Hands-On Bonanza with Latest Logitech Products

Logitech is one of the best-known names in the computer peripherals, gaming and home entertainment industries, releasing a very large number of products each year, whether we're talking about wireless audio systems, mice and keyboards, gaming accessories, etc.

Each year, they organize special events for the press, during which they present their latest innovations, in just about every country where one can find their products. We've recently attended such an event, where we've had the chance to get very close and personal with quite a few of the company's latest products. And within this article we'll give you a complete tour of the most interesting models we found on display, ranging from the Illuminated Keyboard to a wireless racing wheel designed especially for the PS3.

Dual-core comes to Atom line with launch of Atom 330

Intel's new integrated, dual-core nettop Atom 330 solution has launched; the updated motherboard/CPU combo should be available from retail outlets in the immediate future. Atom 330 ships with an improved version of Intel's original Atom board; the D945GCLF2 includes support for DDR-2 667 (up from DDR2-533), adds six-channel HD audio, and features gigabit Ethernet instead of the 10/100TX solution that its predecessor offered.

Atom 330 and Atom 230 share the same feature set and clockspeed, but Atom 330 is a HyperThreading-enabled dual-core part. The performance difference between the two processors could be significant—Atom 230's performance in any given benchmark varies by up to 50 percent depending on whether or not HT is enabled. Adding a full second core should improve performance by an even greater amount, though the exact benefit will always vary from scenario to scenario. It's safe to assume, however, that Atom 330 will generally outperform Atom 230 while consuming only slightly more power (as measured at the wall).

As we've mentioned before, the Atom 330+D945GCLF2 motherboard is strictly a desktop/nettop solution. Intel will undoubtedly release a low-power dual-core Atom N370 (assuming Intel keeps to its current naming conventions) at some point, but it may not do so for some months yet—netbooks, it seems, will continue to use the single-core, low-power N270 up through Christmas. As far as the netbook market is concerned, Intel's N270 has no current peer, but both the Atom 230 and Atom 330 could face significant competition in the coming months. Sales of systems in this space only comprise a small fraction of total Atom sales, but for the two companies in question (AMD and VIA) even a fraction of sales in a fraction of a given market can translate into meaningful revenue.

In order to effectively compete against Atom—even desktop Atom—both AMD and VIA must overcome challenges of their own. VIA's Nano outperforms Atom 230 (we've not compared it against Atom 330), but we've yet to see even one Nano-powered device, motherboard, or system. VIA initially indicated that such systems would be on the market late in the third quarter; if the company intends to keep that goal it has precious little time left in which to do it. As for AMD, it reportedly intends to fight back against Atom with a series of ultra-low-power Athlon 64 processors. The question, in this case, isn't whether AMD can manufacture and supply said processors, but to what degree OEMs and motherboard manufacturers will choose to back AMD's nettop/desktop solution over Intel's.

As things stand today, the only company with a shipping, available solution in this market area is Intel, and Atom 330 should offer significantly improved performance over Atom 230. To date, Atom has exceeded all expectations; Intel always thought the chip would do well, but the company has repeatedly revised its estimates for total Atom shipments in 2008 upwards as the netbook craze shows no signs of slowing. These new chips may not directly drive netbook sales, but they could prove strong (and cheap) enough to entice buyers who were put off by Atom 230's low performance.

Info:http://arstechnica.com

Fit-PC Slim brings Windows, Linux to CherryPal form factor

Compulab has announced a desktop computer which weighs less than a pound, yet can run Windows XP and desktop distributions of Linux. The new PC comes in a number of flavors sporting either 256MB or 512MB of DRAM, Windows or Linux, and options for hard disks and WiFi.

This isn't the first very small desktop. Small linux desktops have been released before, with lower specs and higher prices than the Compulab device, including its immediate predecessor, the Fit-PC. More recently, avid followers of Kit will remember the humorously-titled CherryPal PC, which attempted much the same task, with a little cloud computing mojo mixed in. But in achieving its small size it sacrificed x86 compatibility. The CherryPal project appears to be still puttering along, but Ars's initial skepticism was probably right; users mostly aren't willing to ditch x86 to get desktops the size of a disappointing sandwich, a format one reader christened "DSX". With Compulab's new product, they won't have to.

The Fit-PC Slim, reports Linux Devices, weighs a mere 13 ounces and is only 4.3*3.9*1.2 inches, yet packs all the hardware for a real x86 desktop. This hardware includes a 500Mhz AMD Geode processor, the above-mentioned pool of RAM, an open, user-servicable bay for a 2.5" laptop hard disk, and ports for ethernet, VGA, USB, audio, and DC electrical power. Options exist for a WiFi controller which can operate in Access Point mode to broadwast a WLAN, and to fill the hard disk bay at the factory with a 60GB hard disk. This hardware consumes a mere 4-6 watts of electrical power, and is cooled without a single fan.

OS choices are limited to Windows XP and an unspecified flavor of Linux, but it's not clear where these OSes and their files are stored in the driveless flavors of the new device. Perhaps a small amount of onboard Flash is included, as in the CherryPal.

A $220 base model has 256MB of RAM, no WiFi or HDD, and runs Linux. Adding Wifi and doubling RAM bumps the cost to $245. A configuration with this and a hard disk is $295 and all this with Windows XP costs $335.

A 6W machine running 24 hours would save almost $100 per year in electricity at $.25 per KWh, the prevailing price in some parts of the USA, vs. a 50W tower. If those savings can be properly communicated, users with minimal needs or the need for an always-on server of some sort might well go for such a device on the basis of efficiency alone.

The device won't compete with the Fry's $99 linux box special for the ultrabudget market, but it may find some use among hobbyists. The hard disk bay and ability to run x86 software make the Fit-PC Slim much more interesting as a hobby device. It also sports a serial port, though in a proprietary plug format. Furthermore, its power plug can accept anywhere from 9V to 15V DC, allowing the new device to run off an unregulated battery or solar cell pack and under rugged conditions. Such a machine could run for three continuous days off a single car battery, or continuously off a small photovoltaic panel exposed to sunlight.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II adds 1080p video recording

On September 17 Canon officially announced its EOS 5D Mark II D-SLR camera. The camera is the follow-up to the popular Canon EOS 5D that has been on the market for a while now.

One of the innovations the 5D Mark II adds over its predecessor is the new DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor that powers its 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion. Also introduced is the Canon EOS 5D Mark II full frame 24 x 36mm sensor with a 21.1-megapixel resolution.

Continuous shooting is up to 3.9 frames per second, a specification that disappointed some on our forums who were hoping for continuous shooting speeds around five frames per second. The rear LCD is a 3-inch unit with 920,000 pixels and it supports LiveView. LiveView is another topic of debate on the forums with some feeling that the feature isn’t usable on a camera like the Mark II and others saying there are times when a pro photographer can use LiveView.

Perhaps the biggest new feature on the 5D Mark II is the addition of full HD 1080p video recording. The Nikon D90 was the first D-SLR camera to offer a video recording more, but it only records in 720p. Whether or not video recording is useful is another point of contention among forum users.

Personally, I would love the ability to shoot video on my Nikon D80. I shot video at trade shows and of my kids with my old point-and-shoot more than I realized when I moved to the D80. On more than one occasion, I have wished I could shoot video and carrying a camcorder in addition to my D80 on a full day at a trade show is far from appealing for me.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is set for delivery at the end of November in a body only kit for $2,699. A kit with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens will retail for $3,499.

info: http://arstechnica.com