Windows 7 boots slower than Vista, says study

New OS starts up 42% slower than Vista, PC tune-up vendor claims

Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system boots slower than its unloved predecessor, Windows Vista, a PC tune-up developer said today.

The claims by iolo Technologies, a Los Angeles maker of PC software, contradict Microsoft's boasts that Windows 7 starts up faster than Vista.

According to iolo's tests, Windows 7 starts up 42% slower than Vista -- one minute, 34 seconds versus one minute, six seconds -- on a brand new machine when the time trials are run to the point where the machine is usable, at least by iolo's standards.

Windows 7 does seem to start faster than Vista, said iolo, with its time-to-the-desktop measured as around 40 seconds. But iolo measured startup as the point where the computer is "fully usable," with a low load on the processor.

Microsoft has said it's dedicated significant resources to making Windows 7 boot, and resume from sleep and hibernation, faster than Vista, which has been panned since 2007 for starting slowly.

Other tests, however, have echoed iolo, and showed that in some cases Windows 7 does boot slower than Vista. PC World, a sister publication to Computerworld, for example, benchmarked the new operating system as starting about 10% slower than Vista when 32-bit versions of the two were compared, although it was 14% faster on 64-bit.

iolo also said its tests indicated that Windows 7's startup times, like Vista's, degrade over time. After several "commonly-used" applications have been installed on a new Windows 7 box, for instance, its boot time -- again, as measured by the company -- slows to two minutes, 34 seconds, an increase of 64%.

Over an even more extended span, Windows 7's boot times get more sluggish than that: By the end of a simulated two-year period, Windows 7's startup times increased more than 330%.

Boot times have become a hot topic. Last week, Chinese computer maker Lenovo said its new ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktops will boot Windows 7 56% faster than when loading XP or Vista, thanks to operating system, driver, and power management tweaks it made.

iolo said it will release more details and results of its Windows 7 boot-time benchmarks on Monday.

iPhone 3G S teardown reveals 3x speed boost

Apple maxed out design due to heat, not battery life, says Rapid Repair (image below)

The iPhone 3G S' hardware, including a faster microprocessor and a faster graphics processor than those in last year's model, supports Apple's claims that the new device is two to three times faster overall, a just-completed teardown shows.

According to Aaron Vronko, the CEO of Michigan-based Rapid Repair, the iPhone 3G S sports an ARM Cortex A8 microprocessor running at 600 MHz. Last year's iPhone 3G, by comparison, sports an ARM 11 running at 412 MHz.

"One of the two most significant changes in the iPhone 3G S was to what's called the Mobile Application Processor, the Samsung 'system-on-a-chip'," said Vronko, who flew to France to be one of the first to purchase the new iPhone. Vronko then took the phone to BricoMac, a Paris repair company, to disassemble the device.

Vronko has posted a step-by-step teardown, complete with photos, to the Rapid Repair site. As its name suggests, Rapid Repair is a repair shop and parts supplier for iPods, iPhones, Zunes and other consumer electronics.

The processor in the Samsung package boasts a new and improved ARM architecture, said Vronko, that in and of itself is almost twice as efficient at the same clock speeds as what Apple stuck in the iPhone 3G. "It's the latest ARM design," said Vronko, "running here at 600MHz. But with the faster clock speed, 50% or so faster than last year, the result is that Apple's upgraded the iPhone 3G S 2.5 to 3 times in processing capability."

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 3G S last week, the company bragged about its performance, saying that the "S" stood for "speed," and that the new model was "up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G."

Vronko's teardown not only bears that out, but shows that Apple could have amped up the iPhone 3G S even more. "The new ARM architecture supports designs up to 833MHz," said Vronko, then cited three reasons why he thinks Apple didn't push the envelope further.

"First, it didn't need to, since the 2.5 to 3 times faster processing is more than enough to handle current apps," Vronko said. "Second, the more you amp it up, the more heat, and the current design lacks any efficient means of heat diffusion. Third, upping the clock speed uses more power."

Because of the heat issue, Vronko believes that Apple has reached the performance limit with its current iPhone design. "I don't think they'll increase [performance] much until another design comes out," he said.

The other major change to the iPhone with the 3G S is a more capable graphics processor. While last year's GPU (graphics processor unit) was the Imagination Technologies' PowerVR MBX-Lite, this time Apple used that company's PowerVR SGX. The biggest boon, said Vronko: 3D graphics rendering.

"Not only is this a faster GPU, but there's hardware in the GPU that the old one didn't have," said Vronko, "including 720p video native support, so they can support 3D rendering. The old GPU could do some basic rendering, but now you have a much more robust rendering capability that can support a real mobile gaming platform." It also means that the iPhone 3G S could be the gateway to a HD media platform in the near future.

iPhone 3G S sports an ARM Cortex A8 microprocessor running at 600 MHz, while the older iPhone 3G (right) sports an ARM 11 running at 412 MHz

The improved graphics and video may come into play later this year when Apple refreshes the iPod Touch, which has used a nearly-identical design. Apple's marketing has aggressively pitched the iPod Touch as a game-playing device, for example.

"I think they absolutely will stick to the same design with the Touch," said Vronko, who expects Apple to update that iPod in September, traditionally the month Apple upgrades the line, or maybe even sooner.

Apple also bumped up the system memory in the iPhone 3G S, from the 128MB of the iPhone 3G to 256MB. "That means they really can consider doing some multitasking capability," said Vronko, talking about the background processing that the iPhone current lacks. The iPhone has been dinged since it debuted for its inability to run more than one application at a time. Apple, which has said it based its decision on power consumption issues, has bent a bit by adding what it calls "push notification" to the iPhone 3.0 software.

"I think it's more on the hardware side that Apple's decided to not do multitasking," said Vronko, "not the battery. I don't think running two applications [at the same time] would really make much of a difference in the battery life."

The rest of the iPhone 3G S is nearly identical to last year's iPhone 3G, Vronko noted. "The modules were in the same places and attached the same way, with a couple of exceptions, so it's clear that Apple is happy with the design," said Vronko.

That also means that Apple's profit margin is likely even higher on the new model, since it's probably already amortized the design costs. "The cost per unit is lower than it's ever been," said Vronko, who acknowledged that he hasn't yet done a cost-of-goods analysis of the parts uncovered by his teardown. "But I'm convinced that Apple is making money hand over fist on these."

It's also likely that the iPhone 3G S is the last in the original design line. "I don't see anything too revolutionary here," said Vronko. "They'll need a totally fresh design going forward," he added, "if they want to move forward."

As to that, what, if anything, did he see from the teardown that might hint at Apple's future plans for, say, a "tweener" device between the $299 iPhone and the $999 MacBook? Not much, said Vronko. "There's not a lot here that would suggest the current design could support something like an ultra-small PC or netbook."

Apple has repeatedly said it's not interested in the netbook category, but most analysts have come around to the idea that the company must, and will, play in that market, perhaps with a tablet-like device that's akin to an iPod Touch "on steroids," as Ezra Gottheil, an analyst at Technology Business Research has put it.

Vronko plans to continue to pull apart the iPhone 3G S to ferret out more information. "I still haven't found what powers the digital compass," he said.

Rapid Repair has also posted a comparison chart that details the internals of the iPhone 3G S, the first-generation iPhone, 2008's iPhone 3G and Palm's new Pre smartphone.

40 animated shorts to see before you die

For our redesign issue, we asked ten leading animators to name the shorts every 3D artist should see at least once in their life. Read the full list of 40 here

Think that animation history begins with Luxo, Jr? Think again. In issue 117, we asked ten leading animators, ranging from triple Oscar winner Richard Williams to Ren and Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi, to name their own personal favourites.

The results form a cross-section of animation history, from classic Disney cel animation to the modern avant-garde. You can read the the final shortlist in the magazine itself, along with our contributors‘ reasons for choosing them.

But we thought that you might also be interested in our orignal long list: the ones that got away, as it were, and a fascinating selection in their own right. Below, you can find 40 animated shorts that every 3D artists should see.

Where possible, we‘ve included links to view the shorts online. As ever with online videos, please be aware that some may no longer be available when you come to view this page.

The Foundry announces buyout

Nuke to take over from Shake as industry standard for desktop compositing 'within years', says venture capital firm involved

Nuke developer The Foundry has just announced a management buyout, with European venture capital firm Advent Venture Partners replacing former investor Wyndcrest Holdings.

The move represents Advent‘s only investment in the 3D or digital media industry: the bulk of its existing portfolio consists of pharmaceutical and communications technology companies.

A clue to the thinking behind this unusual investment is offered by an inconspicuous quote buried in the press release below: Advent believes that Nuke, rather than eyeon Software‘s Fusion or Autodesk‘s Toxik, is set to take over from Shake as the industry standard in the professional desktop compositing market.

And when will this happen? Within the ‘next few years‘, apparently – but Advent isn‘t making more specific predictions.

FULL PRESS RELEASE
London, UK, 3rd June, 2009: Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry (www.thefoundry.co.uk), whose software products have been used to make many of the past year’s biggest motion pictures, today announced a management buyout for an undisclosed sum led by Advent Venture Partners.

Advent has backed The Foundry’s management team, led by CEO Dr Bill Collis and the original founders, in a transaction that sees the sale of the shareholdings of previous investors, Wyndcrest Holdings.

The Foundry is highly profitable and has more than doubled revenues in the last eighteen months to $10m. Advent’s support will permit the company to continue expansion plans that have seen staff numbers more than double from 20 to over 50 in the past two years, necessitating the company’s expansion into two additional floors of its Wardour Street headquarters.

Established in 1996, The Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image-processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post production. The Foundry’s product portfolio includes two AMPAS (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences) Sci-Tech Award® winners: Nuke, a high end compositing system, and Furnace, a collection of problem solving tools based on advanced motion estimation technology.

The Foundry has a well-established client base that includes leading visual effects facilities worldwide, such as Weta Digital in Wellington, New Zealand, Framestore in London, and Sony Imageworks and Digital Domain in Los Angeles. It is at the cutting edge of software development, marketing and sales for visual effects compositing. With Nuke, The Foundry has been taking significant share from the market leader, Apple’s Shake product, since 2007, and Advent believes it will become the industry standard over the next few years.

Nuke was originally developed by Los Angeles post-production house, Digital Domain, before becoming part of The Foundry’s offering in 2007. Since then, The Foundry has invested aggressively in the product’s development, culminating in 12 software releases.

The Foundry’s products have facilitated ambitious effects sequences on numerous major Hollywood blockbusters including: The Dark Knight, the Harry Potter franchise, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Speed Racer; Iron Man, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Star Trek, Australia, Watchmen, X-Men Origins, Wolverine and many more.

Commenting on the completion of the transaction, Bill Collis, CEO of The Foundry said, ”The Foundry is renowned for responding to user need and developing useful tools that boost productivity. With the backing of our previous investors, we enjoyed substantial growth and are now in a strong position to take the business forward with our new partners. We are ready to realise our further ambitions for Nuke and the rest of our product portfolio, ensuring the company goes from strength to strength whilst maintaining strong customer focus.”

Mike Chalfen, General Partner at Advent Venture Partners, remarked, “We are delighted to be backing an innovative and entrepreneurial management team with such a strong reputation and enviable market leading track record that together will generate interesting opportunities for this business. The Foundry‘s products are ubiquitous in its field, its Ocula 3D stereoscopic technology is poised to dominate its market, and the company is a true European digital technology success story. Furthermore, our investment fits with Advent’s strategic focus of backing capital efficient, defensible and differentiated businesses that have a number of levers to make money for shareholders. We look forward to working with the team to realise the company‘s enormous potential.”

Autodesk has launched a new version of the AREA — the company’s online digital entertainment and visualisation community. This version provides a more

Pixologic has released an update to the current version of its ZBrush for Mac sculpting tool

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 27, 2009, Pixologic Inc., makers of the award-winning sculpting, texturing and 2.5D painting application ZBrush, today announced the release of ZBrush 3.12B Mac OS X, now available for Intel-based Macintosh computers.

With ZBrush 3.12B, Pixologic continues to demonstrate its commitment to meeting the demands of 3D production artists in film, television, games, pre-visualization as well as concept design. This important update contains many optimizations and feature enhancements for the previously released ZBrush 3.12. The update is a free download for all registered users of ZBrush for OS X.

“ZBrush does things you simply can‘t do with any other program.”
Rick Baker-Six time Academy Award winning artist

Optimizations and feature adjustments for ZBrush 3.12B include:

Displacement Mapping Enhancements

• Faster and more accurate map generation.

• DPSubPix and adaptive modes may be used together for higher quality maps.

• Seam prevention enhancements.

• Added export controls for 16 and 32 bits maps in Displacement Map SubPalette.

• Added scale factor for 32 bits maps in Displacement Map SubPalette.

• Mid value is used when generating maps. Also allows for positive-only or negative- only maps to be created.

Normal Mapping Enhancements

• Faster and more accurate maps generation.

• Seam prevention enhancements.

• Added Flip Controls in Normal Map SubPalette; Flip V, Flip R, Flip G, Flip B and Switch RG.

Document Enhancements

• Win Size feature matches canvas size to available screen space.

• Resize does not cause rendering artifacts.

Tablet Enhancements

• Several new ways to use pen pressure added to the Brush Palette.

UV Mapping Enhancements

• Improved PUVTiles.

Texture Enhancements

• Import of JPG file format.

Interface Enhancements

• Recorded macros are automatically placed in the Macros sub-Palette.

• Hot-key setting has been addressed.

• Floor Grid opacity setting has been added to the Draw Palette.

• Added Preferences option to turn off edit brush alignment to the surface normal.

Sculpting Enhancements

• Zsub respects backface masking, if active.

• Wrap Mode available.

• Advanced Geometry features (such as Edge Loop) are available regardless of number of SubTools.

• Transpose action line does not lock if all three circles are at the same position.

• Extract produces clean edges.

• Extract thickness can now be given a negative value to extract inward instead of outward from the surface.

• Project All enhanced with a blur/smooth control feature.

• Brush intensities have been equalized when LazyMouse is on or off.

• Intensity control added to the masking-by-ambient-occlusion function.

ZSpheres and Rigging Enhancements

• Skinning has been enhanced to closely match the size of the ZSpheres especially with xyz resolution set to 1.

• Posing the rigged mesh has been enhanced to also use ZSphere twisting/rotating.

General Enhancements

• Various code optimizations and update of existing functions.

These enhancements and additions are designed to maximize the artist‘s creativity and accelerate the concept-to-completion workflow.

Combining ZBrush‘s powerful 2D/2.5D painting, texturing in 2D or 3D, and 3D sculpting tools, artists can express themselves in ways never before possible.
______________

Pixologic, Learning Tools, ZClassroom
A variety of learning tools are available for ZBrush (Win/Mac). Ranging from introductory to advanced skill levels, there are 80 + video (with voice over) available to choose from free of charge. This constantly growing library of Video Tutorials is designed to get you up and running with ZBrush in no time. For additional details, please visit http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/

Autodesk launches new version of AREA online community

Autodesk has launched a new version of the AREA — the company’s online digital entertainment and visualisation community. This version provides a more customisable user experience and makes it faster and easier to find and share content. The AREA is also now compatible with all standard browsers running on the Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

“The AREA community is very important to Autodesk. It is a place where artists can share their work, expertise or opinions, look for jobs or staff and find great resources for the products they are passionate about,” said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media & Entertainment. “Finding and sharing stories, content, tutorials or work-in-progress makes the community a valuable asset for every artist. AREA v.3 makes this easier than ever, so the site is even more powerful for everyone.”

With more than 270,000 members, the AREA is one of the best places for artists using Autodesk media and entertainment or design visualisation products to learn, share and discuss their craft — both with their peers and with people at Autodesk. Membership is free. To join the community, visit http://area.autodesk.com

AREA v.3 New Feature Highlights

A demonstration video showing improvements to the AREA is available on the AREA and the Autodesk YouTube channel.

New features and enhancements in AREA v.3 that help users find information faster include:
Customisable home page: Users can now customise the home page to see only content relevant to their products of interest. The AREA also now offers the choice of a dark or a light user interface (UI).

New image gallery: The new image gallery makes it easier to browse the thousands of images uploaded by users to the site.

Improved search functionality: The search engine is far more robust and allows for faster and more accurate site-wide searches.

New features and enhancements that help users share information include:

New comprehensive Personal Profile section: The new profile section allows registered members to control all aspects of their account and to submit content to the site in one convenient location.

Updated forums with enhanced Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP): The new forums allow users to receive and post messages, including attachments, through a newsreader without having to log into the website.

New image and file uploading system: The image and file uploading systems have been enhanced to provide more visual feedback. The site now also allows for the creation of thumbnail images directly within its UI.

Download issue 118's Short Cuts animation

Death is no laughing matter... but killing off your lead actor over and over again is pure comedy gold, as French short Dans La Tête proves

This well executed short sees a soldier sent into a warzone, where he dies, ascends to heaven, and is… sent back. According to heaven‘s rules, the soldier hasn‘t died quite to its requirements and is returned to the battle over and over again in a Groundhog Day meets Saving Private Ryan style.

You can read more about the making of ‘Dans La Tête‘ in issue 118 of 3D World.

Download 'Dans La Tête'
In most browsers, right-click on the link and select Save As to download the movie (31 MB)

DAZ 3D releases the Girl 4

New update to customisable 3D figure the Girl added to DAZ 3D's content library

PRESS RELEASE

DRAPER, Utah, March 31, 2009. Get ready to meet the Girl of your dreams! Adding yet another exciting addition to its immense 3D content library, DAZ 3D today unveils the newest version of its highly popular 3D figure, the Girl 4, complete with customizable body shaping, increased texture map resolution and greatly improved joint rigging. Created from DAZ 3D's celebrated fourth-generation Unimesh, the Girl 4 is fully compatible with all Victoria 4, Victoria 4 Elite and Aiko 4 head and body shapes, textures and poses, opening more options and new creative possibilities than ever before.

“DAZ 3D is recognized as an industry leader in the development of high-quality 3D models,“ said Dan Farr, president of DAZ 3D. “I think this is due to our on-going commitment to making timely advancements in our figures that coincide with the needs of our artists. This version of the Girl is no exception. Her updated look and immeasurable compatibilities are sure to make her an even more compelling 3D figure overall.“

Originally created by renowned 3D graphics and games artist Kim Goossens, the Girl is considered one of the most famous, and most eye-catching, 3D models in CG history. Coyly compared to a cartoonish version of a sultry 1940‘s pin-up model, the Girl is used by thousands of hobbyist and professional artists as a muse for magazine and album covers, fan art and the like.

In addition to her vast compatibility with all DAZ 3D models and hundreds of add-on products available in the DAZ 3D online store, the Girl 4 is fully ready to animate within DAZ Studio, Carrara and Poser, and contains an unparalleled variety of body and head shapes due to her ability to make use of existing DAZ 3D Unimesh characters and morphs.

“She looks fantastic,“ said DAZ 3D user and digital artist Bianca Herborg (aka “SilencertheVampire“). “Now, as a part of the DAZ 3D Unimesh line of figures, the Girl 4 provides so many new creative possibilities. In my opinion, this new and improved Girl model is a huge step forward.”

Pricing and Availability
The Girl 4 base product is available for immediate download at the DAZ 3D online store for $29.95. DAZ Platinum Club members may purchase the Girl 4 for $1.99. Corresponding product bundles range in price from $49.95 to $99.95 before sales and discounts.

For a complete feature list, system requirements and links to additional resources, please visit the Girl 4 web pages.

About DAZ 3D
Founded in 2000, DAZ 3D is a market leader in 3D software and digital content creation. The company‘s library of characters and accessories is renowned for its high-quality, versatile and compatible 3D content. DAZ 3D also develops powerful software applications that support its content, including DAZ Studio, a free 3D digital art creation tool, Mimic , a lip-synching application, Carrara , an all-in-one 3D solution and Bryce , a complete 3D environment and animation package. DAZ 3D‘s products have been used in many professional productions, television shows and print publications. For more information, visit www.daz3d.com.

AMD release ATI FirePro V7750

PRESS RELEASE

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the availability of the ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator for the high-end market, ideally suited for graphics professionals working in engineering, digital content creation and scientific fields. These professionals need a 3D graphics accelerator that can quickly handle large models and shader-intensive applications, while delivering accurate color reproduction and superior visual quality. The ATI FirePro V7750 delivers features that matter most to these users at $899 MSRP.

“Creating astounding visuals for movies is a tremendous challenge – it has to look absolutely perfect, but time is always of the essence,” said Jabbar Raisani, visual effects expert, Troublemaker Studios. “The ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator helps me achieve flawless effects fast by speeding up rendering so I can focus on creating content rather than waiting for it. I need stable and robust performance graphics hardware to get the job done quickly and the ATI FirePro V7750 is the perfect solution.”

“AMD technology helps me stay ahead of the artistic curve. Their new workstation graphics are playing a key role in the realization of my upcoming movies,” said Robert Rodriquez, Director, Troublemaker Studios.

”With the introduction of the ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator, AMD’s ATI Professional Graphics group is well positioned to increase its presence in the high-end segment of the market, complementing our solid showing in the entry-level and mid-range,” said Janet Matsuda, senior director, AMD Professional Graphics. “Professional content creators will appreciate the ATI FirePro V7750’s outstanding application performance, 1GB of frame-buffer memory and 30-bit display pipeline – all available for under a thousand dollars.”

The ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator is available on HP workstations. Companies use HP workstations to design everything from running shoes to race cars, animated characters to deep-sea submersibles, and to manage everything from billions of dollars of tradable securities to mission-critical IT environments.

“HP delivers workstations that provide a superior performance and user experience for professionals at the top of their fields,” said Jeff Wood, director of Worldwide Marketing, Workstations, HP. “We continue to work with AMD to deliver quality products that serve our customers’ needs.”

Based on a new generation GPU with 320 unified stream processing units, the ATI FirePro V7750’s ultra parallel processing architecture maximizes throughput by automatically directing graphics horsepower where it’s needed. Intelligent management of computational resources enables enhanced utilization of the GPU to enable real-time rendering of complex, large models and scenes while increasing interactivity when animating. In addition, the card accelerates ATI Stream applications, utilizing the GPU to offload the CPU for specific compute-intensive workloads.

“AMD has been gaining market share for the last three quarters of calendar year 2008,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, of Jon Peddie Research, “and even though the fourth quarter was a tough quarter for the workstation market as a whole, AMD could at least take some consolation in the strength of its professional graphics product line-up, which is as compelling as anything in the industry and delivers industry-standard ViewPERF scores that back up their thrust at all price points.”

The ATI FirePro V7750 also features cutting edge connectivity capabilities, including multiple DisplayPort outputs and a Dual Link enabled DVI output, which together, generate a multi-monitor desktop of more than 5000 pixels wide in a single-slot form factor. With 1GB of frame buffer memory and a 30-bit display pipeline, the ATI FirePro V7750 enables rendering of more accurate color reproduction and superior visual quality of complex and large data sets.

“SolidWorks users demand products with superior performance, such as the ATI FirePro V7750, to enable real-time rendering but without the traditional hang-ups,” said Nick Iwaskow, Manager of Alliances, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. “The top-to-bottom feature set and performance of the new ATI FirePro™ product family can give our SolidWorks users the efficiency to boost productivity and creativity.”

Designed and engineered to operate in a wide range of professional operating environments, including Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista® and Linux, ATI FirePro 3D graphics accelerators are thoroughly tested and certified at AMD test labs based on industry standards. AMD works closely with leading ISV partners, including Autodesk and Dassault Systèmes, to implement optimizations that enable their software solutions to take better advantage of the latest hardware developments.

Pricing and Availability

The new ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator is available now with an MSRP of $899. ATI FirePro graphics accelerators are available from OEMs, system integrators and channel partners worldwide.

• Get more information on ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator on AMD.com

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD - News) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the company’s participation in the high-end segment of the workstation graphic accelerator market, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as “would,“ “may,“ “expects,“ “believes,“ “plans,“ “intends,“ “projects” and other terms with similar meaning. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this release are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this release and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Risks include the possibility that Intel Corporation‘s pricing, marketing and rebating programs, product bundling, standard setting, new product introductions or other activities targeting AMD‘s business will prevent attainment of AMD‘s current plans; the company‘s Asset Smart strategy will be less beneficial than anticipated; customers stop buying the company‘s products or materially reduce their operations or demand for its products; the company will be unable to develop, launch and ramp new products and technologies in the volumes and mix required by the market and at mature yields on a timely basis; demand for computers and, in turn, demand for the company‘s products will be lower than currently expected; there will be unexpected variations in market growth and demand for the company‘s products and technologies in light of the product mix that it may have available at any particular time or a decline in demand; and the company will be unable to maintain the level of investment in research and development that is required to remain competitive. Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in the company‘s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2008.

Copyright 2009, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, FirePro, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Windows 7 Beta Preview

Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft’s industry-spanning operating system, is on the horizon. What does it mean for you? 

Introduction

The brickbats hurled at Microsoft over the last two years regarding the most recent version of its flagship operating system, Windows Vista, must have startled even the software giant. While Vista wasn’t universally hated, it certainly wasn’t loved by all, and with its longer-than-usual gestation period for drivers, updates, and Service Packs, Vista did little to broker goodwill between Redmond and the rest of the computing world. With Vista, it looked—and to some degree, still looks—like Microsoft lit a damp firecracker.

But that might change with the next next-generation Windows, casually titled Windows 7. Don’t plan on a full-scale step back to the innocent days of Windows XP, but don’t expect many game-changing revisions, bloat-inducing features, or productivity-strangling hardware and software problems, either. When the new OS was released in public beta earlier this month, we installed it on a Cyberpower Gamer Xtreme XE. Although we’re not convinced Microsoft has learned everything it should have from Vista, this latest OS just might be able to point the best elements of Vista toward a brighter new horizon.  

Evolution of the Netbook

Netbooks as we know them didn't just spring into existence with the Eee PC. Here's a look at some of the milestone machines that paved the way for today's netbooks.

Netbooks have become big news despite--or perhaps because of--the small packages they come in. Elsewhere we look at the current cream of the netbook crop (see "Top 5 Netbooks" [a chart] and "Top 5 Netbooks in Photos" [a slide show]), offer advice on what to look for in buying a netbook (see "Netbooks: All About the New Ultraportables"), and preview some of the the newest members of this category (see "Six New and Notable Netbooks" [another slide show]). But these devices didn't spring fully miniaturized out of the head of Zeus. Today’s netbooks are the most recent in a long line of petite but increasingly functional computers. Too small to be laptops and too big to be handhelds, these machines have quietly evolved as vendors sought an identity and a market niche for them. Here are a few of the milestone systems along the way to the modern netbook.

1991 - Psion 3

Closer to an overpowered personal organizer than to a mini-laptop, the Psion 3 ran various programs and included a modem to handle dial-up Internet.

1996 - Toshiba Libretto 20

With a 6.1-inch display, a 486 processor, and Windows 95, the Libretto was cute and impressive for its time--and ten years later it earned an honorable mention in our article "The 25 Greatest PCs of All Time."

1998 - Casio Cassiopeia

Running Windows CE 1.0, the Cassiopeia set new standards for tiny computers, with a 480-by-240 backlit LCD touch screen and a (relatively) usable keyboard.

1999 - Psion netBook

The Psion netBook sported a 7.7-inch VGA touch-screen display, accommodated an optional PC Card modem, and promised 8.5 hours of battery life.

2000 - HP Jornada 720

Like the Psion netBook, the HP Jornada had a StrongARM processor and long battery life, though its design was more svelte.

2004 - OQO Model 01

Not quite a notebook, not quite a tablet, and way more than a PDA, the OQO Model 01 set a new standard for miniaturization while still running full-blown Windows.

2004 - Sony VAIO X505

At the narrow edge of its wedgelike design, the VAIO X505 was actually thinner than today's MacBook Air, and it ran Windows XP at a respectable clip while offering a comfortable keyboard layout.

2007 - Asus Eee PC 701

The current netbook craze began with the Asus Eee PC 701, which shipped with a tiny 7-inch display but could be had for less than $300.

Netbooks: All About the New Ultraportables

Small, cheap, and surprisingly powerful, netbooks are the new ultraportables. Here's a look at the upcoming crop of netbooks, with advice on what to look for and how to buy wisely.

The term netbook, coined by Intel, conveys little useful information about this category of machines. Sure, they all have wireless networking, but so does every other laptop. Originally what the term helped to identify was a class of small, ultralightweight, cheap-as-dirt mobile PCs. Netbooks are tiny--usually between half and two-thirds the size of a garden-variety laptop--and they typically weigh only about 2 pounds. With their cool, slim designs, they outclass some fancy ultraportables. And best of all, these diminutive laptops start at around $200 (in some cases $100, when purchased as part of a mobile broadband promotional deal).

But as the next generation of mini-notebooks emerges--with some examples illustrating this article--the distinguishing characteristics named above are in flux, spurring debate here at PC World. Is price still a decisive criterion? What about the size of the device, the operating system it runs, or the CPU under its hood? Ultimately all of these things factor into the category; but as new systems with an expanding array of features arrive, our definition of netbook will continue to evolve.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10.

Then there's the blizzard factor: So many netbooks have reached market in the past year--and so many more are on the way--that selecting the right model can be a daunting task. There is no such thing as perfection in a category that is ultimately defined by compromises, but with a little grounding in the basic features of mini-notebooks, you can make an informed buying decision.

Microsoft, Citrix Join Forces Against VMware

Microsoft and Citrix Systems have tightened their virtualization partnership to help both companies compete more effectively with market leader VMware, they announced Monday.

Citrix said it plans to release a new suite of virtualization management tools in April, called Citrix Essentials, that will be offered in two versions -- one for Microsoft's Hyper-V software and another for Citrix XenServer.

Citrix has more advanced management tools than Microsoft for virtual environments, and Microsoft hopes the partnership will help spread the use of Hyper-V in data centers. In return, Microsoft has pledged to manage XenServer environments with the next version of its Systems Center management software, which currently works only with Hyper-V and VMware's ESX. It will also market and sell Citrix Essentials for Microsoft Hyper-V to its customers worldwide, the companies said.

In another move to counter VMware's lead, Citrix will offer its XenServer software free starting in April. One or two high-end features from that product, including the high-availability features, will be moved to Citrix Essentials for XenServer, but many of the existing capabilities will be available for no charge, said Citrix CTO Simon Crosby.

Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V and Citrix Essentials for XenServer each will be priced at US$1,500 to $5,000 per server, depending on the features selected, Crosby said.

The announcements were made just as VMware's customer conference kicked off in Cannes, France.

"What this is really about is Microsoft and Citrix as a team going against VMware," said Mark Bowker, an analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group.

The tools in Citrix Essentials include StorageLink, for provisioning and managing virtual machines across large storage area networks; dynamic provisioning, which allows thousands of virtual machines to be booted simultaneously from a single master image; and a new "lab management" tool for creating virtualized test and development environments. It will also have a graphical tool for automating a workflow of complex management tasks.

The version of Essentials for XenServer will include the high-availability features that are currently in the Platinum edition of XenSource 5. Those features will not be in the version for Hyper-V.

"Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V is a much-needed step, especially for Microsoft," according to Chris Wolf, a senior analyst with Burton Group.

The storage and provisioning capabilities will be a boost for Microsoft, although the lack of a high-availability option will make some enterprises hesitant about using Hyper-V for production applications, Wolf said. At least initially, he expects the Microsoft platform to be more widely used for virtual test and development environments.

The cross-management capabilities between Hyper-V and XenSource will also give Citrix a boost, Wolf said. Customers could deploy XenServer now, with the knowledge that they can adopt Hyper-V later and manage both from Microsoft Systems Center, he said.

However, both vendors still face a formidable challenge in VMware, Bowker and Wolf said. VMware retains a technology lead in server virtualization, and it has an established presence in many data centers.

"A lot of large enterprises have mature VMware deployments; they're a bit cautious about splitting their infrastructure across multiple hypervisors." Wolf said, adding that Monday's announcements may have the most impact for small and midsize businesses.

Microsoft and Citrix both said they have a price advantage that makes them competitive with VMware. Customers would have to pay VMware $5,000 per server to get the functionality offered in the free XenServer, according to Crosby. However, VMware's Infrastructure 3 software does include features that XenServer will not have.

Microsoft wants to make virtualization part of the Windows platform, just as networking capabilities are a part of Windows today, said David Greschler, Microsoft's director of Systems Center marketing. The fact that companies are familiar with Windows lowers their training costs, he argued. "When they know Windows, they know virtualization."

Both companies see plenty of room for growth in the market.

"Today we're seeing [virtualization] at about 20 to 30 percent penetration," Greschler said, "but we expect that to grow very fast, and it will be in the upper 80 to 90 percent range very quickly."

OpenOffice.org: 7 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do

OpenOffice.org–an application suite, not just a Web site—has tricks even Office can't manage. Here are a few that may not be obvious, plus a few ways to make it less annoying out of the box.

OpenOffice.org 3.0 costs absolutely nothing but comes closer than anything else to letting you delete your copy of Microsoft Office (which probably cost you a lot). Even though OpenOffice.org—which is, yes, an application suite, not just a Web site—can't do everything Office can, it can do a lot, and it has some of its own tricks that even Office can't manage. Here are a few that may not be obvious, as well as a few ways to make OpenOffice.org less annoying out of the box.

1. Edit two or more parts of a document at the same time. Microsoft Word has a nifty split-window feature that lets you divide the current window into two panes, so you can edit page 5 of your document in the top pane and page 505 in the bottom. To switch from one pane to the other, you don't have to waste time scrolling back and forth—you simply click in the other pane. OpenOffice.org doesn't let you split a window into two panes, but it offers an even better feature. Click the Window menu, then New Window, to open a new window that displays the same document you're working on. You can open as many windows as you want, each at a different place in your document; any change you make in one window immediately appears in all others. You can reduce screen clutter by turning off toolbars in one or more windows (use View | Toolbars), and you can tile or cascade the windows by right-clicking on the OpenOffice.org button on the Windows taskbar.

2. Use OpenOffice.org to open legacy documents. Years ago, older versions of Microsoft Office could open documents created by almost any of the myriad word processors and spreadsheet programs that were widely used before Microsoft monopolized the market. Recent versions of Office can't open many of those older formats—including old Microsoft Word versions such as Word 6.0. By contrast, OpenOffice.org continues to open Word documents dating back to Version 6.0. OpenOffice.org also opens WordPerfect documents, including files created in WordPerfect for the Macintosh 3.5 Enhanced, which not even WordPerfect for Windows tries to open.

By the way, there's something confusing about OpenOffice.org's claims. The product purports to support at least one format that never existed: The list of supported file types in its File | Open dialog includes "Microsoft WinWord 5.0," even though there never was such a version. Word for Windows skipped from 2.0 to 6.0 in its version numbers.

3. Play a vintage Space Invaders game. Remember the days of software "Easter Eggs"? They were not-very-secret keystrokes or mouse clicks that brought up silly graphics in some programs and games in others. Even Microsoft Excel used to have a secret game built in before Redmond lost its sense of humor. OpenOffice.org's Calc spreadsheet program still includes a 1990s-era shoot-'em-up Space Invaders game. Open the Calc app, and in any cell enter:

=GAME("StarWars")

Make sure to copy the capitalization shown here. Calc will open a StarWars game in which you shoot down a fleet of evil alien ships. The explanatory text is in German (the original version of OpenOffice.org was written in Germany), but you don't need to know even English to play the game. Calc has a slightly Teutonic attitude toward fun-and-games, however: After you quit the game, you'll need to shut down Calc and start it up again before you can play a second time.

4. Turn off the blinking light bulb. By default, a light-bulb icon appears in a tiny window whenever OpenOffice.org does anything that isn't exactly what you typed—for example, when it replaces two hyphens with a dash. It doesn't exactly blink, but after the third or fourth time it opens, you may think of it as "that blinking light bulb" (you might use a word other than "blinking"). To turn it off permanently, go to Tools | Options, and then, in the left-hand pane, expand the menu tree by clicking the plus sign next to OpenOffice.org. In the General dialog, remove the check mark next to Help Agent.

5. Save files in Office formats by default. By default OpenOffice.org saves files in its own format, which most Microsoft Office users can't open. You can save individual files in Office format by using OpenOffice.org's File | Save as… menu and selecting a Word format from the Save as Type dropdown. But you can tell OpenOffice to save in Office formats by default by choosing Tools | Options, then find the Load/Save category, and the General subcategory. In the Document Type dropdown, choose Text Document, and in the Always Save As dropdown, choose Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP. Then, in the Document Type dropdown, choose Spreadsheet, and in the Always Save As dropdown, choose Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP. These choices will create files that can be read by any modern word processor or spreadsheet.

6. Automate actions easily. Many advanced Microsoft Office users take advantage of macros that run automatically when you open, print, or close a file, but Office's interface doesn't provide built-in clues for creating an AutoClose macro that will run whenever you close a document. OpenOffice.org goes Office one better by providing a menu-driven interface that lists all the actions that can automatically trigger macros—and these include a wider range of actions than the ones that can be automated easily in Office. For example, you can create a macro that is triggered every time the number of pages in a document increases and that inserts a header with a page number if the number goes above, say, two. Other actions that can automatically trigger macros include saving a document under a different name and running a mail merge. To use this feature, record the macros you want to use, then go to Tools | Customize | Events and assign your chosen macro to specific events.

7. Fix those single quotes. By default, OpenOffice.org Writer creates good-looking, curly "typographic" double-quotation marks as you type, but when you type a single quotation mark (or an apostrophe) it uses a vertical line, as if you were still using your grandfather's manual typewriter. Fix this by going to Tools | AutoCorrect…, then go to the Custom Quotes tab and, under Single Quotes, add a check mark next to Replace.

Software libre! Cuba develops own free Linux called ‘Nova’

February 12, 2009 (Computerworld) Cuba released its own distribution of the free Linux operating system this week, as the communist island seeks to wean its citizens and institutions from what it says is insecure, capitalist-produced Microsoft Corp. software, according to a report.

The Reuters news service reported Wednesday that the new version is called Nova, and was introduced at a technical conference in Havana.

Based on a Linux variant called Gentoo that is popular with highly technical users, Nova has been in development since 2007, according to the Associated Press, after Free Software guru Richard Stallman visited the island and persuaded government officials to move off Windows.

Microsoft software, such as Windows, is widely used in Cuba, though much of it is pirated, according to Reuters.

About 20% of the computers in Cuba, where PC sales to the public only began last year, run Linux, Hector Rodriguez, dean of the School of Free Software at Cuba’s University of Information Sciences, told Reuters.

“I would like to think that in five years our country will have more than 50% migrated [to Linux],” he said.

A three-minute video demonstrating Nova Baire, the Cuban Linux’s name in Spanish, is available on YouTube.

It is based on Gentoo, a Linux variant introduced in 2002 and run by a foundation in New Mexico.

It is a source-based distribution, meaning that the Gentoo operating system is downloaded and compiled on each individual computer. That can offer performance benefits for enthusiasts, though it may be complicated for less technical users.

According to Distrowatch.com, a Web site devoted to Linux enthusiasts, Gentoo was the third most popular Linux version in 2002, behind Mandrake (now called Mandriva) and Red Hat.

Last year, it ranked 18th among Distrowatch.com readers.

Donnie Berkholz, a developer and head of public relations at Gentoo Foundation Inc., confirmed that Nova is based on Gentoo Linux, though he said the Cuban variant is being developed independently without the U.S.-based foundation’s help.

Ironically, Gentoo’s creator, Daniel Robbins, went to work for Microsoft’s Linux lab for eight months in 2005 after resigning from the Gentoo organization. Robbins later left, reportedly “frustrated” because he “wasn’t able to work at my full level of technical ability.”

Cuba chose Linux generally because it is free, its source code is accessible and it is less vulnerable to malware, Rodriguez said.

“Private software can have black holes and malicious codes that one doesn’t know about,” Rodriguez told Reuters. “That doesn’t happen with free software.”

Microsoft did not immediately return an e-mailed request for comment.

Rodriguez also said that free software better suits Cuba’s politics.

Some government ministries and the Cuban university system have already switched to Linux. But some government-owned companies have grumbled about incompatibility with their own custom applications, Rodriguez said.

Cuba is one of several countries, generally communist or developing nations, whose governments are backing the use of Linux or open-source software as an alternative to expensive proprietary software.

The Venezuelan government, for example, has been moving its ministries to dump Windows for Linux and open-source software, and is reportedly making and selling its own “Bolivarian Computers” running Linux to the general public.

China has for several years had its own government-supported version of Linux called Red Flag that is supported by U.S. vendors, including Oracle Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co.

In 2007, Nigeria chose Mandriva Linux over Windows for 17,000 Intel Classmate PCs aimed at elementary school students.

Intel Surprises With 32-nm Roadmap: Westmere and Nehalem Details

In the last couple of days, Intel has made some major new announcements about its transition to 32nm production, covering everything from the underlying technology to its capital spending plans to a revised roadmap for its desktop processors. The resulting changes mean that we may see 32nm parts in mainstream PCs much faster than expected, even as the underlying technology continues to improve at a steady pace.

As PC Magazine explained yesterday, Intel has updated its roadmap to include two new 32nm dual-core chips, known as Clarkdale (for desktops) and Arrandale (for mobile systems), that are expected to be released in the fourth quarter of the year. These will be the first chips in the “Westmere” family of core designs, replacing the 45nm “Nehalem” designs introduced recently with the Core i7 family and the earlier 45nm “Penryn” designs that represent most of the current Core 2 Duo and Quad processors.

What makes this particularly interesting is that it’s the first time that I can think of where a new process technology is being introduced in a mainstream processor instead of a performance version. The first Penyrn processor released was the Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9650, and the first Nehalem was the Core i7 ; both were high-end quad core chips. Similarly, when AMD introduced its first 45nm chips recently, the first designs were the “Shanghai” server chip and the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition.

We’ve long expected 32nm parts to be released at the end of 2009, but what makes this surprising is that Intel is leading with mainstream dual-core chips instead of a high-end chip. The company did say it plans a new 32nm chip for high-end systems, called Gulftown with 6 cores and supporting 12 threads, but said that wouldn’t be out until 2010. That would replace the current 45nm Core i7, known as Bloomfield.

(Recall that Intel’s schedule calls for a new family each year, alternating between process shrinks and major architectural changes. Thus Nehalem was the big architectural change, while Westmere is primarily a shrink to 32nm, although the company says it has made some minor changes to enable on-chip encryption. The next big architecture change would be Sandy Bridge, due in late 2010 or early 2011.)

This is a change from Intel’s previous roadmap, which had two 45nm dual-core parts, called Havendale (desktop) and Auburndale (notebook), which Intel now says are “deprioritized.” My guess is this means we’ll never see these chips at all - in other words, for dual-core chips, Intel will skip the Nehalem generation and go straight to the 32nm Westmere chips. Clarkdale (desktop) and Arrandale (notebook) will have 2 cores, 4 threads; and will now be the first of the Intel chips to come with integrated graphics and memory controller on the chip. (These are actually on a separate die than processor core, but I doubt that makes much difference to end users.) The graphics will be switchable, meaning they can be turned on and off in systems that also have discrete graphics. This is a “re-partitioning” of the chip platform - instead of two supporting chips in Intel’s current “4 series”, there will now need to be only one (which will be used to connect to input/output devices and the display) in the upcoming “5 series” also known as “Ibex Peak.”

That chipset will form the basis for Intel’s upcoming new platforms, called Piketon/Kings Creek (for corporate and consumer desktop s) and Calpella (for mobile systems.) These platforms will also support upcoming 45nm Nehalem-based quad-core processors called Lynnfield (desktop) and Auburndale (notebook). Those processors will have four cores and support 8 threads, and will include an integrated memory controller, but not integrated graphics. Expect to see these in systems with discrete graphics. These chips are expected to ship in the second half of this year.

In other words, it sounds like Intel is both simplifying and stretching out its platform road map - this will leave it with fewer different designs, but will bring the 32 nm parts to market faster. This should have a number of benefits. At this week’s International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), Intel fellow Mark Bohr gave a keynote talk that described the company’s 32 nm technology as part of a discussion on system-on-chip designs. In that talk, he described some of the techniques the company was using, including a new generation of “strained silicon,” a new generation of High-K/Metal Gate transistors; and immersion technology to create smaller transistors; and said the overall result could mean a 22 percent increase in performance over 45 nm processors. Of course, we won’t know performance in the real world until we see shipping processors. Also - and certainly of interest to Intel - is that 32 nm chips by definition should be less expensive to produce than 45 nm ones.

To get to 32 nm, Intel yesterday announced plans to spend $7 billion in 2009 and 2010 on 32 nm manufacturing technology, to update its plants in Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona. Although this really isn’t surprising - the company has long said it would migrate to 32 nm - it’s good to see investments in U.S. manufacturing in this economy.

Also at ISSCC, Intel disclosed a number of details on its upcoming Nehalem-EX processor, its next generation high-end server processor. This will have 8 cores and 16 threads, 16MB of shared L3 cache and two on-chip memory controllers. This will be a Xeon 7000 series processor, joining the current high-end Xeon processor, known as Dunnington, which has six cores. This chip will contain a record 2.3 billion transistors.

When you consider that the Pentium 4 came out in 2000 with 42 million processors on 180 nm technology, it’s really impressive. No matter what’s happening with the economy, it looks like chip technology is marching along.

Source : PCMag.com