable form.

“While power usage will be higher, AVADirect does not need to wait until Intel or some other company designs and implements mobile offerings of current desktop hardware,” AVADirect said in a statement. Laptop hardware usually lags desktop hardware by up to 12 months, so the desktop hardware needed to be redesigned for notebook usage, AVADirect said.

The laptops come with Core i7 920, 940 and 965 quad-core processors running at speeds from 2.66GHz to 3.2GHz, and include 8MB of L3 cache. The laptops draw 130 watts of power, and will come with the X58 chipset and an Nvidia graphics processing unit (GPU) to boost graphics performance.

The laptops will support up to 6GB of DDR3 memory, which should provide a tremendous performance boost. The machines will support up to 1.5TB of RAID hard drive storage and include wireless 802.11a/b/g/n technology. They will ship with either Windows Vista or Linux OS. Eurocom’s customized Clevo D900F system — which is called the Panther D900F — weighs a whopping 11.9 pounds (5.4 kilograms).

With standard components, the D900F laptop’s starting price is around US$2,500 on AVADirect’s Web site. The price crosses $6,000 for an extravagant configuration that includes the fastest Core i7 965 processor, three 500GB storage drives, internal Bluetooth capabilities, a DVD-RW drive and additional cooling features.

Intel’s Core i7 chips are a significant upgrade over Intel’s Core 2 Duo chips, which are currently used in desktops and laptops. The new chips are built on the Nehalem microarchitecture, which improves system speed and performance-per-watt compared to Intel’s earlier Core microarchitecture.

Each core will be able to execute two software threads simultaneously, so a laptop with four processor cores could simultaneously run eight threads for quicker application performance. Intel has integrated the chips and chipset with QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology, which integrates a memory controller and provides a faster pipe for the CPU to communicate with system components like graphics cards.

Intel later this year intends to introduce new chips for desktops and laptops. The chips, code-named Arrandale, will be dual-core and start shipping in the fourth quarter this year, with laptops becoming available in early 2010. Arrandale chips are expected to be faster than existing Core 2 Duo chips and consume less power. However, laptops with Arrandale chips may not match the speeds of Core i7 laptops, considering the chips will be dual-core and built to draw limited amounts of power.

Laptop Hunters Ad Wars: Apple Strikes Back

Apple released today three new Get A Mac ads in reply to Microsoft’s Laptop Hunters campaign. The ads take a stab at the prolific Lauren from the first Laptop Hunters ad and ridicule customer care (or the lack of) for PC users.

One of the ads, titled Elimination, suggests that there are no PCs immune to viruses and crashes — that is, according to Apple. Megan, Apple’s version of Lauren, gives her list of specifications for the computer she wants (ding dong!) until all that’s left is a Mac. And no, Megan does not mention a price limit. Here’s the ad:

The second ad, called Customer Care, finds the PC character trying to get customer service while the Mac character flaunts one of the Mac Geniuses next to him. The third ad in the series is called PC Choice Chat, where PC is running a radio chat show and gets flooded with “prank calls” from wannabe Mac switchers. Here are the other two ads:

What we’re now seeing is an ad war between Microsoft and Apple, targeting each other directly in their campaigns. Interestingly enough, Microsoft was criticized for not mentioning Windows as an operating system in its campaign, but this time around Apple doesn’t mention it either (unless you count the Mac computer and Mac OSX as one item).

Meanwhile, Microsoft attacked Apple again today — the iTunes Music Store, more precisely. The new Zune advert find Apprentice star Wes Moss pointing out that filling the latest iPod with music can cost you up to $30,000, and that you should get a monthly Zune Pass. The truth in this claim is discussed largely in this post. But here’s the ad for you:

To say that Microsoft or Apple has a better campaign out there would be like getting into the Mac VS PC debate. So I’m going to ask you: Which of the two campaigns is more effective? Apple’s or Microsoft’s? Please sound off in the comments.

Follow Daniel on Twitter @danielionescu.

See more like this: apple, microsoft, mac os x leopard, Windows 7, industry news, ads

US-Japan cooperative research clean hydrogen battery

US-Japan cooperative research clean hydrogen battery

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Officials in recent days the United States and Japan cooperative research in clean hydrogen energy technology to reach a consensus. January 8, in Japan, visiting U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry signed a cooperative research on hydrogen and fuel cell technology of paper battery technology. Abraham said that international cooperation is the key to achieve both goals. Hydrogen battery is considered a clean and highly efficient battery. People to promote the use of hydrogen energy, said people will no longer be dependent on oil, they asked for a reduction in pollution. Japan and the United States officials and technical experts will be in fuel cells and technology policy, as well as hydrogen production, storage and transport technology cooperation. Japan and the United States is the “hydrogen economy International Cooperation Organization” members. The organization set up in November last year to promote hydrogen production, storage, transport and end-user and technical exchanges, to complete the common use of hydrogen battery code and meet the relevant standard.

Glucose battery

Glucose battery

Power shortage? Increasing miniaturization of electronic devices can not find the right hp nc6200 battery , hp nc6220 battery , hp nc6230 battery? Do not worry, use of our body, a variety of biological cells can also generate electricity - Micro-bio-batteries would provide a steady flow of human energy

The movie “The Matrix”: in the distant future, intelligent machines rule the world, they learned of the potential use of a ubiquitous power source - human. These machines in the industrialized ranch on “stocking” of mankind and the human body to absorb the current release. You, me, and he became a battery.

Fortunately, the evolution of civilization is not so fast. However, this film is real. Living cells and their large collection (that is, a variety of organisms including the human body) can indeed have a small amount of current. But until now, scientists have only in the idea of how to take advantage of this energy.

There is no doubt that the use of the organism when the hp nx6110 battery , hp nx6120 battery , hp nx6125 battery  has many advantages. A bio-fuel cell can be in a secure area of the body current, while at the same time as the use of fossil fuels pollute the environment as a by-product produced, and it was also small in size, durability, etc., which are micro-electrical is a Gospel.

The secret power of living cells

Why the generation of living cells? Levels in biology, the living cells through the “Sugar” and accept by way of sunlight energy, but from the physics point of view, at the molecular level, all cells of the way the energy in the final analysis is to obtain atomic and molecular electronic exchanges between the shuttle.

Smaller number of adhesion molecules, it is easy to lose one or two electronic. In addition a number of molecular electronics is free but the appetite, in obtaining the release of electrons at the same time, some energy. Cells residing in the supply and the need for such a center. For example, in some of the help of special enzymes, yeast break down sugar molecules in order to obtain a number of electronics, and then put them to the oxygen molecules in the vicinity. This process produced water and carbon dioxide, and a little energy, the energy obtained by yeast. This process can be seen as the Pentium in the electronic flow of sub-atomic economy.

Rather than current level, but a series of electronic flow stability. An artificial cell power plant is a microform. Its battery power is generated by chemical substances. Battery use is very convenient, because the electronic electrode through their outflow, you can easily put it received MP3 players, flashlights, toys, lighters on. If micro-organisms can also do that, we just put them to the electrodes of the electronic focus, rather than to the elements they are scattered, you can use them to generate electricity.

“E. coli cells” rotating fan

  However, biotechnology is used to power many of the difficulties, the most stubborn obstacle is wrapped in the extracellular membrane. The majority of microorganisms are deep in the body where there are enzymes to process electronic. Therefore, the search for organic compounds tend to be slid into the membrane of the soluble electron acceptor, such as oxygen, the resulting electron capture, and then export the electronic. However, man-made electrode is insoluble and can not be used for generating micro-organisms. Reversing some of the chemical medium can do this kind of thing, that is, in the inter-electrode cells and transmission electronics, could we do that are usually expensive and not very effective, also need to continue to add.

In order to solve the problem use of biological electricity, the United States St. Louis University biochemist who made a special thank new method. She did not study the internal mechanism of micro-organisms, but studies of the external mechanism of micro-organisms. Two years ago, her research team extracted from E. coli by the enzyme, the use of alcohol to produce a decomposition of the enzyme do fuel cells, can be received directly on the circuit. This is a non-charged wall of the microbial fuel cell. Enzyme alcohol into vinegar, producing a weak current.

This is not the size of a small fuel cell, in order to bring a cell phone, the need for 20 square inches of the enzyme so fuel. Mintel said: “We have use of our bio-fuel cell drive small electric fan rotation, but not useful to do any of the energy-driven air-conditioning or similar equipment.”

“Glucose battery” into blood vessels

Sugar is the main living cells energy source, they everywhere, from alcohol to gas, from the cock to the body fluids, both contain sugar. Once scientists learn how to develop it, it means that to find a limitless energy source. A cup of sugar to do with fuel cells can bacteria make a 60-watt light bulb for 17 hours.

University of Texas Helena Adam designed the use of sugar biological cells, this battery by the two parallel plate micro-optical components. Each fiber board are coated with an enzyme: the snatch sugar in cathode electronics, electronic-oriented anode oxygen. A 1 / 4 inches long so the device can generate 600 pa3399u-1brs,pa3399u-2brs, toshiba satellite a100 battery of current, enough to drive a micro-circuit.

Compared with traditional batteries, manufacture of biological cells to the greatest difficulty lies in the miniaturization of its shell. Through a number of clever technology, Helena has been known to create the smallest cell, which were put into small enough to be human blood vessel, and where do the glucose fuel. For medical implants in the human body for glucose monitors, this is a perfect re-power source, however. According to Helena of the invention can also be important to create another product: signal immediately in accordance with the patients blood glucose level measured instruments. Diabetic patients which will be a Po.

Bio-power generation, a bright future.