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Intel Cuts AMD To Its (Dual) Core
Computers | Jul 31, 06
Prior to Intel's Core 2 Duo launch, the chipmaker dropped prices for many of its processors, an understandable move as the market got wind of a new and superior technology in the offing (see "Buy One Core, Get Another Half Off..."). Inevitably, the one-two punch of discounts on existing products and the anticipation of more advanced processors put significant pressure on Intel competitor AMD. Now, in the wake of the Core 2 Duo's actual launch, AMD has sharply cut prices across its Athlon 64 X2 line, and we're even seeing price drops for advanced FX processors.
The X2 cuts are nicely illustrated by this week's violent drop in the PriceSCAN.com Athlon 64 X2 Processor Index, which fell 25% last week. More downside action may be in the offing, as wholesale cuts said to be up to 55%, pass through to the market. In addition, in recent weeks even the FX line has seen markdowns. Consider the Athlon 64 FX 60 Dual Core, whose lowest vendor price on PriceSCAN has dropped by some 20% since the beginning of the summer (see below).
Time Period: 2/6/2006 through 7/24/2006
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
More impressively, this site's lowest price on the recently released, top of the line Athlon 64 FX 62 Dual Core just dropped from slightly over a grand last week to under $860 today.
Blog buzz on the Core 2 Duo's benchmark performance against comparable Athlons is very strong, and it appears AMD is trying to hang on to its hard-won market share by slashing prices. Coming weeks should tell us what premium today's market places on performance.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 7:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Zune Is Real, Apple Worries Microsoft, Man Bites Dog
Electronics | Jul 24, 06
Microsoft once pointed to Apple as proof that it wasn't a monopolist, thereby providing the oft-tense tech world with a bit of comic relief. Lately, however, this whole iTunes thing seems to have gotten out of hand – heck, some people are even said to be buying Macs to go along with their iPods. Further, those visually pleasing machines can now run Windows and (yikes) Linux – see "Linux And Tiger And Leopard – Oh My!" So now Gates & Co. have decided to do something about all those pesky white earbuds, finally acknowledging the existence of the Zune music and video player.
Not many details yet, but, in Billboard and the Wall Street Journal, Redmond confirms that the Zune will feature a hard drive and Wi-Fi. No mention of Bluetooth or the Xbox-related game angle featured in early rumors ("J Allard And The Argonauts", "Zune Loons"). Perhaps the policy of engendering "FUD" (fear, uncertainty and doubt) that Microsoft has often been accused of does not extend to the makers of the PSP and Game Boy.
Or does it?
Cue "Toccata and Fugue" and Vincent Price's evil laugh.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Panasonic Puts "p" In 1080p Plasma
Electronics | Jul 19, 06
While Sony and other manufacturers have of late walked away from plasma in favor of LCD and various DLP-like technologies, Panasonic has reaffirmed its commitment to these visually stunning but pricey panels. The latest evidence of this is the Elite 50'' PRO-FHD1, said to have just begun shipping. With over two million pixels (1920 x 1080) it offers full 1080p HDTV on a 50'' screen, at a suggested retail price of $10,000.
The long-term viability of plasma may well depend on the ability of manufacturers to produce larger sets at more consumer-friendly prices, as has been done for DLP and LCD (though in the case of the later rarely above this size). Panasonic's new model, though not cheap, is a step in the right direction, and its higher 1080p resolution, also rare in larger plasmas, could prove compelling if Blue-ray and/or HD-DVD actually catches on.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 8:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Zune Loons
Electronics | Jul 18, 06
Rumors keep flying regarding Microsoft's new "iPod killer", including talk of a new name: "Project Zune" Perhaps Gates & Co. felt the previous code-name, "Argo", was too vulnerable to mythological mockery ("J Allard And The Argonauts"). I understand billionaire monopolists can be very sensitive to classical Greek lit-inspired parody, seeing as how they tend to view Zeus as a role model.
Be that as it may, the new buzz includes whispers that 1) the Bluetooth-enabled Xbox-related game player functionality may be only a figment of Sony and Nintendo's nightmares, 2) there will be WiFi functionality 3) the unit will feature XM and/or Sirius satellite radio capability 4) 30 GB & 60 GB hard drives may be included 5) it will run Windows Mobile on a 400 Mhz processor 6) it will sell for around four hundred bucks, and my own personal favorite 7) the entire project does not exist.
Oh, and if it does exist, it has a control wheel and a real big screen...
Anyway, the Zune may or may not be available this holiday season with some, all or none of the features mentioned above. And if it's on the kind of development track that the new version of Windows is following, the Zune should be released around the time children not yet born see white earbuds removed from a time capsule.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 7:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Nintendo Gives Kids Extra Time To Whine For Gift Of Holiday Wii
Video Games | Jul 13, 06
Nintendo has already announced its intention to undercut Sony and Microsoft on price when it releases its Wii game console, and its new machine has significant technical advantages over the Xbox 360 and the forthcoming PS3. But apparently price advantage (see "Nintendo Undercuts PS3 and Xbox, And Continues Pop Culture's War On Spelling" and "Sony PS3 Priced Within Reach Of Many Home Equity Borrowers") and technological superiority ("But Its Got Blue-ray – What More Do You People Want From Us?") aren't enough. Nintendo has apparently concluded it would be a competitive advantage to have Wii actually available for sale when the PS3 is not.
To that end, rumor has it Wii (pronounced "we", or perhaps "wheeeee!") is said to be slated for release in the early fall of this year, well in advance of the holiday season and the PS3's scheduled November launch. So the question is: will having "shock" force feedback when PS3 does not, a price $150-$350 below that of the PS3 and availability for purchase one to two months ahead of Sony's device give Nintendo an edge? Maybe not – of course, that would require the revocation of even the most basic laws of economics.
Of course, PS3's Blu-ray technology may prove sufficiently dazzling to overcome other technological shortcomings, and justify the high price and wait. But if not, Sony may need to adjust its strategy lest it find the PS3 playing Walkman to Wii's iPod. Further, Nintendo's move can only put increased pressure on Microsoft – watch for a response in Xbox console and game pricing as the holidays approach. Hey, at least it gives them something to think about besides that pesky Vista project.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 9:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
J Allard And The Argonauts
Electronics | Jul 12, 06
Microsoft's hopes for an iPod killer currently take the form of a media player code-named Argo, and if rumors floating about the blogosphere are true, it will have some features that could cause headaches from Cupertino to Tokyo.
Unlike iPods, the new player is said to be Wi-Fi enabled, allowing wireless networking and content downloads, as well as interaction with other players. This last point is significant because it should also allow Argo to compete with the Sony PSP and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Indeed, J Allard's xBox group is developing Argo, and the project is said to be focused on more than just music. For example, an oversized display should further enhance the device's game playing functionality, and of course a big display would also be advantageous for viewing video content. Look for tight integration with Microsoft's Vista-borne Urge music service, developed with MTV.
The Argo is still a gleam in Microsoft's eye, but the firm is said to be planning a launch in time for the holiday season. Time will tell if this device really has the specs (and pricing) to make consumers remove their little white earbuds and take notice.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 6:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Linux And Tiger And Leopard – Oh My!
Computers | Jul 11, 06
So bloggers are having a field day with the news that Apple will soon release Leopard, its latest operating system. That makes four Mac OS launches since the 2001 introduction of Microsoft's Windows XP. Meanwhile, Redmond's release of Vista (or Longhorn, for those who remember the early days of its long, torturous development) is now expected in early 2007.
To be sure, making an operating system ensuring back-compatibility with the software and hardware of the majority of computers on Earth is a tad more challenging then accommodating the needs of a 4% market niche for which you manufacture the platform. But as I noted earlier in "Why Schizophrenia On The Mac Is A Good Thing", the new Intel-based Macs are allowing the running of Windows via Apple's BootStrap, and Windows or Linux with the virtualization software of Parallels Desktop (which requires no reboot, unlike BootStrap). So Apple's buyers should be able to avail themselves of any of these operating systems and whatever features they sport, presumably including Leopard's rumored cool new multimedia and search offerings.
Now the Mercury News quotes a Piper Jaffray analyst as saying that Microsoft viewed BootCamp's introduction as simply meaning there are now more computers to sell Windows on. True, but BootCamp gives current Windows/PC users the option of buying a machine that lets them run their old software while introducing them to Mac OS's elegance and advanced features. Parallels Desktop does the same, and allows access to Linux stability as well. Add to this the introduction of web-based apps from Google and others, and some users may discover its Windows they can live without. Microsoft's dominance is of course still its to lose. But it needs Vista to come out soon, and, when it does, the Beast of Redmond had better bring it.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 6:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What Price DVI?
Computers | Jul 10, 06
Last week I told you about a cheap way to loose yourself in cyberspace. Yet the monitor in question lacked a DVI connection, quite possibly damping your high-definition euphoria.
Now it's often difficult to determine the market price for a specific feature of a tech product. Since different products generally differ from each other by more than one factor, simple subtraction fails to value any one characteristic. But here's an interesting exception. Thomas Salvey here at PriceSCAN.com points out that ViewSonic's 19 inch VA1912wb Widescreen Black LCD monitor has features very similar to the 19 inch Acer AL1916W featured in our previous blog entry ("Spending More Time In Front Of Your Computer Now Cheaper, Easier On Eyes") including 300cd/m2 brightness and a 500:1 contrast ratio. The key difference is that the ViewSonic has both HD15 and DVI connections, while the Acer only allows HD15. ViewSonic's model is going for as little as just under $200, about a $15 premium to the Acer and about 33% less than its price at the end of last year.
Time Period: 12/12/2005 through 7/3/2006
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
Now no comparison is prefect, and indeed, the ViewSonic also sports a slightly higher native resolution of 1440 x 900 versus 1400 x 900, so some of those extra dollars may buy a few extra pixels. But I doubt either the slightly higher resolution or the difference in manufacturers accounts for much of the price spread. If you're willing to spring for an extra fifteen bucks, you'll get a name-brand monitor with a bit more resolution and more connection flexibility.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 4:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Spending More Time In Front Of Your Computer Now Cheaper, Easier On Eyes
Computers | Jul 6, 06
Hey, why go outside or hang out with friends and loved ones when you could be peering into the soulless, synthetic glow of a monitor? But where to find an inexpensive, quality liquid crystal display in which to loose yourself in a pixelated miasma of spreadsheets and Everquest? At PriceSCAN.com, we’re here to help.
Check out the 19 inch Acer AL1916W. Right now, high-rated merchants on our site are offering the model for less than $185, a remarkable price considering that in March it was going for more than $250.
Time Period: 3/13/2006 through 7/3/2006
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
This monitor should provide a crisp, brilliant image, given its native resolution of 1400 x 900, 300cd/m2 brightness and a 500:1 contrast ratio. The AL1916W features HD15 video connectors and a response time of 8 milliseconds, which still represents a greater period than some people can stand to be away from their virtual worlds.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 5:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
