Windows XP

Change 2 Bytes and Windows XP Home becomes XP Professional

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German Computer magazine C'T (Heise) is describing in its current print issue how to change Windows XP Home to a Windows XP Professional version before install.

Microsoft is not going to like this. The C'T magazine apparently found out that by changing 2 bytes in the installation file of Windows XP Home, it will install a Windows Professional. Some functions are missing, but Remote Desktop and User management and enhanced security features are present.

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Posted on Tue, 31 May 2005 07:42:36 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sony announces VAIO VGN-U750P Windows XP PDA in the US

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Sony announces the VAIO® U Ultra Portable PC VGN-U750P in the USA.

We reviewed the Sony U series Windows XP PDA when it came out in Japan. Did we like it? Well its a great beer glass cover (see photo below), but in general those new Windows XP PDAs still have a good way to go. They are too big compared to for instance my IBM X40 Notebook.

The Sony VGN-U750P features a Pentium M processor with 1.1Ghz and runs Windows XP Profesional. The PC PDA has built-in wireless and a 5 inch XBrite TFT Touch screen. If you are into the OQO the Sony VGN-U750P could be the better choice even when the Sony does not have an integrated keyboard.

The Sony VGN-U750P will start selling next month for about $2,000. More details in Sony press-release.

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Posted on Tue, 9 Nov 2004 09:50:15 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

OQO Windows XP PDA Reviews

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Yesterday the OQO got officially announced. Several news outlets released reviews of the tiny Windows XP computer today.

Walter Mossberg from the WSJ thinks its to expensive and hates the cradle cable. His final take: "If it had a lower price, longer battery life, better Wi-Fi and a well-designed desktop cradle, the OQO might be worth a look for some average users. But, in its current form, it isn't very practical for most people."
Read the full review.

More OQO reviews:
CNET
PC World.

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Posted on Thu, 14 Oct 2004 10:41:41 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

OQO Windows XP PDA finally available

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Now that Sony came first and went away with the VGN-U50 Windows XP PDA, OQO seems no to get real and release their Windows XP PDA.

We reported in July 2002 the first time about the OQO. Then at the CES 2004 OQO made headlines again, but still no device.

The OQO model 01 features a 1 GHz processor, 20GB HD, 256MB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, FireWire, thumb keyboard, 800x480 indoor/outdoor readable LCD. The PDA ships with removable lithium polymer battery, docking cable, desktop stand, power supply, carrying sleeve and digital pen.
The Price is $1,999 (XP Professional) or $1,899 (XP Home).

The OQO store just went down, because HandTops (site also slow) landed the story on Slashdot.

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Posted on Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:37:33 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sony Vaio VGN-U50 / VGN-U70 World's smallest Windows XP PC

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Sony announces what they call the smallest full-functioning Windows PC.

Update 04/08/04: We just published a review of the Sony VGN-U50.

The keyboardless Vaio VGN-U50 (Windows XP Home edition, Celeron 900Mhz CPU) and the VGN-U70P (Windows XP professional, 1Ghz Pentium M) measure 16.7x10.8x2.6cm and weigh about 550g.
More details on Sony VGN-U50/U70 web site (japanese) and on The Register.

Buy the Sony VGN-U50 or U70 at Dynamism

So Sony turns on the heat on the Vulcan Flipstart and the OQO and TIQIT palm-sized Windows XP PDAs.

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Posted on Mon, 10 May 2004 12:19:23 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Paul Allen's Flipstart Windows XP PDA debuts at DEMO 2004

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Vulcan Inc., founded by Paul Allen, announced today that it will preview FlipStart™ at DEMO 2004. Demo 2004 is going on right now in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Vulcan’s “MiniPC” prototype is now called FlipStart™. The PDA combines the performance and functionality of Windows® XP with the connectivity of wireless PDAs.

Flipstart Features:

Microsoft® Windows® XP Home/Professional operating system
Dimensions: 5.8" x 4" x 1" (148mm x 101mm x 26mm)
Weighs 1lb (450g)
1 GHz processor
256MB system RAM
30GB internal hard drive
3D graphics w/ 8MB video RAM
Full-function, QWERTY thumb keyboard w/ hotkeys for commonly used commands
5.6" HDTV-quality display (1024 x 600)
Lithium-ion Polymer battery (2-6 hours battery life*)
Integrated 802.11b (11 Mbps) /g (54 Mbps) Wi-Fi
USB 2.0 port
Internal microphone/speaker with headphones and ear bud jacks
Integrated 1.3MP digital camera

More details at Vulcan.com.

We reported in the past about other Windows XP PDAs, like the OQO and the Tiqit. The OQO was shown again at the CES 2004 earlier this year. Who of those three will make it to the market first is the million dollar question.

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Posted on Tue, 17 Feb 2004 09:17:55 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

OQO Windows XP PDA announced at CES 2004

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We reported about OQO a silicon valley company the first time in July 2002. Nothing dramatically has changed regarding the specification and look of the OQO Windows XP PDA.

We support Gizmodo's Open Letter to OQO asking to either ship the OQO or not talk about it. On the other hands lots of big players doing this kind of marketing including Sony. Pre-announcing products with now clear specs and release dates is part of the game.

Slated to ship in the second half of 2004, the OQO computer weighs approximately 14 ounces, making it the smallest, high performance Windows XP computer with complete PC functionality. Measuring a mere 4.9 inches x 3.4 inches x 0.9 inches, the OQO computer is the size of a PDA with the power and features of a laptop.

About OQO:
OQO, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, has developed the OQO ultra personal computer (uPC), a full-powered, full-featured personal computer running Microsoft Windows XP in a pocketable form factor. Jory Bell and Jonathan Betts-LaCroix founded the company in 2000, along with other members of the team that developed the Apple Titanium Powerbook.
Press-Release

Explore the Bestselling PDAs.

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Posted on Fri, 16 Jan 2004 08:46:19 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

TIQIT Windows XP And Linux PDA

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Receive Notification when Sony PEG-UX50 Ships.

Monitor Sony PEG-UX50 Price.

Pre-Order Sony PEG-UX50. Tiqit PDA has full desktop power to run Windows XP or Linux. Tiqit originally focused on bringing a Windows XP PDA to the market expanded the concept also to support Linux or other PC Unix systems fully. We reported a while ago about OQO another Desktop PDA concept. I actually saw guys from oqo and tiqit attending together an event at the Stanford VLAB couple month ago. The Tigit PDA still looked handmade. Tiqit just announced the hire of a top level CEO, and changed its focus to enterprise evaluations. Looks like the Desktop PDA could make it on to the market soon. On OQOs web site is nothing new, latest news is from 2002.

Tiqit provides full desktop PC power in a compact device slightly larger than a Palm-class PDA. It runs any enterprise standard operating system- Windows, Linux, or UNIX- which lets users employ the same software and applications including industry-specific packages and customized designed software. Tiqit integrates a 4" color screen, 56-key QWERTY keyboard and Wi-fi and Bluetooth via extension cards.
Pre-production models of the Tiqit PDA will be available still this year. Official release is planned for Q1 2004. The Tiqit PDA will cost 2,100USD. Quite expensive, but Tiqit argues the cost for enterprise costumers are easily justified by CIOs. Tiqit avoids buying, maintaining, and supporting stand alone computing devices like laptops, PDAs, and BlackBerrys and is able to run enterprise business software on Tiqit without the expense of porting software over to Windows CE, Pocket PC, or the PalmOS.

See also:
Sony PEG-UX50
Zaurus SL-C760/50
Oqo

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Posted on Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:06:30 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Windows XP Desktop Look for Linux

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XPde a desktop environment (XPde) and a window manager(XPwm) for Linux. It tries to recreate the Windows XP interface to-the-pixel point. Nothing more, no clipboard compatibility between Gtk and Qt applications, no emulation of Windows applications, no unification on the widgets of X applications, just a desktop environment and a window manager.

Linux fans don't give up on the idea to make Linux a Desktop OS. XPde is another interesting attempt to make Linux more approachable for "normal" users.

See the Screenshots

If you have Linux you can download the Windows XP UI.

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Posted on Wed, 19 Mar 2003 09:32:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Embedded Windows XP Exercise Bike

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In the sprawling digital lifestyle Microsoft booth, UK start-up Exertris showcased the first Microsoft® Windows® XP Embedded stationary exercise bike (MSRP:$6,000) designed for playing PC based video games during workouts. The user’s pedal power plays a vital role in the on-screen action.

James Briant, software director at Exertris, explains why they chose Windows XP Embedded. "The Exertris concept is all about the gaming experience; we needed a platform that would allow us to go ahead and develop great games without drawing on the team’s resources to fix computing and networking issues."

Briant is an accomplished designer of console games and has worked with Nintendo's Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

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Posted on Thu, 16 Jan 2003 15:51:13 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

OQO - PDA sized Windows XP PC

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Why have a crippled OS, if you can have Windows XP running on your Color Handheld. OQO announces the smallest high performance Windows XP computer. Device should be available in stores second half of 2002.

Specifications:
Powered by Crusoe 0.13 micron TM5800 processor at up to 1GHz
10GB hard drive
256MB Ram
4", high-res VGA Color LCD
Touchscreen
Built in 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless networking
4.1" x 2.9" x 0.9" / 105mm x 74mm x 22mm; less than 9 oz. / 250 grams

OQO ultrapersonal computing Read more