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desktops

Canonical funds Linux in a bid to overtake the Mac

It's one thing to talk about open-source software like Linux becoming easy to use and a joy to look at, but it's quite another to actually fund the development of such improvements. Mark Shuttleworth has talked a lot recently about desktop Linux becoming as easy and beautiful as Mac OS X. Now he's ready to fund the talk.

In his introduction to the next Ubuntu release, Jaunty Jackalope, Shuttleworth hints at a vision of Ubuntu's "once-in-a-lifetime chance to shine," and he says, "we want to make sure that the very best thinking across … Read more

Study: Low-cost laptops to drive PC market growth

Turns out, the sky isn't falling on the PC industry.

That's according to an update from IDC, an analyst firm that tracks the global PC market. Despite economic sluggishness in the U.S., PC shipments have actually increased worldwide more than expected.

Worldwide PC shipments are expected to grow by 15.7 percent this year to reach 311 million units, according to a report released Wednesday by IDC. Growth will slow slightly, but remain above 9 percent through 2012. IDC says that amounts to annual PC shipments reaching more than 482 million in 2012.

This growth is to … Read more

Rebus brings desktop search to scanned documents

These days, people are managing so much information on a daily basis that being able to find it quickly and efficiently is becoming crucial.

With its Spotlight desktop search tool--part of Mac OS X--Apple made it possible to search not just text-based files like Word documents, but also things like PDF files that don't have modifiable text.

Windows users, too, have choices for desktop search, like offerings from Google and Microsoft.

But now, Windows users will have a more powerful tool at their disposal, Rebus Technology's Recollect Desktop, a search tool that, according to Rebus, can find just … Read more

Microsoft's desktop prowess: Blessing or curse?

"The die is cast," declared Julius Caesar, anticipating Microsoft's fateful decision to protect its Windows cash cow at all costs.

Years later, as Joe Nocera eloquently opines in The New York Times, Microsoft has tethered itself to its Windows operating system and almost certainly lost its way on the Internet as a result:

Windows is already dying a death by a thousand cuts. Yes, Microsoft still makes billions by selling pre-installed Windows via computer manufacturers. But ever-so-gradually, the Internet is upending its business model just as surely as it has upended models for the music, television and … Read more

Dell has the Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 320GB HDD, 2GB RAM) for $1099, after a $400 Instant savings.

Dell has the Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 320GB HDD, 2GB RAM) for $1099, after a $400 Instant savings. >> Regular price is $1499 >> Sale price is $1099 >> Savings $400 (26.68%) >> Offer ends 9/15/2008 >> Click here for deal

Linux desktop's on-again, off-again relationship with Brazil

Wow. In discussing the Brazilian government's attempts to subsidize interest rates for Linux desktops in order to promote the open-source operating system, CNET uncovers a sad statistic about Linux desktop adoption. Despite a lot of noise around Brazilian adoption of open source and disdain for Microsoft, Microsoft is getting lots of love, as CNET reports:

A big part of this has been a government-backed "PC for all" program that subsidizes the interest rate for some models, though only those with Linux qualify....

That said, some estimates show as many as 18 or 19 out of every 20 … Read more

Working with Windows and Linux, playing with the Mac

I've noted before that we use the Mac because we want to, but are resigned to using Windows because we have to. Well, now there's some data to back up that assertion.

The Faces?rch blog did a quick review of when people search for the terms "Microsoft" (Blue), "Linux" (Red), and "Apple" (Orange), and found two interesting trends in the data, more easily viewed over the last 90 days:

First, Linux and Windows have declined as a trend since 2004, while Apple has boomed. Second, and more interestingly, Windows and Linux … Read more

Shuttle's Atom-powered mini desktop gets a price: $189

The Shuttle X27, which we reported on last week, is small physically. Turns out, so is the price.

Shuttle let us know Thursday that the miniscule desktop will start at $189--sans monitor, and peripherals, like all Shuttle PCs. It will be available in mid-September.

Now, $189 isn't the cheapest PC Shuttle makes. But that's the lowest price we've seen thus far in the emerging Nettop category, or small desktop PCs bearing Intel's low-power Atom processor.

The Eee Box from Asus, another Nettop, goes for $350. CherryPal, a newcomer to the space, makes a tiny desktop that … Read more

Dell's new low-cost PCs for emerging markets

As promised, Dell unveiled several new computers Wednesday made specifically for emerging PC markets like China and India.

There are four new models in all under the Vostro line--two laptops and two desktops. The notebooks will start at $475, and the desktops at $440, and will be available in more than 20 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

The notebooks are available in 14.1-inch and 15.6-inch sizes, and come with Intel Celeron or Core2Duo processors, and Ubuntu Linux or Windows Vista. The desktops come with Intel Atom, Celeron, or Pentium processors, and Ubuntu or Vista.

Dell … Read more