Recently in Computer Hardware Category

The Miami-based Macintosh clone maker that was sued by Apple has retained a law firm that has beaten Apple in the past, court documents show.

Apple has charged Psystar with multiple counts of violating copyright, trademark, breach-of-contract and unfair-competition laws by installing Mac OS X 10.5 on Intel-based computers that it has sold since April.

According to the lawsuit, Psystar violated the Mac OS X end-user licensing agreement (EULA) when it installed Leopard on its OpenComputer desktops and OpenServ servers, both which can be ordered from the company with Apple's operating system onboard.

Now I want to know who bought these clones from Psystar in the first place?

Much more at Computerworld.

Is Windows really that bad, you may ask?

Well, Apple Watch asked that very same question and came up with some very interesting statistics.

Last weekend, they got to wondering about Mac versus Windows PC pricing after seeing two HP notebooks on sale at the local Target. One of them, a 14-inch model, the HP DV2946NR (pictured at left), sold for $699.99 and packed 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. Capacity for both features is twice that of the $1,299 MacBook -- and shared graphics is 356MB compared with a meager 144MB for the MacBook.

I wondered: If Vista notebooks are selling for so little and packing so much, how does this compare with Mac desktops and notebooks? 

You must read more and come to your own conclusion!

Lenovo today announced it is entering the "netbook" PC market with the new IdeaPad S10 netbook PC.

Lenovo designed the super-slim, super-small IdeaPad S10 to complement a customer's primary PC or as a first-time, introductory PC purchase.

The IdeaPad S10 allows users to perform simple activities such as surf the Internet, check and write emails, listen to music and run basic applications. Lenovo also plans to introduce netbook models designed specifically for students and educators. Now is this too simple an appliance like the computer in every kitchen from a few years back?

Approximately one-inch thin with models weighing just over two pounds, the IdeaPad S10 netbook typifies thin and light design.

Maybe too light? And in this day and age, pricing is even more important than ever.

MSRP: Starting at $399 (available in early October).

Ever since Amazon launched the Kindle last November, TechCrunch has been wondering about just how successful it's been. (Me, too!)

The electronic book initially sold out and supplies have been tight. The Kindle is such a small part of Amazon's overall business that the company does not break out how many it's sold. But we found out anyway: 240,000 Kindles have been shipped since November, according to a source close to Amazon with direct knowledge of the numbers.

Not bad, but could we make the price even more attractive to really rocket sales.

Here's how the numbers look.

Printing CD and DVD labels can be a chore. It often requires special labels and only certain printers can accept CD/DVD labels. Certainly burning CDs and DVDs has become more popular so users are looking for quick, easy, and fun ways to label and decorate their CD/DVD collections. I have an Epson printer at home that doesn't print the size labels I need, so I resort to using a black Sharpie pen and hand scribbling on the CD or DVD. And when I had "scribbling" I mean scribbling! I have the worst handwriting. One other problem with the various label stickers you can run though a printer, is you have to align them perfectly, they look cheap and they can gum up CD drives if the label starts to bubble or fray. Further, sticky labels are quick to print, but they take forever to peel off, and stick on (even with a stomper), and would often jam in the disc drive.

Well, to the DVD/CD labelling rescue comes the Dymo DiscPainter, a pint-sized printer that you simply stick in your CD or DVD media into the drive, use their software to add graphics & text, hit print, and the DiscPainter spins the DVD/CD as it prints. It's pretty cool how it prints in a circular fashion starting from the inner ring outward. I found myself staring at the spinning media through the clear windows as it was being printed just to watch the image grow outwards. I guess I'm easily amused. As it spins it prints an amazingly good 600dpi, a pretty decent resolution.

Below is a shot of the printer sitting on my desktop PC with two printed CDs. The one in the printer is one of my with my daughter Megan and the other is a promotional photo of the new Toy Story Mania! Disney World attraction. Now when you do go to Disney World and take some home videos you can burn the video to a DVD and have a pretty graphic printed on top - perhaps using one of the photos from the vacation trip itself.


The Discus for DYMO software was very easy to use. Adding graphics and text was a snap. Here's a sample of me adding the Dark Knight poster image:

The software gives you fine control over the image, including the size, the rotation, and even the opacity. Essentially, you can also control the "opacity" of the image so that it fades into the background with the text more prominent. You can also draw freehand, add shapes, and more.

Here's another sample showing the Toy Story Mania image:

The software lets you set the print quality (draft, normal, best) and the ink density (matte1 - matte5, glossy 6 & 7, and color 8 and color 9). Dymo's DiscPainter CD/DVD software makes printing fun and easy. The DiscPainter includes a USB 2.0 cable, AC power supply, three inkjet printable discs, and a full-color ink cartridge.


Currently, the DiscPainter resolution is around 600dpi, and not 1200dpi as some reviews have reported. DYMO told me they are working on updated drivers and firmware so that the 'Best' print quality is even more crisp and clear. That will be available for people who want it probably by the end of summer (probably as a download online)


Dymo states that the DiscPainter's ink cartridge is good for about 100-CDs. A full cartridge is included in the box, and spares are priced at $39.95 or basically $0.39 cents per print. Perhaps a wee-bit on the high side for ink, but it's fair price to pay for have the coolest looking DVD/CD collection on the block! Just three printable CD-Rs are included (no DVD+R or DVD-RW) with the DiscPainter to get you started -- but you can buy more inkjet-printable media online. Surprisingly printable discs aren't that much more expensive than non-printable discs.


Pros:

• Small footprint and no accessories or trays to keep track of
• Easy to use software
• Very quiet
• Fast print speeds 1-2 ,minutes per CD/DVD
• Ink dries quickly (some printers require 24 hour long drying times.)

Cons:

• It's only a 4 color system not 6
• Single cartridge system even for black, the most common color used. So if black runs out you throw out the entire cartridge.
• Bit pricey - $279 retail. Though it has come down in price. Amazon has it listed for $247

Conclusion
Overall, I was very impressed with the Dymo DiscPainter. I liked its speed, easy-to-use software, and its small footprint - easily fitting on top of any computer. Users looking for near-professional looking CDs and DVDs will enjoy the results of this printer. Several online retails carry the Dymo DiscPainter, including Amazon, which currently lists the DiscPainter for $249.88

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Finally it seems like somebody in the PC business besides Apple has grabbed the idea that style matters -- the message is in the medium, so to speak ...

Dell's smallest, most personalized and most environmentally responsible consumer PC, the Studio Hybrid, launched today; that's it in the photo at left.

Available immediately at www.dell.com/hybrid, the PC's new unique shape and size can be personalized with six optional, external jewel-toned color or bamboo sleeves.

Dell also unveiled two new Inspiron PCs, including the Inspiron 13, a sleek and stylish sub $800 13-inch laptop perfect for students heading back to school, available starting next week at Wal-Mart. (So much for that much ballyhooed direct model.)

The Inspiron 518 desktop, available immediately at www.dell.com, is designed for everyday family multi-media activities, like catching up on favorite TV shows via the Internet, playing online games and storing and accessing music playlists and digital images. 

See what else is new here by checking out the Dell press release.

 It's a sad day when Hewlett-Packard decides to merge its Voodoo PC business unit with its consumer business.

This were the ultimate gamer PCs from a one time stand-alone company that put a unique business model into play -- high-end performance, outrageous design and high-end prices. I mean, take a look at that box above!

Now, Voodoo's laptops and desktops will be sold alongside HP's consumer Compaq Presario and Pavilion PC lines -- sort of the opposite of the Voodoo model.  It is just the next step of integration into the business units that deliver Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion, said the company. 

PCWorld has more.

With Sony announcing today that its Reader Digital Book will be able to read electronic books published using the .epub format -- the same that many of the largest book publishers are using -- ring in a new age for e-books?

Until now, Sony's e-book reader could only read books available from the Sony e-book store, PDF documents and digital rights management (DRM)-free text.

Starting next month, the new PRS-505 Sony Reader will be able to access secure DRM- and non-DRM-protected content in the .epub format, formerly called the Open eBook format.

The Sony Reader Digital Book is the first e-book reading device to support the .epub format, which is the XML-based standard format proposed by the International Digital Publishing Forum. It allows publishers to convert books to different formats, protect the copy using DRM and adds the ability to resize PDF e-books and other text to better fit the reader's screen size.

Such publishers as Harper Collins, Random House, Simon & Schuster and Penguin are offering texts in the .epub format.

CNet has more on this development here.

News that I'd rather not think about, but have to, is the new upsurge in malware written specifically for Apple users. 

Still a drop in the bucket compared to Windows vulnerabilities, but Mac nastyware is on the rise.

Two new Mac-ware Trojans that emerged in February and June ought to shake Mac users of their misconceptions that their computers (and, eventually, iPods and iPhones) are impenetrable.

To put this in perspective, the first really pernicious piece of Mac malware emerged only in October 2007, suggesting that a worrisome trend is about to get worse. 

Read more of this sad development here at TimesOnline (UK).

Sick and tired of getting a new PC and discovering all of the free trial software and other stuff you don't need, didn't ask for and now have clogging up valuable drive space on your new baby?

Well, looks like Sony has taken the noble step of making it possible to configure your own PC (like the VAIO notebook) without any of that extra stuff included. And they do it for free.

Like the concept? Then read more about it here.