Hardware
Site with extensive information about mobile computing
These days, people like to be connected to the Internet wherever they go. In fact, for many millions, mobile computers are the major or only platform that they use. Back in December, I posted about the speculation that the smartphone would supplant the conventional PC for consumer use.
As the popularity of mobile platforms has grown, [...]
The illusion of progress
PCs keep getting faster but how much improvement do you notice in the speed of what you actually do on the PC? Software keeps getting bigger and more complex. Programmers get less careful in writing software. So all the added hardware speed often doesn’t result in actual better performance. When all is said and done, [...]
Windows 7 battery dispute continues
Although Microsoft is firmly denying that Windows 7 is causing any battery problems (see previous post), people are still pointing fingers at Windows 7. Computerworld has a roundup of what is being said.
Microsoft denies Windows 7 battery problem
In a previous post, I noted that there were reports that upgrading to Windows 7 was causing some batteries to fail. Microsoft says that Windows 7 is not at fault and that bad batteries are the problem. Ars Technica has more details.
Is the iPad the model of a consumer PC?
The blogosphere continues to echo with posts about the iPad. One interesting theme is the idea that the iPad is the long-needed computer appliance for Everyman. Here’s a sample:
Apple reinventing file access, wireless sharing for iPadApple Insider writes, “…Apple’s new iPad jettisons the conventional shared file system and introduces a new, streamlined convention for [...]
Are Windows 7 upgrades causing battery problems?
There are a lot of reports that upgrading a laptop to Windows 7 is ruining batteries. As far as I can tell from what I read, new laptops that come with Windows 7 are not involved, just older systems that have been upgraded. More details are here.
Reliability and service ratings
PC World has published the results of its annual reader’s survey of service and reliability. In the laptop category Apple, followed by Toshiba, gets the best marks. At the bottom are HP and Dell. HP is at the bottom of the desktop ratings as well. It’s a sad situation when the top two American OEMs [...]
The Apple iPad
For weeks, incredible numbers of electronic bits have been consumed by stories on the rumored Apple tablet computer. No one knew for sure what Apple was going to come up with but that didn’t keep the blogosphere from being jammed with post after post full of guesses and useless commentary. All sorts of speculation about [...]
Cleaning a CD/DVD laser
You’ve probably heard that fingerprints and other grime are not good for the surface of CDs or DVDs but how about the CD/DVD burner itself? Ed Bott relates his experience:
Have you cleaned your CD or DVD burner’s laser lately? Until this week, I had never tried using a special disk to clean dust from the [...]
Web-connected printer
The idea that many devices and even household appliances will be directly connected to the Internet without going through a computer is growing. Although the rather outré notion of a Web-connected refrigerator never did pan out, the Web-connected printer is definitely here. The New York Times reviews an HP offering:
HP made a splash last year [...]
USB 3.0 starting to appear
The next generation of USB, USB 3.0, is an order of magnitude faster than USB 2.0. Its eagerly awaited arrival was thought to have been delayed by Intel stating last fall that its chip sets would not be ready for the new technology until possibly 2011. However, USB 3.0 is beginning to trickle out. [...]
