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How important is boot performance to you?
According to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Windows 7 has a team dedicated to focusing on startup performance. But how important is startup performance?... Continued »
September 5th, 2008
Is Firefox faster than Chrome?
Today Mozilla hit back at claims that Google’s Chrome browser outperforms Firefox by releasing benchmark results that show that Firefox 3.1 is faster at executing JavaScript that Google’s offering.
The tests were run by Brendan Eich, Mozilla’s Chief Technology Officer, and these tests show that Mozilla’s new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine is faster than Google’s V8 engine.
Two tests were run, one under XP running on a Mac Mini and the other with Vista running on a MacBook Pro. In these tests the TraceMonkey engine beat V8 by 1.28x and 1.19x respectively.
I decided to replicate the test on my own test platform (running Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit) because the last time I tried benchmarking the TraceMonkey engine with SunSpider, the test crashed. This time I didn’t have such issues. Read the rest of this entry »
September 5th, 2008
Possible AMD Q4/08 desktop processor roadmap surfaces
CHW.net has published what seems to be (on the face of it) a convincing looking AMD Q4 08 processor roadmap that gives us a glimpse into what AMD has in-store for us over the coming months.
According to the roadmap AMD has the following in store:
- October: AMD introduces an AMD Athlon X2 (dual-core) 5050e 45W TDP Brisbane-based 2.6GHz 95W TDP CPU and a new Phenom X3 (triple-core) 8850 2.5GHz.
- November: AMD will introduce AMD Ultra-Value Client (UVC) solutions which will be direct OEM products only. In addition there will be a new Lima-based Athlon 1.6GHz 15W TDP 2650e and a Brisbane-based Athlon X2 1.5Hz 22W TDP 3250e.
- December: A new Toliman-based multiplier-unlocked Phenom X3 2.5GHz 8850 and two Deneb-based Phenom X4 quad-core processors running at 2.8GHz and 3.0GHz, both 125W TDP.
The big blank area … pricing.
September 5th, 2008
Seinfeld-Gates TV commercial … vague, baffling and unfunny, but highly riffable!
What can I say about Microsoft’s new Seinfeld-Gates TV commercial that hasn’t already been said.
The media so far hasn’t been kind to Microsoft’s latest TV ad. Here are just some of the highlights:
“… there’s not really a whole lot of anything, including laughs, information or pimping of Vista.” Jason Chen, Gizmodo
“I don’t get it. And seeing how the punchline was, ummm, Bill Gates adjusting his shorts, I don’t think I want to get it.” Sam Diaz, ZDNet
“The tagline for this one: “The future. Delicious.” I think this is more ‘yuck’ than ‘yum.’” MG Siegler, VentureBeat
Like I said in an earlier post, I never expected to find the ad “laugh out loud” funny because I was never a Seinfeld fan, but at the same time I really wasn’t expecting it to feel as awkward as it did. It also plays into Apple’s hands, portraying Microsoft not as being hip and cool, but as, well, being just like the PC guy …
Loading …The ad does have one thing going for it … it’s highly riffable (well, I had to do something during those awkward moments while I watched the ad for the second time …).
September 4th, 2008
Microsoft slashes Xbox 360 prices
Microsoft has slashed the price of the Xbox 360 gaming console.
Here’s what an Xbox will cost you from tomorrow, compared to the price you’d pay today:
- Xbox 360 Arcade - Was: $279|Now: $199
- Xbox 360 Pro - Was: $349|Now: $299
- Xbox 360 Elite - Was: $449|Now: $399
Loading …According to Microsoft the idea is to get the price of the console down below the $200 psychologically barrier because, according to Microsoft, 75% of all console sales are made below that price point.
This latest price cut means that an entry level Xbox 360 is about half the price of a PlayStation 3 console.
Microsoft is once again looking to increase the Xbox’s market share and is using price to do that.
September 4th, 2008
Dell Inspiron Mini 9 out now
Today Dell has released the long awaited Inspiron Mini 9.
Initially the Inspiron Mini 9 is only available pre-installed with XP (in either black or white) but an Ubuntu-powered Mini 9 is only a few weeks away, as are additional colors. Starting price for the XP model is $399, while the Ubuntu model will cost only $349.
Here’s the spec:
- Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache)
- Glossy 8.9 inch LED display (1024X600)
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950
- Wireless 802.11g Mini Card
- 32WHr Battery (4 cell)
For the XP model 1GB or RAM comes as standard, while for Ubuntu you only get 512MB. Storage comes in the form of 4GB (Ubuntu only), 8GB and 16GB solid state drives. Oh, and there’s no webcam on the Ubuntu mode.
Fully-loaded the XP version comes in at $559 (before a $45 instant saving), while a fully kitted out Ubuntu version costs $519 (no instant saving offered on the Ubuntu version, making the XP version cheaper …).
Want one? I know I’m tempted!
September 4th, 2008
How important is boot performance?
According to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Windows 7 has a team dedicated to focusing on startup performance. But how important is startup performance?
Personally, I think that how you feel when it comes to boot up performance depends on how you use your PC since boot performance only really comes into play when:
- You’re firing up your PC following a planned shut down
- You’re restarting because of updates
- You’re recovering from a system crash
Loading …Now when I’m done with my PC for the day I always shut the system down unless I’m leaving it to do something overnight. I might be done early in the afternoon or very, very AM, I don’t care, when I step away from the PC for the day, it goes off. Why? Because I like that fresh a a daisy feel that I get from systems when they’re first rebooted. Some systems do stay on, and others do sleep/hibernate/hybrid sleep, but my main system goes off.
Am I bothered by that first boot up of the day? Well, after going through all the Read the rest of this entry »
September 4th, 2008
Sony VAIO TZ recalled due to overheating
Important news for Sony VAIO TZ owners:
Dear Valued Sony VAIO Customer,
Sony takes pride in the quality of its products. Recently, we became aware of a potential issue affecting the following notebook PC models:
- VGN-TZ100 series
- VGN-TZ200 series
- VGN-TZ300 series
- VGN-TZ2000 seriesThe issue involves a small number of units which may overheat due to a wiring problem. Sony has initiated a voluntary program to perform a free inspection and, if necessary, a repair to ensure these units meet our high quality standards.
To find out if your VAIO notebook is one of the affected units, please visit this link: http://esupport.sony.com/fixmypc. You will be prompted to input your product code and serial number located on the bottom of the notebook. It will be checked automatically against the range of affected units. If you find that your PC is one of the affected models, follow the instructions on the website and make arrangements for an inspection. You may also call our VAIO TZ customer hotline at 1-888-526-6219 to determine whether your notebook computer is affected by this issue and whether service is required.
At no charge, Sony will provide an inspection and, if necessary, on-site repair at your home or office. Alternatively, you can ship your notebook to our service center.
The satisfaction of our customers is our number one concern, and we will work diligently to ensure that your VAIO notebook is in top working order. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support in this matter.
Sincerely,
Mike Abary,
Senior Vice President, VAIO
Sony Electronics Inc.
Some details:
- Models series beginning with VGN-TZ sold between July 2007 and August 2008 are potentially affected
- The issue is one of overheating and there is a risk of minor burns if the affected part is touched
- This issue has not caused fires
September 3rd, 2008
New dual/quad core CPUs enter Intel price list, AMD drops prices
A quick look through Intel’s updated price list (which was released over the weekend), shows a few bargain bucket additions to the list.
The first is the quad core Q8200 which comes in at $224. This is a 2.33GHz, 1,333MHz FSB piece which is based on 45nm architecture and comes fitted with 4MB of L2 cache (all the other Core 2 Quad processors are fitted with 6, 8 or 12MB of L2). The price puts the new Q8200 between two 65nm pieces - the Q6600 (2.4GHz, 8MB L2, 1,066MHz FSB, $193) and the Q6700 (2.66GHz, 8MB L2, 1,066MHz FSB, $266).
Another addition is a dual core piece - the E5200. This is a 2.5GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB processor based on 65nm technology. At $84 this is the cheapest Core 2 Duo offering.
Also released is a new Celeron D. The Celeron D 450 is a 2.2GHz piece. This is prices at $53 and is the fastest Celeron D in the Intel lineup.
On Monday AMD also announced a series of price cuts across the Phenom and Athlon range.
- Phenom X4 9950 BE - Was: $235 | Now: $186
- Phenom X4 9850 BE - Was: $194 | Now: $180
- Phenom X4 9750 - Was: $215 | Now: $170
- Phenom X4 9650 - Was: $195 | Now: $156
- Phenom X3 8750 - Was: $175 | Now: $134
- Phenom X3 8650 - Was: $145 | Now: $123
- Athlon X2 6000+ - Was: $112 | Now: $94
- Athlon X2 5600+ - Was: $102 | Now: $88
- Athlon X2 5400+ - Was: $87 | Now: $78
- Athlon X2 5200+ - Was: $76 | Now: $68
Some really good price price cuts there.
September 3rd, 2008
Google Chrome … the day after
So, Google Chrome has been around for a few hours. What effect has it had on the Internet so far?
Well, let’s begin by looking at market share. I’ve been watching data from two sites which have been tracking google Chrome market share and the results so far are quite interesting.
Here’s the data from NetApplications:
Based on NetApplications data, Google Chrome market share peaked at Read the rest of this entry »
September 2nd, 2008
Google Chrome is insanely fast … faster than Firefox 3.0
Google Chrome is fast … insanely fast … faster than Firefox 3.0.
Here’s Chrome vs. Firefox 3.0.1 vs IE7 vs. IE8b2 in a head-to-head shootout running the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark.
Here Google Chrome completed the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark in a average of 1,791 milliseconds, nearly half the time that Firefox 3.0.1 took to complete the test. In this test Google Chrome absolutely blows away IE.
UPDATED
Let’s see how the browsers compare to each other when tested using the V8 benchmark suite. This suite carried out five tests:
- Richards
OS kernel simulation benchmark, originally written in BCPL by Martin Richards (539 lines). - DeltaBlue
One-way constraint solver, originally written in Smalltalk by John Maloney and Mario Wolczko (880 lines). - Crypto
Encryption and decryption benchmark based on code by Tom Wu (1689 lines). - RayTrace
Ray tracer benchmark based on code by Adam Burmister (3418 lines). - EarleyBoyer
Classic Scheme benchmarks, translated to JavaScript by Florian Loitsch’s Scheme2Js compiler (4682 lines).
With this benchmark, the higher the score, the better …
As you can see, Google Chrome savagely beats all the opposition running the V8 benchmark suite a whopping ten times faster than Firefox 3.0.
Google Chrome certainly has delivered on the speed it promised, and so far testing indicates that the browser is very robust - over the past few hours I’ve been hammering it very hard and I’ve yet to have a crash.
Here’s a single Google Chrome Window with 70+ tabs open and the browser is still nice and responsive and there’s not even a hint that it’s struggling under the weight of the open tabs.
Want to get in touch? Feel free to drop me a note!
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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