Dell today announced the highly adaptable OptiPlex XE desktop PC for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and retail environments. Designed to withstand challenging conditions such as high heat, dust and 24x7 operations, the OptiPlex XE delivers on Dell's commitment to purpose-built solutions more directly connected with customer needs. The system is easily placed within medical carts, video rental kiosks, retail point-of-sale (POS) solutions and other custom deployments that require easy remote management and long-term system stability options.

The new ZOTAC NM10 series delivers class-leading energy-efficiency from a new Intel Atom D510 dual-core processor and NM10 Express chipset with Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 integrated graphics for the perfect blend of performance and energy-efficiency. Paired with DDR2 memory, the ZOTAC NM10 series platforms have plenty of memory bandwidth and lightning-fast access latency for that extra performance punch for computing demands.

"More users are becoming eco-conscious about their computing demands. With the ZOTAC NM10 series platforms, users can have plenty of performance for email, word processing and web browsing on a desktop with superior energy-efficiency," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X100e, the company's first professional-grade ultraportable laptop starting below $500. The introduction pioneers a new category of PCs for today's business users that blends professional performance, usability and design with new color options at an extremely affordable price. The X100e also represents the first time Lenovo and AMD have collaborated to offer AMD processors on ThinkPad laptops and to leverage AMD's VisionPro branding.

"By listening to our customers and observing market trends, we identified an opportunity to create a new type of ultraportable laptop for business users," said Sam Dusi, vice president, ThinkPad Product Marketing. "Customers asked us for low cost and extreme portability without sacrificing usability or the manageability needed to run a business. By expanding the ultraportable ThinkPad X Series to reach prices under $500, the X100e delivers on all counts."

Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer and flash memory products, today announced that it has released firmware with TRIM support and a firmware update tool for its award-winning Performance Series P64, P128 and P256 solid-state drives.

The firmware (revisionVBM19C1Q) and update tool were both developed by Samsung, and have been rigorously qualified by both Samsung and Corsair using a large number of test platforms, in conjunction with a controlled end-user BETA test of the new firmware.

Researchers from Intel Labs demonstrated an experimental, 48-core Intel processor, or "single-chip cloud computer," that rethinks many of the approaches used in today's designs for laptops, PCs and servers. This futuristic chip boasts about 10 to 20 times the processing engines inside today's most popular Intel Core-branded processors.

The long-term research goal is to add incredible scaling features to future computers that spur entirely new software applications and human-machine interfaces. The company plans to engage industry and academia next year by sharing 100 or more of these experimental chips for hands-on research in developing new software applications and programming models.

While Intel will integrate key features in a new line of Core-branded chips early next year and introduce six- and eight-core processors later in 2010, this prototype contains 48 fully programmable Intel processing cores, the most ever on a single silicon chip. It also includes a high-speed on-chip network for sharing information along with newly invented power management techniques that allow all 48 cores to operate extremely energy efficiently at as little as 25 watts, or at 125 watts when running at maximum performance (about as much as today's Intel processors and just two standard household light bulbs).

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Chris Liddell will be leaving the company at the end of 2009, and named Peter Klein as the company's new chief financial officer.

"Chris and his finance team have accomplished a great deal over the past four and a half years. The team is deep and strong, and has an excellent record of building value for our shareholders," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer. "Peter brings great finance and operations expertise and a deep understanding of the company, and I am looking forward to a smooth transition that continues our commitment to cost containment and finance excellence."

In the past fiscal year, Microsoft reduced costs by $3 billion compared with its original plan, and returned $14 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buy-back.

ASUS, a worldwide leader in personal computers, today introduces the TS mini small office/home office (SOHO) server. The TS mini targets modern home and small office users that frequently exchange data from multiple computers and require access from various locations. The TS mini secures documents, multimedia, and other digital content into a sleek repository. It further safeguards data on multiple computers across the home or office with automatic backups and cloud storage. TS mini allows centralized file access with local networks, attached storage devices and remotely over the internet. Equipped with an Intel Atom processor, the TS mini delivers quiet, energy efficient, always-on access. Operating on the Microsoft Windows Home Server Platform, it simplifies management of digital content. The TS Mini is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com and NewEgg.com starting at $349.99 USD.

"Consumer demand for rich content that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device is fueling innovation in networking and storage of media and data in the home," said Seth Bobroff, general manager, Data Center Group - Storage, Intel Corporation. "The Intel Atom processor in the TS mini enables ASUS to deliver the ability to stream media, share files and protect data while remotely accessing it, all in a sleek and energy-efficient 2-bay design."

Punch up your digital experience with a blast of power. The XFX NVIDIA GeForce GT 240 graphics card gives you an across-the-board speed and performance boost that takes you from "mundane" to "insane". NVIDIA PhysX technology adds speed to your game, so that you can play Batman: Arkham Asylum or Darkest of Days 2X faster than the competition. Transform it into a dedicated PhysX card by pairing it with another NVIDIA based graphics card and enjoy up to 50% pop in performance.

Ninety-six NVIDIA CUDA cores enable you to run the latest GPU-accelerated applications, many at speeds 50% faster than prior generation. Maximize your YouTube- and Hulu-viewing experience in full HD with new GPU-accelerated Adobe Flash 10.1. Enjoy all of the great Microsoft Windows 7 features, including drag and drop video conversion, as well as full support for DirectCompute, OpenGL 3.2 and PC Express 2.0. Available in a 1 GB GDDR5 or 512MB DDR3, put the power of the XFX NVIDIA GeForce GT 240 graphics card at your fingertips.

Today Microsoft Corp. announced the worldwide availability of its new Windows 7 operating system. Windows 7 delivers on a simple premise: make it easier for people to do the things they want on a PC. The new operating system offers a streamlined user interface and significant new features that make everyday tasks easier and allow people to get the most out of computers of all styles and sizes.

"With Windows 7, there's never been a better time to be a PC," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together with our partners, we're bringing more choice, flexibility and value to the market than ever before. With Windows 7, you're sure to find a PC that fits your life."

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Video Players today expanded their Turbo NAS lineup with the addition of the TS-210 desktop NAS server targeted specifically at the SOHO and Prosumer market segments. The TS-210 supports up to 2 3.5" SATA hard drives with up to 4TB of total capacity (using 2TB drives) and features a Marvell 800MHz CPU and 256MB DDRII memory which provides sustained high performance with low power consumption. The TS-210 can be configured to RAID 1 for high data redundancy. The TS-210 also supports iSCSI Target service with Thin Provisioning and a Gigabit LAN port, features generally found on much higher end NAS servers. The TS-210 is equipped 3 USB ports (1 front, 2 back panel) for expanding the storage capacity, printer sharing, or data backup to an external storage device.

The TS-210 is a smart choice for installation in home or home-based business as it is fully compatible with Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and UNIX networks. It features a built-in UPnP/ DLNA media server (with TwonkyMedia enabled) supporting a wide range of DLNA media players such as Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming consoles. By installing the DLNA/ UPnP application on your iPhone or iPod touch, users can access the TS-210 on the home network and play the videos, music, and photos from the server over the network. In addition, the high-speed PC-less Download Station with the unique QGet utility enables users to manage the BT/ FTP/ HTTP download tasks remotely over the local network or the Internet. The TS-210 can perform centralized backups of all computers attached to the network to protect valuable paid downloaded music and video content, digital pictures, and documents.

NVIDIA Corp. today introduced its next generation CUDA GPU architecture, codenamed "Fermi". An entirely new ground-up design, the "Fermi" architecture is the foundation for the world's first computational graphics processing units (GPUs), delivering breakthroughs in both graphics and GPU computing.

"NVIDIA and the Fermi team have taken a giant step towards making GPUs attractive for a broader class of programs," said Dave Patterson, director Parallel Computing Research Laboratory, U.C. Berkeley and co-author of Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach. "I believe history will record Fermi as a significant milestone."

NVIDIA today announced work with Microsoft to promote NVIDIA Tesla graphics processing units (GPUs) for high performance parallel computing using the Windows HPC Server 2008 operating system.

"The coupling of GPUs and CPUs illustrates the enormous power and opportunity of multicore co-processing," said Dan Reed, corporate vice president of Extreme Computing at Microsoft. "NVIDIA's work with Microsoft and the Windows HPC Server platform, is helping enable scientists and researchers in many fields achieve supercomputer performance on diverse applications."

NVIDIA Research developed several GPU-enabled applications on the Windows HPC Server 2008 platform, such as a ray tracing application that can be used for advanced photo-realistic modeling of automobiles. Related to this, NVIDIA worked with Microsoft Research to install a large Tesla GPU computing cluster and is studying applications that are optimized for the GPU.

Microsoft Corp. today announced its thinnest keyboard ever - the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 - made exclusively for Bluetooth notebook and desktop computers. Projections show that over 55 percent of notebook PCs will ship with Bluetooth by the end of 2010. With mobile PCs getting more compact, the Microsoft Hardware team created the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 to address consumers' need for comfortable and portable computing accessories.

Microsoft Hardware's Industrial Design team designed the keyboard so it doesn't sacrifice style, while creating a compact, clean and refined product, offering ultimate comfort with Microsoft's Comfort Curve layout. The keyboard also features a portable Bluetooth Number Pad that helps people stay productive wherever they work.

In what will go down as a wacky PR stunt, Microsoft will be rewarding you with special editions of its Windows 7 operating system - for hosting its launch party at your home in the week of its international release. In return for hosting the party, you'll be given Windows 7 Ultimate "Signature Edition", and Windows 7 Party Pack. You can choose between four themes for your party: PhotoPalooza, Media Mania, Setting up with Ease, or simply Family Friendly Fun.

Residents of the following countries can apply: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. If you're selected, you'll be assisted by House Party - a leading party organizer. "Pick a theme, then upload photos and videos, chat with other hosts, blog your experience, and download fun favours all from your personal House Party page." Here are the details, good luck.

Today marks another important date in the development phase of Microsoft's much anticipated Windows 7 operating system. Post signing the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) for Windows 7, the software is now officially available to MSDN and Technet subscribers. The English (En-US) version is available starting today, while the International versions will be available weeks later, on October 1.

It was further added that starting tomorrow, companies that are Microsoft Software Assurance license holders, will be able to download Windows 7 RTM (En-US) through the volume-licensing service center (VLSC). International versions will be available later. SA license holders will further be able to purchase Windows 7 through Volume Licensing on September 1st, as announced earlier.

Following the European Commission's recent welcoming of Microsoft's proposed "browser ballot" method of providing users a choice of web-browser software to be installed, Microsoft has decided to scrap the Eurozone-specific variant of the operating system codenamed "Windows 7 E", that lacks the Windows Internet Explorer web-browser component. The company will be shipping the standard version of the software to EU which it ships to the rest of the world.

In an interview with CNET, Microsoft's VP and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner said "One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 'E' is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners." He added that "Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 'E'. Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 'E', only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs."

Microsoft's Windows 7 has managed to capture quite some hype, with successive pre-releases living up to the expectations of many. This time, Microsoft will be offering "family-pack" licenses of Windows 7 Home Premium that lets users install one copy on three PCs in a household for a fraction of the cost of buying three licenses. Microsoft confirmed Windows 7 Family Pack, along with its pricing. It is priced at US $149.99, which amounts to savings of $200 in comparison to buying three Windows 7 Home Premium licenses.

This release however, isn't worldwide. Microsoft announced that it will be available on October 22, the day of the commercial launch of the OS. It will be available in the United States, and select markets. The Windows 7 Family Pack first surfaced as a listing on an online store.

The European Commission can confirm that Microsoft has proposed a consumer ballot screen as a solution to the pending antitrust case about the tying of Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser with Windows. This followed extensive discussions with the Commission which centred on a remedy outlined in the January 2009 Statement of Objections (see MEMO/09/15) whereby consumers would be shown a "ballot screen" from which they could - if they wished - easily install competing web browsers, set one of those browsers as a default, and disable Internet Explorer. Under the proposal, Windows 7 would include Internet Explorer, but the proposal recognises the principle that consumers should be given a free and effective choice of web browser, and sets out a means - the ballot screen - by which Microsoft believes that can be achieved. In addition OEMs would be able to install competing web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.

As the Commission indicated in June (see MEMO/09/272 ), the Commission was concerned that, should Microsoft's conduct prove to have been abusive, Microsoft's intention to separate Internet Explorer from Windows, without measures such as a ballot screen, would not necessarily have achieved greater consumer choice in practice and would not have been an effective remedy.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, the next versions of its flagship desktop and server operating systems. With the completion of this development phase, industry partners are readying products in time for the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 worldwide general launches. Windows 7 will be generally available to customers around the world on October 22, and Windows Server 2008 R2 will be generally available on or before that date. As always, current customers of the Windows Volume Licensing program, Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers and TechNet subscribers will be among the first to get customer access to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in the coming weeks.

Microsoft will make the announcement on its Windows Team and Windows Server Blogs later today. More information about today's news is available via the following links:

• Windows Team Blog
• Windows Server Blog
• Partner Web sites: readyset7.com and talkingaboutwindows.com
• Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for businesses: microsoft.com and microsoft.com/windowsserver2008

Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system will attain "release to manufacturing" (RTM) status soon, following which it will be made available to different sections of users on different dates, according to an official blog post at the Windows Team Blog. The elusive Windows 7 RTM in its English version will be made available to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers on August 6. It will be available in other languages by October 1. Microsoft further added that Microsoft independent software/hardware vendor partners (ISVs/IHVs), along with TechNet subscribers will also be able to download Windows 7 RTM (English) on Aug. 6. Microsoft's original equipment manufacturer partners (OEMs) will begin receiving Windows 7 two days after RTM, although a fixed date on when exactly the OS gets its RTM status was not mentioned. Windows 7 is on course for an October 22 commercial release, when consumers will be able to buy retail versions of the operating system, as well as PCs and notebooks pre-installed with it.

Google's recent announcement of the Chrome OS, a web-oriented operating system that aims to use practicality and speed as its USPs, created more than just a few waves in the IT world. The firm later added that Chrome was going to be a free software, and has the support of some of the biggest names in the industry. At the receiving end of a potential competitor both in the operating system and cloud computing businesses, undoubtedly is Microsoft.

In an interview with CNet's Ina Fried, Bill Gates took the liberty of commenting on this development and implied that the waves Chrome OS created, are but in a teacup. "There's many, many forms of Linux operating systems out there and packaged in different ways and booted in different ways," Gates said, "In some ways I am surprised people are acting like there's something new. I mean, you've got Android running on Netbooks. It's got a browser in it," he added.

Today marked the first day of the Windows 7 upgrade deal for most european countries. Much like the US variant, customers in the EU were able to preorder Windows 7 Home Premium for 50 € or UK Pounds. According to the Hannoversche Allgemeine Newspaper the entire stock of the new operating system has been sold out within hours in the german speaking region. Large etailers like Amazon.de only had 1500 from the 10000 pieces of the german version - which sold out 7 minutes after the start at 9:00 AM - while others only managed to get 500 or less. Other german etailers like Alternate, OTTO, Neckermann managed to hold out a tad bit longer, but all of their servers - including the ones from Amazon Germany where brought to their knees so that many potential buyers missed out on the deal. Amazon UK on the other hand allowed pre-orders for about 6 hours until listing the item out of stock. Overall, most etailers all over Europe are sold out, while some traditional stores may have some left. It should be noted, that Microsoft actually planned to offer this deal from July 15th until August 9th.

Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system was supposed to reach the release-to-manufacture development stage around July 13, a build largely squared off as the final product of its development team before being sent for mass-production. Earlier this week, news from sources claimed another pre-production build (number 7600) as the RTM version due to its timing of a leak to sections of the internet. As it turned out, the build was not the RTM, though as indicated by the jump in build number, included a host of changes.

Microsoft further advises the community to wait for an official announcement from the company before taking any more pre-release versions to be the RTM, as was the case with build 7600. Expect the RTM to be out in the second half of July, and a confirmation from Microsoft when that happens. In related news, Microsoft indicated that the retail packages for all variants of Windows 7 will pack both 32-bit and 64-bit DVDs of the OS, as was the case with Windows Vista Ultimate. This leaves consumers the convenience of having to pick just one sub-variant.

Faced with a future competitor in general productivity applications, Google, which recently announced concrete plans with a web-friendly operating system, Microsoft expressed plans to make Office Online - a web-based version of Office - free. Microsoft's upcoming Office 2010 productivity suite will be available both as a paid software that you can purchase and use, and an web-based application that can be run from within a web-browser. According to the company, the upcoming Office Online is designed to work seamlessly with popular web-browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari, apart from its own Internet Explorer. Currently Microsoft has a highly profitable business of selling the Office productivity suite, which amounts for $20 billion of the company's revenue. The company is working on pre-release community versions of Office 2010.

At the ongoing Worldwide Partner Conference held in New Orleans, USA by Microsoft, the company announced that its upcoming client operating system, Windows 7 will be made available to its business customers through volume licensing starting September 1, over a month ahead of its worldwide commercial launch on October 22. Starting September 1, business customers will be able to order the Windows 7 Enterprise variant through Microsoft Software Assurance licensing. The key features of Windows 7 Enterprise as listed by Microsoft are as follows:

• DirectAccess: Give mobile users seamless access to corporate networks without a need to VPN
• BranchCache: Decrease time branch office users spend waiting to download files across the network
• Enterprise Search Scopes: Find information on network locations including SharePoint sites with a simple user interface
• BitLocker & BitLocker To Go: Help protect data on PCs and removable drives, with manageability to enforce encryption and backup of recovery keys
• AppLocker: Specify what software is allowed to run on user's PCs through centrally managed, but flexible, Group Policies
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Optimisations: Improved user experience for VDI with multimon and microphone support. Plus the ability to reuse virtual machine (VHD) images to boot a physical PC
• Multi Lingual User Interface: Create a single operating system (OS) image for deployment to users worldwide