Intel and AMD square up once more

Intel recently launched their new i7 chip, and claims that it is the fastest chip in the world. There is quite a bit of truth to this statement, but with AMD now starting production on their brand new Phenom II, it looks like Intel may be facing some serious competition again for the first time in a few years.

Intel’s dominance in the market has been attributed to the fact that their CPUs are running on the 45nm standard, while AMD offerings are still running on the 65nm standard – something which is now changing, since the Phenom II will also be switching to the 45nm process.

The problem from AMD’s point of view would be the fact that Intel have been running with the 45nm standard for a little more than a year now – meaning that AMD is still left playing catch-up. However, given AMD CPUs’ lack of competitiveness in recent times, this move should give them a firmer foothold in the consumer market once more.

For the time being – AMD’s only advantage lies in their lower price offerings, but the margin compared to Intel’s pricing is fairly narrow.

More details on the Intel chip can be found on the Intel site, with some reviews of the AMD Phenom II and what we can expect on this site. The anandtech article gets pretty technical – so keep your thinking hats on.

Face-off: Desktops vs Laptops

The time has come for you to invest in another, more modern computer. It seems like just yesterday (which could very well be the case) that your current computer was top of the range. And now suddenly, you want a newer, more updated model. The most obvious choice would probably be to purchase a laptop. After all, that’s what everybody else seems to be doing. But do you really need a laptop, or are you just following the trend? Before you make the giant transition from desktop to laptop, take a moment to weigh out your options. Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of each before jumping onto the laptop buying bandwagon.A laptop’s portability is the biggest differentiation factor. As we all know by now, laptops are portable and desktops are not. But is this small issue of mobility really your biggest worry? Even though a laptop may be mobile, a desktop normally offers twice the power and cost half the price of a laptop. Sure, laptops are the ‘in’ thing, but just how practical are they?

If portability is more important to you than power, then a laptop is your best bet. If, however, functionality, performance and affordability ring true to you, a desktop will be a far better alternative.

Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of both the desktop and the laptop before deciding which of these two are right for you.

Price: With a desktop, you get more for your money. The price you pay for a medium range laptop would be the same, if not more, than a high range desktop. Plus, think of all the added accessories you would need to upgrade and maintain a laptop. Also, repairs on desktops are much cheaper and easier than laptops. What many of us do not realise is that laptop parts are what they call ‘proprietary’, meaning that if the laptop breaks, only the manufacturing company will be able to fix it. Of course, these companies charge you ridiculous sums of money to repair the damages, which means you have to fork out even more. With a desktop, you get much more reasonable rates, and your local computer store will be happy to offer repairs for a fraction of the price. Convenience and affordability, what more could you want?

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Performance: In the great battle between laptops and desktops, various factors come into play. Performance should be a key factor when deciding on a new computer. As well as being cheaper, most desktops offer better overall performance than laptops.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Portability: A laptop has the edge over a desktop in this department. Portability is one of the main reasons why people opt for a laptop over a desktop. But, remember that as easy as it is for you to walk around with a laptop, it is just as easy for someone else to walk away with it. Yes, laptops are much easier to steal or misplace than their bulky counterparts. So keep your laptop safe, or get some insurance. Keep in mind that insurance will not be able to cover any lost data, so you should always back-up your information.

Desktop:1, Laptop:1

Peripherals: Remember that when purchasing a desktop, you are afforded the added peripherals that go along with it, like a mouse, keyword, WiFi connection and even a printer in some cases. While a laptop does offer a built in mouse and keyboard, those not used to using it will struggle. In this case, you will have to purchase extra accessories, which will cost you more money. With a desktop, you can chop and change your monitor, hard drive, etc. A laptop makes this process that much harder, if not impossible.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Space: Let’s face facts: a desktop takes up a lot of space; it has bulky machinery, not to mention added peripherals. A desktop will need a designated space in your office or study, whereas a laptop takes up a fraction of your workspace, and can be moved if things get a little cluttered.

Desktop:0, Laptop:1

Expandability and upgradeability: Desktops offer far more expandability options than laptops. Even though laptops do offer the option, it does not compare to those of a desktop. Most desktops also have hundreds, if not thousands of upgrade options. An example of this would be to add more memory and hard drives that can be replaced. This is more difficult with a laptop, as well as being pricier.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Storage: A desktop computer has much more storage space than a laptop, plus it is easy to upgrade to a bigger and more powerful hard drive.

Desktop:1, Laptop:0

Power Saving: Laptops use much less power than desktops. Plus, laptops have the added feature of a built in battery, which means valuable data will not be lost in case of a power failure and they can operate for several hours without power.
Desktop:0, Laptop:1

Selection: There are thousands of laptop models available, but even more options for desktop computers.

Desktop:1, Laptop:1

When looking at the overall score, it is easy to tell that a desktop will be a much more practical investment, but of course, the decision is entirely up to you. If you are looking for something small and portable, a laptop is right for you. If, however, you want a powerful computer to save important data, or a PC for the family, buying a pc would be the best. A good, if not impractical idea, would be to just purchase both. Use the laptop for your everyday business, and the desktop as a backup. Nevertheless, these days, no matter what you decide, there will always be something bigger and better and you will probably have to redo this whole process again soon.

Digital Planet have the latest laptops, computers and their accessories available on one site for your convenience.

Green Computing – 50% Energy Saving Breakthrough

We all know that energy costs are rising all around the world. In the UK alone, an average sized data centre uses more power in one year than the entire city of Leicester. So where does all this energy go, and what can we do to reduce it? Well, about 60% of the energy is used to cool IT equipment alone. This means that it will cost more to power and cool a server than it would to buy one in the first place. Companies will have to change the way they use energy if they hope to have a successful and prosperous future.

And this is where HP can help. Thanks to HP, companies now have the option of reducing energy costs by as much as 50-60%. But how can they do this?

HP has combined mechanical thermo fluid engineering with computer science in an effort to improve cooling energy costs without minimising reliability, effectiveness and security.

What this does:

• It exploits all power conservation opportunities in data centres, called the ‘chip and chiller’ approach
• Virtualisation is a set of tools and technologies that results in energy being used in a more effective and productive way, saving time and money
• Thermal Assessment Services create a 3 dimensional map showing exactly how much, how often and where air conditioners are servicing systems with cold air
• Dynamic Smart Cooling is an intelligent air conditioning system used to only cool places that really need it
• HP uses tape drives, which is cooler than disk backup and reduces power and cooling costs
• Tape drives can be placed closer together because of the lower heat output, thus saving space without increasing power costs

In other words, HP offers products that use a significantly lower amount of energy compared to what companies are currently using. Like the HP BladeSystem c-Class server, which uses 30% less power than a standard server. Or the ‘active fan technology’, which uses 50% less power than conventional cooling fans. Storage networks alone use up to 15% of the total IT energy spending. In this way you will save on energy and money in a big way, without compromising on quality, functionality and security.

HP is helping companies all over the world realise the benefits of economic and environmental energy wise strategies. Not only this, HP is leading the way by reducing its energy impact on the environment. What HP is in fact doing is leading by example. HP and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have joined forces in an initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from HP’s worldwide operating facilities. These bold and innovative steps have helped HP reduce its worldwide consumption, reaching the 20 percent mark by 2010.

The original article can be found on HP South Africa’s official website.