While the Windows 8 developer preview (available following the BUILD 2011 conference) is meant for developers, it confirms one fact-- Microsoft designed the latest Windows update for tablet use.

That's before mentioning the 5000 BUILD attendees who got free Windows 8 Samsung tablets, in an obvious gesture against Apple.

Confirmation comes as soon as one loads the OS-- a Windows Phone-style "lock screen" greets the user, who has to drag an image upwards to reveal a login prompt. A clumsy gesture for mouse users, but natural for touch-based use.

Then there's the Metro UI, the tile-based system looking like Windows Phone for tablets (users can still switch to a "desktop" option providing the more familiar Start Menu).

Michael Dell still believes in the PC market, or so he tells The Financial Times-- with the company set to gain market share as HP goes through "restructuring".

However Dell has "little interest" in purchasing the HP PC business, out for sale since last month.

Dell tells the FT "...the devices and the hardware still matter as part of the complete, end-to-end solution."

The company is the 2nd largest PC vendor, with 12.9% global market share according to IDC-- with HP being the biggest, with 1 Continue reading...

AMD beats the "Highest Frequence of a Computer Processor" record and enters the Guinness World Records book by overclocking the upcoming Bulldozer-based 8-core AMD FX desktop processor.

The overclocked processor reaches speeds of 8.429GHz as it sits inside a helium-cooled rig, beating the previous record of 8.309GHz.

Holding an event for the Guinness officials, AMD also had more overclocked pre-release FX processors-- to around 5GHz using air and water-cooling, to 6GHz using phase-change technology Continue reading...

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) might have the means for the future's personal quantum computers-- via commercial microwave technology.

Their experiment involves manipulating the quantum properties of two separate ions (electrically charged atoms) via microwaves instead of the traditional laser beams, on desktop-scale equipment only around one-tenth of the size previously required.

One still needs low-power UV lasers to observe results, but these come in Continue reading...

Gartner reports Q2 2011 W. European PC shipments total 12.7M-- with a -18.9% Y-o-Y decline, down from Q2 2010 shipments totals of 15.6M.

Both consumer and professional sector suffer from weak demand as the market faces inventory issues, thanks to overstocking back in 2010.

Netbooks see a -53% Y-o-Y decrease in shipments as the entire mobile PC market declines by 20.4%, while desktop PC shipments decline by -15.4% Y-o-Y.

The above reflects the consumer PC market in general, whose Q2 2011 sees Continue reading...

Canalys reports that while the WW PC industry continues braving the current economic situation, Wintel PCs' market share falls to its lowest point in more than 20 years, to under 82%.

The WW PC market grows by 17% Y-o-Y in Q2 2011-- if one counts tablets, as well enterprise's refresh to Windows 7.

Apple leads in the tablet market, and now holds 13.6% of the overall WW PC market according to Canalys. Tablet-wise Acer, asus, HP, HTC, RIM and Samsung follow behind-- with Acer's Iconia Tab finding Continue reading...

MEC Solutions, a distributor and system builder in Zagreb, now builds its own desktop PC cases. MEC makes these desktop PC casings by hand, aiming for premium quality and high ecological standards.

We interviewed Aleksandar Savic, CEO of MEC Solutions, on his distinction of making cases 100% produced in Europe.

As a system builder, are you exporting the PC systems as well as the cases to Europe?

No, our systems are being sold only in Croatia for now. Because of export procedure and cost it is unaffordable for buyers outside Croatia to purchase our systems. However, we offer technical advisory for foreign buyers and "remote desktop software setup" (which is our value added in any case). For a fee, we recommend hardware parts and we setup entire software remotely. Once we join EU we will offer our systems to foreign markets.

Does the fact that you are building systems with your own cases give you any competitive advantage?

Of course it does! We have our unique identity. We have used several other PC casing brands (Lian-Li, Thermaltake, Silverstone) in the past but we found that the price is much higher and it is hard to find and purchase them in Croatia. This way, we have our product that we produce as needed and we keep visual identity structure.

Will Croatia joining the EU on 2013 help you in any way?

It most certainly will. Once Croatia joins EU we'll have less paperwork for export and more affordable shipment rates. Though current procedure isn't "too much work," there are lots of financial obstacles (VAT calculation, paperwork for special export/import taxes, etc). Another point of view is more secure payment environment and different possibilities for opening store credits to foreign buyers. Last but not least, once Croatia enters EU our products will not only be Croatian but also an EU products.

Yanko Design gazes into its peculiar crystal ball and predicts future portable PCs will not be thin and flat, but cylindrical. And thus, the Roll Me concept is born.

The Roll Me consists of a flexible, roll-able e-paper display and a cylindrical keyboard unit, around which the display wraps for storage. The keyboard itself is hollow, for both keeping the device cool and storage of a flexible solar panel charger powering the device when in use.

Will any OEM pick up Yanko's vision, should the technology Continue reading...