| Nvidia Hints at Fall Release for PC Port of Grand Theft Auto V Posted: 13 Aug 2013 04:12 PM PDT  UPDATE: Nvidia denies knowing anything about a possible PC port
Rockstar Games has a habit of making PC gamers wait for ports of its popular Grand Theft Auto franchise, and given the publisher's lack of information regarding its upcoming Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) release to Windows, we weren't really anticipating an exception. Until now, that is. After reading some comments Nvidia made about upcoming titles, we're optimistic that GTA V will crash the PC party sometime this fall. The comment originates at Seeking Alpha, which transcribed Nvidia's earnings conference call earlier this month. It was then spotted by Forbes and our sister site PC Gamer. After following the white rabbit down the rabbit hole, here's the nugget that was waiting at the bottom: "The PC market is evolving. As entry level laptops face pressure from tablets. Yet sales of specialty PCs like gaming systems and work stations continue to grow. The disparity reflects how consumers use these different classes of PCs," said Chris Evenden, Senior Director of Investor Relations at Nvidia. "Many consumers look for PC as a general purpose device they can use for browsing, email, social media video. But much of this can be better served by a tablet. In contrast, gamers are preparing their systems for a strong roster of games coming this fall, including blockbuster franchises, such as Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto V and Assassin's Creed IV." Part of the last sentence is bolded by us for emphasis. It's the first confirmation of its kind that GTA V might be coming to PC this fall, though we're a little weary of anything that's not an official announcement from Rockstar Games. It's also interesting that a PC release would fall so close to the console versions. 
In any event, we're crossing our fingers that Nvidia just let the cat out of the bag. UPDATE: Nvidia has contacted Maximum PC to clarify its GTA V slip up, the email reads, "Please note, during our Thursday's earnings call, our investor relations team provided a list of important games that gamers are looking forward to on PC this fall, and included Grand Theft Auto V on that list...This statement was made with the intent of expressing enthusiasm for the games industry in general, and was not intended to represent specific knowledge possessed by Nvidia. Nvidia does not have information on any possible PC version release of Grand Theft Auto or its availability. We deeply regret the error." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CyberPowerPC Unveils Zeus Hercules Gaming Laptop with Integrated Graphics Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:48 AM PDT  Powered by Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
System builder CyberPowerPC just announced its new Zeus Hercules gaming laptop with Haswell inside. You might think that such a name would be reserved for a high-powered notebook with dual GPUs, but in this instance, the Zeus Hercules leans on integrated graphics to push pixels around its 14-inch display. Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200, to be exact, which Intel claims offers up to twice the 3D performance of today's fastest mobile Intel HD Graphics solutions. The laptop itself is fairly portable, weighing just over 4 pounds and measuring 13.38 inches wide by 9.96 inches deep and 0.81 inches deep. According to CyberPowerPC, its laptop is 12 percent lighter and 18 percent thinner than competing slim gaming notebooks. It's actually a Clevo W740SU gaming notebook. A base configuration through CyberPowerPC consists of a 14-inch display with a 1920x1080 resolution, Intel Core i7 4750HQ processor, 4GB of DDR3-1600 memory, aforementioned Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200, 1TB hard drive (5400 RPM), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 1MP webcam, HDMI output, GbE LAN, 6-in-1 memory card reader, a single USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.0 ports, and Windows 8 64-bit. 
That's not exactly a powerhouse configuration, though it only costs $1,039 and can be customized with higher end components, depending on your budget. One thing you can't add, however, is a discrete GPU. The Zeus Hercules is available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Final Version of Windows 8.1 Releases to Public in October Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:23 AM PDT  Mark you calendar, Windows 8.1 is headed to town
A preview version of Windows 8.1 has been available since June, and if all goes to plan, word on the web is that the final release will roll into town in October. That's when the general public will be able to nab the download via Windows Update. Prior to that, OEM system builders will receive the update as early as this month, and it's possible some Windows 8.1 machines will show up in retail in September. The headstart for OEMs will give them time to test new drivers and make sure everything is working as it should. According to The Verge, even though Microsoft will finalize Windows 8.1 later this month, new machines running the software will be made available in October as well, even though September availability is theoretically possible. Windows 8.1 is a fairly ambitious update. It will bring back the Start button (but not the Start menu), new tile sizes, improved Start screen customization, Bing desktop support, a new Windows Store, Internet Explorer 11, and more. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Storage Makers Form Trade Group Promoting HDDs and Solid State Hybrid Drives Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:11 AM PDT  Long live the hard drive!
You've probably never come across a bumper sticker that reads, "You can have my hard disk drive when you pry it from my cold, dead hands," but rest assured, mechanical storage is far from being on the verge of extinction. Storage makers with a vested interest in HDDs have even gone and created a the Storage Products Association (SPA), the world's first trade association promoting hard drives to end users. Comprised of HGST, Seagate, Toshiba, and WD, the SPA debuted this week at the Flash Memory Summit with its member companies participating in a panel discussing how solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs) can benefit today's storage requirements. In addition to HDDs, the trade group also promotes SSHDs. "HDDs are a crucial technology for storing the ever expanding data that humans and our machines are generating," said Tom Coughlin, president of storage industry analyst firm Coughlin Associates. "Hard disk drives combined with flash memory can provide users the speed they need while providing affordable mass storage. With continued development of advanced storage technology and storage architectures these amazing storage devices will provide a home for the world's accessible data and serve every type of content users for many years to come." 
So, what's the point? The SPA has tasked itself with helping storage manufacturers and users understand and support current and future storage trends and advancements, including the key role of HDDs and SSHDs. There's a lot of money at stake. Disk drive manufacturers generated over $37 billion in 2012. Want more fun facts? There were 578.5 million HDDs produced last year, or more than 1.6 million per day, or 19 every second. And end users will be happy to know that the price per gigabyte has fallen on average almost 25 percent every quarter over the last decade. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft May Have Overestimated Demand for Touchscreen Laptops Posted: 13 Aug 2013 06:05 AM PDT  Touch laptop sales aren't surging
Microsoft's gamble with Windows 8 is that users far and wide want the same touch experience regardless of which device they're using, be it a smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC. That may have been a faulty assumption. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), touch-capable laptop shipments are much lower than Microsoft's OEM partners had predicted. Acer, for example, said earlier this year that up to 35 percent of its notebooks would wield touchscreens. Unfortunately for Acer and others betting big on touch, users aren't necessarily clamoring for touchscreen laptops. "We forecast that 17 percent to 18 percent of all notebooks would have touch this year," Bob O'Donnell, an analyst with IDC, told ComputerWorld in an interview. "But that now looks to be too high, to be honest." O'Donnell said IDC would likely reduce its estimate of touch-ready notebook shipments to between 10 percent and 15 percent of all laptops. That's in line with what another research firm is thinking, as NPD DisplaySearch said earlier this year that touch notebooks would account for about 12 percent of laptops in 2013. That's not good news for Microsoft. Even though prices of touch-ready notebooks have come down, Windows 8 isn't boosting sales figures to any level of excitement. It could be that prices need to come down even more, or it could be the lack of compelling apps that require touch that's holding sales back. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Logitech's Wireless All-in-One Keyboard TK820 Sports a Giant Touchpad Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:40 AM PDT  A type and swipe plank
Logitech is arguably the most aggressive peripheral maker when it comes to Windows 8 accessories, the newest of which is its Wireless All-in-One Keyboard TK820, a cordless plank with a built-in touchpad for swiping your way through Microsoft's touch-happy operating system. It supports over a dozen Windows 8 multi-touch gestures contingent on downloading Logitech's SetPoint software. The pitch is that it's a space saving device that allows you to type, touch, and swipe from a single device. It also features an ultra-slim design measuring 16.1 inches (L) by 5.7 inches (W) by 0.8 inches (H), and of course it's wireless, keeping desktop clutter to an absolute minimum. Logitech claims the keyboard is comfortable to type on, adding that its PerfectStroke key system distributes typing pressure evenly across the key surfaces so that every keystroke is quiet and feels smooth, even if you strike the edge of a key. As for the touchpad, it measures 4.17 inches by 4.17 inches, has a satin touch surface feeling, and an integrated mechanical click. 
The Logitech Wireless All-in-One Keyboard TK820 will be available in U.S. and Europe this month for $100 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Xerox Phaser Laser Printer, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Touchscreen Laptop, and More! Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:06 AM PDT |
| Acer Plans to Gradually Shift Focus Away from Windows Posted: 13 Aug 2013 12:55 AM PDT 
Will concentrate on expanding its Chrome OS and Android device portfolio Back in December 2012, Acer president Jim Wang said it was too early to say whether Windows 8 was a success or not. Some seven months later — a period during which the company suffered a quarterly loss and the world a shoddy 8-inch Windows 8 tablet from Acer — the Taiwanese company seems to have found the answer. "We are trying to grow our non-Windows business as soon as possible," President Jim Wang told investors in a conference call last week. "Android is very popular in smartphones and dominant in tablets…I also see a new market there for Chromebooks." The company is a Chromebook veteran, having been around since the very beginning. Now, it is trying to prop up the share its Chromebook sales have in its overall notebook sales from the current 3 percent to 5 percent (which won't be all that difficult to achieve if it continues to make products like the the Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet). By the end of next year, the beleaguered PC vendor sees Android and Chrome OS products making up around 30 percent of its overall revenue. Despite all his eagerness to expand Acer's non-Windows business, Wang admitted that traditional PCs are "the best IT device for productivity", with alternatives just not being good enough. "However, at today's stage, the user feels very puzzled," he added. "They need some convincing reason so that they will start to buy the real PC again." Further, he feels Steve Jobs death has only made matters worse, for consumers no longer know "whom they have to listen to" now that he is no longer around (yes, he actually said that). Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
