GAMER PC PC : DISCUSSION

The Best Gaming Notebook Money Can't Buy
Posted in Gamer PC | June 1, 2009 9pm

I'm a bit of a Left 4 Dead addict. I have been a PC gamer for close to 27 years now, if you count those myriad hours spent banging away on my first Commodore 64, and I've come to the decision that Left 4 Dead ranks in my top three all-time guilty pleasures. I can't even fathom how much time I spent scrambling through levels in Impossible Mission on the C64. The first Unreal Tournament probably cost me my job at the time. And now, whenever I can squeeze in a few minutes of carnage, I fire up Left 4 Dead. It's just the kind of mindless fun that gets me fired up. I neither have the attention span nor time for a MMORPG and strategy games just don't do it for me. Plus, the camaraderie that develops over a round of L4D can be awesome--I've played with soldiers deployed in Iraq, young kids playing hooky from school, grouchy old, bearded bikers, you name it. Cooperative multi-player gaming is where it's at. Wouldn't you agree?
There is only one thing that would elevate my L4D experience to a whole new level--being able to play it wherever I can flip open my laptop. There are just too many shortcomings with most truly-mobile machines to make them truly ideal for work and play. That got me thinking about what features I'd like to see in my ultimate gaming notebook. Obviously a fast CPU and GPU and plenty of memory are paramount. A high-quality, fast, anti-glare screen, great integrated speakers, and an SSD would be nice as well--but you all could have guessed those things.

Left 4 Dead: I Prefer The Auto-Shotty, But The Assault Rifle Will Do
The features you can't find in any of today's gaming notebooks are what I really crave. For example, the cramp confines of a notebook make it difficult to find a comfortable hand position while gaming using the keyboard and mouse. I'd love it if a notebook manufacturer designed a split keyboard that gave users the ability to twist the WASD side of the keyboard outwards, which would allow for a more natural wrist angle. IBM used to have slide-out  keyboards on some older ThinkPads--adding another hinge to one side of a similar keyboard couldn't be that much more difficult to implement. I'd also really like to see Microsoft or Logitech wireless gaming mouse transceivers integrated into a notebook, to eliminate the need to plug in a separate transmitter. I think it would make for an interesting feature if gamers could just throw the wireless mouse from their desktop machines into their laptop bag and seamlessly pair it up with a notebook when necessary, without the need to grab the dongle / transmitter as well. I'd also love to see notebook manufactures offer some sort of packet inspection technology that prioritized gaming packets over Wi-Fi. Wireless networking isn't very gamer -friendly, but with a quality NIC and software that prioritizes the game data, the overall experience could be greatly enhanced. That's something even Francis wouldn't hate.
Here's hoping someone with some pull in high places reads this, and agrees with me. Would any of you like to see features like these available in a gaming notebook? Have some better ideas?  I'd love to hear them. Or we can just chat about gaming from back in the day...

NOTEBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

It's Not Just A Docking Station Anymore
Posted in Notebook PC | July 26, 2009 5pm

The vast majority of notebook docking stations have traditionally been nothing more than port replicators or breakout docks that give users the ability to quickly connect their portable computers to desktop-bound accessories, like keyboards, mice, and monitors. Sure, there have been some hybrid docking stations that have allowed for increased expansion options on some notebooks, but they are the exceptions, not the norm.
I think it's time for that to change. Notebook sales have been outpacing desktops for quite some time now, but that doesn't mean all of those notebook buyers have chosen a portable machine over a desktop. Some of them, perhaps most of them, bought a notebook as a compliment to a desktop PC. Regardless of the convenience of a notebook, for some there's just no substituting for a large screen, quality input devices, and the performance of a desktop PC. With that in mind, I think it's time to take the notebook docking station concept up a notch to better appease these users, and equip the devices with capabilities that can morph the notebook into something much more powerful, while also offering additional functionality to other PC users in the home (or office).
A number of current notebooks offer hybrid graphics subsystems that give users the ability to switch between low-power integrated graphics and higher-performing discreet solutions.  The technology already exists to allow for switchable graphics, so why not integrate the higher-performing discreet graphics into a docking station--which will be connected to a larger screen--to allow for higher performance when connected? That way, when users are on the go, the notebook can benefit from the low-power IGP, but when home, users can enjoy the benefits of discreet graphics, for things like high-resolution gaming and video encoding. A design like this could also allow OEMs to produce a single notebook model that appeals to a broader range of consumers--users who don't need the discreet graphics or dock don't need to buy them. But users that want it all can opt for the whole enchilada and enjoy the benefits of a thinner and lighter notebook and a desktop replacement machine.
Due to the fact that docking stations usually stay in one place, the opportunity is also there to integrated other functionality, not historically associated with a dock.  For example, why not integrate a hard drive and NAS functionality so that other users in the home or office can access and store files on the dock? There's no reason the docking station should offer benefits to just a single notebook alone. Integrating NAS functionality would allow an easy means to all users to share files without having to connect another device to the network. It could also be used to download files without the notebook being connected, or even host files so the mobile users could access them on the road.
There are a number of other interesting ideas that could also work as part of a notebook docking station, like wireless HDMI, for example. But that enough from me.  What do you all think?  What other features and functionality would you like to see integrated into a docking station? Now's the time to tell--Asus and Intel are listening.

NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

NVIDIA Ion: Supercharging The Atom
Posted in Netbook PC | May 25, 2009 9am

Intel's Atom processor has been a huge success in the netbook market. The diminutive processor virtually sips power, it doesn't put off much heat, and it's relatively inexpensive as well. All of these attributes make Atom a perfect candidate for a highly mobile, affordable, ultra small form factor PC. There are a couple of common gripes with regard to Atom, however. The first is that the processor is underpowered in light of the current generation of mobile CPUs. And the second is the Intel 945G chipset. The 945G chipset Atom is usually paired with is based on aging technology, it consumes more power than the CPU itself, and its integrated graphics controller leaves much to be desired.
Well aware of the 945G chipset's shortcomings as they relate to Atom, NVIDIA has been promoting its Ion platform for months. Ion pairs the Intel Atom processor with a single-chip core logic chipset complete with a DX10 capable graphics core. Pairing Atom to the NVIDIA Ion chipset doesn't change the Atom processor's performance per say, but it does change the performance of the entire platform and also enables new features and functionality, not possible with the Atom / 945G combination. With Ion, fluid full resolution HD video playback is possible. And so is casual gaming. Ion doesn't offer the kind of 3D performance to churn though today's hottest gaming titles--partly due to the performance limitations of the Atom processor--but the GPU is capable of running virtually game out there, whereas the 945G cannot. Being equipped with a CUDA-capable GPU also gives Ion the ability to run GPU accelerated applications like vReveal, Nero Move It, Cyberlink Power Director and many others.
To date, NVIDIA's few officially announced Ion design wins have been relegated to a mini-ITX motherboard from Zotac and a small form factor nettop PC from Acer, the Aspire Revo. By the time you read this though, news of a new Lenovo netbook platform, the S12, will have it. The S12 will feature NVIDIA's Ion platform in a 12.1" netbook form factor. When it arrives, the Ion-equipped Lenovo S12 (there are Intel and VIA based versions coming as well) will have a leg up on competing offerings outfitted with inferior graphics processors and could prove to be the next "hot" netbook to hit the market.
Pricing of the S12, which will likely be around $600, might make the machine less attractive to some consumers who may prefer to go with a full-powered notebook in that price range. Whatever happens though, I hope more manufacturers follow Lenovo's lead. The Atom processor is simply being held back by the 945G chipset and Ion helps to alleviate that problem.

NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

The Incredible Shrinking Netbook
Posted in Netbook PC | May 11, 2009 12pm

When viable netbooks first hit the scene a couple of years back, Sony's SVP of the company's Information Technology Products Division in the U.S. was quoted as saying netbooks represented a "race to the bottom". The point he was trying to get across was that smaller, less powerful, systems could potentially have a detrimental impact on the overall PC market, due to the somewhat degraded user experience offered by the machines in comparison to more powerful, full-blown notebooks.
Of course, the market has spoken since then, and netbooks are an undeniable success. But that's partly because the more prolific and nimble netbook manufactures took a detour on that supposed race to the bottom.
If you remember back to the release of the original Asus Eee PC, the machines had a miniscule amount of storage and small 7" screens. They were still quite popular as secondary or tertiary mobile PCs, but a funny thing happened once consumers got their hands on the tiny systems in mass quantities. Despite the relatively low prices a large contingent of users expected more, even though they many of them went into the purchase knowing full well that a netbook wouldn't offer the same kind of computing experience as a notebook. Netbook manufacturers seems to listen to consumers closely, however.  Take Asus, for example. Over time, the Eee PC line expanded to the point where the most sought after models featured larger screens, faster processors, better keyboards, and standard mobile hard drives--just like more powerful notebooks.
Instead of racing to the bottom, netbooks have generally climbed up a few rungs on the evolutionary ladder. The market didn't become filled with smaller, cheaper, lighter netbooks, but rather the machines morphed into slightly larger, more sophisticated machines than their early predecessors. That's a great development, and one that I hope continues. As much as I can appreciate and understand the appeal of an inexpensive, ultra mobile netbook, I feel consumers are better served by the slightly larger more refined products available today. There is a point where a netbook become too small, and it hinders the experience. Where that point is will obviously differ from user to  user, but I think the vast majority of us can agree that low resolution screens smaller than 8.9" - 10.1" and keyboards so small it's difficult for an adult to push a single key at a time are pushing the limits of usefulness.