Sales of PC Gaming Hardware Predicted to Hit $27B in 2010

Topic:

JPR has released a new report that predicts sales of PC gaming hardware will reach $27 billion in 2010. The global PC hardware gaming market is expected to grow by $1.2 billion this year, a 5.9% increase from 2008.

The increase is due to an increased demand for enthusiast, performance, and mainstream hardware influenced by the desire to play games on the PC. The PC gaming market is set to grow by 30% in 2010 due in part to delays in buying systems in 2008/2009 as users waited for the economy to improve. Read more

Posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Origin Genesis and Eon18 Gaming PCs Debut

Topic:

I'm not so sure that a down economy when PCs are not shipping well to start with is a good time to launch a new gaming PC boutique. That is apparently exactly what Origin PC did and the company is offering its first gaming desktop and gaming notebook system.

The new desktop is called the Genesis and the notebook is the Eon18. The gaming rigs will have custom paint options including flames and more. The Genesis desktop starts at $1,699 and the user can choose any chassis on the market. Intel or AMD CPU options are available and graphics can be up to three NVIDIA or ATI cards. Read more

Posted on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun

2009 Holiday PC Price-Cuts To Be Less Than 2008?

Topic:

If you're looking for a great discount on a PC this holiday season, you'll be able to find several. Unfortunately, the cuts in price this year might not be close to what we were getting last year. Digitimes reports that last year, some vendors cut their PC prices by as much as 70-80%. The cuts in 2008 were necessary to clear out flooded inventories.

Fortunately for the vendors, but unfortunately for us, the PC market has recovered nicely since then. Such a massive clearing-out won't be necessary this year, and price cuts aren't likely to be deeper than 30-50%. This holiday season (especially Black Friday) will still be packed with great deals, but we probably won't see prices as low as they were last year.

Posted on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:20:03 CST | by Robert Evans

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PC Review

Topic:

Today I am looking at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This is easily the best PC shooter in years and has everything that fans of the original have hoped for in the sequel.

The game is cinematic, has fantastic graphics, and is simply top notch. If you are looking for a new game with robust multiplayer and a great single player game, Modern Warfare 2 is what you are looking for. Read more

Posted on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:34:09 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Black Friday 2009 To See More Agressive PC Pricing Says HP

Topic:

Walmart already showed this holiday shopping season how low a HP Laptop can be priced with the $249.99 Acer Extensa notebook.
HP says that there is more aggressive PC pricing around Black Friday via this Reuters report, but HP has no plans to offer a notebook below $298. Albeit HP does not know if a retailer is going at it alone and sells an HP laptop under $298 on Black Friday.
Read more

Posted on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:39:59 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

LanCool PC-K62 Computer Case Review

Topic:

Today I am looking at the LanCool PC-K62 computer case. The case requires no tools to install any components of the computer, which is rare.

The case also has an eye towards cooling and keeping vibration down to make for a quieter work and gaming environment. If you are looking for a new chassis for your gaming PC, the LanCool PC-K62 is worth serious consideration. Read more

Posted on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:51:52 CST | by Shane McGlaun

$80 Notebook Menq EasyPC E790 Gets Reviewed on Video

Topic:

Tech geek Chabrax, known for his in-depth Archos coverage, has ventured off and taken a look at the very interesting $80 Android Laptop the Menq EasyPC E790.
The Chinese Menq EasyPC E790 can run Android as it is based on a Samsung ARM926EJ-S3C2450 CPU. Right now the Menq EasyPC E790 runs Windows CE 5.0. Android support is supposed to be available in a month. Read more

Posted on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:30:03 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

AT&T Unveils LaptopConnect Lightning Modem

Topic:

AT&T has announced a new LaptopConnect Lightning modem from Sierra Wireless that is set to hit on November 22nd. The modem offers access to HSPA data speeds of up to 7.2Mbps download. That is a considerably faster download speed than is currently available in most areas and is meant to hold us over until LTE debuts in 2010/2011.

The modem is a USB device designed for laptop use and has a swiveling USB connector that allows it to be used in portrait or landscape modes. The device is pre-loaded with AT&T Communications Manager 7.0 software to manage connections. Read more

Posted on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Kindle for PC Now Available As Free Download

Topic:

Today Amazon announced the availability of Kindle for PC, the free application that lets you read Kindle books on your PC.
The U.S. Kindle Store currently offers more than 360,000 books, including New Releases and 101 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, which are typically $9.99 or less.
Kindle ebooks can now be read on the Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch and PC.

Kindle for PC features Amazon’s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices. Whether you read Kindle books on a Kindle, Kindle DX, or one of the free Kindle applications, you can always have your reading with you and never lose your place. With Kindle for PC, you can read some on your PC, read some on your Kindle, and always pick up right where you left off.
Read more

Posted on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

NitroAV Fusion PCIe/eSATA Host Adapter Available

Topic:

NitroAV has unveiled a new combination PCI Express x4 slot host adapter that works with Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. The card adds FireWire 800 and 3Gbps eSATA ports to a computer. The adapter is described as a professional grade eSATA.1394b card that will work with just about any connected device.

The card uses native PCIe chips from silicon image and Texas instruments. The card has two FireWire 800 ports externally and a single internal FireWire 800 port. The device also has two external eSATA ports and has an optional power connecter that can offer power over FireWire 800. Read more

Posted on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Asus Eee PC T91MT Windows 7 Touchscreen Netbook Finally On Sale On Amazon

Topic:

The elusive Asus Eee PC T91MT Windows 7 touchscreen netbook is finally on sale on Amazon.com for $532.

The Asus Eee PC T91MT appeared in Germany before the Windows 7 launch, but then kind of disappeared again as it was not shipping in time for the Win7 launch. Read more

Posted on Mon, 9 Nov 2009 05:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Asus Delays EEE Keyboard 'Till 2010, 10-inch Tablet PC Coming

Topic:

The Asus Eee Keyboard, previously confirmed for an October 2009 release, won't be out until 2010. Savvy gadget nerds probably realized this several days ago, when the netbook-inside-a-keyboard didn't launch within the one month window given. Now, Digitimes gives us the reason why. Apparently the original version of the Eee Keyboard didn't pass wireless regulation testing.

That's a huge bummer for every gadget nerd who wanted one of the sweet and totally cyberpunk keyboards, but this bad news comes with a bit of good. Asus has restated that the Eee Keyboard will be coming to the US and Europe. The company will be updating the machine in order to comply with regulations, and they've also made the 5” touchscreen interface capacitive. The device's price point will stay at around $500 USD.

Posted on Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:10:16 CST | by Robert Evans

Windows 7 Leads To PC Sales Surge

Topic:

The Windows 7 launch was bound to do good things for PC sales. Vista was awful and Win 7 has been lauded by reviewers as the best new Microsoft OS since XP. No one will be surprised to hear that last month's launch lead to a bump in PC sales. What is surprising, is just how much they bumped up by.

Electronista reports that a Morgan Stanley analyst has come out with the first sales data on the Windows 7 launch. NPD sales data points to a 40% boost in PC sales during launch week, compared to sales at the same time last year. The exact nature of the sales hints at a huge amount of Windows 7 sales, rather than a rapid liquidation of existing Vista hardware.

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:12:27 CST | by Robert Evans

OLPC XO Laptop Will Be An eBook Computer By 2012

Topic:

There is some information about the OLPC project of Nicholas Negroponte. Apparently the 2nd generation OLPC XO laptop will only be a hardware upgrade of the current model and OLPC focuses on a completely new design for the 3rd generation which is supposed to hit the market in 2012.

Negroponte is quoted in an article on Xconomy as saying that the XO 3.0 is a single sheet, completely plastic and unbreakable, waterproof, 1/4" thick, full color, reflective and transmissive, no bezel, no holes. 1W and a price of $75. Read more

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:08:57 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Pictures of the Hot Lenovo ThinkCentre All-In-One PC Get Released

Topic:

To know what products companies will release next you need to monitor all kinds of channels. For a while I have had the Lenovo Flickr account in my Update Scanner app on Firefox. Today a photo of the ThinkCentre All-In-One PC appeared.
The ThinkCentre All-In-One PC actually rivals the HP TouchSmart line in style. We do not know anything else as Lenovo did not announce any specifications for this All-In-One. Does it have a touchscreen? We do not know. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Gift Tip 2: Phobos High End Gaming And Media PC By BFG Technologies

Topic:

The Phobos product line is composed of gaming and multimedia PCs brought to you by BFG Technologies. This line of machines offers high functionality and has been developed with features that will quench the gaming desire of any Graduated Gamer. The developmental goal of Phobos is to deliver a gaming/home theater system for those gamers and media enthusiasts who aspire for a high-performance system, but cannot build or service one, which can be due to several reasons like lack of time, skill or enthusiasm. Therefore, BFG Technologies provides a complementary Concierge Service with Phobos, which will prevent any installation and maintenance strain.
Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:51:29 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

iBuypower Updates Full Gaming PC Line to Windows 7

Topic:

Gaming computer maker iBuypower announced last week that its entire line of gaming computers including desktops and notebooks have been transitioned to Windows 7. That means that you can get its Chimera, LAN Warrior, and Paladin XLC machines with the new Microsoft OS.

The best feature of the OS for gamers is support for DirectX 11 for improved graphics. The company also offers different levels of overclocking on the new gaming computers as well with 10%, 20%, and 30% overclocking levels for $49 for level 1 and $99 for level 2 or 3 overclocking. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Shure Unveils New USB Mics for PC Users

Topic:

Shure unveiled a pair of new USB microphones called the PG27USB and the PG42USB side condenser microphones. Both of the mics are shipping now. The mics are designed to complement the Shure line of pro mics and home recording products.

Both mics connect directly to a PC via a USB port with plug and play performance. The cardioid condenser mics have built-in headphone monitoring and zero latency with a mix control. This allows the user to hear what they are recording on the go and make adjustments. Read more

Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Kindle For PC: A Free Windows 7 App

Topic:

Just when I'd started to lose faith in Amazon's ability to innovate, they send out a press release like this (via Giz). Today, as part of the Windows 7 roll-out, Amazon announced the launch of "Kindle for PC", a free application for reading Kindle books. On a normal PC, it'll allow you to save and bookmark your place across devices. If you read ten pages on your desktop and switch over to your Kindle, you'll find your book has advanced to the spot you left off at just a few moments ago. Also; color photos.

Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:09:14 CDT | by Robert Evans

HP Still Leader in Worldwide PC Shipments

Topic:

According to Gartner and also to the sales statistics published by IDC (Via AppleInsider) HP is still the leader in Worldwide PC shipments world-wide and also in the United States.

Overall there is growth again in PC sales in the 3rd quarter, which is interesting as Windows 7 has not even launched yet. Read more

Posted on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Acer Aspire Z5610 Windows 7 All-in-One PC Unveiled

Topic:

Are you already getting excited about the new Windows 7 notebooks, netbooks and All-In-One PCs? The Windows 7 computer Line-up is shaping up for the October 22nd launch of Windows 7.
Today Acer continues their Windows 7 announcements with the introduction of the stylish Acer Aspire Z5610 Windows 7 All-in-One PC.
The Z5610-U9072 features a 23-inch HD display with Multi-touch, ATI Mobility Radeon graphics and Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU, the Aspire Z5610, up to 8GB RAM, 320GB SATA HDD, 802.11n Wifi and DVD drive. Read more

Posted on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:56:50 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr