Desktops
Dell Inspiron Zino HD: Blu-ray media centre for £600 
A Blu-ray-playing Windows 7 media centre with a terabyte of storage and a dedicated graphics processor for £600? Not too shabby, huh? Such a system is Dell's new Inspiron Zino HD set-top PC, and it's worth more than one of your glances.
Basically, it's one of those doesn't-have-a-monitor setups, like the Asus Eee Box or the equally Blu-ray packing ViewSonic VOT550 we saw a couple of months back. The idea is you'll hook it up to an HDTV via HDMI and use a little wireless keyboard and mouse to access all your content. Continue reading...
Intel settles with AMD for $1.25bn
Rival chip manufacturers Intel and AMD have settled their bitter legal disputes in a massive $1.25bn deal, our sister site ZDNet UK reports. Intel was accused of trying to shut AMD out of the market and was hit with a €1bn fine from the EU earlier this year. The companies will also share patent rights for the next five years. Continue reading...
The 20 most extreme case mods of all time
Before laptops, World War II and dinosaurs, desktop PCs ruled the Earth. And they were dull. And they were beige. And nobody liked them.
Unsurprisingly, many users attempted to modify their desktop PCs in increasingly extreme ways. Some added stickers, others added flashing lights, while some -- jobless students, mostly -- pimped their rigs until they were utterly unrecognisable as PCs.
Today, we pay homage to those men and women of the modding scene by presenting to you the 20 most pimped-out case transmogfications ever conceived. Continue reading...
Snow Leopard vs Windows 7: How the Apple has fallen 
Apple's products are universally acclaimed for their wonderfulness and gorgeousness -- except in the real world, where people use computers for actual work and not just for messing around.
Just ask The Onion, and when you're done, have a butchers' at the latest market-share statistics. Apple's Leopard operating system failed to make significant in-roads against even an ailing Windows Vista, and we're not so sure Snow Leopard, despite its claimed improvements, has what it takes to topple Windows 7.
Continue reading...
Video: Alienware Area-51 ALX hands-on 
No one would call Rory a small man, but even he's dwarfed by the monstrous Alienware Area-51 ALX desktop gaming PC. It truly is the mothership -- the fastest PC we've ever seen.
It's impossible not to be in awe of the Area-51's ludicrous chassis. With enormous vents on the top that lift up when its silicon heart starts pumping, and customisable lights everywhere (even inside), it makes a massive statement. And that statement is: I am geek, hear me roar. Or as Rory says, "Don't f*** with me."
Watch video...
'Get a Mac' ads heckle Windows 7 launch
Apple has released three new 'Get a Mac' adverts, all designed to upset the launch of Windows 7.
In one spot, 'Broken Promises', the nincompoop PC character, played by John Hodgman, wants to celebrate the "good news" that the newly released Windows 7 won't have the problems of its previous operating systems. The ever-smug Mac character (Justin Long) retorts by saying PC has made the same promises every time it's launched a new OS, triggering a smart-aleck retro montage. Continue reading...
Using the new iMac as a games console display: Not that easy
Apple's 27-inch iMac is a thing of highly reflective, hedonistic beauty. With up to 2.8GHz of quad-core Intel i7 power, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, 2TB of hard disk space and powerful ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics, this £1,600 beast is probably the most powerful all-in-one on the planet.
But it has a much-discussed additional feature over its smaller, less powerful 21-inch brother: Mini DisplayPort input. Theoretically, this allows you to hook up anything that either outputs video via Mini DisplayPort (such as a MacBook), or via HDMI when used with an adaptor. Continue reading...
Amazon to publish free Kindle PC app
Amazon is increasing the number of ways you can access its Kindle electronic book service, with a new free app for Windows PCs that lets you read and download ebooks on your computer. Like the iPhone app, it'll sync with your Kindle reader -- recently made available in the UK -- so you don't lose your page whichever device you're reading on. It also makes use of Windows 7's touch-control features. An app for Macs will follow soon. Continue reading...
Microsoft launches Windows 7 with new hardware and massive PC World discounts
Windows 7 launches tomorrow, and Microsoft has been showing off its new OS on a range of laptops and desktops at a swanky London launch.
Although most of the kit isn't brand-spanking-new, it was our first opportunity to get hands-on with many of the new models. First up is the Sony Vaio L11S1E/S, a high-definition all-in-one. With its 3GHz Intel Core Duo E8400 chip, the Vaio's multi-touch touchscreen is supersnappy. Continue reading...
Asus Eee Box 1501 mini PC hands-on photos
The first Asus Eee Box to run Windows 7 was shown off in a swanky Soho members' club last night. It's the dual-core Intel Atom-powered Eee Box 1501, and we shared a seductive booth with one.
Like the older Eee Box mini PCs, there's no screen included. Instead it's got HDMI for connecting it up to an HDTV. But it's the first model to include a DVD drive, and its graphics system is now handled by Nvidia's powerful new Ion technology. Continue reading...
