Apple Ships iMacs, Speedier G4s

Apple Computer has added three Power Mac G4 systems to its product lineup and says its new flat-panel iMac is a hit, with 150,000 preorders.

The first Mac to break the 1-GHz barrier, the new top performer in the Power Mac G4 family, sports dual 1-GHz Power Mac G4 processors with 256KB of level 2 cache and 2MB of DDR SDRAM L3 cache per processor, Apple says. The top system, priced at $2999, also boasts a new Nvidia GeForce4 MX graphics board with 64MB of DDR SDRAM. The 1-GHz Power Mac G4 has 512MB of RAM and a 80GB hard drive. It began shipping Monday.

Second in line is a 933-MHz Power Mac G4 that also comes with 256KB of level 2 cache, 2MB of DDR SDRAM L3 cache, and the new Nvidia graphics board, priced at $2299. The unit comes with 256MB of RAM and a 60GB hard drive.

Apple is also offering a $1599 800-MHz Power Mac G4 with 256KB of level 2 cache and an ATI Technologies Radeon 7500 graphics board with 32MB of DDR SDRAM. It comes with 256MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive, Apple said.

The dual 1-GHz and the 933-MHz Power Mac G4s both come with Apple's SuperDrive for CD and DVD burning, while the cheaper 800-MHz system comes with CD-RW only.

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SiS XP4 Chipset?

Early this week I received Shuttle's new AS40R motherboard, which features the new SiS 645 chipset. When looking over the board I noticed that the south bridge was labelled XP4?

Source: http://www.legionhardware.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=15571#post15571

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The Samsung YEPP YP-20S MP3 Player

So what do you get when you cross mini, micro age, audio technology from Samsung and the goal to produce a very small MP3 player with a very attractive streamline casing? The Samsung YEPP YP-20S! Here's a clip:

"I would have to say, that I was pleasantly surprised with the overall sound and performance of the Mini Yepp. Its ease of use and sound quality were more than adequate in accordance to its size. Add the fact that the headphones are a dual function string necklace; you can wear this bad boy around your neck, get good sound quality and not worry about it getting in the way."

Source: http://www.futurelooks.com/display.asp?i=25&p=1

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Crazy PC Multi-Function Access Panel Review

The Multi-Function Access Panel from Crazy PC gives you access to USB, Audio, Gaming, and even FireWire ports all from the front of your computer. "Yes, yes, we've seen these before" you might say, "so where's the twist with this product?" Well there's a temp probe built into this front panel. This gives you the added feature of monitoring the temperature of your processor, video card, or any other device you want.

Source: http://thetechzone.com/display.asp?i=112&p=1

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Seagate Barracuda IV 7200RPM Hard Drive Review

"The new Barracuda IV line of 7200RPM hard drives from Seagate features technology to minimize sounds, prevent damage from physical bumps and, of course, improve performance. Find out if it’s the be all and end all of hard drives."

Source: http://onepc.net/index.php?view=docs&doc_id=110

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Abit KR7A-RAID mobo review

ABIT HAS BEEN A FAVORITE of enthusiasts for years. They've set the bar for what many expect in a motherboard. Constantly a leader in overclocking options, performance, and even features like on-board RAID, Abit has made quite a name for itself in the hardware community.

It used to be that Abit was one of only a few choices an enthusiast had when choosing a motherboard, but things have changed. Now, it seems everyone has caught on to BIOS tweaking, on-board IDE RAID, and overclocking options galore. Additionally, the new crop of performance motherboards is coming equipped with all sorts of integrated peripherals. Some on-board sound options even rival the venerable SoundBlaster Live! in audio quality.

Abit has chosen not to walk the integrated line with its new KR7A-RAID. Instead, the board is a foundation, based around VIA's KT266A chipset, on which enthusiasts can build their ultimate high performance PCs. Without any on-board extras, we're left to evaluate the KR7A-RAID solely on the merits of its performance and stability. How does the KR7A-RAID do with such a focused spotlight? Read on to find out.

Source: http://www.tech-report.com/reviews/2002q1/abit-kr7a/index.x?pg=1

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Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Review

Gaming-Unlimited, part of the 3D-Unlimited Network, has posted a review of Lucas Arts' game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds! Check it out!

Source: http://www.gaming-unlimited.com/reviews/starwars/

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Intel Pentium 4 "Northwood" CPU Review

TweakTown has just posted a review of the Intel Pentium 4 "Northwood" CPUs. Here's a snip:

"With all the buzz going around about the new Northwood Pentium 4 processors, Intel seems to be on the verge of a large push to regain market share. But is all the hype really true? Come join TweakTown they dig into the newest processor to wear the Intel moniker; namely the Intel Pentium 4 2.2GHz Northwood."

Source: http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=review&dId=165

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CPU Radiator ZEN SCR325-2F review

The Zen CPU Radiator is one of these exotic heatsinks that uses a fairly new cooling method (for CPU's anyway). While the name gives away its special distinguishing feature, the heatlane radiator used to transfer heat from CPU to the surrounding air isn't your average radiator.

Source: http://www.nvnews.net/envy/reviews/zen/zen.shtml

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Budget Dual Display Shootout: Sis 315 Vs. ATI Radeon VE Article

Today G3D appeals a small, but growing minority of PC users that require budget dual display cards. Hey, there's got to be at least a small market for that right? Look at Matrox. Check out their latest articles - which deals with 2D quality, gaming & dvd performance, dual display modes and much more.

"*Sigh* After much delay, I've pitted two budget dual display cards against each other. Why the sigh? Drivers. Bloody drivers. Just after I run a batch of benchmarks, a new driver comes out. What are the two cards? The ATI Radeon VE and the SIS 315 "Evil Sam". Why not a MX400 Dual Display or G450? Well, have you seen any of those for under $50 (i.e. "Budget")? That's what I thought. Let's go at it."

Source: http://www.gamingin3d.com/articles/sis315_radeonve/

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Juno P6 Full Tower Case Review

Full towers are handy for a couple reasons. They have more expansion potential, and chicks dig big cases. I've seen this case used in a Maximum PC article once, and VoOdOo takes a closer look to answer the eternal question.. is bigger better?

"I've decided to rate this case on the Scream Factor.

What's the Scream Factor you ask? Well it goes like this. You take one piece of hardware and try and decide what features are going to get to the chicks/guys (delete as applicable). For each feature in its favour, you can add a smile, a moan, a gasp, and finally a scream. Get enough screams, and you may even achieve an orgasm!!"

Source: http://www.viperlair.com/reviews/hardware/cases/junop6/junop6a.htm

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Samsung Syncmaster 151B 15 inch LCD Monitor

Flat Panel monitors seem to be all the rage nowadays. Here's a nice little unit that not only saves your eyes, but also saves space!

"Is your desk space a precious commodity? Is your keyboard fighting with your monitor for that valuable space? Or do you just want a really cool toy to impress your friends? Well maybe you should consider the Samsung SyncMaster 151B. It’s sleek, stylish and boy does it ever save a lot of desk space."

Source: http://www.futurelooks.com/display.asp?i=4&p=1

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New AVC Copper Skived Cooler Review

We've posted Robert's review of the AVC Copper Skived Cooler.

Here's a piece:

"When I first saw the AVC I was quite pleased. This is one nice looking unit. I have to admit that this is the first copper finned cooler that I have seen and the change from the standard aluminium is great. This cooler also has a clear plastic fan with a nice holographic logo in the middle (not the blue and white label pictured). Looks aside, that really is secondary right?"

Source: http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/avc_copperskived/

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ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV Review

So you like the All-In-Wonder 7500 but you want more performance and you’re willing to pay the price? Then The Tech Zone has the answer for you as they take a look at the ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV. The All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV is like the All-in-Wonder Radeon 7500 but it has more. More power, more features, more inputs, more money and 100% support for DirectX 8.1.

Source: http://thetechzone.com/display.asp?i=117&p=1

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ATi Radeon 7500: Worth another look...

The Canadian folks at RatedPC managed to survive through the dreaded artic weekend up there and posted a comprehensive review of ATi Radeon 7500. Instead of focusing too much on the gaming aspects, this article covers more of its other excellent features such as the dual display support. Overall this card has gone above all expectations and is easily one of the best mid-range cards currently available on the market.

"Radeon 7500 was not the fastest video card to come out in 2001, but it was certainly one of the best value buys. Even when the original Radeon came out it was not the fastest, but it was ahead of its time. It had the most complete set of features, but that didn't attract gamers since its the frames per second numbers that show up on benchmark graphs. Thanks to those very same overlooked features Radeon 7500 is still able to compete with higher end video cards of today, even though it is based on seemingly outdate technology. For instance, it is with the help of HyperZ that it is able to demonstrate good performance at higher resolutions, not just the increase in clock speed."

Source: http://www.ratedpc.com/review.asp?id=53

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Handspring's Visor Edge review

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, Handspring has pushed the Palm platform's hardware into new territory. Handspring's first models included USB syncing interfaces and Springboard expansion modules, which were followed up with later models integrating high-color-depth screens and beefier hardware. Two years after the first Visor's release, however, the market looks a little different. Palm has since split its hardware and software business; Sony is charging into the market with numerous Clie models; and HandEra is lurking in niche markets. Handspring now faces much stiffer competition on the innovation front.

One of Handspring's answers to this newly competitive PDA market is the Visor Edge, a slick, thin, Palm-based PDA that wouldn't look out of place in an industrial art museum. It takes more than just a pretty face to win me over, though. Can the Edge pull off the same kind of innovative coup that the original Visor did at its release? Read on to find out.

Source: http://www.tech-report.com/reviews/2002q1/visor-edge/index.x?pg=1

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Review of SYSmark 2001

For those who love to hate SYSmark 2001, you might want to read this article. I ran the same set of tests that I ran against the Winstone benchmarks, and analyzed their methodology as well. You can see what I found here (go to page 7 if you just want to find out what I think of the benchmark ;-).

Source: http://www.realworldtech.com/page.cfm?section=columns&AID=RWT012702184301

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VideoLogic Crossfire 4.1 Speakers review

Hardware Avenue have reviewed the VideoLogic Crossfire 4.1 gaming speakers. Although they will cost a pretty penny, you get what you pay for right? :) snip:

"As previously mentioned, these are 4.1 gaming speakers, so naturally they will spend most of their time in 4.1 mode. They do however feature an LFE input for use with a Dolby Digital decoder unit, not to mention a great little feature called quad mode which can be used in conjunction with one of the stereo inputs, to mirror the signal to the rear speakers."

Source: http://www.hardavenue.com/reviews/crossfire.shtml

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The Elsa Brethren: GF3 Ti200 & Ti500 review

Hence, it is unsurprising that manufacturers such as Elsa have jumped onto the Titanium bandwagon without hesitation, in a broad attempt to lure compulsive upgraders and geeks alike. Today, Elsa's GF3 Ti200 and Ti500 renditions step into the limelight for our evaluation.

Source: http://www.hardware-one.com/reviews.asp?aid=245&page=1

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AVC 117140 Socket 478 Heatsink Review

We first got our hands on this attractive cooler at COMDEX fall of last year. At the AVC booth we learned that the heatsinks are made by a two step process. The aluminum fin sections are first extruded and cut to size, then the individual fin sections are placed into a machine that bends all of the fins to give them the shape you see below. When this has been accomplished, the center portion is reamed to the appropriate diameter and the copper slug pressed in for a tight interference fit. The copper slug is the only part of the heatsink that actually touches the core of the processor, and it is left a bit above the rest of the body to ensure a flush fit when installed.

Source: http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=946

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Telstra Broadband - The Facts Revealed

Something a little different today. TweakTown has just posted an article entitled Telstra Broadband - The Facts Revealed. Please consider it if you have a reader base in Australia. Here's a snip:

"According to recent surveys, more Australians use Telstra BigPond than any other Internet provider. Providing a large range of dial-up, cable, ADSL and satellite plans to choose from – it’s no wonder that they enjoy this large market share. But unfortunately for their consumers, things have taken a turn for the worse. Read on as TweakTown tells us all the facts we need to know

Source: http://www.tweaktown.com/document.php?dType=article&dId=163

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Silver Pro Gamer case review

"There comes a time in life where you grow into different person, start to do different things, and realize that old chunk of steel that your computer is sitting it just does not cut it any more. This is where the new breed of aluminum cases comes into the story. Not only are they light weight, easy to carry around, and look great, in most cases can drop case temps by a few degrees. That might not sound like much to the Average Joe but to hardcore overclockers and modders alike its a big deal."

Source: http://www.psychohardware.com/reviews/cases/SilverProGamer/index.shtml

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Legend QDI NEW PlatiniX 2D mainboard review

Hardware-Test.dk had loking on a NEW mainboard from QDI Legend - PlatiniX 2D for Intel's P4 CPU and i845DDR chipset.

QDI hasn’t been much of a spotlighted trademark in Denmark, but now they’ve introduced a series of Pentium 4 motherboards, which seems very interesting. Earlier on QDI fought their battle selling motherboards, and now they’re back with a new motherboard, amongst others, which I’m about to test. Also, this motherboard features some very interesting settings, never to be seen before... Are you considering buying a P4?

Source: http://www.hardware-test.dk/asp/views.asp?table=reviews&id=354

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Nifty cordless mouse & keyboard

A4 Tech's RFKB-5 cordless mouse and keyboard set costs rather less than various competing products, but if you ask me, it's better. Perfectly OK three button wheelie-mouse. Keyboard with normal layout and some extra configurable buttons that you don't have to use if you don't want to. Long battery life. Low price.

Oh, and surprisingly long keyboard transmit range. This is the first cordless keyboard that's forced me to use Pythagoras' Theorem to determine its range.

Source: http://www.dansdata.com/rfkb5.htm

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Soltek SL-75DRV4 mainboard review

Soltek still isn't very well known to the general public, but, ever since its launch, it's made long strides towards proving its reliability, packaging-ability, and thorough care to details. Soltek's motherboards, for instance, are most of the time accompanied by generous software packages, including any number of useful applications. What's more, they've also been very good about supporting Overclocking, and often market products that overflow with tweaking functions. Clearly, Soltek is destined for great notoriety - it's only a matter of time.

Source: http://active-hardware.com/english/reviews/mainboard/sl-75drv4.htm

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Steve Jobs: Keeping Apple Small Time?

GlideUnderground's own Michael Ahlf wrote a new editorial, titled "Steve Jobs: Keeping Apple Small Time?". Here's a snippet:

There's no denying that Steve Jobs is one of the big names in the computer industry, a man who somehow manages to get investors to chime in and support him. He's endorses the Mac as the be-all and end-all of home computing, continues to "innovate" the design (we'll cover this later), pushes it as the greatest computer system of all time, and as a side note was blown away by the Segway/It/Ginger, a product that depending on your side of the issue is either the greatest thing since the flush toilet or else a psychotic razor scooter on crack.

Source: http://www.glideunderground.com/articles/applemistakes/

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