The Unfused Journal

One month with the Microsoft Surface - Week 4

2013-07-19T14:54:00.002+01:00

‘One month with the Microsoft Surface’ is a series of 4 experience reviews that will be released on a weekly basis for the period of a month. They will be based on my experience with the Surface. These are not traditional reviews and will not cover every little detail of the device but rather what it’s like to own one. The aim is to leave you with a more intimate and true to life view of owning the device and hopefully factor in on your buying decision.

This is the final piece of the ‘One month with the Microsoft Surface’ experience reviews. First off, I’d like to apologize for the delay. Unexpected travel requirements are to blame mostly, not to mention Bloggers horrible editing tools, which kept messing the format up whenever I tried to upload the article. But it’s done now, and because I’ve been working on it more recently, I did manage to include some of the latest happenings in the world of Surface so without further ado, let’s get started.

Windows RT 8.1 Preview

The second the Windows 8.1 Preview became available to the public after Microsoft announced it in their //Build/ developer conference, I headed over to preview.windows.com to get the new OS running on the Surface. The install was pretty straightforward; the aforementioned website will give you a small Windows Update package that will prep your PC for updating to Windows 8.1 via the Windows Store. The same will happen when the final version of the OS is released. The update is slightly over 2GB in size so depending on your internet connection speed, it could take a while.

My first impression after installing 8.1 was “wow”. I didn’t think Surface RT was slow before the update, but 8.1 made everything noticeably faster. Flicking through my long Start Screen was zippier, scrolling down long websites was smoother, and everything felt refreshed. I should mention that I upgraded to Windows 8.1, and all my apps, files and settings were still there. So the increased speed of the device was not a result of a fresh install of Windows. And that’s only the beginning.

Windows 8.1 brings with it a host of new features and usability improvements based on the feedback Microsoft got on Windows 8. The Start Button is back! Not that I really missed it but its there. No Start Menu though, the button just takes you back to the Start Screen. You can however set it so that it takes you the All Apps section of the Start Screen (above), which in my opinion is better than the cluttered Start Menu. You can also set Windows to boot straight to the desktop, not recommended for a tablet like the Surface but the option is there.

One of my favorite new features in 8.1 is the ability to set your desktop background as the Start Screen background. This makes switching between the traditional desktop and metro environments less jarring and more seamless.

Search has gotten a complete makeover, Bing is now built directly into Windows. A generic search from the Start Screen will result in Bing aggregating everything related to your search into a beautiful, panoramic view. Searching for a music artist for example will bring in the artists bio, samples of their music that you can listen to directly from search, pictures that you can sort with an array of filters, and the latest news articles related to them from the web. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this search experience ever. I guarantee you, you’re going to love it. I know I do.

Multitasking is greatly improved now with 8.1 on the Surface, you can now pin 2 apps side by side in a 50/50 split view, giving you a nice balance between the two apps. Apps now automatically put themselves in split view too. For example, if you open the Mail app in full screen and click on a link, IE will pop up in a 50/50 view beside Mail instead of taking up the entire screen like before. Speaking of IE, its been updated to IE11, which now allows you to open unlimited tabs. It can also open another instance of itself in split view, so you can have two IE windows open side by side. That can come in very handy as you can imagine.

In addition to functionality and UI improvements, a number of core Windows apps have also been redesigned, with the promise of all Windows Metro apps getting the same treatment by the time the final version of 8.1 ships. Some of the apps in the 8.1 Preview have already been updated, the Xbox Music app for example has been rebuilt from the ground up. The Windows Store has also been updated with a new UI with lots of new features like automatic app updates and lists. Windows apps like Alarms, Sound Recorder, Scan, Calculator and Movie Moments (Live Movie Maker) have received a Metro makeover. While brand new apps like Reading List, Health & Fitness, and Food & Drink (which features a gesture based hands-free mode!) have made their debut.

Outlook RT is also available now along with the Office suite, so if you’re a heavy email user, this inclusion should be a huge bonus for you to have on the Surface.

There are MANY more new features and updates in Windows 8.1. It’s much more major than its name suggests so I urge you to check out a full review of it.

A word of warning though, if you do decide to install the Windows 8.1 Preview on your Surface now, you will have to reinstall all your apps when the final version ships. If you decide to wait for the final version which should be out in a few months, you won’t have to. So I recommend you wait unless you don’t mind the extra hassle.

Apps

As you probably already know, the Surface RT does not allow you to install your typical x86 based applications, which in a way, completely defies the purpose of a “Windows” based PC. At least without its jailbreak you cant. Only apps from the Microsoft-certified Windows Store can be installed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Metro/Modern-style apps are lightweight and have a minimal impact on battery life. They’re not only functional, but they also look great while they’re at it. Most even out-design their iOS and Android counterparts.

Coming from an iPad, there were a number of apps I didn’t find in the Store, even some of the basics like Facebook or example (which is coming soon), or Reeder/Feedly. However, quality alternatives are plentiful and in many cases better than their official versions. I don’t really find myself needing an official Facebook app since I use Facebook the good old fashioned way; facebook.com in the browser. Which to be honest I prefer to a rather limited official app. NextGen Reader is an alternative that both out-looks, and out-functions Reeder.

Although many big name apps have started appearing in the Windows Store, like the official Twitter, CNN, and Spotify apps to name a few, there’s still a sense that something’s missing. Bad Piggies is STILL not available even though Rovio have already released Angry Bids Space and Star Wars to the platform. Though other popular games have appeared like Temple Run Brave and Rayman Jungle Run. Halo: Spartan Assault is also available!

So in general, the app situation is not great, but it’s certainly improving in rather big ways.

Surface Pro

It’s important to note that the Surface RT was not designed to be a laptop replacement for a power user. Those of you who depend on the Adobe Suite apps, AutoCAD and the like would be mad to throw their laptops away in favor of the Surface RT. You’ll want the Surface Pro for that.

Rather, Surface RT targets the ‘average user’. Those of you that spend most your time updating your social networks, browsing the web, listening to music, watching movies and playing games. And as a bonus, you get the Office suite for your productivity needs. In that case, Surface RT in my opinion, is the perfect media consumption tablet. You get the very best of all Microsoft related services at the tips of your fingers; Xbox Live, Xbox Music/Video, SkyDrive, Bing, and Office among others.

My Alienware M14x was the only reason I went for the Surface RT rather than the Surface Pro. I didn’t need something to replace a rather powerful laptop that’s got a good 3-5 years left in it. Even if I did go for the Surface Pro, I wouldn’t be playing Crysis on it. I do believe though that a future version of the Surface Pro will replace the M14x. One things for sure though, it will have to have specs more powerful than a Core i7-2630QM and a GT555M graphics card. See it all comes down to specs, and currently, the Surface Pro is just not powerful enough for me, as a gamer, to consider.

Now if you’re not into heavy gaming, then everything changes. The Surface Pro is meant to replace the Ultrabook. Which by the way, have been coming out with pretty decent specs recently. Surface Pro packs Ultrabook specs in a tablet form factor, and is priced accordingly. If you consider yourself a regular PC user, and you’re in the market for a new laptop, you owe it to yourself to give the Surface Pro a look.

Otherwise, if you’re not looking for something to replace your laptop, rather something that’s lighter yet still very functional, the Surface RT will do the trick.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, the Surface RT is exactly what I expected it to be and more. I wanted a tablet that was the best of the iPad’s design and Android’s flexibility/customization put together and that's precisely what the Surface is. Great hardware, great software, and a great ecosystem to back it up. What more could you ask for from a media consumption tablet?

Keep in mind that it’s been a year since the announcement of the Surface, so its safe to assume that we’re almost due for a refresh. If I had to guess what the Surface RT2 will bring to the table, I’d say a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-Core processor (or Tegra 4 maybe), 4GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, a 1080p display, a new kickstand that would allow angle readjustment, NFC, BT 4.0, and LTE, all while maintaining the same phenomenal battery life and slim form factor. Sounds wicked doesn’t it? But that’s just my educated guess. There are also rumors of an 8” Surface device. Might want to start gearing up for the holiday season 2013.

In any case, whether you decide to get the Surface now or wait for the second-gen model, you can rest assured that you’re getting a premium product that’s built to last. Having used Surface on a daily basis for several months now, I cannot imagine how I got by without it. How I had to put up with anything less than Office 2013, how I had to email everything from one device to another instead of simply plugging a USB stick in or using Bluetooth, how I had to place the iPad flat down on a table and awkwardly use the on-screen keyboard to take down notes in class. And the list goes on.

While Surface certainly has its flaws, it truly set the standard in tablet computing, and it set the bar high.

That concludes this series of Surface articles. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much I did writing them, and more importantly, I hope you found them insightful and informative. If you still have questions, by all means, get in touch, I’ll be glad to help you out.

Thanks for reading. :)

Fahd.

One Month with the Microsoft Surface:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4+ (You are here)

From Mobile: Windows Phone In-Depth

2013-01-02T12:44:00.001+00:00

Windows Phone, Microsoft's latest phone OS has been causing a fair amount of ripples in the mobile space lately, whether those ripples will turn into full blown tsunamis of interest and adoption is yet to be seen. Early adopters have praised the platform for its originality, simplicity and elegance, but criticized its young app ecosystem. However, one thing's for sure; Windows Phone is 'too big to fail'. The software giant will continue to dump cash into the OS until it clicks. So it definitely makes for an interesting platform to watch. Below are some excerpts from the latest reviews from our sister site.

A look at the unreleased Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade

"...they promised us an update, an update that would bring down some prominent WP8 features to existing devices. They called this update Windows Phone 7.8. In this review, we’ll be covering the new updates and features that Microsoft and Nokia packed into WP7.8 for the Nokia Lumia 900."

A full review of Nokia's latest flagship, the Lumia 920

"The Lumia 920 runs Windows Phone 8, Microsofts latest version of their mobile operating system. Having used Windows Phone 7.5 for over a year,WP8, just like the Lumia 920, has received improvements in almost every aspect. From the revamped Start Screen all the way down to the OS core underneath."

One month with the Microsoft Surface - Week 3

2012-12-24T11:04:00.001+00:00

Week Three:

Touch Cover Typing Speed

(Key sizes of the Surface Touch Cover and the Alienware are fairly similar)

I promised last week that I would provide some scientific typing speed comparisons between the Surfaces Touch Cover and a regular, tactile keyboard so I thought that it would be good to start with that. By ‘scientific’ I mean 10fastfingers.com, for what it’s worth, I’ve heard that it’s one of the best typing speed measurer on the internet, and that’s as scientific as it gets folks!

I’m not that much to a typist I should add, but I’m “above average” according to the site. I’ve conducted the test on an Alienware M14x’s keyboard (shown above). I’ve had the laptop for just over a year now and I’m pretty used to its keyboard. The poor thing has suffered having been put through countless uni assignments and reports, as a Management/Marketing student I can tell you, there have been some very, very long business reports to be written. Point is, I’m now extremely comfortable with this keyboard.

On the other hand, the Touch Cover, which I’ve only had for three weeks now. As mentioned in Week 2, I was surprised by how fast I became accustomed to it, especially since it was very awkward to use in the first few days of having it. Since it’s a pressure sensitive keyboard with no physical keys to push down, the only response you get when typing is a clicking noise the Surface makes to acknowledge a key stroke, which has come to be very reassuring over time.

As for the results of the test (which I tested thrice on each keyboard), I managed 54 words-per-minute on the Alienware, on average. While on the Surfaces Touch Cover, I managed 50 words-per-minute on average. So pretty close. The numbers don’t surprise me really. Come to think of it, I think the Touch Cover would actually be more comfortable to type long essays on since it requires less energy, no keys to physically push down. But I’d have to get much more scientific to test that theory, which I doubt I have the resources to complete.

If the numbers are any indication, Microsoft have done really well with the Touch Cover, it gets extremely pleasant to use, fast. But then again, if you’re still unsure, you could always opt for the Surface Type Cover which has actual physical keys.

Surface v. iPad

(Surface charging and importing images from an iPad. Now try reversing the roles.)

Before the Surface came along, the iPad was my go-to companion device. You’d be more likely to catch me lying around with it rather than clicking away on the laptop. And for the most part, I was satisfied with it. At least until I installed iOS 5 on it.

As a companion device, the iPad was mostly used for basic things like browsing the web, checking email and playing casual games. It accompanied me to uni every day, I wouldn’t leave without it. I used it to take down written class notes and in one semester, used it with a capacitive stylus to write down equations for the financial classes. It did what it was supposed to and did it well.

I had the first generation iPad, or Original iPad as some would call it, I never upgraded to subsequent versions of the iPad because I found no need to. Stupidly large, unnecessarily resource intensive screen resolutions never appealed to me. Apple would flaunt a “quad-core GPU” on the iPad 3 which is impressive for a tablet, but we all know that the tablets screen resolution would be eating up most of the GPU’s power leaving not much really for graphical improvements in apps and games. I could go on on a never-ending, everlasting rant about Apple’s marketing scheme (which is rather ingenious) but that’s for another article.

I did cherish my iPad though from when I bought it in 2010 till about June 2012, when I saw the Surface for the first time. By then the iPad could not even handle loading Facebook without crashing. I could no longer trust it with any important documentation in fear of losing my data, nor could I enjoy any of the latest games in the Store like Real Racing HD anymore.

Still, I would rather carry the iPad than the M14x around with me.

The Surface made me realize what I was missing out on with the iPad. It made me think of the extent of what a thin and light tablet is really capable of doing. Yes I miss Bad Piggies, but finally having a device which can truly multitask, and features a powerful, usable file management system more than covers for that. Not to mention a full-fledged Office suit and a USB port, I couldn’t ask for more.

A couple of emails asked for performance benchmarks, and even though it’s not really a fair comparison to put a device from 2010 against one from 2012, I’ll do it anyways. Try to think of this as measuring the performance difference rather than finding out which one is more powerful, which is obvious really.

In the SunSpider Javascript Benchmark (v0.9.1), where a lower result is better. The Surface (IE10) completed the test 1031ms while the iPad (Safari) took 3334ms. SunSpider is a browser-based benchmark that measures stuff like tagcloud generations, 3D raytracers, code decompression and other tools that developers use to tackle problems using JavaScript.

Since there is no one tool that runs on both the Surface and the iPad to test CPU/GPU performance, browser based benchmarks like SunSpider was one of the only tools I could use to measure performance. At least until Futuremark releases 3DMark for the tablets which is currently in development.

Surface v. Alienware

There isn’t much more to compare between the two other than the purposes I use each device for. With the Surface, I can flip out the kickstand, connect my Razer Lachesis mouse, and use it as a laptop replacement. If fact, I use my laptop far less often now. When I used to power the M14x up to do things like import photos from my phone and do some light editing on them, the Surface is now doing that. When I would pull the laptop out to start on a review or article for the site, the Surface is now my device of choice.

About the only things I do on the M14x now, is play FIFA, watch movies and edit images with Lightroom. That’s about it. Everything else is offloaded to the Surface. I could only imagine how much more the Surface Pro could take off the Alienware. I’d probably only be using it for gaming in that case.

Measuring the M14x against the Surface in terms of performance is just absurd. But anyways, the SunSpider test on the M14x (IE10) completed in 135ms.

For what it’s worth, I did find a Windows 8 app that benchmarks the CPU, GPU, RAM and Disk performance, the images below show the results. Click to enlarge.

(Alienware M14x)

(Microsoft Surface RT)

Battery life

Finally, I figured now would be the right time to talk about battery life. I’ve spent a good amount of time with Surface and I'm happy to report that battery life on this thing is amazing. Maybe it’s because of the Tegra 3’s 5^th “companion/low power” core or Windows RT’s power management system, or a combination of both, but it works wonders. I get about 1 and half days’ worth of battery life, which translates to about 9 to 10 hours of usage. That includes a combination of browsing the web, listening to music, watching TV shows, playing some casual games, working on Office, all while being constantly connected to Wi-Fi.

Those numbers are comparable to what I get on the iPad 1, but then again, the iPad can’t do as much as the Surface. And they’re undeniably higher than what I get on the Alienware, which is about 5 hours max.

I make it a habit of plugging all my devices in to charge before I go to bed at night, you never know what might happen the next day and having a fully charged phone or tablet could come in handy. But by night, the Surface usually still has about 40% of charge in it.

Overall, I can’t complain about the battery life. I could about the magnetic charger though, it’s like that thing has a brain of its own. Choosing the days in which it latches on entirely on its own, and days when it refuses to do so, driving you mad in the process. I wish it connected more like the Touch Cover. Fix it Microsoft!

Next week will be the final week of this series. I’ll try to gather my final thoughts on the Surface RT, dive into the Windows RT ecosystem and maybe talk a little about the Surface Pro.

One Month with the Microsoft Surface:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3 (You are here)
Week 4

One month with the Microsoft Surface - Week 2

2012-12-12T19:12:00.001+00:00

Offline Road Trip

182km south of the Muscat capital lies a small, seaside town; Sur. It’s calm, windy, cold, and its 3G connectivity is absolutely horrid if not completely nonexistent. But it’s certainly a beautiful place to take a break from city life and just relax. The lack of internet connectivity means that I’ll be able to last here for a week max, after that, my peace of mind will start to degrade rapidly. The Surface certainly won’t mind as it doesn’t have 3G built in nor does it support USB 3G dongles. Reports however do suggest that it works well with USB-Ethernet adapters. Anyways, I’m here for 5 days and I’ve brought the Surface with me. That will give me plenty of time using the device itself instead of trapping myself in its browser.

The Metro Experience

Contrary to the way I use Windows 8 on my laptop, I spend the majority of my time in ~~Metro~~ Modern UI environment on the Surface, only rarely going into Desktop mode to do things like transferring files or using Office. The Modern experience is absolutely wonderful with touch, bounds and leaps better than the now stagnant iOS UI in my opinion. With live tiles constantly displaying useful information and rotating, Surface feels connected and up-to-date despite the fact that it’s not connected to the internet. I’ve divided all of my apps into categories for easy navigation, but as you can imagine, over time, the Start screen can become very long. Thankfully, Microsoft have provided a solution to this in the form of Semantic Zoom, which allows you to simply pinch the screen to zoom out and get an overview of the entire Start screen, making it really easy and fast to jump from one end to the other.

(Navigation is a Pinch!)

The Modern experience makes it easy to accomplish basic everyday tasks efficiently, very much like Android and iOS. There’s an app for mail, weather, messaging, calendar and others. But since this is Microsoft we’re talking about, the Surface has some of the company’s other services built in; like Xbox Music/Video (Zune successors), Xbox Live, Skydrive, Office and Bing.

(Modern UI Multitasking)

One of my favorite features of the Modern UI is that everything, EVERYTHING is full screen. You use the edges of the screen to navigate the UI. It’s not very intuitive at first and for some reason, Microsoft doesn’t give you chance to practice while they demo how to use it during the Windows first time start up. So there is a learning curve, a simple one though and you get used to it fast. Using the edges to multitask is another great feature; with the ability to Snap apps next to each other.

Today I awoke with a full 5 bars of network reception on my phone accompanied by a tiny ‘G’ for GPRS on my Lumia 900, I saw it switch every now and then to EDGE but so far haven’t managed to even get Google up and running. However it does work. I get dings every now and then when new email comes in so I decided to try my luck and hook the phone up with Surface using its Internet Sharing feature. And to my utter surprise and disbelief, bing.com loaded. Some of my live tiles actually updated with new content and the Bing Maps app found my location, but didn’t load map imagery though. That’s as good as it got for me. I decided to turn the sharing off before its slowness and refusal to open Facebook got to my nerves. So I was back to square one in terms of getting connected, but hey, at least now I know that Wi-Fi hotspots work well with Surface.

Getting Used to Touch Cover

(Here's to all those reviewers saying you can't use Surface on your lap)

One thing I noticed about myself is that I’m typing much faster now with the Touch Cover! I’m making fewer mistakes and the cover is registering more of my taps. I honestly thought that it would take more than 2 weeks for me to get used to this thing. When I get back to the capital I’ll try to make this more of a scientific test by comparing my typing speed on my laptop and on the Touch cover using one of those words-per-minutes websites. That should give you a better indication of the covers’ usability.

Another thing I noticed is that the Black Touch Cover that I have has been collecting a fair amount of dust on its keyboard. I saw this coming. It’s the same reason witches in black don’t own white cats. It’s also another reason I decided not to wait for the then out of stock white cover when I ordered the Surface. Good thing the cover is spill resistant. Water slipped right off when I finally gathered to guts to spill some on the electronic device. A hand towel wiped all the dust off. A word of warning. Whatever you do, don’t use paper tissue (Kleenex) to wipe a wet Touch Cover, you’ll only make things worse.

With other electronic devices, be it phones, tablets or laptops, I would always advise you to get some hands-on time with it at a retail store before you make a purchase. Merely looking at images or watching videos of the device online cannot compare to how it physically feels like. Just like how images of McDonald’s burgers never look like the actual burger. The same is true with the Surface but not with its Touch Covers keyboard; the keyboard takes time to get used to and you certainly won’t feel comfortable the first time you use it. But if you’d rather not take the risk you could always opt for the Type Cover, which is a little thicker but features actual, physical keys. Too bad it only comes in Black though.

Surface as a Productivity Tool
Now that I feel comfortable with the Touch Cover, I figured it’s time to fire up desktop mode, launch Microsoft Word 2013 and get productive. Office 2013 (Home & Student) comes preinstalled on the Surface RT.

(If I didn't tell you this screenshot is from a Surface, would you have guessed?)

After Week 1, I got questions about what Office was like on the Surface and if it was actually usable. Well Office, initially a preview which can be updated to the final version via a 500MB Windows Update package, includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, and SharePoint Server. Some of the first things I noticed about this new version is its cleaner appearance, achieved by hiding the Ribbon and some nice design aesthetics. Buttons and menus are enlarged depending on whether I’m using the trackpad or my finger to operate Office. Everything is touch friendly and scrolling is incredibly smooth. I find it a little hard to believe that it’s running on an ARM processor since I noticed no performance impairments compared to using it on my laptop. And it’s the FULL version of Office, not some cut down, compromised excuse of an office suit for tablets. I’m looking at you iWork for iOS!
So to answer the question, yes. Absolutely. It’s a no-compromise productivity experience that works very well.

That’s all I’ve got to share this week. Next week, I’ll get a little technical. An iPad and Alienware M14x might make guest appearances to do battle with the Surface. Once again, if you’ve got anything specific you want me to look into or cover, drop us an email or contact us via Facebook or Twitter.

One Month with the Microsoft Surface:
Week 1
Week 2 (You are here)
Week 3
Week 4

One month with the Microsoft Surface - Week 1

2012-12-04T11:50:00.001+00:00

Week One:

The Unboxing Experience

After an impatient, excruciating month of waiting, and dealing with FedEx’s BS excuses for not delivering my package on time, like “we called and you didn’t pick up”, or “you requested a future delivery date”, I finally received my Microsoft Surface. You have no idea how hard I tried to contain myself from giving them a piece of my mind in fear of them doing something vile and unspeakable to my precious package. I’ve heard horror stories and I’m sure you have too.

Anyways, my Surface is here now and that’s what really matters. The unboxing was rushed in excitement and hope that it wasn’t damaged in transit. I’m certain that if the packaging Microsoft put it in wasn’t so well done while I was recording the unboxing, cardboard would have been hurt in the making of the video.

The Surface Itself

I’m sure you’ve read reviews of this thing already, and one thing that’s constant across all reviews regardless of their final conclusions of the device is that the hardware itself is unmatched in terms of build quality and industrial design. You really need to hold it in your hands to truly appreciate this. It feels solid. It doesn’t bend or creak. It’s thin and it’s got a respectable heft, which complements its sturdy construction. Built of what Microsoft calls VaporMg, a term used to describe the magnesium alloy that Microsoft supposedly took three years to work on and perfect.

Arguably one of the best features of the Surface is the pressure sensitive Touch Cover. It provides a functional, Chiclet-style keyboard in an insanely thin form factor, 3mm to be exact. Black is bundled but it comes in a range of other flashy colors that contrast nicely with the gun-metal color of the Surface. I wanted the white one but it was out of stock when I ordered my device.

When it comes to actual usability, I have to say that I don’t feel quite at home with the keyboard. It’s nice that it doesn’t register key presses when positioning my fingers on it and only starts registering when I actually start tapping away at it. But it feels a little strange, maybe because it’s my first time using a Chiclet keyboard, or maybe it’s because it doesn’t have any tactile response, I don’t know. I might get used to it later but so far, it’s kinda strange.

The Surfaces’ kickstand is another stand out feature (pun intended), which will make you realize how inconvenient it was before to use a tablet without one. You can prop it out on your lap while browsing the web or playing games, or kick it out on your bedside table to use as the most advanced alarm clock in the world. Or my personal favorite, using it in bed while watching a movie instead of holding the device on your stomach or chest for one and half hours. The three hinges that support the kickstand are as tough as they come, and yes, they do make a reassuring swoosh when opening and clunk when closing. Almost like a “high-end car door” as Microsoft chose to describe it. All in all, it provides a hands free experience that you’ll really come to appreciate.

One of the main elements that make a PC well, a PC, is connectivity. More specifically, the USB port. Being an early iPad adopter, it feels freaking awesome to be able to plug a flash drive into the Surface and transfer files around using Windows Explorer. I hated it when people asked me back in 2010 if I could perform the simple task of transferring files to and from the iPad using removable media and watching their turned off faces when I regrettably had to say no. Ever since I’ve dreamt of an iPad that ran Windows and with the Surface, that dream has come true. And it’s about time!

The great thing about the USB port is that it works with multiple devices, I used it to plug in my Xbox controller and it worked. I plugged in my iPad and I could retrieve pictures off of it via File Explorer (ha!). I plugged in my old HP Colorjet 1600 and it recognized it simply as a “device” instead of a printer so I couldn’t print with it. Determined to fix the problem, I copied the printer drivers off the home AIO (which runs Windows 8) and used Device Manager to install the drivers on the Surface. So even though Windows RT wouldn’t let me install the x86 ‘.exe’ drivers that came with the printer, I still managed to get the printer working. That goes to show that despite Windows RT being limited to apps from the Windows Store, it’s still got the power and flexibility that Windows delivers at its core.

Personalizing Surface

I spent the first few days syncing my settings and re-downloading apps, which was fairly automatic since I signed in with my Microsoft ID. Everything from my themes of both the desktop and the Metro side of things were automatically applied, passwords of websites and even log-in information for my apps were present so I didn’t have to sign-in to each and every one of them all over again. My browser history and favorites were transferred and to my surprise, even my mouse preferences in desktop mode ported over. Over all, it was a very pleasant experience setting up the device. My Surface became MY Surface almost instantly, and all I had to do was sign-in once. Well done Microsoft. Well done.

(Click to Enlarge)

I rarely jump aboard version 1.0 of new products, I’ll usually wait for at least the second iteration before even considering a purchase but my gut hasn’t let me down when I purchased the first iPhone, the first iPad or jumping onto Windows Phone 7.0. So it’s been a week since I got my Surface and so far it’s been a great experience for the most part. Certainly a welcome upgrade over the iPad it’s replacing.

That's all I've got to share this week. If there's anything specific you'd like me to cover leave me a comment and I'll try to detail it in the coming weeks.

One Month with the Microsoft Surface:
Week 1 (You are here)
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Windows 8, first impressions by Korneel

2012-10-29T00:17:00.003+00:00

Last Friday I bought Windows 8 on impulse. Mostly because I wanted to get rid of vista and a little bit because I wanted to review it later on. After using it on Friday and Saturday, I can give a few first impressions, but by no means a complete review.

First off, I did not disable the Metro UI from the start. I wanted to give it a fair chance, so I went with it and discovered some apps were really useful to me. For instance, the Mail app was able to configure my school mail account by itself, something no program was able to do for me before. And once you get the hang of how to work with all the UI, some apps are really useful and it al feels natural in use. But most of it is tailored towards touch screens, sadly. I don’t like programs that I don’t use to gobble up my RAM, so after opening a few apps, I tried to close them... and found out that Microsoft didn't really add a shortcut or option for that. So good old Alt-F4 it was. I can see why they did it, since the apps don’t take that much RAM, but still, I like full control over what my machine does and where it puts its efforts. After some time in the UI’s main screen and options screens, I installed an app. I installed Skype.

I really like Skype for two things: that I can see my girlfriend with it, while I’m playing on the main screen and it doesn't take up that much screen space on my second screen. So I wanted to see if Skype was still the same program in its Metro form. It wasn't In fact, it became a screen Nazi, you either had all of it on your screen, or nothing and a pop up notification. This rendered Skype nearly useless to me. So next step was to remove it. Easier said than done. I had to Google that one. You simply do it via the Remove Software manager. Problem was, by then I had installed old Skype as well and it simply deleted both of them, old Skype and Metro Skype. This might be Skype’s fault, but it was kind of a nuisance.

The Windows key can be resurrected!

After that, I decided that it was time for change and I figured out how to get it to be classic windows again. Turns out they implemented a small program for that. The options are easy and clear, and after a restart, your Windows works the same as your previous one. They did include a option to not have the Start screen as your first screen after you log in, but I still get some seconds in that screen, no matter what. It closes down automatically though. You can also change what the windows button opens, the start menu or the start screen. I actually intend on using the Metro UI again, because it feels like something I could get used to. Overall the program is still well made.

After those trials, it was time to open up the partition that holds steam and all my games. I was very pleased to see that steam, even though it was installed on Vista, worked immediately once I clicked the program. It also automatically downloaded all the necessary DirectX files upon opening a game. I had noticed this before, but only between different Vista installations. needless to say, I was impressed.

The paste screen had a face-lift.

What also impressed my was the fact that Windows 8 installed the drivers for every single thing on my PC, by itself and during installation of windows itself. Microsoft has tried this before, and I know that when I installed Vista, that the installation did this too. However, it has never felt so smooth and flawless as now. Most of the installation went without a hitch, and even though I didn't install from a medium, but simply in Windows, it still resulted in squeaky clean install. Other things that I was impressed with include the overall look and feel of Windows, it’s so clean and simple. I also like the new task manager and the copying screen, those really stood out to me as a big improvement over the previous screens. Windows 8 is also simply fast. I admit, I have a SSD to speed it up further, but it’s a massive improvement from Vista and an improvement from W7.

That being said, I don’t really see the need of upgrading from W7. I don’t think that the improvements are that big over it. W8 is very cheap though at the moment. Cheap enough to say 'why not?' and frankly I don’t see many reasons why not. I actually like the thing, even though it has some flaws indeed, but there are workarounds for that. I also find the current lack of beta-like bugs and other child diseases to be very appealing as well. Also, the lock screen is gorgeous and useful!

The Next Milestone: Windows 8 Release Preview is here

2012-05-31T20:12:00.001+01:00

Microsoft have just released their next major Windows 8 milestone, the Windows 8 Release Preview (build 8400) is now available for public download directly from Microsoft. It includes a bunch of new features over the previous Consumer Preview that was released in February this year. Following this release, Windows 8 is expected to hit RTM by August and general availability with Windows 8 PC's available in stores before the holiday season.

Windows Phone 8, which will be based on Windows 8 all the way down to its kernel, is also expected to launch alongside the new OS and its ARM counterpart Windows RT. The three will serve as the beginning of Microsoft's platform unification strategy to provide a seamless, synchronized user experience on the phone, tablet and PC.

Download Links:
Windows 8 Release Preview: Download here

Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate: Download here

Rumors: E-Tailers giving away Trinity Launching Date?

2012-04-27T17:01:00.000+01:00

Well the first E-Tailers list some of the upcoming Trinity Notebooks with the new APUs coming to you. We have seen the A10-4600M which features a 2,50 Ghz Quadcore based upon the enhanced Bulldozer architecture named Piledriver. The HP Pavilion g7-2051sg also comes with 6GB of memory and has an AMD Radeon HD 7670M with 1GB of Grpahicsmemory.

Source: geizhals.at

Another listed notebook with Trinity in it is the ASUS A55DR-SX090V, which features a total of 8GB of Memory and has the AMD A8-4500M inside: A Dual Core Processor. GPU-Wise you will discover the HD 7470M inside that notebook.

Source: geizhals.at , comtech

Asus will also be offering a model with 17,3 inch featuring the AMD A6-4400M Dual Core with 2,60 Ghz. Paired with a stronger GPU (HD 7670M) it will give you decent FPS. And from model I am taking the releasedate of Trinity being the 27th of June 2012.

Source: geizhals.at , MTS-Shop

Another shop is stating on their site, that the new notebook is available within the next 7 weeks which is round about 20th of June, so talking about Trinity for Laptops, June will be the month of decisions.

A new Star on the gaming horizon: MSI goes Gaming

2012-04-27T08:10:00.002+01:00

Munich, the 26^th of April. On a sunny Thursday evening MSI Germany has invited the press to have a glance at their Gaming Notebooks. If you wonder why I got there: Well MSI also has invited 2 facebookfans to join that event and I was a chosen one. The event took place in a restaurant in eastern munich and alongside with spicy food there was spicy Hardware to look at. MSI briefed about their upcoming 17,3 and 15,6 inch Gaming Laptops: The GE and the GT series.

Dinning with MSI gave you delicious Tortillas

The GE series is aimed for the midbudgetgamer and comes with two 15,6 and two 17,3 inch notebooks. Prices should in Germany should range from 799€ to 1099€ and shall be available mid of Mai to June. The 17,3 Inch models and the 15,6 inch series share the following features: 17,3/15,6 inch Full HD Anti-Glare Display (1920*1080), Original Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit, Steelseries Gaming-Keaboard, four speakers with THX TruStudioPRO™, Cooler Boost, Audio Boost, USB 3.0, MSI Turbo Drive Engine, nVidias GT650M Kepler chip with a total of 2GB GDDR5, DVD-Super Multidrive. The only differences are: Intel Core i5 Processor (VS. Intel Core i7-3610QM); 4GB of DDR 3 (VS. 8 GB DDR 3 ); 500GB HDD (VS. 750GB HDD) and of course the price: For the 17,3 inch models: 899€ (VS. 1099€), and for the 15,6 inch models: 799€ (VS. 999€). So MSI is offering you a quite portable mobile Gaming solution there. As of the design those notebooks look quite decent and are willing to compete against the Big Gaming Notebooks: Asus and Alienware.

When it comes to the High-end enthusiast notebooks, MSI will offer you the GT series of Notebooks, also coming in 15,6 and 17,3 inch flavors ranging from 1299€ to 2199€. Common features: 17,3/15,6 inch Full HD, Anti-Glare (1920*1080), Original Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit, backlight Steelseries Gaming-keaboard featuring a custom coloring, Dynaudio Sound, Aluminium-Case, Killer E2200 Networkcard, Intel Wireless Display 2.0, Cooler Boost, Audio Boost, USB 3.0, MSI Turbo Drive Engine, enlighted MSI Logo on the backlid. Except for the 17,3 inch model priced at 1299€, all feature an Intel Core i7-3610QM CPU , at least 8GB Dualchannel DDR3 Memory and a minimum of 750GB HDD with 7.200 RPM. For More details check out the Table.

With so many unique features at a really good Price point MSI will start off quite well into the Gamingnotebookmarket. And if you feel like upgrading your new MSI Notebook, you will be able to do so: The GT Series features a total of 4 Memory slots, so you might be able o have up to 32 GB of mermoy, adding either another SSD or HDD via a second HDD bay available. You are even allowed to setup your very own raidsetup with two drives then via the BIOS, which is not that much blocked compared to others. Of course being a notebook you cannot manually overclock it, but MSI is offering you a Turboboost function.

Top of the line 2199€ GT70 Notebook

Windows 7 Experience Index

Dxdiag

Partition C is with SuperRaid Technology which features two 64GB mSATA SSDs with speeds up to 900MB/s


Either 750GB Hitachi HDD with 7200RPM

...or a WD Scorpio Black with 7200RPM

Talking about Performance again, I have tried to run 3D Mark 11 on one of the GE notebooks which is not yet the final design nor specs, but it already came with a Kepler Chip. Well the Xtreme test did not run with 30+ FPS, instead you have had 3-5 FPS. Sadly it didn’t complete the Benchmark you I cannot give any scoring.

Kepler for Notebooks, the GT650M

Fighting the 3D Mark 11 Benchmark with Xtreme Preset

The main Focus was on the new Notebooks, but they have also shown a Desktop rig with their new GTX 680 Twin Frozr running Battlefield 3 Demo with more than 72 FPS showing on Fraps. Hardwarewise it featured a Watercooled Core i7 3770K overclocked to 4,4 Ghz paired with 32GB of Memory on their new Z77 boards. So Overall a state of the Art System.

Highend System

Anyone Willing To Participate?

2012-04-04T23:22:00.003+01:00

Hello Folks,

well it has been a long time that I have written anything and I am sorry.

As some of you might have noticed we have a HWBOT Team and there is a competition running at HWBOT, which offers really good odds of winning. We Only need YOU!

Requirements: Sandy Bridge Rig with Watercooling and a MSI branded HD 7770/7870 or 7970 GPU

More Infos here Our HWBOT Team here

By Andreas Gunkel

AMD announces the Radeon HD 7970

2011-12-22T08:32:00.000+00:00

The wait is finally over! Today AMD launches its first 28nm graphics card of the Radeon HD 7000 Series. This beast of a GPU packs 2048 stream processors, 32 ROPs, 128 TMU's and 3GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit memory interface. The core is clocked at 925MHz that can overclock itself to 1.1GHz with a switch of a button and a memory clock at 5500MHz. All sitting on a PCI-Express 3.0 slot. The Tahiti "Graphics Core Next" GPU also supports CrossFireX, Eyefinity, HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2.

The Radeon HD 7970 is scheduled for a January 9th release at a price of $549. Just in time for new years, so you might want to hold off on your holiday buying frenzy. See more images of the card after the break, and we suggest you read the in-depth review over at TechPowerUp to find out exactly what this thing is capable of.

(Courtesy of TechPowerUp)

Exclusive: AMD Radeon HD 7970 priced in Malaysia

2011-12-18T17:51:00.000+00:00

According to a number of sales personnel at Low Yat Plaza, Malaysia's largest IT lifestyle mall, their suppliers already have the unreleased Radeon HD 7970 in stock and are planning to peg the initial launch price at 2600RM, or roughly $820. This absurdly high price is due to it being "faster than the 6990" but will eventually decrease to its MSRP as more and more outlets begin providing AMD's newest flagship.

There is currently no specific info about the price or availability of the other Radeon 7xxx series other than "early 2012".

Low Yat is usually known for getting hold of new products before they are officially launched in the country and so prices like these are expected. Its business as usual.

On a related note, the AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 has apparently been flying off the shelves like hot pies. Its out of stock and unavailable "until further notice".

Intel’s Fourth-Quarter Revenue to Be Below Expectations Due to Hard Disk Drive Supply Shortages

2011-12-12T15:47:00.000+00:00

Intel is expecting its revenue to drop by 1 Billion Dollars in Q4. The major reason is once more Thailand related. The flooded HDD plants lead to a shortage of HDDs globally and the price of a HDD to double. Since OEMs have had a budget problem, they had to lower the orders of HDDs and CPUs, and it is hitting Intel's revenue.

Editorsnote: Considering Intel is taking a loss, we still have to wait for AMDs Data, which might most probably follow Intel's. Taking into account, that AMD is offering better budget PC solutions it might not be as harsh as Intel's loss. On the other hand: AMD has regular GPU and CPU shipping, so it could hit them harder than Intel.

Source

AMD Radeon HD 7970 spotted

2011-12-10T19:11:00.001+00:00

Not a lot is known about the new Radeon HD 7000 series for sure other than that theyre 28nm products, a few product names and codenames have leaked too but AMD is very quiet about it all as usual. What you see above is allegedly two Radeon HD 7970 cards in CrossFire. More images after the break.

via BSN

Posted on Facebook recently, allegedly a HD 7970.

Image from VR-Zone showing 12 memory modules.

Zalman to introduce their own AMD graphics cards

2011-12-10T18:58:00.001+00:00

Seems like AMD entering the memory industry isnt the only company looking to expand its business in new markets, Zalman, known for their PC cooling solution will be entering the graphics card markets soon, with non other than AMD based cards.

You can obviously expect these cards to be fitted and promoted with Zalmans excellent GPU coolants, the cards in question will be based on the AMD Radeon HD 6770, 6850 and 6870, but its very likely that we'll see more models being introduced too, and maybe some from the green team, who knows.

The cards will all be running on stock frequencies, which is a little surprising considering they come from Zalman, theyre just begging to be overclocked.

Expect them to start shipping on the 13th of December for the price of $124, $168 and $190 for the 6770, 6850 and 6870 respectively.

via Overclockers.ua

AMD and Nvidia rebadge and release "new" Radeon 7000M and GeForce 600M Series GPUs

2011-12-08T08:00:00.001+00:00

We're still waiting on you.

Another year, another set of rebadges from the silicon giants, although Nvidia started the tradition, AMD followed soon after probably as a way to cut some costs here and there. No biggie for those of us who know what to avoid.

The "new" Radeon HD 7400M, 7500M and 7600M series are all based on the 40nm Turks and Caicos GPUs that are used in some of todays 6000M series cards. Its safe to assume though that everything above the 7600M will be actually new and based on AMD's latest 28nm process. These chips all have support for DX11, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, AMD HD3D and BluRay 3D.

Note that the 7000M series chips mentioned do pack more stream processors than their predecessors direct counterparts so there are still advantages of getting a 7600M over a 6600M GPU.

On the green team, NVIDIA introduced the GT 635M, which is exactly the same as the last gen GT555M. A rebadged GT 540M got its name changed to the GT 630M and finally the 610M which is a 520MX is disguise. Note that as with the AMD cards, the names dont directly match their older counterparts so thats an indication that the companies are looking to make room for some new higher end cards in the lineup.

source The Verge, AnandTech and TechSpot.

AMD not competing with Intel anymore. CPU prices soar as a result.

2011-11-30T15:21:00.001+00:00

The inevitable has occurred. AMD spokesperson Mike Silverman asks poeple to let go of the "AMD vs Intel mindset" because of the company's new change in strategy. Instead, the silicon giant will focus its efforts on the mobile and tablet markets. AMD however confirmed that they are still committed to x86 computing, but I'm guessing not as much as they used to be.

The company blames this on bad management, but I wouldn't be surprised if Bulldozer played a large role in this. Since expectations for the new architecture was extremely strong although as we all know, it failed to deliver. Its important to mention that their Bulldozer based Opteron processors have been very well received though, mainly because of their price-performance ratio.

So, what does this mean for you gamers and PC enthusiasts out there? Is the battle now AMD vs ARM? Will Intel take a different approach to innovation now that their only real competitor has given up? Unfortunately the answers to those questions remain unclear for the time being, we'll just have to wait and see.

source TechPowerUp

Sandy-Bridge E is almost here - listed for 990 Euros

2011-11-04T21:48:00.001+00:00

Most of the major hardwaresites have their testsetups and test the upcoming enthusiastic socket 2011 platform. Thanks to geizhals.at(skinflint.co.uk) I found the first listed Processors: The Core i7 3930K (6*3,2Ghz) and the Core i7 3960X (6*3,3Ghz).

Looking at the Core i7 Xtreme it has the following specs: Six-Core "Sandy Bridge-EP" • TDP: 130W • Manufacturingprocess: 32nm • DMI: N/A • L2-Cache: 6x 256kB • L3-Cache: 15MB shared • Stepping: C1 • IGP: N/A • Memory Controller: Quad Channel PC3-10667U (DDR3-1333) • SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, Turbo Boost (3.90GHz), Hyper-Threading, VT-x, AES-NI, Intel 64, Idle States, EIST, Thermal Monitoring Technologies, Intel Fast Memory Access, Intel Flex Memory Access, XD bit, free multiplier

The Core i7 K has the following specs: Six-Core "Sandy Bridge-EP" • TDP: 130W • Manufacturingprocess: 32nm • DMI: N/A • L2-Cache: 6x 256kB • L3-Cache: 12MB shared • Stepping: C1 • IGP: N/A • Memory Controller: Quad Channel PC3-10667U (DDR3-1333) • SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, Turbo Boost (3.80GHz), Hyper-Threading, VT-x, AES-NI, Intel 64, Idle States, EIST, Thermal Monitoring Technologies, Intel Fast Memory Access, Intel Flex Memory Access, XD bit, free multiplier

The Extreme Version is listed for 990€ and the K unlocked Version starts at 555€. Both of them are not available though. And on the other hand Sandybridge tests havent been out yet either. Official test will be available within a week or two, we dont have one sadly.

Source

The Unfused Journal goes Overclocking

2011-11-03T22:25:00.000+00:00

11 PM, Scheuring, Germany. The first & secret european Unfused Team meeting gave some creative output for all of us. Now that the Folding contest is over (You guys are all awesome) there is a new competing frontier ahead of us:

The Unfused Benchbros

-What are the Benchbros about?

Our unique Hardware bot team which is competing against others worldwide. Anything you want to benchmark? Feel free to do so, we have the place to put it on. No matter how fast or slow your setup is, the rarer it is the better the chances that your submission scores best amongst all of them. Korneel and I already joined the Team, we hope that Fahd will get his Quadfather benched once he has it in his hands.

Our Team Site

The world's fastest Phenom I 9650 X4@wPrime1024, made by yours truly.

Suicide Cooling for gold cups.

Winners of the TUJ Folding@Home Contest

2011-11-01T04:47:00.000+00:00

Times up! 4 months ago we launched our first ever Folding@Home contest. Our folding score was in its thousands back then and we're extremely proud to have hit 3 million last week. We wanted to thank all of those who participated, give yourself a pat in the back, you deserve it, and your folding rig of course, it has feelings too you know...

On to the prizes! As promised, a copy of the upcoming, highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 bundled with the first Modern Warfare will go to the highest folder in terms of Score, and the highest folder in terms of Work Units. So congratulations to:

Dylan Rutter with a Score of 1,721,249.

Jonathan Doane with a Work Unit count of 392

You'll each be contacted so we can get the necessary details to send you your well deserved prizes. A virtual round of applause to everyone else who participated, especially our very own Korneel Adams for being the highest folder out of the TUJ staff.

Once again, we'd like to thank everyone on the folding team and our readers for being part of TUJ. This wont be the end of the TUJ Contests, we'll surely host more in the near future so stay tuned!

Amazing... and remember, its never too late to join the team ;)

AMD releases flagship new processor. Intel responds by raising prices

2011-10-22T15:42:00.001+01:00

You know something is terribly wrong when you release an all new, high-end flagship processor and your competition responds by raising the prices of their current-gen processors by almost 10%.

Last week, AMD launched their first FX-branded processors based on the Bulldozer architecture, a product that should have, or at least was expected to thwart Intel out of the performance lead that they held for a very long time. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The top-end FX-8150 lagged behind Intels mid range i5-2500K and in some cases, AMDs last-gen X6 1100T.

Bright Side of News noticed the price changes that affected the i5-2400K, 2500K and 2600K before and after the FX launch.

source BSN

Editors Thoughts:

Its not very often prices rise in response to a new competing product launch. Is this price change more of a reason for you to go with the FX line or invest a little more in an i5 processor?

AMD releases Bulldozer FX

2011-10-12T06:13:00.000+01:00

Its finally here. AMD releases their highly anticipated, next-gen Bulldozer based processors after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting. While Intel was busy endlessly releasing new variants of their Sandy Bridge processors and teasing us with a little Ivy, AMD was taking their time perfecting the Bulldozer core that should be available at a retail store near you in a few days. The high-end FX-8150 (8-Core, 3.6GHz, $245) will be one of the 3 FX processors available at launch along with the FX-8120 (8-core, 3.1GHz, $205) and the FX-6100 (6-Core, 3.3GHz, $175), all unlocked and easily overclockable.

Editors Thoughts:

The wait is over, and its certain that the all-new Bulldozer architecture is no slouch. Looking at the video above, the FX-8150 goes head to head with some of the competitions most powerful processors. Personally I cant wait to see Bulldozer in a mobile form factor.

Steve Jobs has passed away

2011-10-06T06:09:00.000+01:00

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." - Steve Jobs

Confirmed on the Apple website, the world has lost a true visionary and inspiration. Apple co-founder and former CEO has passed away at the age of 56. Here's Apples official statement:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Editors Thoughts:

Its truly saddening to have such an innovator leave the world of technology. He was the driving force behind the iPhone and the iPad which have set the standard in mobile technological evolution. Boy does Tim Cook have some large shoes to fill...

Who's ready for Ivy Bridge? Asus sure is.

2011-09-30T08:02:00.000+01:00

Asus, in an effort to stay ahead of the times will release 3, THREE PCI-Express 3.0 motherboards that will be available in October. These motherboards, namely the P8Z68-Deluxe/GEN3, the P8Z68-V Pro/GEN3 and the P8Z68-V/GEN3 (phew!) will all be compatible with Intels Ivy Bridge processors that should hit retail in early 2012. The boards, as you might have noticed from their "names" will be based on the Z68 Express Chipset, support USB 3.0 and come with Lucids Virtue Universal MVP graphics switching module. In terms of price, the Deluxe should retail at $310, the V Pro at $250 and the V at $220.

See the table after the break for the complete list of features.

source TechConnect

The Unfused Journal Folding@Home Contest

2011-09-23T12:38:00.000+01:00

The Unfused Folding Team has been up and running for just over a month now and has been growing at a rapid pace, we expect to hit a grand score of 1.5 Million points within the next few weeks. Because its for a good cause we've decided to host a small contest, there will be two winners, a prize will go to the highest folder in terms of Work Units (WU) and the highest folder in terms of Score. Winners will be selected at the end of September 2011 so you've got ample time to get folding, the prizes will be highly anticipated PC games released in September so they will be determined at that time as well.

There is only 1 main rule; you must be an active member of The Unfused Folding Team (Team #156460). You should also have a decent internet connection because you will only be receiving a game Product Key to download your prize via the Steam client and/or Origin (formerly known as the EA Download Manager)*.

Not sure how to get started with folding? You can find all the information you need here.

Update (23/9/2011)
We've come to the conclusion that for the better, we are extending the contest period for 1 more month making the end date October 31st 2011. Also, we'll be giving away 2 copies of the highly anticipated Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2 thumbs up to Steam) to the lucky winners! I did say it was for the better didnt I? So get folding and good luck!