ATI has turned heads with the sheer value of its mid-range Radeon HD 6850 (previous page) but, for prestige in the graphics arena, the high end is where real scores are settled. ATI has let its rival nVidia snatch the best terrain with the sizzling GTX 580 (page 144). This is a slightly pared-down version. [...]
Recently, the GTX 460 (tinyurl.com/3835b3q) has been very much in that bracket. Last month, ATI unveiled its worthy response: this mid-range HD 6850 and the Gold Award-winning 6870 reviewed last issue (tinyurl.com/2frLghy). But when the cards went on sale, a small price rise on the 6870 and a significant price drop on the GTX 460 [...]
The HP EliteBook 8540w is cut from almost the same cloth as the 8440p (tinyurl.com/2wv47s9), but its screen is larger at 15in. Like the earlier HP, the 8540w has an especially tough chassis, designed to withstand the rigours of professional and industrial work. Its near-3kg weight may discourage daily commuting, though. Reassuringly stiff hinges support [...]
While netbooks were on the up last year, and Windows laptop makers were duking it out to sell more than rivals, Apple conspicuously stayed out of the melee. CEO Steve Jobs said Apple didn’t know how to make a netbook for $500. Now, with the release of a scaled-down 11in-screen MacBook Air, Apple really does [...]
The ViewPad 7 is an Android 2.2 tablet PC from a company best known for its screens. It’s a largely successful and likable device that’s more like a Filofax than a tablet. Wrapped in a smart, slip-resistant folio case secured with an elastic strap, the ViewPad accompanied us on several commutes, and we barely noticed [...]
PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful. “Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end [...]
We’d love to see a colour-screen e-book reader become a success. To do so, it needs to offer the subtle detail of an E-Ink display, be light on batteries and refresh pages fairly briskly. It’s a tall order, but the 7in-screen Cybook Orizon sounds promising. It has an 840×480-pixel display, supports 720p video playback and [...]
Rather than the strident wah-wah-wah of an alarm-clock buzzer, there are times when it would be lovely to be gently roused from your slumber and eased into the day. The Pure Twilight DAB does exactly this. It gradually begins to light up the room, increasing in intensity until you’re awake. It takes a bit of [...]
Medion’s Akoya E6215, is a 15.6in laptop that runs Windows 7 Home Premium using an Intel Pentium P6000 processor and 4GB of memory. It has a 320GB hard drive, which offers plenty of space for photos, video clips and any music you download, while its built-in speakers promise great audio fidelity. There’s also a1.3Mp webcam [...]
Looking for all the world like an oversized touchscreen smartphone, the Cowon X7 is a 120GB portable media player with a 4.3in (480×272 pixels) widescreen display that’s large enough to read books. The fully featured device boasts video playback and can play 10 hours of video before needing a recharge. Cowon claims 103 hours of [...]
