- Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
- AMD Launches Ryzen PRO 7000 Series Mobile & Desktop Platform
- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Announces Latest Ada Lovelace Additions: GeForce RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 4060
- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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ASUS Eee To Cost Near $360USD
According to DigiTimes, the ASUS Eee is going to cost more than we originally anticipated, at around $360USD. Part of this is due to the fact that the 7″ LCD panels cost more than expected. The other part is the fact that the US was never meant to see the $199 version of the Eee to begin with, so the extra cash is used for “higher-end” specs. Still, even at $360USD, the Eee has a great chance in the marketplace.
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As demand for small- to medium-size LCD panels was running tight during the first half of 2007, prices for 7-inch panels increased to US$30 during the second quarter, compared to less than US$20 at the beginning of this year, noted the sources. The quotes are far more expensive that those expected by Asustek.
Source: DigiTimes
NBC Breaks Off With YouTube
Considering that NBC broke up with Apple early last month, it should be no surprise that they’ve also just broken up with YouTube. But, it’s hard to put the blame at them since they are going to be launching their own online video site shortly, which is supposed to house completely free ad-supported videos. At least they are not breaking off with YouTube simply to begin charging folks.
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The new site is set to launch sometime this month, and with Halloween quickly approaching, and this news, it would seem safe to say that the beta will be launching any day now. YouTube has a lot to be thankful towards NBC with as many people credit this nod from a large media company with finally adding credibility to the video site. And also, possibly, what led to their buyout by Google.
Source: Mashable
Xbox 360 To Include HD-DVD Player Next Year?
It looks like the Xbox 360 might become even more of a media center, come next year. Rumor is that Toshiba is working with Microsoft on a brand new Xbox 360 console, which will include an HD-DVD player. Of course, this is what most were expecting the original 360 release to entail, but they (and myself) were wrong.
Though still a rumor, it’s one that’s difficult to not see happen. The PS3 includes a Blu-ray drive, and look at how well that format is doing on the market. As it stands, competition is incredibly tight between Sony and Toshiba, so for an integrated HD-DVD drive to happen, it would no doubt help sell both more consoles and more HD-DVD movies. Sounds like a win/win. The new console would also include a much larger hard-drive and other media-centric additions.
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The device is being developed in response to the PS3 driving sales of games software and Blu-ray content in several countries. A recent Sony Brand Wave study conducted in five countries including the UK, Australia, France Germany and Spain revealed that a key reason that consumers are buying a PS3 is because it includes a Blu-ray player.
Source: Smarthouse
Pagani Zonda F Takes New Nordschleife Record
The Ring is an ultimate test for any car and all drivers. It offers intense corners, constant change in elevation and one massive straight-away that allows most cars to hit their top speed before reaching the end. It’s no surprise that so many car manufacturers use the Nürburgring to both prove their cars worth and also to find faults that need correcting.
It’s also a track that doesn’t see that many new records, for obvious reasons. The last “road car” record was set in July, 2004 by a Porsche Carrera GT, which set the record of 7:27:84. Well, the Pagani Zonda F now holds the new record by hitting a 7:27:82 lap time. Yes… it took the top spot thanks to a 2 millisecond lead. But, a record is a record!
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The Pagani Zonda F recently lapped the track that claimed Lauda’s ears in a scant 7:27:82, edging out the previous ruler, the Porsche Carrera GT (which it also rivals for carbon-fiber content in its construction). The Zonda’s hot lap shaved a mere two milliseconds off the Carrera’s time, but those are two milliseconds the German supercar evidently couldn’t muster on its own home track. How embarrassing, ja?
Source: Autoblog
The Ridiculously Tedious HL2: Episode Two Achievement
Half-Life 2: Episode Two has been out for close to two weeks now, so there’s a good chance most players have by now finished it. But did you truly finish it? You may have noticed that Valve included a whack of achievements to unlock throughout your adventure, and one in particular is a rather large test of patience. I completely l overlooked the garden gnome at the beginning of the game, but it appears a certain PC Gamer editor did not.
The goal is simple. Carry this garden gnome with you through the entire game, making sure to set him in the rocket at the end. Essentially, this means you will be protecting and carrying him around for well over five hours of gameplay. Sure it might sound difficult, but I’m willing to bet it’s a lot more tedious than difficult.
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Obviously any time you know you’re going to be coming back to an area, you can set him down there and go off on your own. My tendancy to put him in areas where I knew something dramatic was going to happen cost me my gnome once or twice.
Source: James Blog
RF Online – Free to Download & Play
Codemasters have announced that they’ve made their Sci-Fi MMOG Rising Force Online (RF Online) totally free to download and play.
Codemasters Online is pleased to announce that RF Online is now a completely free-to-play MMORPG with the full game now available for download with no monthly subscription required.
RF Online is an epic mix of traditional fantasy and futuristic Sci-Fi set in the deep space galaxy of Novus where three races compete in an ultimate struggle for power and resource. Celebrating the games re-launch, new players can now also experience the all-new free expansion, Episode II: Pioneers of Novus available for free to all players of the game.
For more information on RF Online, visit the official community website at http://www.rf-onlinegame.com.
Gods & Heroes No More
In order to focus on Star Trek Online, Perpetual has decided to shelve Gods & Heroes online.
The Perpetual team is faced with a unique challenge of simultaneously developing both Gods & Heroes and Star Trek Online in addition to growing our Online Game Platform business. After assessing all of Perpetual’s opportunities, we have made the decision to put the development of Gods & Heroes on indefinite hold.
I want to express my overwhelming gratitude to the community, engineers, designers, artists, animators, and the game services team for the support and effort that has gone into Gods & Heroes. –Chris McKibbin
Read More: Gods & Heroes
Leave My Games Alone!
This Geek Girl is a gamer. If you’re not completely appalled like we are, you haven’t been paying attention.
Sign the Wall of Protest to let governments know to leave your video games ALONE!
The Wall of Protest represents opposition to the government regulation of video games, and is composed of citizens who are standing up to the government’s infringement upon this burgeoning form of interactive entertainment.
Education, not regulation, is the solution. Stand up against video game regulation and join the Wall – It’s simple:
- Grab a sign or make your own statement (please keep it clean) – View Guidelines.
- Take a picture with your sign
- Share your photo – Submit your photo here
Want to do more? 1. Take Action 2. Learn More 3. Spread the Word
Halo 3 Sells 3.3 Million Copies In September
We posted the other day about Halo 3 sales numbers, but now they are officially official thanks to the NPD group. During the 12 days of September that the game was on sale, it managed to sell over 3.3 million units, which includes all three editions. That’s more than the other nine games in the top ten combined and doubled. According to the same report, over 527,000 Xbox 360 consoles were sold as well, being the first console to beat out both of Nintendo’s offerings in quite some time.
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“Halo 3 posted phenomenal results for just 12 days of sales in the month of September. True to its name, the game rubbed off on hardware sales too – the Xbox 360 realized it’s best month ever in unit hardware sales outside last holiday season,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. “If ever there was a doubt that great content drives hardware acquisition, this should put that doubt to rest.”
Source: IGN Xbox 360
PS3 40GB Model Coming To North America, Lacks PS2 BC Support
We knew for weeks that a 40GB Playstation 3 was going to happen in Australia, but thanks to a blog post by SCEA CEO Jack Tretton, we now also know that it will be making its way over to our shores. Sadly, like the version we knew about before, this one will suffer the same fate of not being able to play PS2 games, thanks to support being removed.
That is a stupid move. Making things even worse, the removal of backwards compatibility was not even done to save money. Rather, it was done deliberately to encourage buyers of the “budget” version to purchase PS3 games. What?! At least you can pick up an actual PS2 for under $100, but at that point, you might as well splurge on a 60GB or 80GB PS3 and save all of that extra hassle.
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With all the speculation and buzz out there regarding the 40GB PS3 announcements in Japan and Europe, I am very excited to confirm that the new $399 PS3 model will be coming to North America on November 2nd, making that particular configuration available worldwide. In North America, the 40GB PS3 comes bundled with the block-buster movie Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray. Also, effective today, we’ve lowered the purchase price of our 80GB model by $100 to $499.
Source: Playstation Blog
Street Fighter IV Confirmed!
Alright. I thought I was excited that Bionic Commando was coming back, but I believe an announcement of Street Fight IV effectively beats the heck out of that one, with a nicely executed combo of course. Right now, not much is known about the game, except that it’s coming. There’s a small teaser trailer that shows Ken and Ryu duking it out in a stylized fashion, but it gives not a speck of information about the upcoming title. The game is still over a year from release, but at least we now know one is en route. About time!
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What could be better than Capcom bringing back Bionic Commando? How about Street Fighter IV? Games Radar is reporting from the Capcom Gamer’s Day in London that the 4th game in the series has been officially confirmed. A stylized trailer of Ken and Ryu fighting was shown, but no actual gameplay footage, and while development has started the game is still more than a year away for whatever platform it ends up coming out on, Still, we can all rest easy that it is indeed on the way.
Source: Kotaku
Achievement Unlocked: Suffered Through This News Post (50 Points)
According to a new study, games for the Xbox 360 that include great achievements to unlock sell better overall, and also receive better review scores. I could see how this could be the case, since it feels great to be acknowledged whenever you accomplish something great in a game, whether it be killing a badass monster or driving 500 miles. When that Achievement Unlocked pops on the screen… one word comes to mind: Satisfaction! Congrats for earning 50 gamer points for making it through this news post.
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A new study by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR) suggests that the Xbox 360 achievement system (here called “accomplishments” for some reason) has an effect on the title’s success. According to the press release, EEDAR found a “strong connection between a game title’s diversity of Accomplishment types with that game’s profitability — pointing to the idea that the more diverse the Accomplishments available to the user, the more enjoyable the game, higher review scores, more units sold.”
Source: Joystiq
See, Piracy > Free, Seriously
We posted earlier this month that Radiohead’s newest album, “In Rainbows”, would be offered to fans at prices they set. There were no limits… fans could actually download the album and not pay a dime. This was an impressive move and one that would effectively give the recording industry a good kick in the pants. Well, almost.
You’d imagine though, that with an album being released for free, no one would have a problem with acquiring it legally. As it turns out, that’s not true at all. Although Radiohead pushed 1.2 million sales through their website, 100,000 each day (500,000 total to date) have been acquired through P2P networks. This could be taken a few different ways. A) Pirates have no idea about the legal offering, B) Pirates find it easier to acquire it through sites they already visit, without being nagged for information or C) Pirates love “stickin’ it to the man”. My bets on C.
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While the numbers may seem drastic, it’s really more a tale of how late to the game the music industry has been. Piracy networks have been growing over the past couple of years, despite the industry’s declared “war†on illegal file sharing. The networks have grown into easy-to-use distribution methods for digital music — even easier than what Radiohead offered. Users could easily grab “In Rainbows†while downloading music from other artists.
Source: TechCrunch
No More Analog TVs to be Found at Best Buy
According to the Associated Press, Best Buy has discontinued selling analog televisions beginning this month. The retailer is ahead of schedule with this move, since the government-imposed mandate for selling digital TVs only is not effective until Feb, 2009. I have to wonder though. With digital TVs costing as much as analog models did a few years ago, why would anyone purposely pick up such a model now?
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It’s not a huge surprise. The government-imposed digital television mandate is fast approaching. By Feb. 18, 2009, TV broadcasters will be required to broadcast only digital signals, and TVs with only analog tuners will be unable to pick up the new broadcasts. As part of the gradual step up to digital broadcasts, all new televisions larger than 13 inches shipped to retailers after March 1, 2007, need a digital tuner. Stores are allowed to sell any analog sets already in stock.
Source: News.com
Open Letter To Neversoft: Take Two Years For Tony Hawk!
I admit it. I am a massive Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater fan and have been since the first release way back in 1999. I’m not a skateboarder, but I quickly realized you didn’t need to be in order to enjoy the games. The series offered a perfect combination of mind boggling tricks with entertaining levels and exciting goals. I’d have to consider THPS 4 to be the highlight of the entire series. It was the second title on the “current-gen” consoles at the time (PS2/Xbox), had added great new features and some of the best levels and goals the series has seen.
I recall a direct quote from a developer after THPS 4’s release. “We will not be releasing another Tony Hawk next year. We will instead release one two years from now.” At the time, I was upset. Being a fanboi, I could have handled a new game every other month. Two years was asinine! Now my mind has changed. Neversoft needs to forget about releasing another Tony Hawk title next year and focus on publishing one in 2009. The reason? Quality.
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With the release of Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, fans were really beginning to become disgruntled with the series, due to its repetitiveness and lack of new standout features. The following year, we had Tony Hawk’s Project 8, which I reviewed shortly after the launch. It was the first “next-gen” release, so we all expected big things. Indeed, the game was huge, the goals were challenging and the graphics were sharp. But to our disappointment, the game still was laced with blatant issues and bugs that were not cleaned up before launch.
This could be due to a lackluster game engine, but I blame it more on the fact that there has been a new Tony Hawk title every single year since the original. This methodology might work well for athletic sport titles, but those are not completely new games. Sure, they have upgraded graphics, modes and rosters, but the basic premise of the game never changes.
I ran out to pick up Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground the other morning and played it most of the day. It became clear to me rather quickly that the game was still the result of a rushed product. In the first hour I experienced walking through a wall and having a goal noted as completed two minutes after it was actually completed. I found it odd to walk away from that goal, only to be stopped moments later to be congratulated with help of a huge banner screen!
I admit that I am still enjoying the game, but the first reviews around the web have been giving scores at around 80% and lower, with 70% being average from the biggest game-review sites. Being a fan, I don’t want to see this series die off soon simply because of a few lackluster titles. Neversoft needs to spend two years creating a masterpiece, especially with major competition now from EA, with their skate. series. EA took the time to create their game and it earned itself 90% ratings on average. That’s not a coincidence! Do I really have to say it? Quality over quantity… that’s what matters to gamers.
Nintendo Japan Pulling Support for Famicom, Super Famicom and N64
If you knew that Nintendo Japan was still supporting the Famicom, Super Famicom and Nintendo 64, you deserve a nice pat on the back. I for one, had no idea, but am impressed nonetheless. Due to the rarity of support parts, they are finally pulling support for those three consoles, so whatever you do, keep great care of the consoles you have!
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The next time your ‘Fami’ freezes up, blow as you might, it could be all over. Then again, it’s nearly 2008; maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Indeed, Nintendo of Japan is encouraging just that by ceasing hardware support for Famicom, Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, Gameboy and Gameboy Pocket due to a scarcity of repair parts.
Source: Joystiq
Linspire’s ex-CEO Kevin Carmony Loves Ubuntu
It’s not often that we can experience a CEO from one company bolting and then admit to falling in love with another companies product afterwards. But, that’s what happened with Linspire’s ex-CEO Kevin Carmony, who recently made a post on the Ubuntu forums admitting to being stoked for it.
He notes that once he left Linspire, he experimented with numerous distros and found Ubuntu to be an “easy choice”. Of course, this is the same person who used to say great things about a distro he obviously had a great distaste with. Of course, if I were an ex-CEO looking to beef up my cred, I’d choose the most popular distro known to man as well.
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Now that I’m no longer the CEO of Linspire, or under any obligation to use that particular distribution, I thought I should take some time and look around at all the distributions and decide which one was right for me and my PC. In addition to already being quite familiar with Linspire and Freespire, I also looked at Novell/Suse, Red Hat/Fedora, PC Linux, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu. Well, after all my research, I have to tell you, it was an easy choice. Ubuntu! I’m excited for the new release in a few days, which I will use to replace the many Linux desktop and laptop PCs I own (five).
Source: Ubuntu Forums
Skulltrail Processor Details Rumored, Platform to Support Quad-SLI
Intel’s upcoming Skulltrail platform has boarded the rumor train, with specific processor specs and prices. We knew that Skulltrail was going to be expensive, thanks to the fact that the motherboard is robust and that it will be equipped with specific processor SKUs, but these quotes are higher than even I expected. According to DigiTimes, that SKU will retail for $1,499, which I assume to mean in quantities of 1,000. The QX9775 processor will be clocked for 3.2GHz and support 1600FSB. Skulltrail is designed to handle two of these processors.
Also in related news, The Register is reporting that the platform will be capable of handling Quad-SLI. This shouldn’t come as a surprise I suppose, considering the platform is being geared towards the asinine-high-end range. Throw in quad GTXs and 8GB of ram into a complete Skulltrail rig, and the prices are going to be… Well, if you have to ask, you couldn’t handle the performance anyway. Or so I hear.
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Skulltrail will go on sale in Q1 2008 as the Intel D5400XS motherboard based on the company’s as-yet-unlaunched 5400 workstation chipset, a leaked Intel presentation slide posted on Chinese-language site HKEPC reveals. Currently, Intel’s top-of-the-line workstation chipset is the 5000X, which, like the 5400, supports up two CPUs. The 5400 primarily adds support for a 1600MHz frontside bus (FSB) frequency.
Source: DigiTimes (Skulltrail Pricing), The Register (Skulltrail Quad-SLI)
Mac OS X Leopard Available On Oct 26
Apple fans have reason to celebrate, as Leopard has been announced for release on Oct 26, which happens to the be the last Friday of the month. Both the desktop and server versions will be released on the same day, with the desktop version retailing for $129. New features include the redesigned 3D dock with Stacks, updated Finder with Cover Flow, the organizational tool Spaces, file backup-er Time Machine and more.
Upset that you just purchased a Mac last week? No worries, as Apple has also announced their Up-To-Date program which allows a free upgrade if the machine was purchased after October 1, 2007. You can view the full press release below.
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CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today
announced that Mac OS(R) X Leopard will go on sale Friday, October 26 at
6:00 p.m. at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, and that
Apple’s online store is now accepting pre-orders. Leopard is packed with more
than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new
way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users
quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to
instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new
feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between
them; and Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything
on a Mac(R).
Source: Apple Press Release
Yet Another AGEIA Killer-App Delayed
For whatever reason, a Warmonger delay comes as absolutely no surprise. Cellfactor was AGEIA’s first killer-app, which also happened to be delayed more than once. In addition, that game failed to coax people into purchasing a PhysX card, so the second go is with Warmonger, which is now delayed until what we would presume at least another month or two. It’s hard to blame AGEIA for this move, though, given that other popular FPS games are coming out within the next month (Crysis, UT3). Still, are we ever going to see a killer-app for the PhysX?
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We’ve recently undergone some additional online field testing with a select group of PhysX beta testers and have gotten great feedback. We want to take advantage of the feedback and ensure that Warmonger is 100 percent polished and truly shines as the best next-gen, hardware-accelerated physics and UE3 based game.
Source: Kotaku
Inside The ESRB Ratings System
Have you ever looked at a game and noticed the ESRB rating, and then wondered how they came to such conclusions? Me either, but Gamasutra had a chat with the president of the ESRB to find out just what goes on in their offices. I was surprised to learn that they have a mere six full-time raters, but evaluate over 1,000 games each year. Whether or not you pay attention to the ratings yourself, this proves to be an interesting interview.
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We prefer raters who’ve had experience with children, whether through their profession or by being parents or caregivers themselves. We also want people who are articulate and thoughtful, able to express and defend their opinions about content, as well as people who are familiar with video games. They don’t have to be hardcore fans, but they should have experience playing games.
Source: Gamesutra
Toshiba Extends HD-DVD “Five Free Movies” Offer To Canada
Being a Canadian, I can’t remember the amount of times I’ve read, “Offer only valid in the US”. How hard can it be to extend an offer to the Country that sits atop the US? Well as Toshiba is finding out, not that hard. Their “Five Free HD-DVD Movies” offer with the purchase of an HD-DVD player was solely offered to US citizens, but has now been made available to Canucks. Of course, now that an offer finally applies to Canada, I find out that there is not a single movie title from the provided fifteen that piques my interest. It figures!
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As with other free movie offers, the 15 movies are split into five different categories, forcing the consumer to choose one movie out of three from each category. Furthermore, the Canadian version of the deal requires the consumer to enclose a $10 check or money order to cover shipping and handling of the free movies.
Source: DailyTech
CoolIT Offering Discounts In Return For Your Old Cooling Solution
When it comes to CPU cooling that’s more effective than water and a lot more sane than phase change or LN2, CoolIT has enthusiasts covered. Greg took a look at both their Eliminator and Freezone units in the past and was quite pleased and still is to this day. If you are thinking of jumping on the CoolIT bandwagon but want some enticing, you might be intrigued by their latest promotion.
According to their site, they will take your old CPU cooling product and give you up to 30% off of a new CoolIT product. How the value of your old cooling product is determined, I’m unsure. If you were considering one of their products to begin with though, your options have gotten a little bit sweeter.
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If you have any computer CPU cooling system, no matter how old, no matter how functional, trade it in to us and we’ll give you up to 30% off any of our products. CoolIT Systems will give up to 30% off one of our products purchased through our website with the Trade in of any other company’s computer CPU cooling setup.
Source: CoolIT Systems
Is X48 Bound To Hurt X38 Sales?
According to DigiTimes, Intel’s X48 chipset is right around the corner with a tentative Q1 2008 launch date. With X38 released just last Tuesday, it’s questioned whether or not sales are going to prove lackluster because of X48’s upcoming launch. As odd as it is to release a revised chipset mere months after a major release, I am doubtful it will hurt sales much, if at all.
Compared to P35, X38 brought a lot to the table, with PCI-E 2.0 and full Crossfire support, not to mention native 45nm support. As far as we are aware, X48 brings another FSB bump (1600MHz) and also native DDR3-1600 support, two things that X38 will likely see before X48 hits. X38 should do well, at least as far as enthusiasts are concerned. Good thing, since that’s who the chipset was designed for.
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However, sources from one first-tier maker claimed that it sees no danger of the X48 diluting demand for X38-based motherboards, noting that it has simply revised its product mix to feature X48 at the top-end, premium section of its lineup. Makers most likely to be affected by the new chipset are second-tier makers who have fewer resources with which to prepare for a new product launch in the shortened time, and those who have a less well managed channel, according to the sources.
Source: DigiTimes
AsusTek Eee Available In a Few Weeks
It looks like AsusTek’s Eee PC will be hitting online retailers and B&M stores within the next month. In bulk quantities, the Eee will be sold for $199 each, so the cost to consumers should hover around $249, but could be higher or lower depending on demand. Of course, that can be taken two ways. In the end, it will depend on competition, mostly.
Though the Eee’s specs are far from drool-worthy, it’s purpose is what makes this a brilliant machine. I know of people who are gearing up to purchase one as soon as they become available. It’s a great machine for kids and a great machine for those who just want something simple to mess around with. I have a good feeling AsusTek is going to do well with these… and I’m sure I’m not alone in that thinking.
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According to Reuters, the Eee PC will be priced from $199 for its bulk customers. Asustek’s Eee PC will be available at brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy and online retailers like Newegg within the next few weeks. The UMPC will later make an appearance in Europe. “If we can sell a couple million [Eee PCs], we’ll be confident,” remarked Jonathan Tsang, Asustek’s president of sales and marketing.
Source: DailyTech