Chippy, JKKMobile, Sascha, Warner , Brad, and Ben all had great points of views. With two bloggers in Europe, four in the U.S. and one in Asia, I think we managed to put together a pretty worldly view on the topic.

Several of us on the call are iPhone users, but none said they would pay for 3G on an iTablet or jumbo iPod Touch. Of course, a lot of questions still remain and we are still looking for that one killer use-case that would make such a device a must buy.

You can listen to the podcast at Meetmobility.com or download it here.

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With the large 18.4-inch display with a native resolution of 1680 x 945, it can be hanged on a wall or pivoting arm through the VESA Mount. A standard keyboard and mouse are also included in the package with the starting price of $599.99

Microsoft announced that Windows 7 hit the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) milestone, which means   we are on the verge of the launch of the first Windows operating system to enable true coprocessing native to the Operating System.  No longer are GPUs limited to rendering and accelerating graphics and video.  With the introduction of DirectX Compute in Windows 7, Microsoft is for the first time really opening up the immense parallel computing horsepower of the GPU natively right in the operating system.

With Windows 7, not only will an NVIDIA GPU give you an awesome gaming experience, but  will also see a real difference in how you interact with your PC every day in ways you never have before.  Applications written to take advantage of Windows 7 DirectX Compute will be able to provide high-quality video playback and high performance transcoding, enabling new media scenarios and extended control over your media library.  GPU Computing applications simplified the ways you interact with your devices and the PC will be faster and more responsive.

Be Ready for Windows 7

Parallel programming is the next big thing for the world of computing - it has started already.  DirectX Compute will accelerate this discontinuity by enabling massive parallelism to the masses.  You will get your best Windows 7 experience with a GPU in your system.

Don’t take our word for it.  We have started to see even mainstream editors sing the praises for the GPU for notebooks.  Walt Mossberg of Wall Street Journal noted:

“In the new operating systems, adequate graphics chips will be more important than ever, because the computers will offload some tasks typically performed by the main processor onto the graphics chip. So, if possible, spring for what’s called a discrete graphics processor, which has its own memory. If you can’t afford this, look for an integrated graphics chip, which shares your main memory, that’s as powerful as possible. One example is the NVIDIA 9400.”

MSN posted a Laptop Buyer’s guide with the same sentiment, warning against most integrate graphics solutions:

“The GPU can make or break your experience on a laptop, yet this is the first thing the manufacturer will give short shrift to in order to achieve a lower price. At the very least, go for a notebook that offers a discrete graphics board option, even if you’re not completely convinced that you’ll need it. A GPU can affect the system’s performance in ways you may never have considered, so don’t dismiss discrete graphics as being a necessity only for gamers.”

You should also protect yourself by getting a notebook that can be upgraded to the Windows 7 operating system.  And this is about more than just having adequate hardware. Without the correct Windows 7 drivers to your notebook, you will not be able to move to the new operating system.  In the tech world, a driver is a small file that helps the computer communicates with a certain hardware device. It contains information the computer needs to recognize and control the device.

NVIDIA continues to be the only notebook GPU manufacturer that offers notebook drivers to end users on our website.  This means if you have an NVIDIA GPU in you’re your notebook, you have access to  new features, improved application compatibility, and performance optimizations that driver updates deliver.  Customers need new drivers in order to be able to take full advantage of the latest visual computing applications.  NVIDIA has worked diligently over the past year to modularize its driver architecture and develop a unified driver install package that will not only work with laptops from all manufacturers but also maintain all of their specific model customizations such as hotkeys and suspend and resume functionality.     Over 4 million downloads have occurred since we started this at the end of last year - well beyond our expectations.

According to Anandtech drivers for notebooks are vital:

“In fact, drivers can be so critical that with NVIDIA now providing quarterly notebook driver releases, it’s pretty much impossible for us to even consider recommending anything else for a gaming notebook until the other GPU vendors follow suit.”

NVIDIA has drivers for  Windows 7 today.  They are WHQLed and ready to go.  If your laptop manufacturer is on our supported list you can grab a copy of the Windows 7 BETA release and upload our driver today.

Microsoft Windows 7 has RTMed.  We are more than ready, we can’t wait.

Rene Haas is NVIDIA’s General Manager of Notebook Graphics

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The Pioneer DVR-XD09 has a single USB port for data and power. Standard DVDs can store up to 4.7GB. This new device supports dual-layer DVD-R discs for a maximum storage capacity of 8.5GB.

The DVR-XD09 supports up to 8x write speeds and 8x read speeds of DVDs. CDs can be burned or read at 24x speed.

The Pioneer DVR-XD09 will begin shipping in August with an MSRP of $79.99. Expect to see it slightly cheaper at retailers and online.

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The list below is not limited just to products, but also business decisions and ideas that were ill-conceived or just plain stupid (disclaimer: Apple fanboys would probably call them “ahead of their time”).

1. The Puck Mouse (1998)

The puck mouse is without doubt one of the worst mice ever produced, period. Talk about ergonomics, what were they thinking? The idea of the single button instead of two and the eventual disappearance of mouse buttons in later versions of Apple mice would support that this is a product that was a stepping stone to the newer, more ergonomically shaped, and stylish mice that Apple currently offers. On the other hand that's no excuse for putting this piece of crap on the market.

2. Allowing Motorola to use the iPod interface on the ROKR E1 phone (2005)

Although a great idea in theory, the ROKR E1 suffered from three serious flaws; songs were capped at 100, physical design was not enhanced, lastly Motorola used USB 1.x instead of the already available 2.0 that would have provided transfer speeds of 480mbps instead of the slow 12Mbit/s found in the USB 1.x specification. If Apple was aware of these limitations as I’m sure they were they should have waited around for the E6 or just waited for the release of the iPhone 20 months later. Apple could have prevented the mishaps and bad press surrounding the product loaded with their software.

3. The Infamous Apple /// (1980)

The Apple /// was meant to extend Apple’s reach into the business market, however poor design choices and other issues plagued the computer with hardware problems. There was also a lack of software and limited acceptance by businesses. At the end Apple ended up replacing the first 14,000 units free of charge. Oh, I forgot to mention: the Apple /// carried a price tag ranging from $4,340 to $7,800.

4. Macintosh Interfaces in Exchange for Word and Excel (1993)

One of Apple’s most defining moments was losing the lawsuit against Microsoft over Microsoft’s use of GUI (Graphical User Interface) elements in Windows 1.0 and later Windows 2.0 that resembled those found in Apple’s GUI. Would have Apple been the platform of choice had it won the lawsuit? Probably not, unless they had decided to open up their platfom.

5. The Apple Cube (2000)

Even thought it was a technical and visual wonder, the Apple Cube failed to capture the sales (about 150,000) that would have catapulted the design wonder as a top seller. It did however serve as the inspiration for the Mac Mini that was later released.

6. The Lisa, Ahead of its Time (1983)

Let’s start with the $9,995 it cost to buy one. Unfortunately the market does not always respond well to products that requires selling both kidneys and a lung to afford. Sure, at one time in history the Lisa may have been the most advanced personal computer in the market; It offered multi tasking via an easy to use GUI, but at cost, virtual memory and slow disk access caused the computer to perform at a sluggish rate. Sluggish performance and a high price tag kept buyers focused on the cheaper IBM/PC platform. Eventually the Lisa was replaced with a more affordable and useful Macintosh XL which was later discontinued and supplanted by the Apple Macintosh.

7. Killing off the Newton (1998)

If Apple would have stuck with the Newton we would have had iPhone’s or iPod’s with similar capabilities 5-10 years earlier. Just as the market for PDA’s was taking off, Apple pulled out. They missed 11 years that they could have been perfecting the concept, they could have introduced a small version (the iPod) and then a larger version (Kindle DX type) and have been in the market that much longer, instead they sat on it and let others reap all those years of sales and market share.

8. Designed By Apple in California. Made in a sweat-shop in China (2006)

Apple’s debacle with Foxconn’s Chinese employees working 15 hour shifts at minimal pay struck hard at Apple’s decision to outsource the manufacturing of its successful iPod lineup. Although it did not mar Apple’s image as a socially responsible company it certainly left a dent that has ensured that Apple meets and exceeds compliance.

As Leander Kahney stated, "For Apple’s demographic — well-heeled urbanites — human rights and labor practices are, presumably, important matters. They buy fair-trade coffee, but iBooks and iPods are not an issue?"

9. MacBook Air (2008)

Problems with the MacBook Air start with the lack of user-replaceable parts, lack of basic features like Ethernet connectivity, FireWire ports, and the standard Kensington Security Slot. The laptop has also been plagued with cracking hinges, over heating issues, and display distortions.

This specific product is a coin toss, I could not find sales figures, but the fact of the matter is I don’t see people carrying these around in college, airports, really anywhere. The MacBook Airs I've seen were at Best Buy, the Apple Store, and online. However everywhere I turn someone has an iPhone.

Is the MacBook Air another computer "ahead of its time" or does it simply fail to meet customer needs and quality expectations anticipated from Apple?

According to the video, Modern Warfare 2 players will be able to unlock customized killstreak bonuses, such as being able to shoot targets from the AC130 gunship.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is due out in November and is sure to be one of the hottest selling video games for the holidays.

Modern Warfare 2 will be available for Windows PCs, XBOX 360 and PS3 at launch. A high-end notebook with dedicated graphics is recommended for those who purchase the PC version.

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