General Gaming Article

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• Can You Survive on a Chromebook Alone?
• HP Learns Yoga, Launches Flexible Pavilion x360 with 360-Degree Hinge
• Intel Adds 64-bit Atom "Merrifield" and "Moorefield" Chips to Mobile Portfolio
• Microsoft May Slash Windows 8.1 Licensing Fees to Battle Chromebooks
• SanDisk Lifts Storage Ceiling with Capacious 128GB microSDXC Memory Card
• Lenovo Unveils S Series Smartphones at Mobile World Congress
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 Router, Intel Core i5 4670 (Haswell), and More!
• Gigabyte Presents New Quad-Core J1900 Motherboard

Can You Survive on a Chromebook Alone? Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:45 PM PST We use nothing but Google's lightweight OS for a week When Google announced Chrome OS, many people scoffed at the viability of a browser-based OS. Currently, however, Chromebooks are among the most popular inexpensive computing devices today. The search giant has done a great job of making an OS that is light enough to function on entry-level Atom-based SOCs and even low-powered ARM silicon. With the launch of many new Chromebooks (click hear to find out which one we think is the best chromebook) we wanted to see if a person could survive with a Chromebook playing games, videos, word processing and more for an entire week. Read on to see how the OS fared against Windows in our seven-day challenge. Methodology The premise of our test was simple, use nothing but a Chromebook for seven days straight. We weren't allowed to touch a PC during that period, so we left our Windows rig sitting around collecting dust. Below you will find different sections about our experiences with our Chromebook. In addition, we fill you in on whether a person can use one as their primary computer. We should mention the only other Internet capable device we were allowed to use during our testing period was a smartphone. We did, after all, have to make the occasional phone call/text every now and then. The Acer C720 Chromebook The Hardware: We grabbed Acer's C720, as it's arguably the best Chromebook for the money, providing us with a dual-core Intel Haswell processor, 16GB SSD, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. We thought about using Google's Pixel, but it's super expensive at $1,300. The C720 comes very close to the Pixel in performance, and its way cheaper at $250. Not to mention its 0.7lbs lighter than the Pixel as well. Chrome OS' desktop interface Performance: Using a Chromebook we found some distinct performance advantages and disadvantages. First off, Chrome OS is insanely fast at booting up, and we saw the device get us to the Internet in just seconds. The battery life was excellent on the C720, as we got around eight and a half hours run time while producing documents and surfing the web. The C720 was highly portable since it weighs just 2.7 pounds and has a thin profile of 0.7 inches. We also liked its small sleek form factor, as it easily fit into our bag. With its small size also comes a small keyboard, however, and we found ourselves missing our full-size keyboard with its 10-key number pad. We did like the C720's multi-touch track pad, as the multi-touch gestures were very responsive, but it's a bit too small for large fingers. These hardware peripherals will vary from Chromebook to Chromebook, however, so the aforementioned statements are not relevant to all Chromebooks. A familiar face Browsing the Internet: Our Chromebook browsed the web quickly and efficiently. It handled multiple tabs very well and we didn't see any slowdown in performance when we had 10 or more tabs open. We did, however, run into an issue with Newegg as some of its links didn't work properly on our Chromebook. We tried looking at customer reviews on the e-tailer's website and couldn't get them to load on our Chromebook no matter what we did. We tried shutting down the unit and restarting it, restoring it to factory settings [A.K.A. powerwashing], and disabling our Chrome add-ons and nothing worked. The biggest weakness of Chrome OS is that not everything supports Chrome, so unlike Windows, you can't just switch browsers if a website isn't loading properly. Google's Word Processing Application: Google Drive Producing Documents: Google Drive was how we created documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. We liked using the cloud-based suite, but it's not as fleshed out as Microsoft Office. There's simply more functionality in Word and PowerPoint, as they offer more customization than Google Docs. We found there to be more transitions in PowerPoint along with more options to customize our slides than on Google Slides. If you just need basic presentations, documents, and spreadsheets, however, Google Drive can do most of what Microsoft's Office can do for free.  One of the biggest advantages Google Drive has over Microsoft Office is its sharing function and we liked how we could easily share our documents with the service. Another strong feature of document sharing in Google Docs is that multiple people can edit the same document at the same time, something that's not available in Microsoft's Office suite. Finally Google Docs is constantly and conveniently AutoSaving, which is something Word doesn't do either. Click the next page to read about gaming, picture-editing and more with a Chromebook.   Streaming Amazon Instant Prime on a Chromebook Watching Videos: Chrome OS has Adobe Flash Player baked right into its browser, so we found there to be no problems with watching movies and TV shows on Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. The picture quality was a clear 720p on our 11-inch display, which didn't look that bad because the pixel density was fairly high on our relatively small screen. Anti-Virus: There are no third-party AV programs on Chrome OS you can download at the moment. We see this as a problem because we would love to see Norton, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, and other AV developers making Chrome apps to help protect the OS. AV suites may come along if the OS gains further adoption, but for now you're only protected by Google. The search giant claims that you'll never get a virus on its Chrome OS, but Apple said the same thing a few years ago with OSX and that didn't turn out to be the case. As a matter of fact, the past few years Apple users have seen many viruses invade their laptops and all-in-ones like never before. We suspect that ChromeOS won't be immune to these problems either. Editing photos using Pixlr on a Chromebook Editing Photos/Videos: We initially thought that we could use Adobe's Creative Cloud on our Chromebook, but we were wrong, as Chrome OS does not support the online suite. If you need Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign, you'll need a Windows PC to use these multimedia-editing apps.  The built-in photo editor in Chrome OS is very limited, but luckily there's a free Chrome app called Pixlr that can satisfy your photo editing needs in a pinch. Pixlr gives you a variety of tools including an eraser, smudge tool, selection tool, stamp tool, along with a paint bucket tool and red eye reduction. Pixlr also lets you adjust your image's size and create layers for those who like to stack effects when editing their photos. It's not a Photoshop replacement, but at least you can lightly touch up photos. From what we know there's no way to edit videos on a Chromebook (other than the simple Youtube video editor, that is), so again you'll need a good old X86 PC to this task. If Adobe did start supporting Chromebooks we could see them as cheap multimedia machines, but until that time comes, Chrome OS users are limited to editing photos. Playing Bastion on a Chromebook Playing Games: As mentioned before Chrome OS supports Adobe Flash, meaning that Flash games can be played on the OS. Armor Games, a website that provides tons of free flash games, ran well, but we did see a few hiccups in our frame rate from time to time after a few minutes.  There are a few indie titles that are available on Chrome OS, including Bastion and Flow. Bastion was a performance hog and pushed our tiny Chromebook to its limits, as the unit's fan was blaring right when we started up the game. Flow on the other hand ran well and didn't bring our Chromebook to its knees like Bastion did.  We did miss Steam and Origin too (only because of BF4, naturally) and we found Chrome OS doesn't have any compelling flash titles to keep PC gamers satisfied. We find flash games fun 5-10 minute coffee break games, but they don't quench our hardcore-gaming thirst. Managing Content: We didn't like Chrome OS because of the lack of content management it provides. There are no folders for Music, Documents, or Pictures like in Windows. All of your files are automatically put in your download folder, and they are all grouped from most current to least current. We thought it was odd we couldn't put any of files these files onto our desktop. Not to mention, all this glorious content is stored on a "massive" 16GB SSD. It's not all bad as you can at least natively zip and unzip files in the OS with right-click, which is a two finger tap in Chrome OS.  We thought it was strange that we couldn't upload our music to Google Music using our Chromebook. Chrome OS doesn't support this, and that's just weird because you would think Google would support its own ecosystem. Simply put, there's a huge lack of content management features and it's something Google definitely needs to change if it seeks to get more market penetration within the laptop scene. Conclusion: While the Chromebook is very fast and functional, it lacks power-user apps like Photoshop, or triple-A gaming titles. We see the device great for college students looking to get a computing device that they can get 8-9 hours out of while taking notes and browsing the web. Chrome OS can also stream the major video services, as we watched Amazon Prime Instant Video, Hulu, and Netflix with no problems. You're ultimately getting a document, web browsing, and streaming machine.  There have been more hybrid Windows 8.1 devices sporting X86 Intel Atom processors with fast 32GB or 64GB SSDs. These inexpensive Windows machines should challenge Chromebooks in the upcoming months and will make Chrome OS devices harder and harder to sell. We've already seen some tablet-laptops that are $350-$400 like the ASUS T100, which gives users Windows 8.1 in a portable form factor with a battery life that is comparable to the C720. We'd personally stick with an X86 Windows PC because it does a lot more than Chrome OS, giving us access to a never-ending abundance of apps and tools that Google's browser OS just can't rival at the moment.

HP Learns Yoga, Launches Flexible Pavilion x360 with 360-Degree Hinge Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:42 AM PST Low priced convertible from HP takes on Lenovo's Yoga If the HP Pavilion x360 looks familiar, it's because we've seen the 360-degree hinge trick before when Lenovo introduced its Yoga. HP's Pavilion x360 is also capable of swinging all the way around and transforming itself from a laptop into a tablet, but it carries a much lower starting price. The cost of entry is $400, significantly lower than the Lenovo Yoga 11s, which starts out at $1,100 on Lenovo's website. HP didn't give away too many details about the Pavilion x360. We know it will have an 11.6-inch HD display with 10-point capacitive multi-touch support, an Intel Pentium processor of some sort, HD webcam, brushed aluminum keyboard deck, and Beats Audio. Beyond that, HP is keeping the specifics to itself. "Customers have told us they want a single device that is designed to work and play the way they do, at an affordable price," said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president, Consumer PC and Solutions Group, HP. "The HP Pavilion x360 is perfect for today's busy lifestyles. Its 360-degree hinge allows multitaskers to easily transition from laptop to tent to tablet. It's the laptop that doesn't make you miss your tablet and the tablet that doesn't make you miss your laptop—all at a price that is similar to an entry-level notebook." HP says the Pavilion x360 will be available in "Brilliant Red" in the U.S. starting February 26, 2014. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel Adds 64-bit Atom "Merrifield" and "Moorefield" Chips to Mobile Portfolio Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:19 AM PST New SoCs give Intel a greater presence in the mobile sector The mobile device category is dominated by ARM-based processors, and that's something that doesn't sit well with Intel. The Santa Clara chip maker is used to being on top of the semiconductor world, and in the mobile space, Intel will attempt to wrestle some share away from ARM with its new 64-bit Atom Z3480 processor, otherwise known as Merrifield, which is a quad-core part intended for Android devices. Intel's Z3480 SoC is built on a 22nm manufacturing process and is based on the company's Silvermont architecture. It has a maximum frequency of 2.13GHz and boasts a PowerVR G6400 GPU for up to 4x better graphics performance compared to Intel's Z2580 processor. "Sixty-four bit computing is moving from the desktop to the mobile device," Intel president Renee James said. "Intel knows 64-bit computing, and we're the only company currently shipping 64-bit processors supporting multiple operating systems today, and capable of supporting 64-bit Android when it is available." Intel also disclosed details about its Moorefield part (Z35XX), which it expects to be available in the second half of the year. Moorefield builds on Merrifield by adding two additional Intel Architecture (IA) cores for up to 2.3GHz of compute performance, an enhanced GPU (PowerVR 6430), faster memory support, and optimizations for Intel's 2014 LTE platform, the Intel XMM 7260. In addition to new parts, Intel said it inked mulit-year agreements with Lenovo, Asus, and Foxconn to expand the availability of Intel-based mobile devices. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft May Slash Windows 8.1 Licensing Fees to Battle Chromebooks Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST It worked for netbooks, can it also work for entry-level laptops? Regardless of how power users feel about Chromebooks, they're selling, and they're selling well. In fact, a Samsung Chromebook model is the best selling laptop on Amazon, and out of the top 10 most popular notebooks (in terms of sales), Chromebooks account for half. That's certainly not the landscape Microsoft envisioned when it released Windows 8, and to counter the Chromebook movement, the company is reportedly planning to slash Windows 8.1 licensing fees by 70 percent. There are multiple reports that Microsoft is going this route. One of them comes from Bloomberg, which claims to have heard about the cost-cutting measure from "people familiar with the program." According to those people, Microsoft will charge manufacturers $15 to license Windows 8.1 and pre-install it on laptops and devices that retail for less than $250. The normal fee for OEMs to license Windows 8.1 is $50, though some of the larger players pay in the neighborhood of $30 once incentives are factored in, according to Bloomberg's sources. Those incentives largely have to do with marketing funds provided by Microsoft, which wouldn't apply to products that quality for the discounted license. News and rumor site Digitimes is reporting the same figures based on chatter it's heard from sources within Taiwan's PC supply chain. However, will it be enough to spark sales? According to those sources, some PC players have been pushing Microsoft to offer free Windows Phone licenses for smartphones and free Windows 8.1 licenses for tablets to boost demand. Microsoft's Tami Reller recently revealed that more than 200 million Windows 8/8.1 licenses have been sold since launching to the public in October 2012. That's a big number, though it doesn't compare all that well with Windows 7, which sold over 240 million licenses a year after it debuted. In addition to lower licensing fees, Microsoft is getting ready to launch an update to Windows 8.1 that should make it more user friendly for desktop users. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

SanDisk Lifts Storage Ceiling with Capacious 128GB microSDXC Memory Card Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:45 AM PST Enough space to store 16 hours of Full HD video SanDisk has been on a tear lately. Following up the launch of its Extreme Pro SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card earlier this month, which it bills as the fastest SD card from here to the edge of the galaxy, SanDisk today announced its new 128GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-1 memory card, which offers the most capacity of any microSD card ever made. That's a pretty impressive amount of storage for a part that's smaller than the size of a fingernail. "SanDisk's high-performance 128GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC memory card will reshape the way users interact with their devices," said Stuart Robinson, director, Handset Component Technologies, Strategy Analytics. "Until now, consumers had to spread out their content between multiple products because the memory on those devices was not able to hold enough data in one place. This 128GB microSD card is going to be popular as the preferred removable storage option, giving users fast, secure and reliable access to their personal data archives." The capacious card is designed for Android smartphones and tablets. According to SanDisk, it's capable of holding 16 hours of Full HD video, 7,500 songs, 3,200 photos, and more than 128 apps. Compared to the first microSD card (128MB) launched in 2004, SanDisk's 128GB model is capable of storing 1,000 more data. To enable that kind of storage increase, SanDisk said it developed an "innovative proprietary technique" that involves vertically stacking 16 memory die, each of which is shaved thinner than a single strand of hair. SanDisk says the new 128GB Ultra microSDXC card is available only at BestBuy.com and Amazon.com for $200 MSRP. We checked online and didn't see it listed on Best Buy's website just yet, though Amazon has it listed (and "temporarily out of stock") for $120 with adapter. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Lenovo Unveils S Series Smartphones at Mobile World Congress Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST Living in a quad-core world Mobile World Congress kicks off today, which means a bevy of mobile announcements this week. It starts with Lenovo, the world's top PC company, announcing three new smartphones as part of its S series. They include the S860, S850, and S660, all three of which come equipped with a quad-core processor and longer battery life than Lenovo's previous generation models, the company says. Starting from the bottom, the S660 (PDF) is a compact device with a 4.7-inch IPS qHD display (960x540) powered by a MediaTek 6582m 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It also has 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 8MP rear-facing camera, 0.3mp-front facing camera, removable 3,000mAh battery, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Sitting in the middle is the S850 (PDF) with a 5-inch HD display (1280x720). It has the same processor and RAM as the S660, but twice as much internal storage (16GB), 13MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front facing camera, and a non-removable 2,000mAh battery. At the top of the totem pole is the S860 (PDF) with a 5.3-inch HD display. The same quad-core chip is found in the S860, but it has more RAM (2GB), 16GB of internal storage, 8MP front-facing camera, 1.5MP rear-facing camera, and a non-removable 4,000mAh battery. Lenovo said the S660 ($229), S850 ($269), and S860 ($349) will be available in select markets starting in June 2014. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 Router, Intel Core i5 4670 (Haswell), and More! Posted: 24 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST Top Deal: Networking woes have you down? Maybe it's time for an upgrade. There are tangible benefits to owning an 802.11ac router -- increased speed is obviously one of them, but depending on the model, beamforming technology can result in a more reliable connection at longer distances. We like what Asus has done in the AC space and use the company's RT-AC66U as our new baseline. One of our few complaints is that the USB port is only USB 2.0, but there's a newer model available that upgrades it to a USB 3.0 port. It's also the topic of today's top deal -- an Asus RT-AC68U Wireless AC1900 Dual Band Gigabit Router for $220 with free shipping (normally $250; Free Motorola SB6121 cable modem with promo code: [EMCPHHW52]). That's a killer combo that will allow you to ditch your ISP's modem rental fee! Other Deals: Intel Core i5-4670 Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $210 with free shipping (normally $220 - use coupon code: [EMCPHHW53]) WD Re 1TB 7200 RPM 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $100 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPHHW27]) Seagate Hybrid Drive 2TB MLC/8GB 3.5-inch Desktop SSHD for $110 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: [EMCPHHW26]) LG EB2442T-BN Black 24-inch 5ms LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $140 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCPHHW64])

Gigabyte Presents New Quad-Core J1900 Motherboard Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:27 PM PST Gigabyte's new board is a bang for your buck Gigabyte previously announced its J1800-based motherboard, and on Friday broke the news about the J1900N-D3V board, which will be a considerable improvement on the previous model. Sporting a Celeron J1900 chip, it utilizes four cores at 2.0 GHz. The Bay Trail-based chip uses integrated Intel HD graphics that run at 688 MHz, which can be boosted to 854 MHz. Connectivity consists of one PCI port, two SATA2 ports, and two DDR3-SODIMM slots. As far as rear I/O connectivity goes, there are two serial COM ports, two PS/2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, dual gigabit ethernet ports, and stereo audio jacks. The board is also equipped with DualBIOS. Unfortunately, there are few details about how much this board will go for or when it will be available. You can check out Gigabyte's official website for more information as it arises, and we will update as more info becomes available.

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