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[CRABcrap]

MacBook Pro XP vs. the PC competition

The reader response to Apple's new Boot Camp utility, which lets you install Windows XP on a MacBook Pro or an iMac Core Duo, has been mixed so far.

Me, though? Man, I'm psyched. This makes my job a lot easier. As a laptop reviewer at CNET.com, I've always been frustrated by the apples to oranges (insert Bronx cheer) comparisons I've been forced to make when pitting PowerBooks and iBooks against the PC competition. Boot Camp finally provides a baseline for a true head-to-head contest of Apple hardware vs. PC hardware, without operating systems or Rosetta or anything else qualifying the results.

(For complete coverage of Boot Camp's debut, click here.)

We went out and bought a 2.0GHz MacBook Pro on Wednesday night (shout-out to the Stonestown Mall Apple Store). Then we dug up some good PC competitors, one of which has almost identical specs. Thursday morning, we started testing. Here's what we found.

Well, first, a disclosure of the specs. For the most part, they match up perfectly. We were using a MacBook Pro running Windows XP Pro and equipped with a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo (T2500) processor; 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM (666MHz); an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 graphics card; and a 100GB hard drive spinning at 5,400 rpm.

The Acer TravelMate 8200 was also running Windows XP Pro and was equipped with a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo (T2500) processor; 2GB of slightly slower DDR2 SDRAM (533MHz); an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 graphics card; and a slightly larger 120GB hard drive spinning at 5,400 rpm.

For additional context, we've also included the HP Pavilion dv1000t, another solid laptop running the same Intel Core Duo T2500 processor, as well as the original MacBook Pro we tested back in February, which was running the Mac OS on a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor. Note: this MacBook Pro was running Mac versions of all software; when testing the MacBook Pro running Windows XP, we used Windows version of the software.

And now, without further delay, the results.

In our Photoshop test, the original MacBook Pro struggled, forced to process the application through its Rosetta translation program, which resulted in performance that was about five times slower than the PC competition--slower than on even the lowest-end iBook. Because a native version of Photoshop for OS X isn't expected until sometime next year, the ability to run Photoshop smoothly on a MacBook Pro running Windows XP is a crucial step forward.

In our iTunes conversion test, the original MacBook came at the top of the heap, slightly ahead of the HP, the Acer, and the MacBook Pro running Windows XP. We'll chalk this up to the fact that Apple's applications will always run best on Apple hardware. Still, the difference is nominal.

Perhaps the best news is that Boot Camp shows the potential for gaming on a Mac. Where the MacBook Pro running OS X Tiger turned in only 13.8 frames per second (fps) in our standard "Doom 3" benchmark, the MacBook Pro running Windows XP notched 21.6fps. Yes, this is likely partially due to the difference in the processor speed, but more so due to the fact that "Doom 3" was built to run on Windows XP. There's no question: You're going to have a noticeably better gaming experience on a Mac running Windows XP than Mac OS X.

The remainder of our tests--Sorenson Squeeze, Dr. Divx, and Cinebench--all test encoding performance. (Click here to see the charts, which speak volumes. ) The MacBook Pro running Windows XP delivers performance power that's identical to the PC competition.

We'll be running some more benchmarks, including MobileMark and SysMark, during the next few days. But Talk back to me now: What do these results mean to you? Are you ready to buy a MacBook Pro?
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NO idea y i picked this article probally because it was the most popular...
Reporter CRABshit signing off :P

[CRABcrap]

Blank Blu-ray discs start shipping

25GB recordable disc costs $19.95, according to the Blu-ray Disc Association, the trade group behind the next-generation format. Recordable-rewritable versions of the 25GB disc cost $24.95.

Later this year, TDK will come out with a Blu-ray disc that records on both sides and holds 50GB. The recordable version will sell for $47.99, while the recordable-rewritable version will go for $59.95. TDK began to supply manufacturers with samples in December.

Prices, though, will decline as more manufacturers and manufacturing facilities for the new format come out. Blu-ray players won't hit shelves until later this year.

Two different camps are battling it out to establish the next standard for optical discs. The Blu-ray group--which includes Sony, Philips, Dell and several film studios--says its technology will provide more storage than competing HD DVD.

Toshiba, Microsoft, Intel and the other HD backers, however, say their format will be a lot cheaper.

Many film studios have decided to support both formats. PC and consumer electronics companies, however, are typically being forced to choose one format or another. A few, such as Hewlett-Packard and LG, say they'll support both.

For consumers, the format war will be a headache as they will have to remember to buy PCs that are compatible with their consumer electronics equipment that is compatible with the movies they buy.

Blu-ray discs are composed of copper and silicon and are different from the material used in CDs and DVDs, according to TDK.
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I have noticed before that the blu-ray is a popular issue since the last time i have posted a blu-ray article.
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Fujitsu to release first Blu-ray PCs

The desktops with Blu-ray drives are expected to come out in Japan in June.

Fujitsu's announcement comes one day after Toshiba unveiled a plan to launch in mid-May notebook computers that can handle HD DVD discs, which compete with Blu-ray in the market for high-definition optical discs.

Fujitsu also plans to launch notebooks with HD DVD drives in June, catering to both camps.

The new desktop PC from Fujitsu comes with a 37-inch LCD screen and is expected to sell for around $5,000 (600,000 yen), a Fujitsu representative said.

The representative added that the notebook PC was likely to retail at about $3,360--in line with the expected retail price for Toshiba's HD-DVD compatible notebook PCs.

Another Japanese electronics maker, NEC, said Tuesday that it aims to launch HD DVD-compatible personal computers by fall and that it will consider offering PCs equipped with Blu-ray drives as well if there is demand.

At the core of both DVD formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.
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sorry about the second article i just found this more recent article on the blu-ray.

Captain
CRABshit