Windows 8 Gets Off To a Slow Start, According to The NPD Group

The consumer Windows PC and tablet market didn't get the boost it needed from the launch of Microsoft's Windows 8 in the U.S. Since the Windows 8 launch on October 26, Windows device sales have fallen 21 percent versus the same period last year, according to leading market research company The NPD Group's Weekly Tracking Service. Notebooks, which have been weak throughout most of 2012, saw that trend continue as they fell 24 percent. Desktop sales have fared better this year, dropping just 9 percent.

"After just four weeks on the market, it's still early to place blame on Windows 8 for the ongoing weakness in the PC market," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "We still have the whole holiday selling season ahead of us, but clearly Windows 8 did not prove to be the impetus for a sales turnaround some had hoped for."

Windows Blue, OS Microsoft Versi Murah?

Washington - Windows 8 baru tiba Oktober silam. Sistem operasi (OS) terbaru Microsoft ini pun masih hangat dibicarakan. Namun Microsoft sudah ancang-ancang akan merilis generasi terbaru Windows.

OS dengan nama kode Windows Blue ini, menurut sumber internal yang tidak disebutkan namanya, disiapkan untuk menjadi Windows versi murah. Tujuannya tentu saja agar OS ini menggaet lebih banyak pengguna.

Dilansir TechRadar, Kamis (29/11/2012), Microsoft tampaknya secara perlahan berupaya mengikis citra OS propietary yang terkesan mahal. Raksasa software ini bahkan berencana menawarkan upgrade gratis bagi pengguna OS ini.

Laptop Hybrid Lenovo Unjuk Gigi di Jakarta

Jakarta - Satu per satu produsen komputer memamerkan laptop hybrid mereka. Setelah disalip Samsung, kini giliran Lenovo yang coba unjuk gigi dengan laptop hybrid Yoga.

Booming komputer jinjing yang bisa juga dipakai sebagai tablet tampaknya semakin dekat. Hal ini ditandai dengan bermunculannya produk jenis tersebut dari berbagai vendor. Sebut saja Asus, Sony, Dell, HP, Samsung dan kini Lenovo.

Seperti para pesaingnya, produk Lenovo ini dikatakan sebagai ultrabook namun dengan layar sentuh. Uniknya lagi, layar Yoga bisa ditekuk hingga 360 derajat. Dalam modus ini pengguna bisa memakainya seperti tablet PC.

MultiTouch Announces First Fully Integrated 42", 55" Windows 8 Interactive Displays

MultiTouch Ltd has announced the launch of 42" and 55" MultiTaction Cell multitouch displays, fully integrated with Windows 8. The new MultiTaction Cell 42" (MT420W8) and 55" (MT550W8) with Embedded Windows 8 on Intel Core i7 are the first large-format displays available with a built-in touch user interface –and the first to support simultaneous use of unlimited touch with hands, the new Windows 8 native pen tracking and real life object interaction.

The addition of Windows 8 makes MultiTaction an even better proposition for clients seeking large integrated Windows 8 devices particularly suitable for use in public spaces. The new MultiTaction Cell displays allow clients to use applications from the Windows 8 store, with both 42" and 55" models running applications compatible across smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 Starts Selling

Ahead of its December launch, Lenovo started taking orders for the IdeaPad Yoga 11, designed for those who do find the IdeaPad Yoga 13 two inches too big for lugging around, given that it's a convertible tablet. The IdeaPad Yoga 11 is driven by Windows RT, NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor clocked at 1.50 GHz. It is available in 32 GB and 64 GB variants (which include installed software), priced at $679.20 and $759.20, respectively.

ASUS Introduces the ASUSPRO Series BU400 Ultrabook

The ASUSPRO Series expands with one of the first business-specific Ultrabooks on the market. The ASUSPRO Series BU400 Ultrabook delivers a slim, light, and elegant product that weighs just 1.64 kg, packed with durability-enhancing capabilities, including carbon reinforced construction. It adds productivity-boosting highlights such as optional NVIDIA NVS 5200M business graphics, and passes demanding ASUS quality assurance testing, with anti-shock hard drives to protect data from harm. 

User comfort is addressed by the responsive keyboard and smart touchpad, plus an optional touchscreen is available (BU400A SKU, available January 2013). The BU400 incorporates extensive security and management features such as self-encrypting storage, TPM, and Intel Anti-Theft technology, giving customers the best of pro-grade notebook power and usability alongside the advantages of the new Ultrabook device class.

GeForce GT 730M and Radeon HD 8550M Surface in the Wild

This winter shopping season, notebook vendors will go to any extant to sell their goods, even if it means rebranding components to spruce up specifications sheets. EU-based SkinFlint.comaggregated the price of 15.6-inch Acer NX.M6AEG.003 notebook, which features "NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M" graphics, while another notebook, the ASUS VivoBook U38DT-R3001H features "Radeon HD 8550M" graphics. The two are being sold by reputed retailers such as ComTech and Amazon.de.

Sharp Unveils 32-inch IGZO 4K Professional Monitor

Sharp unveiled the much awaited proof of pudding for the IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) LCD panel technology. IGZO acts as a superior substrate material to amorphous silicon, thanks to higher electron mobility, and lets you achieve either higher pixel density, or faster response times. Sharp chose the former, and launched the PN-K321. This 32-inch professional desktop/workstation monitor packs a native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. To draw those many pixels from its source, it relies on DisplayPort, although HDMI is also available. It is priced at the equivalent of US $5,500, and could be unveiled stateside at CES 2013 (January).

Surface 'Gratisan' Microsoft: Silakan Pakai, Jangan Dibawa Pulang

Washington - September silam, publik cukup dibuat iri dengan pengumuman Microsoft yang menggratiskan Surface untuk 90 ribu karyawannya. Siapa yang tidak menolak diberi tablet yang sedang hangat diperbincangkan.

Tak hanya tablet, work PC berbasis Windows 8 dan perangkat Windows Phone 8 pun turut dibagikan. Hal tersebut diumumkan sang CEO Steve Ballmer di tengah meeting perusahaan yang digelar di Seattle, AS.

Desember tahun ini, seperti dilansir Softpedia, Rabu (28/11/2012), masing-masing karyawan dijadwalkan sudah menerima tablet dan ponselnya. Sayangnya, kegembiraan ini sedikit tercederai. Kabarnya, karyawan tidak diperkenankan menggunakan semua perangkat itu di luar kantor.