NewEgg Poised to Take on Amazon with NewEgg Mall

Well well, it looks as though popular e-tailer NewEgg is looking to be much more than a simple computer hardware e-tailer, and who can blame them? They have the crowd, so launching a new service split off from their primary business seems like a good idea. That's where NewEgg Mall comes in, a service that's poised to compete with Amazon.com, on a small level at first, of course.

The service is up and running, but according to Kris at DailyTech, it's not to officially launch until late May. So consider this a "beta" phase. Like Amazon, sellers are able to sign up as a merchant and begin selling their wares, and apparently NewEgg's final sale fee works on a similar scale to Amazon's. That leads me to wonder what motivation there would be to move on over, but since neither service charges you unless there is a sale (correct me if I'm wrong), then the more the merrier.

Though not officially launched, merchants can sign up now, if interested. This is a new look for NewEgg, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it will go. But for now, I'll just continue being disgruntled since they don't ship to Canada, despite demand...

The end result is, well, Amazon. Consumers can buy from the NeweggMall site, and products are drop-shipped from the reseller. Newegg takes a portion of the revenue from the sale, which it justifies by handling the portal and logistics. Depending on category, that portion can range from 6 to 15 percent, nearly identical to the revenue share structure at Amazon.com.

Source: DailyTech

ASUS to Re-Release Windows XP Eee PC in June with Intel Atom Processor

With ASUS' brand-new Eee PC 4G now hitting e-tailers and retailers with Windows XP pre-installed, it's almost hard to resist, right? Well, that might depend on how much you want to give Intel's latest Atom architecture a go, because if rumors prove true, the same Eee PC that was just released, will be re-released in June using the brand new processor.

With that in consideration, the decision to purchase now is made difficult. Once Atom is inside the Eee PC, pricing shouldn't change even in the slightest. Compared to the current Eee PC Celeron processor, the Atom CPU will be more efficient overall, resulting in lower power draw and higher frequencies.

If you need an Eee PC now, I don't think this news should stop you, since it is a month and a half away. But those who can wait, might not regret it. Intel boasts the fact that over 25 low-cost notebooks are soon to be equipped with Atom, so it shouldn't be too much longer before we see performance benchmarks and can understand just how much better it will be.

Atom is the name of the processor formerly called Diamondville. It was designed for low-cost laptop PCs, ultramobile PCs, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and other small devices aimed at connecting to the Internet. The processor is tiny, less than 25 square millimeters, will be priced low, and run at a battery-efficient 0.6 watts to 2.5 watts thermal design power, according to Intel.

Source: PC World

Microsoft Launches Ad-Supported Works 9, But Good Luck Finding It

Sometimes, Microsoft does something that is worth bragging about, so we hear about it everywhere. Other times, they do something different and don't want anyone to know about. This is one of those times, with the initial test of offering ad-supported software. The software in question is Works 9, a lightweight Office (it's rare to see good reviews on the product).

The idea is simple. Offer up the application with small ads displayed within the word processor and spreadsheet editor and get paid that way, rather than straight out of the users pocket. It's hard to say now, but this could be something small that will turn into something huge at some point. Works is a very small product, and at only $35 retail, Microsoft is not taking too much of a risk here.

The interesting thing is how quiet the company is keeping. Right now, you can only acquire the product with a new PC, but good luck finding out which new PC. According to the Beyond Binary blog, Packard Bell is offering it on a few systems in the UK, while Sony is offering it within the US. It will still require a keen eye to spot, however.

Microsoft remains cagey on the details of where you can find Works SE. The company has been testing Works SE in 5 countries: The United States, France, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom. It is available only through select computer makers and Microsoft won't say which computer makers those are.

Source: Beyond Binary

April 22nd Tech Roundup

Motherboards & Processors
• Foxconn MARS P35 - Digit-Life

Displays & Video Cards
• Asus GeForce 9800GTX - MadBoxPC
• NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 - Modders-Inc

Memory & Storage
• Super Talent Pico 8GB - DV Hardware
• Western Digital Velociraptor 10K RPM 300GB - HotHardware
• Western Digital Velociraptor 10K RPM 300GB - Legit Reviews
• Western Digital Velociraptor 10K RPM 300GB - PC Perspective
• Western Digital Velociraptor 10K RPM 300GB - Tech Report

Peripherals & Gadgets
• Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard - Red and Blackness
• Logitech MX5500 Revolution - Overclockers Online
• Trust Wireless Vista Remote Control - InsideHW

Cooling
• Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler - Pro-Clockers
• OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler - OCIA

Chassis & Power Supplies
• In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case - Think Computers
• SilverStone Kublai KL03 - Phoronix
• Sunbeam Quarterback - Overclockers Club

Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera
• Interview with Franck Delattre / CPU-Z - techPowerUp!
• Pentax K200D D-SLR - Digital Trends