How consoles would have gouged Diablo 3 over $44 million

Subject: General Tech, Systems | May 29, 2012 - 05:04 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: diablo iii, consoles, blizzard

Matt Ployhar of Intel has posted on their Software Blogs about how much money in royalties would be given to Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo if Diablo 3 were published on a console platform. Activision-Blizzard along with a couple of other publishers recently pocket the difference -- but unlike the consoles it is not an actual cost so the publishers can, and many do, lower their prices to the $50 point at launch. It really shows how expensive the seemingly cheaper console platforms really are.

So who would make a device for $805 to sell it for $499 after billions in research, development, and marketing?

Sony does and they get that money back from you in good time -- subtly.

The perception of consoles being a cheaper gaming platform than the PC is just a perception. Over the lifespan of the platform you can pay less for a better experience with a somewhat larger upfront cost on the PC. You are paying a premium with the consoles to experience exclusive titles that are only exclusive because you allowed the platform to charge you to pay the publisher to make it exclusive. Imagine how that cost grows if you own multiple consoles?

But I find good value in paying extra so that others cannot play too.

Matt Ployhar of the Intel Software Blogs does a very rough calculation of how much Blizzard would have paid Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo had their game been on a console platform. With 6.3 million units of Diablo 3 sold in the last two weeks and a typical royalty rate of $7-10 per game sale for console platforms the platform owner would take $44-63 million away from Blizzard.

This means that you would have been paying the platform owner $44-63 million to have Diablo 3 be placed on a platform which will be unsupported probably long before you finish with your game.

Blizzard has been selling Diablo 2 since the Nintendo 64 era. Consoles are paid to be disposable, the PC is not.

Dell Reimagines the All-in-One Computer for Consumers

Subject: Systems | May 29, 2012 - 02:46 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: all-in-one, XPS One 27, xps, Ivy Bridge, Inspiron One 23, Inspiron One 20, inspiron, dell

The quick breakdown of Dell's new lineup is ...

The XPS One 27 all in one PC starts at price of $1,399  has a high end Ivy Bridge i5 or i7 with an optional GT640M, an impressive 27" 2560x1440 display, up to 16GB of DDR3 and ships with up to a 2TB HDD with an optional 32GB SSD for Intel SRT.

The Inspiron One 23 is $749 and will mostly contain mid-range i5s and i3s (an i7 is an option), an optional Radeon HD7650A, a 23" 1080p monitor, up to 8GB of RAM and up to a 2TB HDD, no SSD option on this one though.

Lastly the Inspiron One 20 has a low cost of $529 and will get you running with a SandyBride based Pentium G620T or an Ivy Bridge i3-2120T, the 20" 1600x900 will be powered by Intel's onboard graphics, 6GB of DDR3 and up to a 1TB HDD. 

Read on for the full details

Dell is reimagining the all-in-one computer, with a new portfolio of solutions for consumers who desire beautifully designed systems for multimedia creation and entertainment. The new computers include the XPS One 27, Dell’s largest ever all-in-one and part of the premium XPS performance family, and the Inspiron One 23 and Inspiron One 20 all-in-one computers for families. The three desktop computers are slim and stylish and reflect Dell’s design aesthetic that places a premium on unique materials, form factors and experiences.

XPS One 27: Powerful Simplicity, Powerful Creativity
The XPS One 27 delivers a big-screen experience – from the diagonal to the resolution – with one of the most vibrant displays Dell has offered. The XPS One 27 is 27-inches of stunning 2560x1440 Full Quad HD clarity and color. The wide format 16:9 WLED display makes digital work, movies, games and photos appear crisp, colors vivid. It delivers optional high-performance graphics from NVIDIA and entertainment features such as Waves MaxxAudio 4 and Infinity-branded speakers, an optional slot load Blu-ray disc drive, and optional internal TV tuner, making it an entertainment and multimedia powerhouse.

The gorgeous design extends beyond the all-in-one PC’s vibrant display. The combination of a slim, space-saving metallic silver color housing, “clutter-free” one-cord design, and wireless keyboard and mouse, ensures the XPS One 27 is a beautiful addition from any angle to any room.

On the inside, Dell packs 3rd Generation Intel Quad Core processors with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, balancing quad core processing with efficient power use – even while running multiple programs at once. With an optional mSATA SSD drive and Intel Smart Response Technology, and four USB 3.0 ports, the XPS One 27 delivers a noticeable speed boost on start-up, resume and data transfer.

Inspiron One 23 and Inspiron One 20: Big Value, Minimal Space
Featuring a simple, single cord set-up, the new space-saving Inspiron all-in-one computers make life easy and deliver powerful entertainment for the whole family. The latest Intel processors and optional powerful discrete graphics allow parents and kids to stay connected to each other and to enjoy the things they love, such as music, movies and casual gaming.

A result of direct customer feedback, the Inspiron One 23 now features a new sleek pedestal stand that supports a Full HD 1080p WLED 23-inch display. With an optional Blu-ray disc drive and optional internal TV tuner, as well as ample storage for music, movies and photos, the Inspiron One 23 is an attractive addition to the family living room.

The Inspiron One 20 delivers everyday connectivity and computing in a clean and simple design, making it a smart investment at a competitive price. The all-in-one PC provides a clutter-free work area with full desktop-equivalent performance, allowing customers to stay organized and efficient and keep up with family and friends.

“As part of the reimagining of our entire XPS and Inspiron portfolio, we are likewise reimagining our all-in-ones as stunning systems that are the centerpiece of any room. They deliver a captivating user experience that will inspire our customers to create their best work and consume all the content they love,” said Sam Burd, vice president and general manager of product development for Dell. “The XPS One 27, Inspiron One 23 and Inspiron One 20 deliver phenomenal value and offer our customers compelling choices that meet their unique needs.”

Pricing and Availability: The XPS One 27 (starting at $1,399), Inspiron One 23 (starting at $749) and Inspiron One 20 (starting at $529) all-in-one computers are available today in select countries in Asia and will be available in the United States and additional countries in the coming weeks.

Click for the full list of specs ...

Spend Memorial Day speccing out a new system

Subject: Systems | May 28, 2012 - 02:28 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: DIY, econobox, sweet spot, double stuff

The Tech Report have updated their Systems Guide just in time for the holiday in the US, so you should have plenty of time to peruse their recommendations today.  From an i3-2120 powered Econobox priced just under $600 to over $1500 Editor's Choice system with a GTX670, i5-3570K and Samsung 830 SSD there is a system for just about everyone.  Read straight through to the end for suggestions for monitors, keyboards and more.

You can contrast their picks with our own Hardware Leaderboard here.

"We've freshened up our system guide with new-and-improved builds featuring Ivy Bridge CPUs, 28-nm graphics processors, and cheaper-than-ever solid-state drives. Come and see what we've put together."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• Dell XPS 8500 Review @ TechReviewSource
• BitFenix Prodigy @ OC3D
• HP Z420 Workstation Review: Competition Heats Up @ AnandTech
• Eurocom Monster 1.0: Clevo's Little Monster @ AnandTech
• CKC - The Curtain Call @ OC3D
• Cyberpower PC Gamer Xtreme 2000 SE System Review @ Ninjalane
• V3 Gaming PC Avenger @ AnandTech
• Chillblast Fusion Vacuum @ XSReviews
• AlienWare X51 System @ Kitguru

HP to cut 27k jobs over 2 years. More depressing layoff news.

Subject: General Tech, Systems, Mobile | May 26, 2012 - 03:10 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: hp

ZDNet reports that HP will cut 27,000 jobs over the next two years which represents approximately 8 percent of their global staffing. The company claims that it will take those savings -- which are expected to be slightly over 3 billion dollars -- and re-invest them in research and development.

Yes that is right: 27k as in 27,000 jobs over two years.

CEO Meg Whitman made a statement that over the next couple of years HP will cut around eight percent of their workforce to refocus on research and development. They expect that with their projected cuts they will be able to recover $3-3.5 billion from wages to spend on their research into “cloud and big data” technologies.

Let us hope that they can keep their projected revenue even with the lessened workforce.

So many printers -- but none print money.

And let us just think about the announcement for another second. The expectation is to lay off all those employees over the course of two years to reduce the short-term morale dip.

So instead you have practically all of your employees dust off their resumes in case their Russian roulette chance is not an empty chamber?

Congratulations HP -- you now probably have a company full of paranoid personnel.

Once again the loss of jobs is under 10 percent and thus I hesitate to make any guesses about the health of HP as a company. My general rule of thumb is that you can very loosely tell how bad a company is off depending on how many employees they lay off percentage wise. Up to approximately 10 percent is tragic but somewhat standard restructuring for a larger company. Up to 30 percent is seriously hard times. Approximately 100 percent means the company is either attempting to reboot or get picked apart for liquidation.

Again, that is just my rule of thumb when I look at these stories.

Windows 8 Metro browser will have some Flash support

Subject: General Tech, Systems, Mobile | May 23, 2012 - 10:46 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: WOA, windows 8, flash

Microsoft has backed down, to some extent, from their “plug-in free; web standards only” position for the Metro-half of IE10. Some, but not all, Flash content will be able to play in the Metro browser. This change should be included in the Windows 8 Release Preview expected to be released in early June.

You may turn your back on Adobe but you’ll be back in a Flash.

Rafael Rivera has published a post on his Within Windows blog which he co-authored with Paul Thurrott about Flash integration with the Metro web browser. Until recently Microsoft was passionately against anything other than web standards in their Metro browser. Plugins are still not allowed in the application but that does not exclude Microsoft from embedding Flash into the browser directly.

I guess Silverlight is not popular enough…

(screenshot credit: Within Windows)

Adobe actively supports Microsoft’s efforts and has provided the source code to facilitate the integration into Metro Internet Explorer 10.

Security will rest somewhat on Microsoft’s ability to patch their software in time but will also be supported by a whitelist system. Flash for Internet Explorer 10 will only be supported on certain websites in certain ways. Unless your website is listed as requiring Flash for compatibility reasons then your website will not have access to the platform.

I am not really sure whether there is a cut or dry answer to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. The only thing I can say for certain is that Microsoft gives the impression that they had a strong and clear vision for Windows 8 and since completely abandoned their plan.

It follows the rumors of what happened to Vista: a bunch of years working on a secure memory management architecture that was scrapped at the last minute requiring over half of the OS to be rewritten in C++.

We all know how great that turned out.

VIA unveils the APC $49 Android PC

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling, Systems | May 22, 2012 - 05:22 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: VIA, htpc, APC

VIA tops Gingerbread with a banana for some reason. They also unveil a $49 system powered by Android 2.3 which has been customized for mouse and keyboard support. The system draws between 4 and 13.5 watts (idle and load respectively) and can be mounted into any standard Mini-ITX or microATX chassis as well as chassis for the new Neo-ITX standard.

I guess VIA wants to be more than just Android-in-law to HTC.

It seems as though the low powered computing market is continuing to be eaten by ARM with devices such as VIA’s just announced APC Android PC. The APC seems to be aimed at the home theatre and enthusiast markets. VIA also hopes that the low price point will introduce more people to computing.

Apparently VIA prefers bananas to Apples.

The APC is powered by an 800MHz VIA ARM11 system-on-a-chip with 512 MB of DDR3 RAM. 2GB of flash memory is embedded on the device which can be expanded by a microSD card slot. It may also be possible to install extra memory through one of the four USB2.0 ports on the device although that is not explicitly stated in the press release. Display output will be limited to 720p. Power usage will vary between 4 and 13.5 watts depending on load.

VIA is also promoting the device for its Neo-ITX form factor. The APC is 17cm x 8.5cm in dimensions -- which is just under 6 3/4” by 3 3/8” for you non-Metrics -- and can mount in Mini-ITX or microATX cases. It apparently is also smaller than a banana.

The APC is expected to ship this July for $49.

Microsoft will fix what their OEM partners break -- for $99

Subject: General Tech, Systems | May 17, 2012 - 03:13 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Microsoft Store, crapware

“Factory computers” have been loaded with demos and trials for several years now in an effort to subsidize part of the cost, get lower prices, and bloat your computer -- that last part is unintentional. Microsoft created their “Signature” lineup of PCs a couple of years ago to highlight products that only have software which Microsoft intended to install. Microsoft will soon offer a service to bring existing PCs to what Microsoft deems a Signature status for $99 if you can find a Microsoft store.

While our readers are affected by this story they are probably less so than just about any other blog.

If you did not acquire your computer by having it assembled -- and if you did, we hope you consulted our regularly updated Hardware Leaderboard -- you probably purchased it from an OEM. To make their product seem more appealing most OEMs load their products with product demos and other advertisements. This is particularly bad for PCs because they are not only annoying but also tend to bog the machine down.

What is it with Microsoft Stores and awkward $99 products lately?

(and yes I realize the image is inaccurate because I chose a non-consumer workstation)

Since Microsoft tends to get the brunt of the bad recognition when a Windows machine it comes to no surprise that they eventually attempted to encourage a more vanilla experience. The Microsoft “Signature” lineup of PCs were OEM-produced machines which have been removed of all software that should not come with Windows -- except maybe a few Windows Live Essentials products.

Microsoft will expand their Signature program to any PC if you can find a Microsoft Store and pay $99 to undo what their partners did.

It is unclear what specific goal Microsoft is hoping to accomplish with this program. Everyone’s first reaction would be that they are attempting to cash in at the expense of their users but that just does not make sense. They could be attempting to promote the Windows store but this certainly seems less like a carrot and more like a wet noodle. They could also be trying to pressure their OEMs by reducing the cost-per-impression they can acquire for each ad because of how easily it could be removed.

It would be most like Microsoft to honestly believe that this service will be appreciated by users. If that is true, I must disagree. ZDNet has already used this as an excuse to promote Apple computers -- which makes me headdesk because $99 is pocket change compared to that -- so I expect that if that was Microsoft’s intent it will backfire wholly.

What do you think Microsoft’s goal is: selfish vulching their consumers or something less devious?

Dream big with this tiny Ivy Bridge and Kepler powered mini-ITX system

Subject: Systems | May 14, 2012 - 06:19 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: SFF, CoolIT Eco II 140, EVGA GTX 670 SuperClocked, i7-3770k

Legit Reviews didn't let a fear of overheating prevent them from building a very powerful Ivy Bridge based SFF PC that is a lot more than just an HTPC.  While a system with an EVGA GTX 670 SuperClocked card in it can handle HTPC duties it will only really shine when you game on it.  Thanks to a CoolIT Eco II 140 Liquid Cooler for the CPU and a conveniently placed intake fan to cool the GPU they fit the entire system inside a Cubitek Mini ICE ITX case.  It might have ended up costing just over $2500 but this is one compact gaming beast that can hit P8649 on 3DMark11!

"Building a Small Form Factor Mini-ITX computer can be challenging, but it is worth the extra work as the end result can be amazing. We managed to stuff a ton of enthusiast grade hardware into a PC case that measures just 9.06" x 12.33" x 14.29" (WxHxD)! We still ran into a few minor issues here and there, but at the end of the day it all worked out and the system came out just how we wanted it to. Our dream mini-ITX system is ready for any task you want to throw at it!"

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• iBUYPOWER Erebus GT Review: Ivy Bridge and NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 in SLI @ AnandTech
• sus Essentio CM6870 Review @ TechReviewSource