The Basic Differences in Chips

First off, I should note that the Core i7 chip has what Intel calls a "turbo mode." That is, when it's not utilizing all of its cores, it can dynamically overclock itself up to 3.4GHz on whatever single core is in use. It can, as shown in this video, work in steps. So you get the turbo benefit when using some of the four cores in this iMac's chip, but you also get it when all cores are being partially used. For example, if four cores are running but only at a fraction of their total capacity (less then 100%), the cores can use that electrical/thermal overhead to overclock to varying degrees. This should theoretically make up for the difference between the two-core 3.06GHz chip and the hyperthreaded quad core chip at a base of 2.8GHz.

The other thing to realize about these newer Core i7 chips are that they have no northbridge—or bus—between the memory and CPU. The memory controller is built right into the processor, and there's a new tech called QuickPath interconnect which connects the cores in a point-to-point architecture. Core i7 supports triple-channel memory (which would use three banks at once), but this iMac only came loaded with two banks of RAM filled. Like our other iMac, that's a 2GB + 2GB arrangement.

Matt explains more about i7 here. (And yes, there are differences between i7 and i5, besides clock speed.)

*Note that this machine also had a faster ATI Radeon 4850 video card with 512MB of RAM (versus the 4670 card in the other iMac) which may have impacted performance in several apps. I have no idea which of these apps uses the GPU to accelerate its tasks under Snow Leopard. (For example, Preview may use it to help render JPGs faster, or it may not. Apple could not tell me. In Adobe After Effects, the Radeon series of cards apparently is not supported for OpenCL acceleration. )

Performance with Multithreaded Apps

In short, any task we tried that expressly was written to either a) take advantage of multiple cores, or, b) take advantage of multiple cores through Snow Leopard's multicore middleware, Grand Central Dispatch, were 2 to 3 times faster. (More on that here.) These results include:

• 64-bit versions of Geekbench, which focus on CPU and memory tests.
• Adobe After Effects benchmarks
• Opening 20 images of Tokyo Tower that are 2000x2000 pixels and 35MB each.

Impressive stuff, but honestly, those tests were kind of uninteresting to me. I mean, those tests don't really have any correlation to my daily computing use. So on a whim, after benchmarking, I tested Handbrake, the DVD ripping software I love. It, too, was freaking fast.

I know the app is multithreaded, but I did not know what level of optimization it was written for. I was blown away by a 3x speed multiplier with the i7. On the Core i7 iMac, it took 43 minutes to rip a DVD, Storm Riders, a surfing film from the '70s featuring Gerry Lopez (my favorite) and others. On the Core 2 Duo machine, it took 147 minutes! I know this is basically a DVD read test coupled with decoding and video conversion, but the results have me excited because this is a real task that takes my computer a long time to do, performed by a program that hasn't been revised in a year.

Performance With Single-Core Optimized Apps (Otherwise Known as Reality)

Unfortunately, there are still very few applications that take advantage of multiple cores directly or via Snow Leopard's GCD, not even video-based, let alone general purpose computing.

Photoshop CS4 on the Mac, which is not set up to handle multicore processors, showed almost less than a 3% improvement using the Driver Heaven benchmark. Basic tasks, like booting and shutdown, saw virtually none. Playing the 1080p Quicktime trailer of Avatar consistently showed that the i7 was using 3% less of its total CPU than the Core2Duo, but I wonder if that's a result of the faster graphics card kicking in using CoreCL. Xbench, the old program that does a more comprehensive job of benchmarking a system from disks to processors, showed almost no difference.

I think Xbench, which hasn't been updated in years, is a solid benchmark for that old program that you depend on but has been long abandoned or at least ignored by its developer.

These scores, again, are in relation to the top line 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo iMac we tested. Some benchmarks have come in from the web comparing the i7 to the i5. Here's one that claims a 30% jump using Geekbench. Now we know Geekbench likes and does well with more cores and is a synthetic CPU test. But if the i5 is 30% slower, and the i7 pulls even with the 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo chip in single threaded activity—most day to day activity—does that mean the i5 is slower than the cheaper Core 2 Duo? Maybe. Probably not 30%, since Geekbench is strictly CPU/memory and likes more cores, and this stuff does not translate so literally in the real world. But we can assume the i5 will have 30% less jump from the top tier Core 2 Duos, translating into a mere 1.3X to 2X speed increase from last gen chips on programs that like cores.

Value

For the most part, in our review, I said that you should stick to the preconfigured options, upgrading to Apple's next recommended config before considering upgrades to the lower tier models. How does that advice change now that we've seen the i7? I don't know! I guess it depends if you're a betting man. If you think programs for Snow Leopard using GCD are coming, paying $200 to $500 bucks more from the top line Core 2 Duo chip for an i5 or i7 might make sense. The probability of you getting programs that can use those extra cores goes up if you are a graphics or video professional who expects to see support from Adobe, Apple, etc. (Apple already claims big jumps in Aperture that we weren't able to test.) Or if you rip a lot of DVDs! The rest of you? The Core 2 Duo stuff could be fine for today and fine for tomorrow. But the Core i7 is not worse for today and will definitely be faster tomorrow. It just costs more.

Me personally? I'd opt for the Core i7. I just might wait til the new iMacs refresh a bump and the i7 is cheaper and part of a standard build. But I'm patient like that.

[iMac Review]

Specifically, using his charts and mine, it wasn't hard to recognize the jump in the multithreaded, 64 bit results from geek bench in the categories of integer, floating point and memory streaming tests, as well as the threaded tests. (Memory tests were slightly faster, the others were drastically so.) Interesting, as the Core i5 chip is clocked at 2.66GHz and the Core2Duo iMac I tested runs at 3.06GHz.

(The turbo boost function, which overclocks the Core i5 chip to up to 3.2GHz when running non-multithreaded apps, should be kicking in performance here, too.)

Interesting, but two things to remember: Core i7 chips are coming out for the iMac shortly and will run at 2.8GHz and have hyperthreading so the 4 cores emulate 8. And there are still not many (if any at all) major OS X apps that can take advantage of Snow Leopard's multicore support. [Electronista's tests, Gizmodo's iMac Review]

But First, Simplicity

This 1998 ad has Jeff Goldblum narrating that there are two physical steps to setting up an iMac. ("There's no step three!") Truthfully, they skipped the mouse and keyboard cable, though, which would bring it to 4 steps. Today, an iMac is set up using just one power cable, depending on wireless networking and bluetooth peripherals to get the rest done. So it's even simpler than it was 10 years ago. And as I said, the screen is becoming more prominent than ever.

The LCD

The 27-inch iMac's screen is the thing to focus on in this revision. It is practically as bright (and more contrasty) than any of the previous iMacs—even Cinema Displays—and it looks astounding. It's LED-driven so it comes to full luminescence immediately and takes up less power. It also has better side-to-side viewing angle as an IPS tech monitor; like the iMac 24 before it, it goes 178 degrees without much change in color accuracy or brightness. And here's the kicker: Although it has 19% more area of LCD than the old 24-incher, it has 60% more pixels. That makes it more pixel dense than any of the Cinema Displays at 109ppi. And with a 2560x1440 resolution it has 90% of the dot count of a 30-inch cinema display. All these stats are great. They sound great, and they make for a powerful picture. But the actual view of the screen leaves me with a positive—but slightly imperfect—impression.

The default brightness is a bit much, but of course you can turn it down. And the contrast is welcome; even my new 13-inch MacBook Pro looks yellowed and washed out next to it. But at this pixel density, which is sharper than my notebook, it's almost too sharp, requiring me to sit closer than I would ordinarily do with a 27 inch display. I like the feeling of crispness — 16% crisper than the last generation. But my eyes feel like the pictures are being delivered by a land shark holding a laser pointer straight into my corneas, and I can feel the strain within minutes. I would have to jack up as many font sizes as possible or sit as close as I do to my MacBook to make it work for long long periods of time. Maybe I'm just a wimp of a geek, but I've never been sensitive to these sorts of things on any sort of machinery before.

This is the iMac next to a 13-inch MBP and a Dell 2407 24-inch monitor. The iMac's screen puts both to shame in brightness and clarity.

Apple is making a big deal of the fact this screen is 16:9. I think it looks better in this wider iteration, but it's not an epic jump since the last gen was 16:10. You're losing vertical pixel count here, on both the 21.5 and 27-inch models, despite added diagonal inches. Also, the glass cover is now edge to edge, without the thin silver rim around it, on the top and sides. It's still glossy and very very reflective, despite being covered in anti-reflective coating.

I will feel guilty for mentioning this, because it's ever so slight, but I'll feel more guilty if I don't mentioning it to you: The screen, when it's white, has the tiniest bit of blotchiness to it. The backlighting is slightly uneven in my model. It had no impact on viewing quality once the screen was filled with an image other than one of pure white, so don't sweat it.

My previous comparison to the 30-inch Cinema Display wasn't for academic purposes, either. One of the most interesting features on the new iMac is that it can use its Mini DisplayPort (normally an output) as an input; that is, it can become a secondary display for notebooks or other devices. Factor in the near-identical specs to the 30-inch Cinema Display, most notably its updated LED screen, and you have absolutely no reason to buy a 30-inch Cinema Display when you can have this—but not just yet.

That's what two full sized 1080p trailers look like on this screen.

Eager to test this shit and be the first to the internet with an image of an Xbox linked into an iMac ("Worlds collide!" would be the headline, I decided), I ordered a monoprice Mini-DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. Unfortunately, I discovered that the inputs would not work with a PS3 or Xbox at any res, HD or otherwise. The current adapters on the market are unidirectional, I was told, and so they won't work to take HDMI sources and pipe them into the iMac. I'm sure someone is making a cable as we speak for this very abominable purpose of piping in Microsoft gaming to a desktop Mac—but it's not here yet. (New cables, by the way, will include audio, which the iMac is capable of taking through its connector and the iMac is able to display video sources up to its native resolution.) The issue is, this could take months. That's a long time, so don't buy an iMac planning to use it with a gaming console or Blu-ray player right away.

Using it with a laptop was an interesting situation. Odd, for sure, but a welcome bonus and an obvious use. Here's how it works. You plug in a Mini-DisplayPort-to-Mini-DisplayPort cable to the iMac, which must be turned on (unlike Sony's all-in-one, which works while off.) The iMac flickers for a second and the laptop's picture replaces the iMac's. Here's where it gets sort of weird. When the iMac is acting as a monitor, the keyboard and mouse are all blocked from working, except a few keys: The pause/play, FF, RR, volume controls and brightness keys all work. They won't display the typical volume/brightness/FF/whatever iconography, because you're actually still looking at your MacBook. You can actually then use your iMac as a display for one computer while listening to music on another—but why would you want to? And if you were playing a game with an Xbox, you'd be listening to the game. To toggle between the iMac and the external source, you hit Command+F2.

(*The 21.5-inch iMac is not as sharp or impressive as the 27, but a fine evolution nonetheless; see chart)

Oh, one more thing: The LED display is also thinner than the traditional panel. Even so, when combined with the extra width and height, Apple's designers are given adequate room to play with the layout and thermal properties of the iMac. Which brings us to the chassis and internals.

The Chassis

The iMac's chassis went from all plastic to aluminum and glass in 2007. The first aluminum models were stamped out in car factories because no computer factories could work with aluminum pieces that big. Now, the iMac has even more aluminum in them with bigger cases and a seamless wraparound back made of metal instead of the black plastic cap. Despite the loss of the slimming effect of a black plastic back, the computer's dimensions work in its favor; it's about 1mm thinner and obviously wider, so it still feels undoubtedly skinny.

Oh, and the stand is tapered by 1.1mm on its front (as is Apple's wont), to further hide volume.

Aside from the more flattering aspect ratios, the chin—one of the only giveaways that this is not just a screen but a computer—has shrunk by 22%. It looks much better, in my opinion. The case's bigger size affects its internal layout, too. Apple and iFixit brought several of these details to my attention.

The most important changes are that the GPU and CPU are placed at nearly opposite ends of the case, with their own heatsinks to throw off copious heat with three very quiet fans. (The iMac's sound profile at idle, for a stock build, is still just a whisper, less than 20db.)

Ports: The back of the case has a Mini DisplayPort, 4 USB 2.0 ports, power plug (the machine's only wire), Firewire 800, minijack/optical input and output, and Gigabit Ethernet. There's Bluetooth 2.1 EDR wireless with which the mouse and keyboard interface, and 802.11 N Wi-Fi. Although the entire case is aluminum, the antenna has been cleverly hidden in a plastic Apple logo top center on the back. Reception is a touch stronger than on my notebook.

The iChat camera and microphone (the latter of which is made up of about a dozen closely-grouped pinprick holes, like on the MacBook Pro) are situated on the top of the iMac. And despite the new model's height they sound fine (if not a touch more distant because of the height) when compared to previous models. The top mount for the microphone keeps the sound from the new, more powerful two-way speakers from interfering with it; measured using a song and SPL meter, my notebook came in at 70db and the iMac at 76db at sitting distance. Louder, richer and noticeably so than a laptop, though I didn't have an iMac 24 on hand to compare with.

The larger case allows the iMac to use four sticks of user-serviceable RAM, accessible from the bottom. (That's useful futureproofing now that OS X Snow Leopard is shipping, and programs and the OS in 64-bit can address more than 4GB at a time.)

How About Performance?

The iMac I'm testing is a 3.06GHz Core2Duo processor with 4GB of RAM and an ATI Radeon 4670 graphics. Those are decent parts but not the highest-end quad-core i5/i7 chips or ATI Radeon 4850 GPU that will ship in iMacs in November. More importantly, the machine I have here that is shipping now is about on par with higher-end, custom-order machines from the last generation. The system benchmarks I ran earlier this week indicate that everything performs practically the same. And since we don't have a Core i5/i7 machine to work with, I've included Apple's approximations of how much boost the iMac will get from those parts — obviously, many grains of salt are necessary when reading, especially when measuring value of extra CPU cores as literal multipliers when most software still can't leverage those channels efficiently.

As for 3D, Maclife has some framerate scores from Doom 3 and Call of Duty that are not by any means exact but somewhat representative of the machine I'm using today. But again, the bottom line is that this machine that I have, shipping today, is not faster than machines equipped similarly from the last generation—they're just cheaper for any given performance point.

But again, even if you wait for the higher end machines, there's no guarantee you'll be able to access most of that extra power. Snow Leopard hasn't seen many apps, besides the ones that ship with it that can take advantage of its multicore CPU and GPU technologies. Programs will come, but immediate speed gains aren't guaranteed here if you buy the quad-core machines.

Here's an exception: Those Core i5/i7 chips are also clocked slower than the Core 2 Duo chips on the lower-end machines, but have the ability to run single core applications at a greater clock speed. Since all four cores won't be burning, the chip uses the spare electricity and the extra thermal overhead to dynamically and automatically overclock the core that is working: The i5 chip goes from 2.66GHz to 3.2GHz and the 2.8GHz i7 chip goes to 3.46GHz (with 4 cores that run hyperthreaded for up to 8 virtual cores.)

Sounds fast, but we'll dive into deeper tests in November. For now, you should be aware that if your desktop is less than 18 months old, you'd be somewhat silly to upgrade before the highest end chips from this generation of iMac are out.

What Else You Got?

The iMac replaces its old mouse with the new Magic Mouse, with a multitouch surface and 360 degree scrolling and swiping, almost like the gestures you find on a Macbook trackpad. I've said it before: I primarily use Laptops because I love trackpads. The gestures, fingertip precision and proximity to the keyboard make it a must have, and this mouse fixes some of those issues. (*Jason Chen reviewed the mouse and liked it but it was not without flaws. Read that if you're considering buying an iMac, because it's the only option Apple offers.)

The one detail I found problematic specifically with the Magic Mouse as it pertains to the 27-inch iMac is that even when the pointer sensitivity is set to the highest level, a swipe of the wrist at a moderately fast speed goes only 2/3 across the giant pixel landscape. Only by whipping my hand across my mouse pad can I trigger enough mouse acceleration to get across the screen. They should turn up the sensitivity, frankly. Software update please!

The keyboard is also changed, going from the old wired keyboard, which was stamped out of the screen cutout of the chassis, with a wireless Bluetooth model. Apple states that the keyboard's narrow profile makes it a better fit next to the mouse. I think it also makes sense as a remote control for the computer from afar when watching media, since this is the biggest iMac ever that doubles as a monitor. But it looks a little small and out of proportion with the machine itself, since the Mac got wider and the keyboard got shorter. (Correction: The keypad-less change happened last revision. I just miss that numeric pad keyboard's width from the first generation of Aluminum iMacs. It seemed to fit perfectly.)

Oh, the white plastic remote that used to ship with all the laptops, AppleTV and iMacs has been replaced by an elliptical, aluminum remote with black rubber buttons. It's longer, and shaped like an iPod nano but no longer comes with the iMac. It costs $19. I think when you buy a computer that is this expensive, they should THROW IN THE DAMN REMOTE.

Competitive Check

There are other all-in-ones from PC makers, but at the moment, none as large or high-res as the iMac 27. The ones from Sony (like the L) and HP have various extras like IR touchscreens, glowing monitor bodies, TV tuners and Blu-ray drives. Some are pretty decent, like the Touchsmart we just reviewed. If these things matter to you and you are not married to the Mac platform, you might consider them. But that touchscreen functionality is still half-baked, so don't do it for the groping potential.

Value

The sweet spot is the $1200 21.5-inch config. But don't upgrade that model beyond base without seriously considering the big bad 27-incher for $1700. And don't upgrade that one at all without considering the quad-core models; both look very promising at $2000 or $2200. Basically, the custom builds are not a great value until you get to the quads. Go cheapest, 27, or quad. But cautious folks will wait on the quads 'til we test them.

There's another angle here, too. Again, comparing the 27-inch iMac to the old as hell 30-inch Cinema Display makes those standalone monitors look like a pretty bad value when it costs only $100 more for just 10% more pixels—and, hey, it's also not a computer.

Nerds, Sheathe Thy Wallet If You Can

Although the quad core benchmarks aren't here yet, I think you've got enough information here to make an adult decision on whether to go cheap or double your price for something faster and bigger. It's not like those new chips will be slower. But waiting a month on a new internal layout, design and screen is a great way to let Apple shake out whatever inevitable hiccups are there at the start of a new run. Plus, if Snow-Leopard-specific apps make their way to market (hello, <Handbrake!) and some performance scores come out in the meantime, hey, cool.

Big beautiful screen is super high res and bright.

Chassis design evolving to new heights of beauty; less chin.

Faster parts not out yet; current components available in previous generation.

No Blu-ray player, touchscreen or other things that aren't important to me, but may be important to you. Maybe.

It's actually not as scary as it looks. The chart's a compilation of all of the useful—and interactive—charts for PC troubleshooting and repair by Morris Rosenthal, found here.

But, uh, sometimes, we prefer the one-step solution: Buy a new damn computer. [Morris Rosenthal via BeeBeeGee]

"I was typing and all of the sudden just woosh! I was like oh, what the hell?" Phoutthaphaphone said.

"This is clearly a real desperate act, I mean he (the suspect) stole the computer out of his hands while he's in his house," Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia explained.

"He was probably just creeping right here, I was typing, and then all of the sudden he just yanked it," the victim remarked. He only saw the suspect's hands; then saw his back as he ran around the corner of his home.

Pppppppthfaftpatphthftyaphone chased after the suspect, eventually cornering him in a nearby garage. The homeowner saw the commotion and jumped in to help—eventually they were both able to pin down the thief until the police arrived. Naturally, he incident described as both "bold and bizarre" has left authorities baffled. [Kare11 via Twitter / Image via Slashdot]

Roy, a New Hampshire resident, actually thought the letters she received from UMG's lawyers were either a joke or a scam and didn't respond for several months. Her reaction is pretty understandable; the RIAA simply directed her to a site where she could pay her "debt" with a credit card (which certainly seems like a scam) and, again, Roy did not own a damn computer.

UMG had mistakenly sued her due to the vast deficiencies in MediaSentry, the anti-piracy software the RIAA uses to track down pirates. MediaSentry incorrectly pinpoints IP addresses with not uncommon frequency, and this is obviously one such case. Roy mounted a case and UMG was forced to settle out of court, for fear that any decision at all would result in a precedent that could mean future suits could be thrown out as well. Unfortunately, the settlement does not include UMG paying Roy to apologize for being such a-holes about the whole thing, and neither side will receive any money. [Recording Industry vs. The People via Electronista]

Disclaimer: You will still have to wait for your packages to arrive. [Product Page via Nerd Approved]

I mean, really, ask yourselves this: How would you use such a thing differently than a laptop? Tablets have typically been great in note taking environments as giant, battery-constrained, heavy digital notepads in the field for pro writers and medical types or soldiers or construction workers.

But for consumers, the most obvious path is the appliance route, making it a simple web browsing machine, with some basic mail and media playback. Things netbooks and laptops can handle and have been handling. I admit, a netbook type tablet is the right form factor for enjoying media casually, away from a desk or livingroom. It fits between — actually — a TV and a Notebook, and is more portable than either. That makes it ideal for reading certain media like electronic magazines (when they're available) and TV shows, movies, and other video clips in portable places. What does this mean?

It means that a tablet is the perfect machine...for reading websites and movies on the toilet. And yeah, um, my laptop can do that already.

Let's talk about the UI a bit more. If the machine has a pop up keyboard, like an iPhone, you can also assume it may have a pen, like all recent tablet prototypes and models have. Either, or both.

But both of those ideas kind of suck for people raised on true keyboards.

I was raised on a QWERTY and I've almost failed penmanship and aced typing class. And the trend is that more people focus on typing than cursive. And as far as using the pop up keyboard occasionally, I can use these fine. Very quickly in fact. But the majority of the world hates these too and typing all day on one of these could be maddening, even at a greater size, no matter how fluent you might get. Do you place it on the table every time you type so you can use it like a full sized keyboard? Or do you hold it in two hands, like and iPhone, and try to peck away, even though reaching across the layout of the QWERTY would be much harder on a bigger device with a bigger key set? None of the typing logistics really matter if this is mostly a media consumption device. But the net appliance theory doesn't really work for me.

The cost of such a nice screen and the surrounding hardware is going to be at, oh, I'd guess $500, if not $700 more with Apple tax. That's too much money for a machine that can't run all the OS X apps out there on the desktop version, too much for what's basically a giant ipod touch. It's also more than a regular old hackintosh'd Dell netbook.

So it has to be a laptop variant, with all the power of an full OS X laptop to make a difference to me. There are two ways this can be done. The old way is to take OS X and slap on those UI components we talked about, the pen and soft keyboard, as well as some OCR software for translating your chicken scratch into text. That's what Microsoft did, and well, how many Tablet PC users do you know? Not many, I bet!

The new way to make a tablet? Well, I have no idea what the new tablet UI is. And neither does anyone in computing. It's going to come down to how the UI works and I can't even imagine what it would be like.

If Apple is going to make a tablet, they're not going to slap on some UI extensions, they're going to figure out a way to really use the form factor and make it a remarkable useful and significantly different device that justifies the loss of the efficient hard keyboard and cost of the touchscreen while being competitive in price somehow with the subsidized mini-tablets that fit in your pocket, the iPhones. But somehow, I doubt there's a paradigm shift here waiting to be unlocked, because again, the tablet isn't just an old idea, its an ancient idea.

The aspirational design for the tablet is pretty straight forward, and has been around, depending on your definition, since the 1960s or WW2 or the late 1800s, depending on which patents you look at. Or longer if you consider the stone tablet. The idea has been there, and has been flawed when translated to our digital world and weird and not much beyond basically what I called it earlier: an oversized, battery constrained, expensive digital version of a paper notebook. But, with internet video. Not so great!

The image is taken from Sophos' 2009 security threat report, which says 37% of malware comes from inside the US, 27% comes from China, and 9.1% from Russia. China's actually down from their previous position of being responsible for more than half of worldwide malware in 2007. USA! USA! USA! [DigitalTrends]

The video shows off how it worked. Turning the dial shifted the moon, the sun and planets around the Earth and let users keep track of where each was supposed to be. Michael Wright and his first working model of the Antikythera Mechanism then go on to show off stuff like keeping track of the Olympics every four years and seeing when there are going to be eclipses. That's right, they could predict eclipses—which happen on an 18-year cycle—using this device! [Neatorama via Geeksaresexy]

• Intel Atom N270 CPU
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB HD.
• Three USB ports.
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Wi-Fi b/g
• Windows XP

It weighs 1.1 pounds and measures 300 mm x 240 mm x 65 mm. It has been announced in France for for $254. [Journal du Geek via Pocket Lint]

According to SGI, the key to make this system work is their proprietary Kelvin cooling technology, which we can only imagine works by pouring buckets of liquid nitrogen over the CPUs. According to them, all this vaporware may result in a computer that can sustain 20,000 threads of execution, with a 15TB/sec memory bandwidth per rack.

• High concurrency with 20,000 threads of execution — 40 times more than a single rack x86 cluster system
• High throughput with 15TB/sec of memory bandwidth per rack — over 20 times faster than a single rack x86 cluster system
• Greater balance with up to three times the memory bandwidth/OPS compared to current x86 CPUs
• High performance with approximately 3.5 times the computational performance per rack
• Greener with low-watt consumer CPUs and low-power memory that deliver 7 times better memory bandwidth/watt
• Innovative Silicon Graphics Kelvin cooling technology, which enables denser packaging by stabilizing thermal operations in densely configured solutions
• Operating environment flexibility, capable of running industry-standard Linux(R) implementations, with Microsoft(R) Windows(R) variants on some configurations

[SGI via Gadget Lab]

Sure, it can take up to 8GB of memory via an SD card expansion, and its version 2.4.19 Linux-based OS will make it pretty bloody hackable...but if you line it up against modern smartphones, or even handheld games machines, it doesn't actually live up to the "the ultimate, portable multimedia device" banner it's being touted under by makers Imovio. Then you discover that it's cost will be around $170, and the Eee PC and its ilk loom over it in terms of cost, specs, battery power and only slightly lesser portability.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, possibly expecting a lot from a device with such a lofty name, and maybe it'll appeal to people after really ultraportable not-quite-a-BlackBerry, not-quite-an-iPod computing needs—read the press release below to make up your own mind.[viaGadgetLab]

London, 20th October, 2008: A device that offers consumers an alternative to a smartphone or mini-PC has today been launched by IMOVIO. The iKIT is a Pocket Mobile Companion that at 95mm by 65mm and only 15.5mm high is as portable as a mobile phone. Yet the WiFi enabled device comes with a full QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard, an 8GB SD card slot, a 2.8 inch QVGA display and an option to convert the USB for use with an HSDPA dongle, making it a fully functional communicating and browsing device and a viable substitute for a laptop.
iKIT open
iKIT open

The stylish iKIT is a dedicated chat, email and internet accessory and unlike smartphones it is fully optimised for that purpose. The clamshell design provides users with a full keyboard and landscape screen that don’t have to be compromised for voice calls. Dedicated hotkeys for all of the applications, including a music and video player and webcam, coupled with the elegant design mean that iKIT is the ultimate, portable multimedia device.

The suggested retail price of approximately £99 or €130, combined with the functionality, make the iKIT a very attractive device for a youth audience, as well as appealing to travelers who need a quick and easy-to-use messaging alternative. By buying the iKIT, consumers will be able to save up to £500 on an iPhone* or mini-PC** and with potential operator subsidies the savings may be even greater.

“Many consumers can’t afford the latest smartphone or mini-PC gadget, while others simply can’t use or just don’t like the existing form factors. This means that large groups of people still don’t fully utilise mobile data,” said Dr Jack Torobin, CEO of IMOVIO. “These users, mainly women and teens, still want to have the ability to send emails, browse the web and update their on-line profiles whilst they are out and about.”

“We designed the iKIT to be an alternative to a smartphone or mini-PC,” said Nigel Newby-House, Head of Design at IMOVIO. “It’s a beautifully designed mobile device that provides all the multi-media and messaging capabilities a mobile consumer needs. But at a much better price.”

For mobile and broadband providers, the iKIT is the perfect device to complement their existing range and can be offered to consumers as an add-on device to go with the existing choice of phones, laptops or HSDPA cards. Alternatively, the iKIT can be used to increase customer retention or reduce churn by offering it as a subsidised device for users signing up or renewing broadband or mobile data packages.

Dr. Torobin continued, “the iKIT will allow operators to target the demographics that are currently not well served for mobile data. And as an HSDPA enabled device, it offers a great entry level product for operators to increase usage of their high-speed networks.”

Some of the many operator benefits of the iKIT include:
- The iKIT is brandable to match an operator’s existing portfolio of devices
- For mobile operators, the iKIT will increase take up of new unlimited data plans on the new high-speed networks, without users having to change from their much-loved handset
- For broadband providers the iKIT is the ideal second device that can be used to share the home network, providing the messaging capabilities needed without the high cost of a new laptop
- The iKIT opens up a market to a previously disenfranchised demographic that can neither afford, or fully utilise a smartphone or laptop
- The suggested retail price of approximately £99 or €130 means that the iKIT is the perfect device for consumers to purchase as an add-on device – increasing the number of transactions and therefore loyalty
- Operators can now offer teens and other key demographics, like senior citizens, a device that offers exactly the right amount of functionality without the price, commitment or unnecessary processing power of either a laptop or smartphone

On top of the Linux 2.4.19 operating system (OS) the iKIT runs the multi-media and communication tools required by the teen and youth audience. Browsing is optimised for the form factor with Opera Mini 4.1 and the device uses a standard mini-USB port for headphones, charging and synching the device. With storage for over 2,000 contacts and a stand-by battery life of up to 250 hours, the iKIT belies its lightweight, stylish appearance.

# # #

Notes to Editors

Price comparisons are based on the following information, current as of 17th October, 2008.
*Apple iPhone on an 18-month contract at £30 per month, plus £159 handset purchase gives a total cost of ownership of £699
** Vodafone Notebook (Dell Inspiron Mini) on a 24-month contract at £25 per month gives a total cost of ownership of £600
# # #

iKIT Specifications

General

Processing
- Processor: Marvell PXA270 312MHz
- Operating System: Linux 2.4.19
- User Interface GUI: Proprietary plus Trolltech QT/E 2.3.8

Connectivity
- Bluetooth® 2.0 with EDR, supports wireless stereo headset
- (A2DP) & DUN profile
- WIFI® IEEE 802.11 b/g
- Optional USB connection configured for HSDPA dongle

Keypad
- QWERTY/AZERTY + numeric keys, other languages optional

Memory Internal
- ROM: 128 MB, RAM: 64 MB SDRAM
- User data: 12MB, User media files: 23MB

Memory External
- Micro SD (up to 8GB)

Display
- 2.8 inch QVGA, TFT, 260,000 colors, landscape

Dimensions & Weight
- 95mm (L) x 65mm (W) x 15.5mm (H)
- 113g (with battery)

Connector
- Mini-USB 1.1 used for charging, PC data exchange and wired stereo headset.

Battery
- 1050 mAh, Li-ion
- Standby Time: up to 250h
- Power-up Time: up to 3h (25% data download per hour)
- Gaming Time: up to 4h (java game)
- Charging time: 2.5-3.5 hr to full charge from flat with device power off

Colors
- Velvet Black, Satin White – other colors available to order

Multi-Media

Browser
- Web browser Opera Mini 4.1

Messaging
- POP3 / IMAP / SMTP email protocols
- Supports MSN IM

Audio
- Supports MIDI, WAV and MP3 formats
- 16mm speaker built-in, monophonic

Imaging
- Supports JPG, BMP, GIF and PNG formats
- 0.3 MP fixed focus camera (Option)
- Digital zoom: Up to 3X smooth digital zoom with 7 steps

Video
- 3GP, MP4 and AVI format, Maximum size QVGA
- 25 fps video playback for QVGA size video clips
- Support full-screen display

Java
- JTWI / JSR75 compliant

Professional

PC Sync
- With Outlook 2000/2003 & Outlook Express v6 (emails, contacts, calendar)

Personal Features
- Calculator
- Media folder
- Notepad
- World clock
- Alarm clock
- Stop Watch
- Countdown Timer

Contact List
- Maximum 2,000 records

Calendar
- Maximum 1,000 events

In the Box

- iKIT
- Battery
- Mini USB / USB cable
- USB stereo earpiece
- Charger
- User guide and CD

The Anytime dock (pictured above) has probably the worst speakers of the three, but comes with an integrated alarm clock which uses motion-sensing to light itself up or hit the Snooze button at the wave of a hand. The Express Dock features omnidirectional acoustics to transmit sound evenly in all directions, a remote control, and can run on either AC or battery power.

The Z-5 is more of a portable laptop speaker and can be powered completely through USB. It also boasts omnidirectional sound and comes with a remote control.

The Next Evolution of PC-Speaker Acoustics: Logitech Introduces Omnidirectional Speakers for PC, Mac Computers

Logitech Z-5 Omnidirectional Stereo Speakers

Deliver Great Sound Throughout Your Room

FREMONT, Calif. – Sept. 16, 2008 — Attaching speakers to a PC has always improved on the sound quality of built-in PC speakers. But now, Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduces the next evolution in PC-speaker acoustics, unveiling the Logitech® Z-5 omnidirectional stereo speakers – for PC and Mac® computers – which deliver great sound throughout your room.

Unlike standard PC speakers that focus sound in one direction, the Logitech Z-5 speakers use omnidirectional acoustics that create a substantially wider sweet spot – an especially helpful feature if you often move your laptop around your home or office. An innovative speaker technology previously found only in expensive home-theater systems, omnidirectional acoustics on the Logitech Z-5 speakers use forward- and backward-firing drivers to transmit sound evenly in all directions. Whether you’re listening to your favorite song or watching a video on YouTube™, you’ll enjoy rich, articulate sound and minimal distortion – from every corner of your room.

“We’re truly excited to offer omnidirectional speakers for the PC and the Mac,” said Mark Schneider, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s audio business unit. “We’re confident that the Z-5 speakers will provide a noticeable improvement to the PC-entertainment experience whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie. With omnidirectional acoustics, the sound is all around you no matter where you have your desktop or laptop computer.”

Delivering pure digital audio that’s easily moved with your laptop, the Z-5 omnidirectional speakers can be quickly connected to any PC or Mac via USB. There’s no need for an external power adaptor or batteries. And to let you wirelessly navigate and enjoy all your entertainment options, Logitech’s newest speaker system comes with a sleek remote control. Launch your favorite entertainment application, adjust the volume and change your selection from across the room.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Z-5 omnidirectional stereo speakers are expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning this month for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).

and

Dock, Rock and Roll (or Snooze): Logitech Introduces Two Speaker Docks for iPods or iPhones

Pure-Fi Express Plus Offers Omnidirectional Acoustics, Pure-Fi Anytime Makes the Perfect Nightstand Companion

FREMONT, Calif. – Sept. 16, 2008 — Whether you dock your iPod®, or your iPhone™, in the bedroom or crank up your favorite playlist in the living room, Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) has a speaker dock for you. The Logitech® Pure-Fi Express Plus omnidirectional speaker for iPod or iPhone delivers great sound throughout your room, while the Logitech® Pure-Fi Anytime™ premium alarm clock for iPod or iPhone is the perfect nightstand companion. Both speakers are compatible with the first generation iPhone as well as the new 3G iPhone.

“Our research revealed that as digital music players, and especially the iPod, become more integral to our lives, we look for accessories to optimize the experience,” said Mark Schneider, vice president and general manager of Logitech’s audio business unit. “Our latest iPod speaker docks are designed to suit each person according to their individual needs, whether what’s wanted is enhanced audio and portability or an alarm clock with innovative features such as motion sensing.”

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus Featuring Omnidirectional Acoustics

A first for iPod or iPhone speaker docks, Pure-Fi Express Plus offers omnidirectional acoustics. An innovative speaker technology previously found only in expensive home-theater systems, omnidirectional acoustics transmit sound evenly in all directions. If you love to dock, charge and listen to your iPod or iPhone when you’re at home, at work, or even in your backyard, now you can enjoy rich, articulate sound and minimal distortion – from every corner of your room.

Pure-Fi Express Plus provides more than just great sound. For added portability, Pure-Fi Express Plus can run on AC or battery power and includes an integrated handle, making it easy to take your music from room to room. The new Logitech dock also features a wireless remote. With a range of up to 30 feet (10 meters), the remote lets you instantly adjust volume, play, pause, fast forward, rewind, as well as offering Shuffle and Repeat buttons – all from the comfort of your couch or favorite chair.

Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime: The Perfect Nightstand Companion

If you commonly dock your iPod or iPhone in the bedroom, Pure-Fi Anytime offers a full set of features, such as advanced motion-sensing technology, that make it perfect for your bedside table – and ensure that you’ll have a fully charged iPod or iPhone when you wake in the morning. To avoid the inconvenience of waking a sleeping partner, the motion-sensing backlight makes it easy to set your alarm without having to turn on the lights. The alarm clock’s controls light up when you wave your hand over the speakers and the buttons automatically dim when you’re done using it. And when you want to get a few minutes of extra sleep when your alarm goes off in the morning, you can simply wave your hand over the speakers and the motion-sensing technology will activate Snooze.

Pure-Fi Anytime also features an easy-to-read display that is clearly visible during the day and night. A recessed dock helps prevent you from accidentally knocking over your iPod or iPhone. Plus, Pure-Fi Anytime offers a digital AM/FM radio for those times when you want to give your iPod a break and enjoy live music, news and sports.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech® Pure-Fi Express Plus omnidirectional speaker for iPod or iPhone is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in October for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.). The Logitech® Pure-Fi Anytime™ premium alarm clock for iPod or iPhone is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in October for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).