News From April 27 2002

Technical, Business and Product News from the Modern Computer World... Updated Once Per Month

BetaNews - Microsoft Releases New Un-Improved XP PowerToys
By Nate Mook, BetaNews

Over four months after it originally removed PowerToys for Windows XP from download, Microsoft developers have finally released the long awaited update to the popular tools. PowerToys are a group of small applications that add extra functionality to Windows XP by taking advantage of hidden settings.

A Microsoft spokesperson at the time cited the need to make minor improvements as the reason for pulling PowerToys and promised an update in the spring. However, Windows enthusiasts are sure to be disappointed by this latest release, as it lacks many of the tools that made its predecessor such a hit.

Not found in version 2.0 are the shell media player, ISO CD image burning, fast user switching, background switcher, and domain login tools. Unfortunately for those utilizing these applications, the old PowerToys must be uninstalled before installing the new ones. (NOTE: I just posted the original PowerToys on my DOWNLOAD page).

Instead of the previous unified install, PowerToys must now be downloaded individually. Microsoft reminds visitors that it offers no support for the tools. To download this latest release of PowerToys for Windows XP, visit FileForum...

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has gained crucial backing from Microsoft Corp. for its forthcoming family of 64-bit chips, code-named Hammer, the company announced Wednesday. The chip maker also revealed that server and workstations versions of the chip due in the first half of next year will take the brand name "Opteron."

Microsoft is working with AMD to offer a version of its Windows operating system for AMD's new chips, which will compete primarily with Intel's Xeon and Itanium processors, AMD said. Intel already has secured Microsoft's backing for its own family of 64-bit chips, and gaining support from the software giant is an important step for AMD as it tries to take make inroads against Intel in the server market, analysts said.

"It is a very important step forward in terms of gaining industry support for (AMD's new chip architecture)," said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst with Insight 64, in Saratoga, Calif. However, he added, "it does not by itself ensure the success of the product. "

AMD also needs the backing of enterprise software vendors such as Oracle Corp. and SAP AG, which will need to retune their applications to take full advantage of the new AMD chip architecture, dubbed x86-64. Those vendors will have little incentive to do that unless they think major server vendors will also climb on board, creating "a little bit of a vicious circle" for AMD, Brookwood said.

If AMD could make inroads in the server market it would probably benefit customers by sparking a new level of competition, he said, adding that he has "a lot of regard" for AMD's chip technology.

...The Sunnyvale, Calif., chip vendor has long played second fiddle to Intel in desktops and notebooks, although analysts say its share of that market has increased somewhat since the release of its first Athlon processor in 1999. Intel has retained a tight grip on the high-volume server market, however, where AMD's chips appear for the most part in unbranded "white box" systems.

Still, in reporting the company's first-quarter financial results last week, AMD officials reported a "substantial" uptick in sales of the server version of its Athlon processor and claimed to have sold some 100,000 units of that chip during the quarter, McCarron noted. "That's a fraction of what Intel does ... but it's not noise anymore, it's a measurable number," he said.

...The first Opteron chips will begin shipping in the first half of 2003, AMD said. The family will include 64-bit chips for one-way and two-way workstations and servers, which were formerly code-named Clawhammer, as well as offerings for two-way to eight-way systems, formerly known as Sledgehammer.

A version of the chip for desktops and notebooks will appear in the fourth quarter of this year under the existing Athlon brand, AMD said...

BETANEWS - TI, NVIDIA to Back 'Corona' in New Chipsets
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
April 24th, 2002, 8:18 AM

In a major step towards broad adoption of the company's media codecs, Microsoft announced Tuesday that video card makers ATI and NVIDIA have signed on to support the upcoming version 9 of its Windows Media Technologies, code-named Corona. Corona video decoding will be embedded into new graphics chipsets, allowing for playback at six times the resolution of DVDs. The performance improvement will be due in part to DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) found in Windows XP, which has been enhanced to off-load video processing from the CPU to the graphics card.

Corona was announced late last year and is set to introduce two new advanced audio and video codecs. "Corona Video" boasts a 20 percent efficiency improvement and the ability to provide HDTV-like quality video at half the file size of a DVD. The new Windows Media Audio Professional codec will feature streaming 6-channel surround sound with full resolution 24bit/96kHz sampling.

"Windows Media 'Corona' is validation that Microsoft shares our goal of advancing the PC as an entertainment device," said vice president of marketing at NVIDIA, Dan Vivoli. "Corona is designed to harness the performance power of our graphics processor units (GPUs), resulting in a seamless home theater-quality experience on any desktop or notebook PC."...

While IBM is a couple of years late to the server-blade market, the company's breadth may make up for the delay. IBM's eServer BladeCenter systems, unveiled Thursday, benefit from a lot of help provided by other IBM divisions.

The new system, which will ship in September or October, includes servers, storage, and networking blades. The blades will be based on Intel Xeon DP, Intel Itanium, or IBM Power processors...

A Japanese supercomputer, based on technology from NEC, has taken the title of the world's fastest system. The Earth Simulator, which is being used by Japanese boffins to predict climate patterns, tops a list of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers, which was released over the weekend. Capable of operating at more than 35 gigaflops, the Earth Simulator outstrips its nearest competitor, IBM's Asci White supercomputer (7,226 gigaflops), by a factor of five. A gigaflop represents a billion mathematical operations per second. Full story at The Register USA