The evolution of the PC: A decade of design
Computers have gone through nothing short of a renaissance in the decade since Engadget was born. When we started in 2004, desktops still ruled the roost; laptops were frequently clunky; and tablets were niche devices for doctors.
That state of affairs didn’t last for long, though. Netbooks briefly took over the world, bringing tiny laptops to the masses. Ultrabooks proved that slim machines could still be powerful. And just about the entire PC market has had to confront the rise and domination of touchscreen-enabled mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. In short, it’s pretty remarkable how much of a difference 10 years can make in tech.
2004: Sony VAIO X505
Notable specs: 1.1GHz Pentium M processor, 20GB hard drive, 1.73-pound weight, 10.4-inch (1,024 x 768) display.
Sony didn’t realize it at the time, but it was laying the groundwork for the next decade of laptops with the VAIO X505. The 10-inch system was so featherlight and slender that it was easy to take anywhere, much like a netbook or Ultrabook. If it weren’t for the astronomical $2,999 price tag, it’s possible it could have started a mobile-computing revolution.
2005: IBM ThinkPad T43
Notable specs: 1.6GHz to 2.13GHz Pentium M processors, 30GB or larger hard drive, 6-pound weight, DVD drive, 14.1-inch (1,024 x 768 or 1,400 x 1,050) display.
The ThinkPad T43 was the swan song for an era of computing when laptops were mostly for globe-trotting professionals. One of the last PCs to bear the IBM name before Lenovo closed its acquisition of IBM’s PC business, it represented everything good about the ThinkPad badge: It was fast, well-built and relatively easy to carry in a briefcase.
2006: Dell XPS 700
Notable specs: Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme processors, dual 320GB hard drives, dual DVD drives, dual GeForce 7900 GTX graphics.
Dell had built up a reputation for high-performance PCs well before 2006, but the XPS 700 was the system to own that year if you wanted a gaming desktop from a major brand. Its aggressive design still holds up today, and it was often as powerful as custom-built rigs. It was a dream machine at a time when you still needed a giant tower for serious online gaming.
2007: ASUS Eee PC 701
Notable specs: 800MHz or 900MHz Celeron M processors, 2GB to 8GB solid-state drives, 2-pound weight, 7-inch (800 x 480) display.
The Eee PC 701 marked the official start of the netbook craze, which lasted until the iPad’s arrival in 2010. Its screen, speed and storage were very modest even when new, but it showed that you didn’t need a big, expensive portable just to check your email at the coffee shop.
2008: Apple MacBook Air
Notable specs: 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo processors, 80GB hard drive or 64GB solid-state drive, 3-pound weight, 13.3-inch (1,280 x 800) display.
The archetypal Ultrabook. While it wasn’t without its quirks, the MacBook Air successfully bridged the gap between ultraportables and full laptops. It was fast enough for most tasks, yet light enough that you’d hardly notice it in your bag.
2009: HP Firebird
Notable specs: 2.66GHz or 2.83GHz Core 2 Quad processors, dual 250GB or 320GB hard drives, DVD or Blu-ray drives, dual GeForce 9800S graphics.
While HP’s Firebird line wasn’t perfect by any stretch, it showed how efficient desktops had become. You could get a reasonably quick, ready-made gaming PC that both looked good and didn’t swallow up too much surface area. It’s arguably the prototype for the small-yet-strong Steam Machines that would follow five years later.
2010: Lenovo IdeaCentre A300
Notable specs: 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 500GB hard drive, 21.5-inch (1,920 x 1,080) display.
Although the iMac is virtually synonymous with all-in-one computers, Lenovo’s sleekly designed IdeaCentre A300 was proof that Apple didn’t have a complete lock on the category. Rather than glom the computer on to the A300′s back, Lenovo tucked it away in the base. The result was a relatively subtle, stylish desktop that looked right at home in just about any environment.
2011: Samsung Chromebook Series 5
Notable specs: 1.66GHz Atom processor, 16GB solid-state drive, 3.3-pound weight, 12.1-inch (1,280 x 800) display.
Unlike the other PCs here, the Chromebook Series 5′s real revolution was its software — with Chrome OS, both Google and Samsung were betting that you only needed a web browser for most of your day-to-day computing. That was optimistic on a slow, Atom-based machine circa 2011, but the Series 5 helped launch a wave of stripped-down, affordable laptops that could do a lot without relying on conventional apps.
2012: Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Notable specs: 2.3GHz or 2.6GHz Core i7 processors, 256GB to 768GB solid-state drives, 4.5-pound weight, 15.4-inch (2,880 x 1,800) display.
Apple’s 2012 MacBook Pro redesign was just an iterative upgrade in some ways, but it was also a bellwether for where laptop design would go. It wasn’t just that extra-sharp Retina display that turned heads; this was also one of the first high-end, full-size laptops to ditch optical discs and hard drives in the name of both an easier-to-carry body and faster, flash-based storage.
2013: Acer Aspire R7
Notable specs: 1.8GHz Core i5 processor, 500GB hybrid hard drive, 15.6-inch (1,920 x 1,080) adjustable display.
Windows 8′s touch-friendly interface prompted a flood of PCs that tried to be everything to everyone, and that’s epitomized in Acer’s one-of-a-kind Aspire R7. Depending on how you adjusted its multi-hinged display, the R7 could serve as a desktop, laptop or tablet. It wasn’t especially good at any of these, but it revealed how eager PC makers were to keep you from buying mobile tablets.
2014: Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Notable specs: Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, 64GB to 512GB solid-state drive, 12-inch (2,160 x 1,440) display.
If you want a system emblematic of the changes to PCs in the past 10 years, you only need to look at Microsoft’s latest flagship device, the Surface Pro 3. So long as you get its (practically mandatory) keyboard cover, it blurs the lines between tablet and laptop — it’s as useful for watching movies on the couch as it is for serious media editing at your desk.
Jon Turi contributed to this post.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
There can’t be only one: Technology’s singular obsession
Last week, Google announced the aptly named Android One, a plan to unite the myriad budget devices running its mobile operating system. But Sundar Pichai and crew aren’t alone in banking on the singular power of one. No, Google’s One is just one of many in the industry’s recent past. It turns out, everyone wants to be the one.
[Image: Getty]
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Laptops, Science, Internet, Software, Sony, Microsoft, HTC, Google, Acer
Could future Lumia handsets come with Canon lenses?
As smartphone imaging gets better, the market for point-and-shoot cameras has evaporated. Perhaps sensing this shift in the wind, Canon has signed a patent-licensing deal with Microsoft where both companies will have easy access to each other’s technological secrets. Dour-minded individuals may say that this is just some legal mutual arse-covering which is commonplace in these litigious times. That’s probably true, but wouldn’t it be great if we saw Canon’s imaging technology wind up in a future generation of PureView device? After all, the company does need some new expertise after its last expert defected to the other side.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Microsoft, Canon
Via: Pocket-lint
Source: Photography Blog
The forgotten losers of the console wars
History is written by the victors, but for all those generations of console wars we’ve managed to weather through, what about the other guys? Opening this week, a new games museum in southern Japan houses 56 different consoles of varying fame (or infamy). For every NES / Famicom, there’s curiosities like the huge “Pocket Home PC”, failing on the very definition of its name. Remember the Sega Game 1000? We didn’t, but we should probably cut these (mostly) beige consoles some slack. While most of the devices toured here weren’t a commercial success, each helped gently push gaming towards its current state — if only by firmly demonstrating what we didn’t want. And yeah, we wish the Dreamcast was still around too. Here’s to the games consoles we’ve loved and lost over the last 40 years.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Apple, Sony, Microsoft, Nokia, Nintendo
Volunteer to test a tablet-friendly version of Office for Android
Well looks like a version of Microsoft’s Office specifically tailored for Android tablets is on the way. While we still wait for a touch-friendly version of the productivity suite for Windows, word on the street is users will soon be able to beta test a build for Google’s tablet OS. According to the Verge’s sources both companies and individuals should be able to sign up for access to pre-release versions of Office soon. Obviously we’re still waiting for a lot of details, but it’s expected that a finger-friendly interface (similar to that found on the iPad) is going to hit Android later this year. But Windows will have to wait until early 2015. While it’s slightly surprising to see Microsoft’s bread and butter productivity hit a competitors OS first, it highlights Satya Nadella’s decision to build Redmond’s future on the cloud and cross-platform accessibility. Rather than focusing solely on Windows.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft asks gamers to help shape future Xbox One updates
With the amount of updates that Microsoft is pushing out for the Xbox One (and its controller), it makes sense that Redmond would want to give those in the preview program a better way of testing new features before the general public. The update, as spotted by NeoGAF‘s unblinking eyes, allows for different ways of providing feedback for each new bit of functionality, be it a survey, a star rating or a single-question poll — all without putting down your controller. Perhaps most interesting is the quest system, which at the moment gamifies test-driving tweaks to the console’s live-TV viewing setup and achievement snapping. Apparently, the feedback you give will serve some greater purpose in the future — all of your stats are tracked, naturally — but it’s anyone’s guess what that means in the present. There’s an option to invite friends too, so should you be one of the select few in this program, maybe spread the love a little so you and your Titanfall crew can solve this quandry together?
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: NeoGAF
Microsoft is testing a fix for Windows 8.1 upgrade woes
There are many Windows 8 and RT users who want to upgrade to Windows 8.1 and RT 8.1, but can’t; a glitch has kept a seemingly random batch of PCs from installing this latest revision through the Windows Store. Thankfully, relief is in sight. Microsoft tells SuperSite for Windows that it’s testing a patch which automatically upgrades these stubborn computers to their respective 8.1 releases. If you’re eligible, you only need to check Windows Update (not the Store) to get the ball rolling. Windows RT users, at least, can also download the solution if they’re impatient. Microsoft isn’t saying if and when the fix will spread worldwide, but it likely can’t come soon enough if you’re stuck with outdated software.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: SuperSite for Windows, Microsoft Support
Microsoft’s new encryption makes it tougher to spy on your email
Microsoft said last year that it was tightening security to fend off the NSA and others who would scoop up your data, and today it fulfilled that promise with moves that should improve real-world security. The company now encrypts both incoming and outgoing Outlook.com email when it’s in transit. So long as the other end also supports this encryption (Gmail and other big names do), snoops can’t easily intercept messages in mid-flight. Microsoft is also implementing Perfect Forward Secrecy in both Outlook.com and OneDrive, which gives each connection a unique security key — even if people do crack a code, they won’t have a complete picture of your email or cloud storage.
Alongside the improved protection, Microsoft is also eager to show governments that it’s not creating back doors for spies. The developer has opened a Transparency Center at its Redmond headquarters that will let officials look at source code and otherwise verify that Microsoft isn’t purposefully including vulnerabilities. The tech giant would rather not worry about spying in the first place, but its new Center may prevent some of the company’s bigger customers (and their cash) from jumping ship.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft on the Issues
Barclays brings Pingit phone number payments to Windows Phone
Windows Phone users often have to resign themselves to getting apps months, if not years after their iOS- and Android-toting counterparts. That’s especially the case for Barclays’ Pingit app, which after more than two years has finally made its way to Microsoft’s mobile platform. If you’re not familiar, Pingit allows users to send money using only a recipient’s phone number regardless of who either bank with. Banking customers have been able to check their balance and pay bills using Barclays’ mobile banking app, but with new initiatives like Paym aiming to streamline mobile payments, Pingit could enjoy great momentum as a result. Despite being late to the party, Barclays’ new app is still likely to enjoy some early-mover advantage, as only a handful of other banks have dedicated Windows Phone apps.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: V3
Windows 9 will morph to fit the device it’s running on
Still holding onto your trusty copy of Windows 7 with a steely kung-fu grip? Well partner, it looks like Microsoft’s next operating system, codenamed “Threshold,” or, Windows 9 in the common tongue, is aimed right at you. The OS will apparently ship in three different flavors (desktop, tablet and mobile) and recognize the hardware its running on and adjust the experience accordingly, as ZDNet‘s Windows-leak queen Mary Jo Foley writes. Meaning, if you’re on a traditional desktop or laptop using a mouse and keyboard, Threshold will boot directly into the Windows desktop you know and love. The Live-tiled Start screen may return for people using touch-based machines like tablets and convertible laptops, although there will supposedly be an option to switch between the two environments if Threshold detects an attached keyboard. What’s more, Foley’s sources also say that if you’re itching to get your hands on the new OS ahead of its reported launch next spring, there’ll be a public preview version this autumn.
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: ZDNet
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