General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Rumor: Microsoft Announcing a Self-Branded Tablet on Monday

Posted: 17 Jun 2012 10:31 AM PDT

EventMicrosoft has announced that at 3:30PM pacific time on Monday the company will unveil something "you will not want to miss". The message is intentionally vague, and is written in the tricky and annoying language of "marketing". Thankfully we live in the digital age, and anonymous sources have confirmed Microsoft will allegedly unveil a line-up self-branded tablets to a captive audience in LA. Naturally Microsoft has denied to comment on these rumors, however both All Things D and The Warp claim to have independently verified the reports. 

The source tracked down by All Things D admits "that Microsoft concluded that it needs its own tablet, with the company designing both the hardware and software in an effort to better compete against Apple's strengths." The author went on to claim that both ARM and x86 based machines will likely be shown, though it is not clear if reporters will get hands on time with the new devices. Wired has also speculated that the new hardware might be manufactured by Nokia, and could closely parallel the way Google handles its Nexus line. 

If Microsoft does enter the tablet wars directly, it could be as risky a gamble as Windows 8. Apple has been making some modest gains against the PC in recent years, but for all intents and purposes that war is over; Windows has won. Tablets on the other hand are a completely different matter. If Microsoft fails to capture market share quickly, the self-branded hardware could end up harming their reputation with consumers even more.      

Leaked Documents Show Microsoft Considered Buying OnLive

Posted: 17 Jun 2012 09:48 AM PDT

OnLiveAs PC enthusiasts you have every right to be skeptical of OnLive as a service, but let's just say we are impressed beyond belief that it works at all. Nothing will ever beat the experience you get with a tricked out PC, however anyone who has fired up Crysis on a netbook and actually given the service a fair shake knows they've managed the impossible. It would seem Microsoft agrees, and actually considering buying the service before it got too dangerous. 

A 56-page document that allegedly leaked by Microsoft has given some insight into what the next generation of console hardware might look like, but also detailed a list of "threats". The document warned management that OnLive could "up-end the console gaming market by making expensive consoles and PCs unnecessary for AAA gaming." They went on to theorize that partnerships with ISP's could even allow for subsidized or even free hardware with a subscription. Because of this the author labeled them as a "potential acquisition target".

Considering the fact that the documents are now almost two years old, it's safe to say Microsoft decided against it. It's always fun however to sit around and wonder how close they came to pulling the trigger, and what if anything they would have done with the service. Maybe Microsoft even considered upgrading the Xbox 360 with the technology, allowing them to offer improved graphics and visuals without a hardware refresh. Crazy I know, but let us know your theories in the comments below. 

UPDATE: The documents on Scribd have been removed at the request of Covington & Burling LLP.

Dell XPS 14 & XPS 15 Photos and Specifications Leaked

Posted: 17 Jun 2012 09:14 AM PDT

ThumbThe Dell XPS line has always done a decent job of offering above average mobile performance for a fair price, however the current generation is growing a bit long in the tooth. Dell fans on the hunt for a new 14" or 15" notebook haven't had many options, but a set of leaked photos and specifications have emerged for the XPS 14 and XPS 15.

As you no doubt managed to guess the model refresh brings with it a new set of Ivy Bridge options, along with a hybrid 500GB HDD paired with a 32GB SSD, 8GB of Ram, and an Nvidia GT 630M GPU with 1GB of memory.

The display options will range from 1600x900 on the XPS 14, to full 1080p on the 15. Engadget reports that both screens will feature Cornings Gorilla Glass, however the 1080p panel on the XPS 15 looks slightly sharper.

Both models will offer USB 3, along with DisplayPort & HDMI, and are expected to hit the street sometime before the end of June.
Posted by Shri Krishna

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