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I was on hand for the AMD announcement of their Turion X2 Ultra mobile processor and the 7 Series chipset for mobile computers and I couldn’t help feeling like this was the turning point for Windows Vista performance. In my own experiences with Vista, the key limiting factor for everything important to me — video editing, high definition video playback, and even day-to-day visual user experience — is graphics processing. My Dell D620 routinely crashes thanks to the Nvidia graphics card inside. My desktop Vista installation was a graphics slug until I upgraded to a GPU with 512MB of dedicated video RAM. AMD’s annoucement of the 7 Series chipset, should help make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone smart enough to buy a computer with the 7 Series chipset inside.
AMD’s announcement is all about video (okay, there was some other stuff, but I ignored most of it). The chipset is designed from the ground up to be able to handle HD video playback. No more jerky framed HD video playback. No more praying your video editor won’t crash while you’re trying to edit those AVCHD movies (unless of course the software is buggy). This is a huge leap forward because most people are buying laptops these days. And most of those laptops are using some kind of integrated graphics processing rather than a dedicated GPU. The integrated graphics processors, while technically being “Vista capable” are not up to the task of running the “glass” interface of Vista, let alone playing back HD, and editing is completely out of the question.
Upping the game even further, if you buy a new laptop with the 7 Series chipset and a dedicated ATI video card inside, you can take advantage of some bridging technology that makes use of both graphics processors where appropriate. It’s smart enough to optimize for using the dedicated card when you’re plugged in and the chipset GPU when you’re not, helping improve battery life (according to AMD by up to 90 minutes, which I’ll believe when I see). All-in-all this is a huge win specifically for Windows Vista, because it finally means getting a laptop with Vista on it won’t make it a complete dog for video tasks we are all coming to expect.
Thankfully this doesn’t seem to be limited to those giant desktop replacement laptops either. ASUS already has a laptop in the market (not in the US yet, unfortunately) with a mere 12-inch screen, HDMI out, and the 7 series chipset handling HD like a champ. If I can get my hands on one, the ASUS will be my replacement for the frustrations I’ve had with the Dell D620 over the past 18 months. If you’re in the market for a new laptop and care about HD video as part of your purchase process, look for the AMD Turion X2 logo, you won’t be disappointed. And if recently bought a PC with integrated graphics, you can solve most video frustrations by spending an extra $150 and getting a dedicated video card.
One of the things AMD invited Nate and I to attend while we’re in Taipei was the Info Tech 100 presentation where Pat Moorhead did a keynote speech. We went in not knowing just how prestigious this event was and as a result, we were grossly under-dressed (nothing like playing the ugly American). It never occurred to me that I needed to know how to read the characters for vice president, food and basic communication seem like better survival skills. I guess I was slightly better off than the guy I saw desperately trying to get some sort of poop off his shoe in the bathroom prior to the event.
The event kicked off with an introduction and award presentation by Vincent Siew, Vice President of Taiwan, complete with ear piece wearing security detail. I’m pretty sure if it had been the US Secret Service, we’d have been booted from the room. Awards were presented for the top 10 of the Info Tech 100 and then also for the companies that made it on both the Taiwan list and the Business Week Info Tech 100. The CEOs of ASUS and HTC were both on hand to receive awards, along with a long list of other highly successful Taiwan tech companies.
After a brief intermission and the departure of the Vice President of Taiwan, Pat Moorhead kicked off the four keynote presentations offering a succinct look at AMD’s broad vision of the future (or what I will refer to in a future post as how AMD is saving Windows Vista).
The day closed with a keynote from Jonney Shih of ASUS.
I keep meaning to make a video demo of the PlecoDict Software I use to lookup Chinese characters on my phone. For anyone learning Hanzi, this is by far the best thing out there. I still haven’t gotten around to making a video demo, but here’s a pretty good feature walkthrough I found on YouTube. Taiwan is about to put my traditional character recognition to the test when I head to Computex, so I can’t imagine going without PlecoDict.
I’m in the process of filtering through all the results of the free software survey I conducted as part of my HP HDX Dragon Giveaway. The most disturbing results I’ve found so far - 8% of respondents don’t back up their data! At least some of them were honest enough to fill in the blank with something like ‘I should probably do this.’ At least they’re all aware they have no backup plan. The 1% of respondents who consider the Windows System Restore feature their backup plan are even more worrisome, because they think they have a backup plan. System Restore only helps you recover operating system components and return the Windows Registry to a previous state. If your drive crashes, your data goes down with the ship! There’s a reason Microsoft includes a separate backup utility in the Accessories > System Utilities folder; you need it. I like online solutions like Roxio BackOnTrack Online (not free) or the free 1GB storage at Club Backup better than installed software, but there are plenty of free solution that will get you backed up in addition to using System Restore. Early analysis of the survey data show that SnapBackup and the freeware version of SyncBack will come in near the top of the list.
More chances to get an HP HDX Dragon are available. First up, BleepingComputer. You can enter the BleepingComputer.com giveaway by signing up for their forums and reading the rules. I couldn’t see the rules without signing up and don’t want yet another login so you’re on your own for that one. Next we have hardwareGeeks call for a photo or video of your current workspace. When you post the photo to their contest page, you’re supposed to let them know how the HP HDX Dragon will benefit you. If you want to hack this contest, here’s my tip:
1) Dig out your old Pentium II computer from the basement or go snag a crusty computer from Craigslist.
2) Boot the computer and connect to Internet visiting hardwaregeeks.com.
3) Take photo of this pathetic setup then write about how the HP HDX Dragon will bring you current.
A variation on this hack would be to find a working TRS-80 or Commodore 64, connect to television (B&W is better than color for this), submit photo. Anyway, you get the idea - a weak system will standout amongst all the hardware tweakers who will be too proud not to show off their liquid-cooled, backlit beasts. GeekNewsCentral is the final contest I’ll announce today - Todd’s kicking things off with a read/listener/viewer survey (I just gave you a clue to one of the survey answers). 5 more chances to enter the GeekNewsCentral giveaway are coming, so check in every day to make sure you improve your shot at winning. And if you do take my advice and go with the “retro” setup for the hardwaregeeks.com giveaway, be sure to put a link in the comments here - I’d love to see it.
These two giveaways get my award for best looking graphics promoting 31 Days of the Dragon, which does nothing for your chances at winning. :)
The Green button wants to know what you want to see in the next version of The Green Button. Suggested feedback you’re free to borrow from me: tell them they need to reduce the number of clicks it takes to get the information you want on The Green Button. I love their stuff, but finding it can be a chore at times. I clicked their fancy button, then clicked contest details, then clicked contest rules to find out what I had to do to enter. Another click to enter, followed by starting a new thread in the forum. That’s too many clicks. You can start the clicking process at their great looking contest graphic or you can dramatically reduce the clicking and read the rules here.
I Started Something has the best looking contest page, all so you can enter your name and email address, which are the only two requirements for entry. You get a second entry if you happen to have Vista and you are willing to install the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program on your computer. Based on my own experiences with driver frustrations that still aren’t resolved in Vista (which is only partly Microsoft’s fault), installing the CEIP isn’t the solution - Microsoft knows what the problems are already, it’s getting hardware manufacturers up to speed in a sluggish Vista market that’s the problem. Rules of the contest are here.
As posted on the front page
">Oz Hull is the lucky recipient of the HP HDX Dragon giveaway from this site. If you’re names not Oz Hull, there are still other ways to get your hands on a Dragon.
The Lockergnome giveaway is officially underway. Chris has three simple requirements: Be present in the chris.pirillo.com chatroom at the time of the giveway, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and make a comment somewhere on chris.pirillo.com. Official details here.
PlanetX64 is also giving away an HP HDX Dragon. You’ll need to do some treasure hunting to enter their giveaway. It starts with a subscription to the PlanetX64 newsletter. Good luck!
In my ongoing commitment to post about each of the HP HDX Dragon giveaways, here are three more just underway.
From the self-described pundit barely old enough to legally buy alcohol, Robert McLaws, comes the challenge of saying something nice about Windows Vista in 5 minutes or less. Apparently beating the Vista version of solitaire on video doesn’t count, but you do get points for Innovative uses of Windows Vista (one of my copies is currently a doorstop, does that count?), Presentation Creativity, Effort, and Making a Difference (I use Vista every day to send email to people who are having problems with Vista, but I don’t think that’s what Robert means). Full details are here.
WindowsConnected.com has a more complicated giveaway. Like the hybrid of the Ars Technica and Gadgeteer giveaways mentioned previously, you’ve got to make something or do something related to WindowsConnected and then provde them with proof you’ve done it. If you build a WindowsConnected-branded computer to monitor global warming via Windows Vista, you might get two entries in one with WIndowsConnected and WindowsNow. WindowsConnected giveaway details are here.
Geeks to Go has something much simpler - all you have to do is print the Geeks to Go logo. I’ll bet if you tattoo their logo on your person, you’re a guaranteed winner, although I have no influence in their giveaway so don’t consider that a recommended strategy. Official details are here.
I was on hand for the AMD announcement of their Turion X2 Ultra mobile processor and the 7 Series chipset for mobile computers and I couldn’t help feeling like this was the turning point for Windows Vista performance. In my own experiences with Vista, the key limiting factor for everything important to me — video editing, high definition video playback, and even day-to-day visual user experience — is graphics processing. My Dell D620 routinely crashes thanks to the Nvidia graphics card inside. My desktop Vista installation was a graphics slug until I upgraded to a GPU with 512MB of dedicated video RAM. AMD’s annoucement of the 7 Series chipset, should help make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone smart enough to buy a computer with the 7 Series chipset inside.
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