Computer Technology Development

MSI Wind Netbook

2008-07-26T00:35:00.001-07:00

MSI Notebook is drawing mass attention with the coming release of the MSI Wind Netbook. Intel has already made its presentation with the MSI Wind Netbook in Shanghai during IDF (Intel Development Forum). The light and graceful MSI Wind Netbook will provide the simplest operating conditions for the everyday enjoyment for our users.

Living in the new age of the internet, every person has the needs for effective internet connection both at professionally and personally. MSI offers the new Wind Netbook to meet the demands of the modern people, in providing a lighter and more convenient notebook computer.

Through the advancement of information and technology, the internet has become the very bridge that connects the world. It is also the most effective way of receiving the latest of necessary knowledge and methods. The small and beautiful Wind Netbook will provide the necessities for all computer functions, as wells as simple and friendly operating conditions so all of us may participate in the world of the internet.

Friendly and Familiar Operation System
MSI Notebook is about to release the Wind Netbook that is approximately 1 kilogram in weight, making it very ideal for taking it on the go. At the same time, providing the most personable operational conditions by selecting Microsoft's Windows XP as our console, so our users can be familiar with the operational functions, avoiding the adjustment of a new system.

The Wind Netbook has selected the 8.9 "and the 10" wide LCD display as oppose to the typical smaller sizes to provide better comfort while viewing or reading. The embedded LED power-saving backlight technology can provide better color in richness and brightness, elevating the total quality of imagery. The 1024x 600 resolution can relief concerns of the full display of Web Pages while browsing, giving you the freedom when exploring the internet.

MSI Notebook has the same persistence for proper ergonomically design even on the keyboards of our smaller notebook computers. The keyboard of the Wind Netbook not only has great texture, it also increased the space between the keys to 17.5mm, allowing you to be as comfortable as you can.

In addition, with the equipped standard battery package, longer battery life can escalate the mobility and the productiveness of the Wind Netbook, which can also make your daily lives much more convenient.

Unlike its other competitors that has compromised the memory capacity to decrease in size, the Wind Netbook is equipped with the 2.5 inch standard hard drive〈80G〉. It can operate just as any other notebook computers; without the worries of not having enough memory capacity to record the greatest moments in life.

Acer Aspire One Specification

2008-07-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

feature	specifications
Processor & Chipset	- Intel® Atom™ processor N270 (1.60 GHz, 533 MHz FSB, 512 KB L2 cache) - Mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset (DDR2 400/533 MHz) - Mobile Intel® 82801GBM Chipset
Operating System	- Linpus™ Linux® Lite version - Windows XP® Home
Memory	- Single channel with onboard SDRAM and one soDIMM slot • DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM memory interface design • Onboard SDRAM: 512 MB - soDIMM slot: Supports 512 MB/1 GB soDIMMs for total system memory of up to 1.5 GB5
Storage	- NAND flash module or hard disk drive for internal storage7 - NAND flash module: 8 GB - Hard disk drive7: 2.5″ 9.5 mm 120GB - Storage expansion: SD™ Card reader - Multi-in-1 card reader: Supporting Secure Digital™ (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Reduced-Size Multimedia Card (RS-MMC), Memory Stick® (MS), Memory Stick PRO™ (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card™ (xD) - Supporting storage cards with adapter: miniSD™, microSD™, Memory Stick Duo™, Memory Stick PRO Duo™
Display	- 8.9″ WSVGA high-brightness (typical 180-nit) Acer CrystalBrite™ TFT LCD, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution • LED backlight • 262,000 colors supported
Multimedia	- High-definition audio support - Two built-in stereo speakers - MS-Sound compatible - Built-in digital microphone
Communication	- Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, supporting 0.3 megapixel resolution - WLAN2: Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology, - LAN: 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet - WWAN8: UMTS/HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) at 850/1900/2100 MHz and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), upgradeable to 7.2 Mb/s HSDPA and 2 Mb/s HSUPA (for 3G models) - Supports receiver diversity and equalizes at 2100 MHz - Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, supporting Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology2
I/O Interfaces	- Multi-in-1 card reader - SD™ Card reader for storage expansion - Three USB 2.0 ports - External display (VGA) port - Headphone/speaker/line-out jack - Microphone-in jack - Ethernet (RJ-45) port - DC-in jack for AC adapter
Power supply and Battery	- 30 W adapter with power cord - 24 W 2200 mAh 3-cell Li-ion battery pack - 57 W 2600 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery pack - 3-hour battery life for SKUS with NAND flash module and 3-cell battery pack - 7-hour battery life for SKUS with NAND flash module and 6-cell battery pack
Keyboard & Special Controls	- 84-key keyboard with 1.6 mm (minimum) key travel - Touchpad pointing device with two buttons - 12 function keys, four cursor keys, one Windows® key for Windows® XP Home or one Home key for Linpus™ - Linux® Lite version, hotkey controls, embedded numeric keypad, international language support - Power button with LED - Easy-access switches with LED: WLAN, WWAN1
Weight and Dimensions	- 249 (W) x 170 (D) x 29 (H) mm (9.8 x 6.7 x 1.14 inches) for SKUs with NAND flash module and 3-cell battery pack - 249 (W) x 195 (D) x 36 (H) mm (9.8 x 6.7 x 1.42 inches) for SKUs with hard disk drive and 6-cell battery pack - 995 g (2.19 lbs.) for SKUs with NAND flash module and 3-cell battery pack - 1.26 kg (2.78 lbs.) for SKUs with hard disk drive and 6-cell battery pack
Software (Optional)	- Linpus™ Linux® Lite version • OpenOffice 2.3 • Aspire one Mail • Messenger - Windows XP® Home • Acer eRecovery Management • Acer Launch Manager • Adobe® Reader® • McAfee® Internet Security Suite - Microsoft® Office Trial 2007
Warranty	- One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)

New Intel® Centrino® Atom™ Processor Technology Ushers in 'Best Internet Experience in Your Pocket'

2008-07-09T02:41:00.000-07:00

With 45nm High-K Transistor Formula as Centerpiece, Execs at Shanghai Intel Developer Forum Outline 'Milliwatts to Petaflops' Hi-Tech Plans

Intel Corporation today introduced five new Intel® Atom™ processors and Intel Centrino® Atom™ processor technology for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and embedded computing solutions.
The technology package includes the Intel® Atom™ processor (formerly codenamed "Silverthorne") plus a single-chip with integrated graphics called the Intel® System Controller Hub that enables PC-like capabilities, an uncompromised Internet experience and long battery life in smaller devices that can fit in your pocket. Manufacturers around the world are planning to ship Intel-based MIDs beginning this summer.
MIDs are truly mobile devices that enable the best Internet experience in pocketable devices. MIDs will allow consumers to communicate, entertain, access information and be productive on-the-go, and are expected to represent a new class of next-generation, Internet-based portable video players, navigation devices, converged tablets and other consumer products.
Formerly codenamed "Menlow," Intel Centrino Atom processor technology includes the company's first-ever Intel Atom processor (formerly "Silverthorne"). The processor – Intel's smallest and the world's fastest chip under 3 watts – has a thermal design power range1 of 0.65 to 2.4 watts* (versus 35 watts for today's typical laptop), average power range2 of 160-220 milliwatts (mW) and idle power range3 of 80-100mW.
These dramatic low-power levels are achieved as a result of several major processor design power management techniques such as Intel Deep Power Down Technology (C6), CMOS mode, and Split I/O power supply. When combined with Intel's unique and reinvented 45nm high-k metal gate transistor formula, the chips are very energy efficient and smaller in size, and enable longer battery life and sleek designs.
"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great package of technology," said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group. "Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small devices can deliver a big Internet experience."
The Heart of a New Generation of Mobile Internet Devices, and MoreAs the Internet becomes more pervasive, the desire to be constantly connected via wireless broadband will continue to drive exciting new compute-intensive consumer products. Intel processors are designed for and already are the backbone for the majority of the computers that run and access the Internet, and today's Intel Centrino Atom processor technology will enable users to access this Internet while on-the-go.
The Intel Atom processor (formerly codenamed "Silverthorne") will come in speeds up to 1.86 GHz, support Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology, and select SKUs will support Intel Hyper-Threading technology. These capabilities make it the fastest processor in the sub-3 watt space, enabling a rich user experience with fast Web page downloads and support for the latest Web technologies such as Adobe Flash* and JavaScript*. The Intel® System Controller Hub is a ground-up, highly integrated low-power solution that features advanced low-power 3-D graphics features, hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD video decode capabilities, Intel High Definition Audio, and a combination of PC and handheld I/O capabilities such as PCI Express*, USB Host and Client, and SDIO. Intel Centrino Atom processor technology also enables manufacturers to integrate a range of wireless connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, WiMAX and cellular data.
The technical features of the Intel Atom processor and Intel System Controller Hub will help to create an array of MIDs that offer a range of functions and variety of pocketable devices. The processors are also designed for fan-less, small form factor devices for embedded applications such as in-vehicle infotainment systems, portable point-of-sale devices for retail and more rugged computing devices such as robotics for industrial manufacturing. For embedded applications, Intel will include longer 7-year life cycle support.
All told, Intel is introducing five Intel Atom processors and three versions of its controller hub. More information and pricing is available at www.intel.com/pressroom/idf.
Gelsinger: Milliwatts to PetaflopsDuring his keynote, Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, said Intel Architecture (IA) processors now span MIDs to High- Performance Servers (HPC). In HPC, Intel's Xeon processors power three of the world's top five HPC systems, and in 2007 Intel supplied roughly four of five processors in the HPC market, including one of the most powerful in China, the SINOPEC system used for petroleum exploration.
Gelsinger provided some technical details of Intel's next-generation processor family, codenamed "Nehalem," which will begin production in the fourth quarter. Nehalem will first be seen in high-end desktop processors and dual processor server systems, and expand to other market segments in 2009. Nehalem is designed to scale from two to eight cores. Gelsinger also disclosed Intel's Advanced Vector Extension new instructions that are planned for a family of processors due after Nehalem, codenamed "Sandy Bridge" in 2010.
Honglin Zhang, deputy chief director of the IT Center for the China Ministry of Railways, joined Gelsinger onstage to talk about IA-based systems playing a pivotal role in providing cost-effective, flexible and reliable end-to-end solutions. Beijing officials also discussed how the upcoming Olympics* IT infrastructure and Web portal will be run on Intel Xeon processors. Gelsinger concluded his keynote talking about Intel's Visual Computing vision and need for more compute performance, higher memory and I/O bandwidth, improved graphics, better software tools and libraries in order to deliver photo-realistic 3-D rendering, high-definition video and audio, and computer modeling, all leading to a better computing experience. One critical element will be the "Larrabee" Architecture, which will feature many Intel architecture cores, a new cache architecture and new vector processing instruction set.
Perlmutter: Personalized Mobility On The WayAlso at IDF, Dadi Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobility Group, discussed the wave of personalization on tap that takes advantage of new notebook and netbook products coming to market later this year. Intel will deliver its next-generation "Montevina" Intel Centrino 2 processor technology for notebooks in June providing faster performance and longer battery life.
Centrino 2 will be the first platform from Intel to offer an integrated Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless access option that is expected to be available in certain notebooks in the second half of the year. Other options for Centrino 2 include the processor and other components that are about 40 percent smaller, making them ideal for the mini- and sub-notebook categories. Perlmutter shared details in graphics quality and native hardware support for high-definition entertainment using Blu Ray*, and demonstrated Intel solid state drive technology.
Looking ahead Perlmutter offered a first peek at Intel's 2009 notebook platform codenamed "Calpella." Before that and toward the end of 2008, Perlmutter said the company will bring Intel® Anti-theft Technology to complement and enhance existing solutions by leading computer makers and software vendors. The technology focuses on asset recovery, theft management and data protection and will arrive in laptops by year's end.
Perlmutter also showcased two laptops called "netbooks" while articulating Intel's strategy for this emerging class of affordable, easy-to-use computers. These simple, low-cost Internet-centric devices will be powered by Intel's new purpose-built low power architecture, forthcoming "Diamondville" Intel Atom processors and unique transistor and manufacturing process that is perfectly suited for this new market opportunity.

Aspire "one" -- Acer's first mobile Internet device

2008-07-08T00:21:00.001-07:00

Acer celebrates more than thirty years' experience in innovating technologies with the launch of the Aspire one -- Acer's first Internet device.

The Aspire one is an all-new communication device designed to provide a true mobile and wireless experience through continuous access to the Internet no matter where you are.

Thanks to the Internet, people the world over can be everywhere regardless of time and space. There are no real limits to online social interaction apart from our own imagination and Acer has built the Aspire one with a single goal in mind: enrich people's lives through simplicity, giving them immediate access to the Internet and easier communication across their entire online social networks.

The Aspire one was designed to get you online in no time at all and thanks to the Linpus™ Linux® Lite operating system, start up and shut down times are reduced to the minimum. With the Aspire one running on Linux environment, the simplicity continues with the intuitive and specifically optimized software interface. For example the specially developed one Mail software application simply and clearly manages up to six separate email accounts in a single window while the Messenger program can simultaneously handle the most popular instant messaging accounts. Features like these make the Aspire one the beating heart of your online world.

The form factor of the Aspire one comes from asking ourselves what people really need to fully exploit "anywhere communication."

To start with, product design is essential. Miniaturization of core components has reduced the dimensions of the Aspire one to less than the average diary and at the same time has brought down its weight to below one kilo, leaving a sleek, light and comfortable footprint that is truly mobile.

Then, the input interface: another crucial element for a smooth Internet experience. The Aspire one features a 95% full-sized keyboard for natural, easy typing just like you're used to.

Finally, the Aspire one is built for Internet navigation and delivers the ideal balance between optimal viewing of online content and reduced LCD size: its 8.9" screen fits the 1024x600 web resolution to perfection without sacrificing clarity, compactness and light weight

Acer's mission -- breaking the barriers between people and technology -- is brought to life through intense and consistent product research and design that translates advanced technological tools into solutions that can be easily utilized by users of all levels.

"We want the tools we develop to be truly useful in the real world," comments Jim Wong, Senior Corporate VP and President of IT Products Global Operations, Acer Inc. "When developing new products we always follow a clear principle: we look at everyday life and current usage models of our customers, anticipate future trends and needs and then blend the best available technology with software intelligence to simplify their future. This time we came up with something really special -- the Aspire one -- an Internet device that delivers true mobile and a seamless wireless experience for all online users."

"The Acer Aspire one netbook designed for internet use will help drive growth in the exciting new netbook category," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager, Mobile Platforms Group, Intel Corp. "Purpose built Intel Atom processors are enabling our customers to innovate and together we will bring the next billion users online."

No matter how advanced technology becomes, simplicity is all that matters.

Acer presents world's first 24" full-HD and 16:9 ratio LCD monitor

2008-07-08T00:15:00.000-07:00

Acer presents the world's first 24" full High Definition (FHD), with 1080p resolution and 16:9 ratio widescreen LCD monitor at the Computex Taipei. The Acer P244W supports real 1080p content playback, pixel by pixel, without loss of image quality. Designed for those who require exceptional multimedia performance with intense graphics and superb video, the P244W is the ideal second display to accompany 1080p mobile PCs for maximum productivity and visual enhancement. Target users include gamers, designers and home-theater enthusiasts.

Magnificent display and productivity
The widescreen aspect ratio of P244W monitors makes them perfect for gaming and multimedia applications. Magnificent display technologies within include Acer Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM) that dramatically improves the gradation and detail, especially for dimmer and brighter scenes. The P244W supports a superior contrast ratio up to 20,000:1. These adjustments are focused at the input image directly to produce ultra-sharp images, at the same time, power is used more efficiently. A rapid response time up to 2 ms gray-to-gray permits immersive graphics and video display. The key benefit of this overdrive technology is the clear improvement of the gray-to-gray level, which is the most important factor in the moving-picture viewing experience.

Impressive design
The P244W carries a striking, shiny black bezel with a polished black base and gleaming silver arm. Convenient touch-sensitive OSD (onscreen display) further maintains the clean, streamlined look.

Leading functionality
Acer strives to take the lead in compliance with the latest technology standards. The P244W is compliant with the most up-to-date Microsoft Vista® operation systems, supports HDMI™ for projecting HD movies and high-impact gaming. Acer eColor Management enables color adjustments with great simplicity.

A perfect fusion of features and services - the Nokia N78 now available in US

2008-07-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Newest Nseries device enhances the mobile lifestyle by merging new technologies and Ovi services

Starting today, convergence craving consumers across the United States can set their sights on the newest Nokia Nseries device to hit American store shelves, the Nokia N78. Combining advanced mobile features such as integrated A-GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and high-speed HSDPA connectivity on North American 850/1900 MHz networks, the Nokia N78 is perfect for enjoying new Nokia services such as Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi. Along with this full suite of data features, the Nokia N78 has also been engineered for maximum voice and messaging performance as well. Now available through select consumer electronics and wireless retailers, online retailers and at the Nokia Flagship Stores in Chicago and New York, the Nokia N78 retails for approximately USD 560. Specific information on retailers offering the Nokia N78 and other Nseries devices can be found at http://www.nseries.com/.

"Offering the robust feature set expected from an Nseries device, the integration of these features with Nokia's new suite of Ovi services is what makes the Nokia N78 a perfect companion for a connected and mobile lifestyle," said William Plummer, Vice President of Go-to-Market for Nokia. "Whether using GPS to find my way across town, adding geotag information to the images I capture and upload to Share on Ovi, or using the FM transmitter to listen to my music collection through my car stereo, the Nokia N78 keeps me connected and entertained wherever I go."

Each Nokia N78 includes a free three-month trial navigation license for the Nokia Maps service, which enables users to calculate routing information, provides details on up to 15 million different points of interest, and gives audible and visual turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. With the integrated A-GPS, users can 'geotag' images they capture on the Nokia N78 with location information. With this information images uploaded to Share on Ovi or other selected image sharing sites can include not only when the picture was taken - but also where the picture was taken, even displaying that information visually on a map.

For music fans, the Nokia N78 combines two exciting features - a digital music player and an integrated FM transmitter - to enable a complete audio experience. With storage for up to 8GB of music on an optional MicroSD memory card, a music collection can be easily shared and enjoyed in the home or car by playing it wirelessly through the FM radio.

Yet another useful tool that the Nokia N78 offers is widget support enabled by Web Runtime technology. This functionality allows easy mobile access to valuable online information, including weather, sports, news and more. A wide variety of widgets are available through the Download! client on the Nokia N78 or through the MOSH mobile content distribution platform at http://mosh.nokia.com/.

To further enhance the overall experience of the Nokia N78, a variety of Nokia Original Accessories are also available. Offering exceptional sound in an over-the-ear style headset, the Nokia Stereo Headset WH-600 offers the perfect blend of comfort and sound quality. If the occasion calls for sharing tunes with a friend, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W offer full range sound in a compact easy to carry package. Unlike most portable speakers, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W features 3D sound, dynamic compression for optimal audio at all volume levels and dynamic bass control for powerful low frequencies.

Solid-state drive (SSD)

2008-07-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data. Unlike flash-based memory cards, an SSD emulates a hard disk drive, thus easily replacing it in most applications. An SSD using SRAM or DRAM (instead of flash memory) is often called a RAM-drive. The original usage of the term solid-state (from solid-state physics) refers to the use of semiconductor devices rather than electron tubes, but has in this context been adopted to distinguish solid-state electronics from electromechanical devices as well. With no moving parts, solid-state drives are inherently less fragile than harddisks and therefore also silent (unless a cooling fan is used); as there are no mechanical delays, they usually enjoy low access time and latency.

History

SSDs have begun to appear in laptops, although they are at present substantially more expensive per unit of capacity than hard drives.History Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (February 2007) In 1978, the StorageTek company developed the first solid-state drive. In the mid-1980s Santa Clara Systems introduced BatRam, an array of 1 megabit DIP RAM Chips and a custom controller card that emulated a hard disk. The package included a rechargeable battery to preserve the memory chip contents when the array was unpowered. The Sharp PC-5000, introduced in 1983, used 128 kilobyte (128 KiB) solid-state storage cartridges, containing bubble memory. RAM "disks" were popular as boot media in the 1980s, when hard drives were expensive, floppy drives were slow, and a few systems, such as the Amiga series and the Apple IIgs, supported such booting. At the cost of some main memory, the system could be soft-rebooted and be back in the operating system in mere seconds instead of minutes. Some systems were battery-backed so contents could persist when the system was shut down. In 1995 M-Systems introduced flash-based solid-state drives. (SanDisk acquired M-Systems in November 2006). Since then, SSDs have been used successfully as hard disk drive replacements by the military and aerospace industries, as well as other mission-critical applications. These applications require the exceptional mean time between failures (MTBF) rates that solid-state drives achieve, by virtue of their ability to withstand extreme shock, vibration and temperature ranges. The Gigabyte i-RAM uses standard DDR modules and connects to its host via Serial ATA. This card can use the system's standby power (also used for Wake-on-LAN and similar features) to maintain its RAM contents even with the system powered off, and includes a battery that can retain the data when the system is completely disconnected from power. Architecture and function An SSD is commonly composed of either NAND flash non-volatile memory or DRAM volatile memory. Most SSD manufacturers use non-volatile flash memory to create more rugged and compact alternatives for the consumer market. These flash memory-based SSDs, also known as flash drives, do not require batteries, allowing makers to replicate standard disk drive form factors (1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3.5-inch). In addition, non-volatility allows flash SSDs to retain memory even during sudden power outages, ensuring data retrievability. Though flash SSDs are significantly slower than DRAM, they still perform better than traditional hard drives, at least with regard to reads. Flash SSDs have no moving parts, thus eliminating spin-up time altogether, and greatly reducing seek time, latency and other delays inherent in conventional electro-mechanical disks. SSDs based on volatile memory such as DRAM are characterized by very fast data access, generally less than 0.01 milliseconds (over 250 times faster than the fastest hard drives in 2004), and are used primarily to accelerate applications that would otherwise be held back by the latency of disk drives. DRAM-based SSDs sometimes incorporate internal battery and backup storage systems to ensure data persistence. If power is lost for any reason, the battery keeps the unit powered for sufficient time to allow the copying of all data from random access memory (RAM) to the back-up storage. Then, when the power is restored, data is copied back to RAM from the back-up storage, and the SSD resumes normal operation. (This is not unlike the "hibernate" function used in modern operating systems, which saves the entire contents of memory to nonvolatile storage before power-down, to be rewritten into memory upon power-up.) Solid-state drives are especially useful on computers that already have the maximum amount of supported RAM. For example, some computer systems built on the x86-32 architecture can effectively be extended beyond the 4 GB limit by putting the paging file or swap file on an SSD. Owing to the bandwidth bottleneck of the bus they connect to, SSDs cannot read and write data as fast as main RAM can, but they are far faster than any mechanical hard drive. Placing the swap file on an SSD, as opposed to a traditional hard drive, can therefore provide a significant performance increase. DRAM-based SSDs may also work as a buffer cache mechanism. Whenever data is written to memory, the corresponding block in memory is marked as dirty, and all dirty blocks can be flushed to the actual hard drive based on the following two criteria: Time (e.g. every 10 seconds, flush all dirty data); Threshold (when the ratio of dirty data to SSD size exceeds some predetermined value, flush the dirty data). Modern models carry lithium-ion batteries as back-up in case of a power outage, or to allow transfer to another computer.

Comparison with hard disk drives

A comparison (with benchmarks) of SSDs, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) drives, and hard disk drives (HDDs) is given in the reference.

Advantages

Faster start-up (over 30 times faster[citation needed]) – as no spin-up is required. (RAM & Flash) Typically fast random access for reading – as there is no read/write head to move. (RAM & Flash) Extremely low read and write latency times – as SSD seek-times are orders of magnitude lower than the best current hard disk drives. (RAM) In applications where hard disk seeks are the limiting factor this results in faster boot and application launch times ( see Amdahl's law). (RAM) No noise – a lack of moving parts makes SSDs completely silent, unless, as in the case of some high-end and high-capacity models, they have cooling fans attached. (RAM & Flash) For low-capacity SSDs, low power consumption and heat production – although high-end SSDs and DRAM-based SSDs may have significantly higher power requirements. High mechanical reliability – the lack of moving parts almost eliminates the risk of mechanical failure. (RAM & Flash) Ability to endure extreme shock, high altitude, vibration and extremes of temperature – once again because there are no moving parts. This makes SSDs useful for laptops, mobile computers, and devices that operate in extreme conditions. (Flash) Relatively deterministic performance – unlike hard disk drives, performance of SSDs is almost constant and deterministic across the entire storage. This is because the seek time is almost constant and is not dependent on the physical location of the data, and so, file fragmentation has almost no impact on performance. For low-capacity SSDs, lower weight and size – although size and weight per unit storage are still better for traditional hard drives, and microdrives allow up to 20 GB storage in a CompactFlash 42.8×36.4×5 mm (1.7×1.4×.2 in) form-factor. Up to 256 GB, SSDs are currently lighter than hard drives of the same capacity.

Disadvantages

Price – as of mid-2008, flash memory prices are still considerably more costly per gigabyte than are comparable conventional hard drives: around USD 3.50 per GB compared to typically less than USD 0.40 for mechanical drives. Capacity – although currently far lower than that of conventional hard drives, SSD capacity is predicted to increase rapidly, with experimental drives of up to 1 TB in test. Higher vulnerability to certain types of effects, including abrupt power loss (especially DRAM based SSDs), magnetic fields and electric/static charges, in comparison to normal HDDs (which store the data inside a Faraday cage). Limited write cycles – flash-memory storage will often wear out after 300,000-500,000 write cycles[citation needed], while high endurance flash-memory storage may have an endurance of 1–5 million write cycles (many log files, file allocation tables, and other commonly used parts of the file system exceed this over the lifetime of a computer. Special file systems or firmware designs can mitigate this problem by spreading writes over the entire device (so-called wear levelling), rather than rewriting files in place. This problem is being improved all the time, with consequent increases in expected lifespans. Today's drives can last up to 20 years with average usage. An example for the lifetime of SSD is explained in detail here. SSDs based on DRAM, however, do not suffer from this problem. Slower write speeds – as erase blocks on flash-based SSDs generally are quite large, they are far slower than conventional disks for random writes, and in some cases for sequential writes. SSDs based on DRAM do not suffer from this problem.

Cost and capacity

Until recently, solid-state drives were too costly for mobile computing. As flash manufacturers transition from NOR flash to single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash and most recently to multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash to maximize silicon die usage and reduce associated costs, "solid-state disks" are now being more accurately renamed "solid-state drives" – they have no disks but function as drives – for mobile computing in the enterprise and consumer electronics space. This technological trend is accompanied by an annual 50% decline in raw flash material costs, while capacities continue to double at the same rate. As a result, flash-based solid-state drives are becoming increasingly popular in markets such as notebook PCs and sub-notebooks for enterprises, Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC), and Tablet PCs for the healthcare and consumer electronics sectors. Major PC companies have now started to offer such technology. The capacity of these drives varies from 12 GB to 256 GB.

Availability

Even though solid-state drive (SSD) technology has been marketed to the military and niche industrial markets since the mid-1990s, it is only recently that the enterprise sector has taken notice of the benefits that SSDs can offer, as key SSD technologies emerge, prices drop and new case studies, along with analyst reports, are published.

CompactFlash card used as SSD

Along with the emerging enterprise market, SSDs have been appearing in ultra-mobile PCs and a few lightweight laptop systems, adding a US$ $600 to $1000 premium to the price of a HDD-equipped laptop, depending on the capacity, form factor and transfer speeds. Only a handful of companies offer large (128 GB or larger) SSD drives with write speeds adequate for replacing traditional drives, and these drives are available in limited quantities and are very expensive. Already some manufacturers have begun shipping affordable, fast, energy-efficient drives priced at $350 to computer manufacturers. For low-end applications, a USB memory stick may be used as a Flash hard drive for $10 to $100 or so, depending on capacity, or a CompactFlash card may be paired with a CF-to-IDE or CF-to-SATA converter at a similar cost. Either of these requires that write-cycle endurance issues be managed, either by not storing frequently written files on the drive, or by using a Flash file system. Standard CompactFlash cards usually have write speeds of 7 to 15 megabytes per second while the more expensive upmarket cards claim speeds of up to 40 MB/s One of the first mainstream releases of SSD was the XO Laptop built under the 'One Laptop Per Child' project. Mass production of these computers built for children in developing countries begun in December 2007. These machines use 1024 MiB SLC NAND flash as primary storage solution which is considered more suitable for the harsher than normal conditions they are expected to be used in. Dell has begun shipping ultra-portable laptops with SanDisk SSDs on April 26, 2007. Asus released the Eee PC subnotebook on October 16 2007, and after a successful commercial start in 2007, expects to ship several million PCs in 2008, with 2, 4 or 8 gigabytes of flash memory. On January 31, 2008 Apple Inc. released the MacBook Air, a thin laptop with optional 64 GB SSD. The cost is $599 more for this option if configured in the Apple Store, as compared to that of an 80 GB 4200 RPM Hard Disk Drive. Another option - IBM Lenovo ThinkPad X300 with a 64Gbyte SSD - was announced by Lenovo in February 2008, and is currently available to consumers in some countries. Architecture and function An SSD is commonly composed of either NAND flash non-volatile memory or DRAM volatile memory. Most SSD manufacturers use non-volatile flash memory to create more rugged and compact alternatives for the consumer market. These flash memory-based SSDs, also known as flash drives, do not require batteries, allowing makers to replicate standard disk drive form factors (1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3.5-inch). In addition, non-volatility allows flash SSDs to retain memory even during sudden power outages, ensuring data retrievability. Though flash SSDs are significantly slower than DRAM, they still perform better than traditional hard drives, at least with regard to reads. Flash SSDs have no moving parts, thus eliminating spin-up time altogether, and greatly reducing seek time, latency and other delays inherent in conventional electro-mechanical disks. SSDs based on volatile memory such as DRAM are characterized by very fast data access, generally less than 0.01 milliseconds (over 250 times faster than the fastest hard drives in 2004), and are used primarily to accelerate applications that would otherwise be held back by the latency of disk drives. DRAM-based SSDs sometimes incorporate internal battery and backup storage systems to ensure data persistence. If power is lost for any reason, the battery keeps the unit powered for sufficient time to allow the copying of all data from random access memory (RAM) to the back-up storage. Then, when the power is restored, data is copied back to RAM from the back-up storage, and the SSD resumes normal operation. (This is not unlike the "hibernate" function used in modern operating systems, which saves the entire contents of memory to nonvolatile storage before power-down, to be rewritten into memory upon power-up.)
Solid-state drives are especially useful on computers that already have the maximum amount of supported RAM. For example, some computer systems built on the x86-32 architecture can effectively be extended beyond the 4 GB limit by putting the paging file or swap file on an SSD. Owing to the bandwidth bottleneck of the bus they connect to, SSDs cannot read and write data as fast as main RAM can, but they are far faster than any mechanical hard drive. Placing the swap file on an SSD, as opposed to a traditional hard drive, can therefore provide a significant performance increase. DRAM-based SSDs may also work as a buffer cache mechanism. Whenever data is written to memory, the corresponding block in memory is marked as dirty, and all dirty blocks can be flushed to the actual hard drive based on the following two criteria: Time (e.g. every 10 seconds, flush all dirty data); Threshold (when the ratio of dirty data to SSD size exceeds some predetermined value, flush the dirty data). Modern models carry lithium-ion batteries as back-up in case of a power outage, or to allow transfer to another computer.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJMGAdpCLVg

http://www.samsungssd.com

Experience Easy, Excellent and Exciting Computing with the New Eee PC™

2008-07-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

The All NEW Eee PC™ 901, 1000 and 1000(H) for All Day Shockproof Usage

Amid overwhelming response to the previous model of the Eee PC™, ASUS is once again making waves with the announcement of the new generation of Eee PCs™ - the Eee PC™ 901 and 1000 series; which will provide users with brand new user experiences.

Reliable Shock-Proof for All Day Computing

Equipped with the built-in SSD (Solid State Drive) technology*, the all new Eee PC™ 901 and 1000 are your ideal mobile travel computing companions. The latest generation of Eee PC 901/1000 consumes less power, allows the device to boot quickly, produces less heat and is less susceptible to shock damage.
Together with the ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, users can now enjoy a longer battery lifespan of up to 7.8** hours, allowing them to stay in touch and be connected for a longer period of time while on-the-go. Super Hybrid Engine also offers a choice of performance and power consumption modes for easy adjustments according to their varied needs.
Any considerations about memory and storage demands are eased with the introduction of Internet storage. The Eee PC™ now offers a 20GB Internet storage facility that allows a massive 5GB worth of downloads per day, file encryption and accessibility from both Windows and Linux platforms. So whether users want to share images with their friends and family, or store big business presentations, they can now access their data with ease and not worry about space constraints.

Excellent Connectivity for Mobile Computing

Within the Eee PC™, a full range of applications is perfectly designed to enhance the user's communication and computing experience. The Eee PC™ 901 and 1000 enables users to easily function in any connected environment. From the wild outdoors to the shopping centre, users will be able to enjoy fast and complete connectivity (WiFi 802.11n); while built-in Bluetooth will provide ease of data transfers.
Additionally, the Eee Connect application offers a straightforward and easy way to connect two or more users remotely through a remote desktop feature for easy troubleshooting. What's more, the choice of either Windows or GNU Linux operating systems makes computing life more convenient for an easy, excellent and exciting user experience.

Exciting Multimedia Enjoyment

For a more wholesome multimedia experience, users can look forward to the addition of the Eee Stick – a brand new wireless gaming accessory that provides users with new gaming experience without the hassles of wires and cables. Eee Stick provides users with a whole new level of interactivity with the game and with the Eee PC™. Together with the new generation of Eee PC™, users can now enjoy more fun wherever they may be.

Extraordinary Outlooks to Suit Individual Personalities

Now users can choose their preferred Eee PC™ personality. The new Eee PCs™ now come in six custom styles created with the cutting-edge Infusion casing technology. Inlaid within the chassis itself, the motifs are an integral part of the entire cover and will not fade with time. The Infusion surface also provides a new level of resilience – providing scratch resistance and a beautiful style while out and about. Users can choose from Sakura, Sweet Pea, Urban Metropolis, White Peony, Pearl White and Fine Ebony.
Lastly, the new Eee PC™ 901 and 1000 also marks the World Premiere of the Intel® Atom™ processor – Intel's smallest processor built with the world's smallest transistors. Working hand in hand with the Atom processor, the Eee PCs™, through ASUS' Green Design, ASUS provides Green products to consumers to help realize ASUS' social commitments.
*SSD available on selected model types.**Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations.

Apple introduces the new iPhone 3G

2008-07-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

The new iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking, built-in GPS, and iPhone 2.0 software that supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs hundreds of third party applications built with the iPhone SDK. Available in 22 countries on July 11, iPhone 3G comes in two models: an 8GB model priced at $199 (US) and a 16GB model priced at $299 (US).

Phone, iPod, Internet, and more.
3G technology gives iPhone fast access to the Internet and email over cellular networks around the world. iPhone 3G also makes it possible to do more in more places: Surf the web, download email, get directions, and watch video — even while you’re on a call.

The best phone for business. Ever.
What makes iPhone a great business phone? Simple. The same features that make it a revolutionary mobile device. With iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone does even more for your enterprise. It supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts. And it gives mobile users secure access to corporate resources with Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication.

Maps with GPS
Find your location, get directions, and see traffic — all from your phone. Maps on iPhone 3G combines GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower location technology with the Multi-Touch interface to create the best mobile map application ever.
iPhone 3G finds your location via GPS or by triangulating your position using Wi-Fi and cellular towers. It also finds points of interest by keyword: Search for “coffee” and iPhone shows you every cafe nearby.

App Store
Tap into the App Store and you’ll find applications in every category, from games to business, education to entertainment, finance to health and fitness, productivity to social networking. These applications have been designed to take advantage of iPhone features such as Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, wireless, and GPS. And some are even free. You can download them wirelessly and start using them right away.

Links : http://www.apple.com/iphone/

AVG Technologies attains Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status

2008-07-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

AVG Technologies, a leading provider of Internet security software, today announced it has attained Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in ISV/Software Solutions. To qualify as a Gold Certified partner, the company demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and a proven ability to meet customers' needs using that technology. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support, enabling them to provide optimum service and support to their customers.

AVG Technologies offers a range of Internet security products for home users and small to medium sized businesses (SMB). Home users can choose AVG Anti-Virus, AVG Anti-Virus plus Firewall, or AVG Internet Security, while business users can select networked versions of the Anti-Virus and Internet Security products as well as file- and email-server based Anti-Virus. In addition, AVG Technologies provides free basic protection against viruses, spyware, and web threats delivered through search results pages, to individuals with AVG Free.

"We are extremely pleased to have achieved Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program,“ says AVG Technologies CEO J. R. Smith. “It clearly shows our customers and business partners the high degree of expertise our people have in the use and support of Microsoft tools and platforms. Everyone gains from this recognition.“

As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Status, AVG Technologies had to declare a Microsoft Competency. Microsoft Competencies are designed to help differentiate a partner's capabilities with specific Microsoft technologies to customers looking for a particular type of solution. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the technology industry.

The Microsoft ISV/Software Solutions Competency recognizes the skill and focus partners bring to a particular solution set. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners that have obtained this competency have a successful record of developing and marketing packed software based on Microsoft technologies.

AVG Technologies recently announced that the AVG Free basic security product has achieved a key milestone of five million downloads in a single week at CNet download.com (www.download.com). AVG Free was downloaded more than five million times during the last week of May 2008. The total number of downloads through download.com since the launch of AVG Free 8.0 in April 2008 and today is approaching 25 million.

About the Microsoft Partner Program:

The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in December 2003 and represents Microsoft's ongoing commitment to the success of partners worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to help partners' businesses be successful.

Microsoft Announces Name, Pricing for Subscription Office

2008-07-05T02:55:00.001-07:00

As the Age of Ozzie begins at Microsoft, the pundits are already abuzz about how the Redmond-based behemoth might retool its business to more effectively compete with the likes of Google. The leading view is that Microsoft will move steadily toward a model based on "software plus services," bolstering its packaged software with value-added online services and selling the whole shebang at subscription rates.

Microsoft today announced the official name for its first such offering: Microsoft Equipt. As discussed earlier, this new package bundles Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition with Windows Live OneCare and some other Microsoft applications, including Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger, all for a single monthly fee. And the fee ain't bad.

At $69.99 per year, a two-year subscription to Microsoft Equipt is still slightly less expensive than a boxed version of Office Home and Student edition, which retails for $149.95. And Equipt throws in Windows Live OneCare for free.

Extend that subscription to four years, however -- the length of time between the last two releases of Microsoft Office -- and the picture is less rosy. If you expect to be a heavy Office user throughout the life cycle of the product -- or for four years of college, for instance -- you might save a few bucks by purchasing the suite outright.

Still, one advantage of Equipt's subscription pricing model is that it builds in a certain amount of consumer protection. Office 2007 has already been on the market for a while now. If you bought a subscription to Microsoft Equipt today and Microsoft released a new edition of Office next month, you would automatically get a free upgrade to the new version as part of your subscription.

Equipt also has another interesting wrinkle that could make it particularly attractive to users who move around. Each Equipt subscription includes a license to install the Office applications on not just one, but three PCs. Retail versions of Office typically include only one license.

So, for example, you could install one copy on your workstation at the office, another on your laptop for the road, and still another on your spouse's laptop (just in case). Equipt could also be a cost-effective package for a very small office (provided you could get by on only those applications that are included in Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition).

I'm curious to see how customers react to this new offering. The software business has been changing dramatically in recent years, due in large part to pressure from open source and software-as-a-service offerings. Microsoft is clearly trying to strike a balance between its traditional packaged software model and the new services-driven paradigm. If it gets it right, we could see the beginnings of a brand-new way of procuring software. The question is: Will it cost customers more or less in the long run?

Microsoft Equipt will be available exclusively at Circuit City stores beginning July 15, with other retailers to follow.

Microsoft Aims at Office Interoperability

2008-07-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

That was fast! We're only one day into the post-Bill Gates era, and already Microsoft is taking steps to improve interoperability between its Office suite of productivity applications and competing products, including open source alternatives such as OpenOffice.org.
The new initiatives pertain not only to Office 2007's new Open XML file formats, but to the earlier, binary-only Office document formats, as well. Mostly they involve documentation -- thousands of pages of technical documentation, designed to allow third-party developers to more easily read and write Microsoft's file formats -- but they also include actual translation software, as well. Can Microsoft really be turning over a new leaf?

First, Microsoft has issued technical documentation describing proprietary Microsoft protocols used in Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and SharePoint Server 2007. This is big news, because third-party software developers have long had difficulty interoperating with these products. Linux users, in particular, have never had a way to connect with SharePoint Server.

Next up, the company has posted some 5,000 pages of previously-unreleased technical documentation that describes the binary-only file formats for versions of Microsoft Office before Office 2007. Open source office suites have had good success deciphering these formats before now, but the translation is never perfect. This documentation should help to iron out any remaining bugs.

Finally, Microsoft has launched software projects to develop translators between Office Open XML and other file formats, including ODF (Open Document Format) and UOF (Uniform Office Format), an open standard that is popular in Asia.

Some of the information Microsoft has made available is covered by Microsoft patents, so it's not technically "free," even if the documentation is used to create open source software. But Microsoft has pledged not to assert patent claims against open source developers, as long as they do not develop and distribute their software as part of a commercial enterprise.

Of course, one could argue that Microsoft is making none of these gestures out of pure altruism. It still has anti-trust judgments to worry about, both at home and in the European Union. Faced with the threat of still more fines, you could almost say that the marriage of Microsoft and open standards is a shotgun wedding.

There's another catch, too. Even Microsoft employees have admitted now that "ODF has clearly won" the office-document file format war. Wouldn't it be funny if Microsoft went through all this effort just to drum up support for file formats and protocols that, in the end, no one will really want?

Laptops Lost Like Hot Cakes at US Airports

2008-07-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Keep laptops close at airports, because they have a startling tendency to disappear in the blink of an eye, according to a new survey.
Some of the largest and medium-sized U.S. airports report close to 637,000 laptops lost each year, according to the Ponemon Institute survey released Monday. Laptops are most commonly lost at security checkpoints, according to the survey.

Close to 10,278 laptops are reported lost every week at 36 of the largest U.S. airports, and 65 percent of those laptops are not reclaimed, the survey said. Around 2,000 laptops are recorded lost at the medium-sized airports, and 69 percent are not reclaimed.

Travelers seem to lack confidence that they will recover lost laptops. About 77 percent of people surveyed said they had no hope of recovering a lost laptop at the airport, with 16 percent saying they wouldn't do anything if they lost their laptop during business travel. About 53 percent said that laptops contain confidential company information, with 65 percent taking no steps to protect the information.

Airports, along with hotels and parked cars. are places where laptops can be easily stolen, said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on its Web site. The confusion of going through security checkpoints can make it easy for travelers to lose track of their laptops, making it "fertile ground for theft," the FTC said.

The FTC recommends people treat laptops "like cash." Like a wad of money, a laptop in public view -- like the backseat of the car or at the airport -- could attract unwanted attention. The FTC also recommends using tracking devices like Absolute Software's LoJack, which can help track down a stolen laptop by reporting its location once it is connected to the Internet. Lenovo last week announced it would offer the LoJack option in its upcoming ThinkPad SL series laptops.

Attaching bells and whistles that sound off after detecting laptop motion could also minimize the chances of laptop theft, the FTC says.

Laptop theft is fairly prevalent in the U.S., said Mike Spinney, a spokesman for Ponemon Institute. In a study conducted by the institute, 76 percent of companies surveyed reported losing one or more laptops each year, of which 22 percent were due to theft or other criminal mischief.

Many people are ashamed of reporting lost laptops as they leave them where they shouldn't be, Spinney said.

The Ponemon survey was commissioned by Dell, which on Monday announced new security services to commercial customers that include tracking and recovery of lost laptops and prevention of data theft.

Dell's laptop tracking service uses technology including GPS (Global Positioning System) to locate and recover lost laptops. The data protection services include the ability to remotely delete data on a hard drive and services to recover data from failed hard drives.

IAntiVirus Launches for Mac

2008-07-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

PC Tools on Monday announced the launch of iAntiVirus Beta Edition, an anti-virus and anti-spyware software application designed especially for the Mac. It's free to download, though US$29.95 nets you full support and updates for one year.
iAntiVirus' database is Mac-specific and doesn't contain any information about Windows-based threats, according to the developer. It's designed to work in the background when in monitoring mode, unobtrusively blocking threats and removing them with minimal system impact. It automatically places detected infections in quarantine and lets you view and restore items, displaying an alert below the system menu bar. You can also configure different scans, depending on your security needs.

Some may question the efficacy of Mac antivirus software, given the relative dearth of Mac-compatible viruses compared to the PC. iAntiVirus' developers note that the release of Mac-compatible "malware"--software designed to exploit security holes or poor security practices--are on the rise, and points to Apple's own recommendation to install and use anti-virus software to scan files in its Security Configuration Guide.

"The Mac has a solid reputation for remaining relatively threat free. However, we are witnessing the use of low level malware scripts, to identify whether there is the potential to infect the Mac OS, as well as the opportunity for malware producers to obtain a significant return on investment," said PC Tools CEO Simon Clausen.

System requirements all for Mac OS X 10.5 or later and 15MB hard disk space.

Microsoft Patches its XP Patch

2008-07-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Nearly three weeks after security vendor Symantec Corp. released a free tool to clean up PCs crippled by the Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) update, Microsoft Corp. issued a fix that should reestablish lost Internet and wireless connections.
Last week, Microsoft posted a hotfix for a problem users first reported in mid-May. Users of Symantec's consumer security software said that after updating their PCs to XP SP3, a bug emptied Windows' Device Driver and deleted network connections.

Although Symantec initially blamed Microsoft for the snafu, it later accepted some responsibility. In late May, Symantec acknowledged that Microsoft's updating process and a security feature in its own Norton-branded software combined to swamp the Windows registry with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bogus and corrupted keys. That security feature, dubbed "SymProtect" by Symantec, was designed to protect the company's security software from attack by guarding against unauthorized changes to the registry.

Although Microsoft had previously declined to comment on the episode, the support document that accompanied the hotfix fingered Symantec's software. "This problem occurs when the Fixccs.exe process is called during the Windows XP SP3 installation," said Microsoft. "This process creates some intermediate registry subkeys, and it later deletes these subkeys. In some cases, some anti-virus applications may not let the Fixccs.exe process delete these intermediate registry subkeys."

The hotfix replaces the Fixccs.exe file with an updated version, but it can only be applied if the user has booted into Windows' Safe Mode, according to the support document.

Symantec has contended that other security software with registry-change monitoring defenses also caused similar problems for users updating to Windows XP SP3, but there have been few reports logged to Microsoft's support forums. Microsoft, however, intimated that Symantec might not be alone when it used the generic, and plural, "some antivirus applications" in its explanatory document.

Users can download the hotfix from the Microsoft site.

Microsoft has not yet begun serving up Windows XP SP3 via Windows Update's Automatic Updates feature, and conceivably could prevent machines that have specific security programs installed from receiving the update. It's already done exactly that by blocking other systems, notably those running AMD processors, from getting XP SP3 to sidestep an endless reboot bug.