Have Laptop Will Travel

New Vista update gives USB “woes”

Originally posted on April 18, 2008 @ 10:23 pm

A week ago, Microsoft released once again a software update that it claims will give increased performance and reliability for Windows Vista-based systems including those with Vista Service Pack 1. The update was among one of the eight updates that the company released on April 8.

However, users who have installed the update complained that their USB devices became unresponsive most especially mice and flash drives. Even removing or reinstalling programs associated with the devices did not alleviate the problem.

Microsoft has now acknowledged that it is a bug but has not provided any more details. There is no news yet on when this supposed bug will be fixed with a new update. We’ll keep you posted when this thing appears.

Alienware to release affordable gaming PCs

Originally posted on April 16, 2008 @ 8:18 pm

Alienware has made its brand synonymous with kick-ass gaming systems. It’s desktops and laptops are some of the most powerful in the market and is every techhead’s dream. The only thing that’s really not that attractive about it is the price — which is also some of the highest in the market.

But Alienware seems to have finally set its eye on budget gamers. Its update to its Aurora desktop series starts at a relatively affordable $1,000. The new PCs will sport AMD’s quad core Phenom 9850 processors as well as the buyer’s choice of graphics card. They can choose from the ATI Radeon 3870 X2, HD3850 or HD3870 cards in both single of dual Crossfire configurations. The usual alien-head chassis will be the body of these nifty and pocket friendly rigs.

Microsoft inadvertently releases Vista SP1

Originally posted on February 25, 2008 @ 11:50 pm

Microsoft experienced a boo-boo last Thursday when the software giant inadvertently released Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista to a a number of users. Vista SP1 is supposed to be released mid-March.

SP1 is supposed to be the first major update/upgrade to the new OS that was released January 2007. What happened was that Vista SP1 was posted on Windows Update and was, by some glitch, made available to a large group that accessed Windows Update.

A number of users who actually know of the release date were surprised to see the availability of SP1. But the company has reiterated that the mid-March timeframe is still on schedule.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft also released SP3 Release Candidate 2 for Windows XP. The update has been made available on Windows Update but users are asked to revise some settings on their registry in order to get the update.

Second Gen EEE to sport 8.9″ touchscreen

Originally posted on March 27, 2008 @ 11:46 pm

In a previous entry, I wrote about rumors of ASUS possibly releasing the second generation EEE with a bigger screen but possibly the same processor. It was a bit underwhelming so I decided that I would pass up this generation altogether since I’m still happy with my first gen EEE.

But confirmation about the new EEE has left me excited once again. The company has released news that the second generation EEE will indeed sport an 8.9 inch screen, but the clincher here is that it is going to be a touchscreen. This opens up a whole new level of interactivity and maneuverability. It’s a big plus especially for me since I have never really gotten the knack of using a touch pad. With a touch screen navigation will be extremely easy.

The new units, which could be released by May or June could also have a built-in GPS. Additional changes include ramped up RAM of 1GB and storage capacity from 8 to 12GB. The second gen EEE could possibly reach the 500-dollar level, still enticingly affordable. No word on the processor though so I guess it would still remain as the one unchanged component here.

Macbook Air released

Originally posted on January 16, 2008 @ 11:53 pm

All laptop nuts are definitely talking about the new Macbook Air, the newest offering from Apple, Inc.

The form factor is just to die for especially with its almost anorexic measurements. Touted to be the thinnest laptop ever, it will really turn heads. The thinness of the laptop though could be a source of some unexpected problems. It’s so wafer thin I wonder if someone might accidentally break it.

The specs of the Macbook Air are a mixed bag though. Although there are some nice features (multi touch trackpad, wireless access to optical drives) there are also new features that I think are a letdown (non user replaceable battery, low clock speeds, no optical drive).

What do you guys think about the Macbook Air?