Etisalat iPhone 3G Wasel/Prepaid Now Available

Reiterating its commitment to provide convenience, coverage and value to its customers, Etisalat today announced the launch of iPhone 3G, 8GB and 16 GB devices for its Wasel customers in the UAE. Starting Wednesday, 1st April, iPhone 3G device will be available for all Wasel customers, who will be able to buy the device off-the-shelf, and benefit from a spectacular offer providing a return benefit of more than AED 2000.

The iPhone 3G 8GB device will be available in black color for AED 3,121, while the 16GB device will be available in both white and black colors for AED 3,570. Etisalat is also offering free 250 MB monthly data package for six months and one free Wasel SIM Card with every device, providing lucrative return benefit of over AED 2000, effectively bringing down the device cost to a little over AED 1000.

Customers can choose to activate their subscription on their current SIM or on the new SIM, being offered free by Etisalat. Customers keen on upgrading the free data package of 250 MB can subscribe to any of the current Etisalat data packages, and the free bandwidth (250 MB /per month) will be added to their selected package automatically.

Commenting on the announcement, Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said,” Etisalat is delighted to launch the world acclaimed iPhone 3G device for its prepaid customers in the UAE. With Etisalat’s widespread 3G network, a remarkable device experience and an unprecedented bundle package, providing return benefits of AED 2000, the service fulfils our commitment of providing convenience, coverage and value to our customers.”
“Etisalat with its powerful 3.5G mobile broadband network offers download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and upload speed of 1.92 Mbps, providing an unparalleled device experience to its customers,” added Al Haddad.

iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone plus 3G networking that is twice as fast*, built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services, and iPhone 2.2.1 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs thousands of third party applications available through the Apple App Store.

iPhone 3G 8GB and 16GB is available now for both the prepaid and postpaid customers across all Etisalat business centres and outlets.

Corsair HX1000W

Computer enthusiasts might be familiar with Corsair’s excellent RAM modules such as the XMS and Dominator series, but power supplies are relatively new ground for Corsair. Their power supplies have been well received in the past and the HX1000W is their entry into the kilowatt PSU territory. So if you’re not getting enough power to feed your GTX295 SLI or HD 4870X2 CrossFire setup, Corsair’s modular power supply should help you out of your pitiful situation.

Features

• Guaranteed to deliver 1000W of continuous power at 50°C
• 80%+ energy efficient under real world load conditions
• True independent dual rail design for maximum compatibility
• Combined 80A of power on +12V
• Multiple GPU ready
• 105°C solid state capacitors
• Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of 0.99 to ensure clean and reliable power
• Supports the latest ATX12V 2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 Standards. Backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01
• Auto switching circuitry provides universal AC input 90-264V
• Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum component safety
• Dimensions: 150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 200mm(L)
• Five year limited warranty with 24/7 on demand customer service
• MTBF: 100,000 hours

Specifications

Package

Corsair packed the PSU into a huge box with all its’ details printed on the side. Interestingly, this PSU is certified by nVidia for triple SLI setups.

Inside the box, we found 4x PCI-e 6+2 pin power cables, 4x SATA cables, two of which have 2x connectors and the other two have 4x connectors, 1x 8-pin CPU power cable, 4x 4-pin peripheral cables, two of which have 4x ODD/HDD connectors and 1x FDD connectors while the other two have 2x ODD/HDD connectors, 1x 2-pin AC power cable , a case to store the cables, a Corsair badge sticker, 4x black thumb screws and some cable ties.

The picture above shows the length of each cable (picture courtesy of Corsair).

A-DATA release low Latency XPG™ DDR2-800G SO-DIMM

A-DATA Technology Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in high performance memory products, has released its XPG™ G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM module with single and dual pack. Built to provide optimal levels of compatibility using the highest quality components available on the market, this XPG™ G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM module runs at incredible low voltage setting at 1.6V-1.7V and latency 5-5-5-15.

Designed for notebooks and mini PCs, the XPG G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM module is also ready for use with new generation of netbooks and nettops. This XPG G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM module is perfect fit for notebook and mini PCs users who want to improve the system performance by replacing their standard notebook memory with high performance module, also without any need to adjust the BIOS settings.

XPG G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM module delivers the perfect blend of performance, durability and stability with low power consumption for gamer of all levels. The XPG G Series DDR2 modules line is customized to fulfill gamers’ need of performance and stability. A-DATA invests not only in quality-checking but also cooperate with the online gaming companies to ensure the XPG G Series modules meet the performance and reliability standards.

The XPG G Series DDR2-800G SO-DIMM modules are guaranteed to deliver superior user experience and to satisfy the needs of the most demanding multiple online gamers, professionals and multimedia users.

Features:
-   All memory chips are verified using overclocking criteria for better quality.
-   High quality 6 layers PCB (Printed Circuit Board)
-   Optimized for 64-bit OS (operating system)*
-   Backward compatible with DDR2-667/533MHz
-   Lifetime limited warranty
* 32-bit OS environment has 4GB memory addressing barrier which results in 2.5~3GB memory accessibility.

Specification:
-   1GB/2GB single pack and 2GB/4GB dual pack module are tested at 800MHz
-   Test at latency settings 5-5-5-15 at 1.6V-1.7V
-  SPD (Serial Presence Detect) programmed at JEDEC standard DDR2-800 with latency settings at 5-5-5-15 for basic system booting

Seagate/WD 500GB USB Hard Drives

USB drives have become extremely common to use because of their portability and ease of use. All modern operating systems offer the functionality of USB plug’n’play devices making it easy for you to carry your data without worrying whether it would work or not. Although thumb drives are catching up in capacity with 64GB and 128GB models, Hard drives still offer the best bang for your buck and today we’re looking at two 500GB drives- the Western Digital My Passport Studio and the Seagate FreeAgent Go.

Both these drives are fairly portable although Seagate tends to win as far as size and weight is concerned- measuring 130mm x 80mm x 12.5mm and weighing 0.16kg. The WD on the other hand is 127mm x 81mm x 18mm and weighs 0.18kg. I must say that you’d be hard pressed to notice the difference between the two and because of the slightly shorter length might even think that the WD is a smaller drive but specification prove otherwise.

Personally, I prefer the look of the Seagate Free Agent Go which looks a bit sleeker and is available in multiple colors. Also the lights on the Seagate look nicer which are arranged in a dotted format. The WD MyBook Studio on the other hand has a string of lights on the back that also act as capacity gauge.

Both these enclosures feature a 5400RPM 2.5” SATA hard drive and a USB 2.0 interface, however, Western Digital goes a step above by offering a Firewire 400/800 Interface as well.  Firewire 800 offers a theoretical transfer rate of 800Mb/s over USB 2.0’s 480Mb/s which allows you to transfer data faster on the drive. The Free Agent Go on the other hand, offers an optional dock that allows to simply plug the drive vertically without messing with any cables.

Lets take a look at how these drives performed starting with HDTach- first with Seagate and then WD in USB and Firewire modes.

WD certainly proves to be faster than Seagate when they’re connected through a USB interface. The Firewire interface helps WD further by boosting the throughput by about 20%. We also tested these drives with PCMark Vantage’s HD test where Seagate scored 2003 while WD scored 2118 under USB and 2233 under Firewire. Last but certainly not the least, SiSoft Sandra benched the Seagate at 12381 ops/minute while the WD benched at 13266 ops/min and 19788 ops/min for USB and Firewire respectively.

Clearly, Firewire 800 is faster than USB in all tests. Not only that, the WD proves to be a faster drive than the Seagate in USB mode as well making it the choice of someone looking for best performance between these two drives. Unfortunately, performance usually costs a penalty and the WD MyBook Passport Studio with a price tag of US$200 (AED 735) is quite a bit more expensive than the Seagate Freeagent Go selling for US$120 (AED 440) at the moment. At such a big price difference, it definitely makes more sense to pick the Seagate.

Updated iMac and Mac Mini now available in the UAE

Arab Business Machine Ltd, Apple®’s representative for the Middle East, this week announced that the updated iMac® and Mac® mini desktop lines, including a 24-inch iMac that is priced more affordably than ever before and a Mac mini with powerful new integrated graphics, are now available in the Middle East. For the same price as the previous generation 20-inch iMac, the new 24-inch iMac delivers a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage. Delivering up to five times better graphics performance, the updated Mac mini now features the same groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics introduced with the aluminum unibody MacBook® family.* The Mac mini is the world’s most energy efficient desktop, drawing less than 13 watts of power when idle.** All iMac and Mac mini systems come with Mac OS® X Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife® ’09, Apple’s unparalleled suite of consumer applications for managing and organizing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.

“Our flagship 24-inch iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available” said Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. “The Mac mini is not only our most affordable Mac, it’s also the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer.”

The elegant, full-featured iMac line starts with the 20-inch iMac with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, a 320GB Serial ATA hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. The 24-inch iMac features a beautiful 1920-by-1200 pixel widescreen display that offers 30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model. The 24-inch iMac includes up to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, a 640GB or 1TB Serial ATA hard drive, and a variety of graphics technology from NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics for ultimate performance.

Every iMac features a glossy display with a built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in a thin aluminum and glass design. The new iMac also includes a Mini DisplayPort connector for a pure digital signal to Apple’s new 24-inch LED Cinema Display with adapters available for DisplayPort, VGA, DVI and Dual-Link DVI displays. iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; a total of six USB 2.0 ports (including two on the Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire® 800 port.

The Mac mini is an innovative, tiny desktop measuring only 6.5 by 6.5 by 2-inches. Available in two models, Mac mini features a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, up to 320GB Serial ATA hard drive, five USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 and a SuperDrive®. The Mac mini features NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics for up to five times better graphics performance than before* and now with dual display support can drive two Apple or third-party displays with Mini DisplayPort or DVI connections. Using less than 13 watts of power at idle, up to 10 times less power than a typical desktop PC, the new Mac mini is the most energy efficient desktop in the world.**Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, both iMac and Mac mini extend their leadership in green design. Both iMac and Mac mini exceed current Energy Star 4.0 requirements and are leading the industry as early adopters of the more stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements which will become effective later this year. Both iMac and Mac mini use PVC-free internal components and cables and contain no brominated flame retardants. Both iMac and Mac mini feature material-efficient system and packaging designs and use highly recyclable materials. Apple’s new desktop lineup joins its recently introduced aluminum unibody MacBook family in achieving EPEAT Gold status.***

Every Mac comes with Apple’s innovative iLife ’09 suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. iLife ’09 features iPhoto®, which introduces Faces and Places as breakthrough new ways to easily organize and manage your photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar. Every Mac also includes Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system which features Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, the best way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces®, an intuitive feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; Mail with easy setup and elegant, personalized stationery; and iChat®, the most advanced video chat.
Apple also announced that its popular AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi Base Station and Time Capsule® now feature simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking for optimal performance, range and compatibility. An innovative Guest Network feature allows setting up a secondary network for friends and visitors with Internet-only access so you don’t have to hand out your WiFi password. Time Capsule combines an 802.11n router and server-grade hard disk for automatic wireless back-up with Time Machine, and is immediately available in two models: a 500GB model and a 1TB model. The AirPort Extreme Base Station is also available immediately.****

Availability 
The new iMac and Mac mini lines are now available through Arab Business Machine Ltd (ABM)’s network of Apple Authorized Premium Resellers, Apple Authorized Resellers and Apple Authorized Retailers in Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen & the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and through Arab Business Machine Ltd. Education Store (http://shop.appleme.ae/ashop/ishop.php).

The new 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, includes:
•    20-inch widescreen LCD display;
•    2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
•    2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 8GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
•    320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    built-in iSight video camera;
•    Gigabit Ethernet port;
•    four USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port;
•    built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
•    the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse.

The new 24-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, includes:
•    24-inch widescreen LCD display;
•    2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
•    4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 8GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
•    640GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapt
ers sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    built-in iSight video camera;
•    Gigabit Ethernet port;
•    four USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port;
•    built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
•    the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse.

The new 24-inch 2.93 GHz iMac, includes:
•    24-inch widescreen LCD display;
•    2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
•    4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 8GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120; with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM memory;
•    640GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    built-in iSight video camera;
•    Gigabit Ethernet port;
•    four USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port;
•    built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
•    the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse.

The new 24-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, includes:
•    24-inch widescreen LCD display;
•    3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
•    4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 8GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce GT 130; with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
•    1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    built-in iSight video camera;
•    Gigabit Ethernet port;
•    four USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port;
•    built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
•    the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse.

Prices for the 24″ iMacs range from AED 8,799 to AED 10,499

Build-to-order options and accessories for the iMac include: a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM, up to 1TB Serial ATA hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 130, or ATI Radeon HD 4850 with 512MB GDDR3 memory on the 24-inch iMac, and up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive on the 20-inch iMac. Additional options include: Apple Keyboard with numeric keypad, Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express®, AirPort Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule; Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, the AppleCare® Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork® ’09, Logic® Express 8, Final Cut® Express 4 and Aperture™ 2.

The new 2.0 GHz Mac mini, includes:
•    2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
•    1GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable up to 4GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
•    120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T);
•    five USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port; and
•    one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog.

The new 2.0 GHz Mac mini, includes:
•    2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
•    2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable up to 4GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
•    320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
•    a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
•    Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T);
•    five USB 2.0 ports;
•    one FireWire 800 port; and
•    one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog.

The prices for the above mentioned models of Mac mini are AED 2699 and AED 3499 resepctively

Build-to-order options and accessories for the Mac mini include: a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, 80GB, 250GB or 320GB 5400 hard drives. Additional options include: LED Cinema Display, Apple Keyboard, Apple Keyboard with numeric keypad, Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule; Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, the AppleCare Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork ’09, Logic Express 8, Final Cut Express 4 and Aperture 2.

New Apple Mac Pro launches in the Middle East

Arab Business Machine Ltd, Apple®’s representative for the Middle East, this week announced that the new Mac® Pro using Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture to deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system,* is now available in the Middle East. The new Mac Pro features the latest graphics technology and an updated interior that makes expansion even easier than before.

“The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love.”

The new Mac Pro includes Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 2.93 GHz, each with an integrated memory controller with three channels of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC memory that delivers up to 2.4 times the memory bandwidth while cutting memory latency up to 40 percent.** Every Mac Pro comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, a high-performance graphics card with nearly three times greater performance when compared to the previous generation system.*** An optional ATI Radeon HD 4870 is available for even more performance. With both a Mini DisplayPort and DVI port, the new Mac Pro provides out-of-the-box support for the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, or other DVI based displays.

An updated interior provides easy access to all components within the Mac Pro for hassle free expansion. The Mac Pro includes four direct-attach cable-free hard drive carriers for installing up to 4TB of internal storage when using 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA drives. An optional cable-free Mac Pro RAID card delivers performance up to 550MB/s**** and allows the four internal drive bays to be set up in RAID 0, 1, 5, or 0+1 configurations for improved disk performance and redundant data protection.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, the new Mac Pro exceeds Energy Star 4.0 requirements and is leading the industry as an early adopter of the more stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements which will become effective later this year. The Mac Pro enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and the interior is designed to be more material-efficient. The Mac Pro uses PVC-free internal cables and components and contains no brominated flame retardants. The new Mac Pro achieves EPEAT Gold status.*****

Every Mac includes Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system which features Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, the best way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces®, an intuitive feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; Mail with easy setup and elegant, personalized stationery; and iChat®, the most advanced video chat. Every Mac comes with Apple’s innovative iLife® ’09 suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. iLife ’09 features iPhoto®, which introduces Faces and Places as breakthrough new ways to easily organize and manage your photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar. Optional Apple professional applications include Aperture™, Final Cut® Express, Final Cut Studio®, Logic® Express, Logic Studio® and Shake®.

Availability 
The new Mac Pro is now available through through Arab Business Machine Ltd (ABM)’s network of Apple Authorized Premium Resellers, Apple Authorized Resellers and Apple Authorized Retailers in Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen & the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and through Arab Business Machine Ltd. Education Store (http://shop.appleme.ae/ashop/ishop.php).
The new quad-core Mac Pro, includes:

•    one 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor with 8MB of shared L3 cache;
•    3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 8GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
•    640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
•    five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports;
•    Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
•    ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.

The new 8-core Mac Pro, includes:
•    two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache per processor;
•    6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
•    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
•    640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
•    18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
•    Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
•    four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
•    five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
•    Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
•    ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.

Build to order options and accessories include: one 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor for the quad-core Mac Pro; two 2.66 GHz or two 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors for the 8-core Mac Pro; up to 8GB for the quad-core Mac Pro and up to 32GB for the 8-core Mac Pro of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory; up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 18x SuperDrives with double-layer support; ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics with 512MB of GDDR5 memory; AirPort Extreme® 802.11n; Apple Keyboard, Apple Wireless Keyboard; Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse; Mac OS® X Server Leopard. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are available at www.apple.com/macpro.

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

If you find yourself working in the dark often, then you have probably run into the issue of not being able to see the keys on your keyboard. This happen to me quite often on my notebook late at night when the wife asleep and I’m too comfortable to leave the bed. However, if you work on a desktop, then Logitech has a good solution for you with their new Illuminated keyboard.

The extremely stylish keyboard comes packaged in the traditional green Logitech box. Bundled inside is a drivers CD and a quick start guide along with the keyboard. Like all keyboards, you simply plug it in into a USB port on your computer and start right away. If you need the extra functionality of buttons, which I think some of us do, then its time to install the software.

The Keyboard is certainly beautiful to look at. The black color along with the glass border certainly adds a touch of class. Add to that the 9.3mm thickness and a beautiful backlighting system and you have a product that would even make Apple proud. Logitech claims that the keys are Laser-etched which makes them brighter and sharper. I dont really have anything to compare it at a desktop level but I dont see much of a difference between this and my MacBook Air’s keyboard as far as the backlighting is concerend. Whereas the MBA has a light-sensor that automatically adjusts the light on the keyboard, Logitech has a button that allows you to switch between 3 levels which probably works better in a Desktop environment.

The keys themselves are nicely sized with a soft mushy touch to them making typing very comfortable to type. I’m not sure if I would particularly use the keyboard for playing World of Warcraft but typing reviews like this one certainly feels nice. While all keys are placed where they should be, I dont like the fact that Logitech as moved the right-click key (as I call it) to the top which also requires the Fn key to be pressed. Granted I dont use this key all the time, its nice to have it next to your right ALT and CTRL keys when needed. A nice touch is the notifier for the caps, numeric and scroll lock that lights up in a glossy bar below the keyboard. You wont even know anything is there until the light shows up.

Installing the included Set-Point software allows you to use all the Orange secondary functions on the F keys which includes Media Playback, Quick launch for applications and the Flip 3D interface. Seperatelly, above the numeric keypad, Logitech provides dedicated buttons for volume and brightness level of the keyboard. Unfortunately there is no USB port of the keyboard- I generally use that to connect my Wireless Mouse’s reciever giving it a close range to the mouse.

Priced a bit expensively at AED 399/- (roughly US$110), the Illumanated Keyboard is best for people that like to type in the dark or ones that like their system to just look cool. I do wish that Logitech had a USB port on it but other than that, its a great component to write your long articles on.

OCZ Unveils Eclipse & Behemoth Budget Gaming Mice

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra high performance and high reliability memory and components, today unveiled two new mice ideal for users seeking an inexpensive gaming solution. Featuring a solid design, maximum functionality, and programmable customization unique to each user, the Behemoth and Eclipse are built with the hardcore gamer in mind. Both mice offer a competitive edge with quality ergonomics and advanced features designed for both gaming and productivity applications.

“OCZ continues to break barriers in the cost for performance arena by offering high performance gaming products that deliver exceptional features, ergonomics, and performance at an aggressive price,” commented Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management for OCZ. “The new Behemoth and Eclipse gaming mice are no exception, offering world-class performance designed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with a superior hands-on control experience whether playing first person shooters or getting creative with design applications.”

Gaming in high resolutions and fast-paced scenarios requires a specialized mouse that is built with both comfort and speed in mind. Both the Behemoth and Eclipse offer the ability to fine-tune the optimal balance of the mouse for superior control and feel with the included weight cartridges. Each mouse supports data-upload to the on-board memory, providing instantaneous “plug and play” settings, without the need for additional software to unlock the advanced functions. Additionally, real-time shifting between four configurable personal profiles makes the mice perfect for both working and gaming.

The Eclipse features a time-honored compact style, complete with a no-slip rubber coating for hours of intensive sessions. The specialized gaming-grade double laser engine offers motion reporting up to 60 inches per second, and accelerations covering the demands for various applications in either low 100 DPI or ultra-fast 2,400 DPI settings. Change the speed anytime during combat with the DPI toggle switch, and the LED status indicator gives on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment to match mouse speed to your game environment.

The Behemoth sports a large, ergonomic, and sturdy design with a comfortable no-slip rubber grip, ideal for users that prefer a more sizeable mouse.  The OCZ Behemoth’s similar gaming-grade double laser engine provides uncompromising high-precision and ultra-fast tracking power up to 60 inches per second, and accelerations in either low 100 DPI up to turbo-charged 3200 DPI settings. Get blazing speed and instant acceleration up to 1,000 reports/second and bidirectional connection.

Designed for high-quality performance without the high price, the OCZ Behemoth and Eclipse gaming mice are the pinnacle of “bang for you buck” with unique customization options, switchable profiles, and unsurpassed style and ergonomics.

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Apple MacBook & Pro

Recently Apple introduced new versions of the MacBook and the MacBook Pro based on the Unibody design. Although a lot of noise was made about the “introduction” of the Unibody design on these new Macs, it was actually the MacBook Air that introduced this design last year. The Unibody design appears as though the notebook was carved out of a single piece of Aluminum. If nothing else, the Unibody certainly makes the Notebook feel a lot more sturdier than any other notebook that I’ve recently used.

Arguably, these new Macs are also the most beautiful notebooks in the market today. They are a refined version of the Air and the smooth curves and tapered bottoms make it look downright sexy. Apple has reduced the thickness on these new MacBooks however, they’re still pretty thick and heavy compared to the Air. The usual array of ports sans Firewire are present on the left side of the Macbook along with the battery charge meter while the right side houses the slot-in DVD writer. The Pro features all of the above ports along with the Firewire port.

The bottom has a switch that can be lifted to reveal the battery and hard drive sections on these new Macs which makes replacing the hard drive or the battery very easy. Some of the earlier reviews I read said this part was flimsy but I didn’t notice any such thing. Maybe Apple included the rubber strip later on to keep this part firm in its place.

Apple is certainly known to choosing style over functionality and the screens on these new notebooks are a prime example of just that. The bright 13.3″ and 15.4″ screens retains their wide-screen resolutions (1280×800 and 1440×900) and with their glossy black borders certainly look nice. However, the glossy finish tends to add a LOT of reflection- especially viewing darker images. Unfortunately a Matte screen is not an option on any Apple notebook anymore.

Viewing angle’s on the new MacBook’s screen are definitely better than the previous models, especially from the sides. Looking at it from the top does diminish the quality but I doubt you’ll be doing that frequently. Color reproduction also feels better, however, I don’t have an older MacBook lying around for a direct comparison. The MacBook Pro is much better with both viewing angles and color reproduction making it come alive. Also these new models tilt more than their previous versions although not as much as I would’ve liked.

The trackpad is something else that has gone through a considerable change and the first thing you notice is the lack of any visible buttons. However, the lower-half of the trackpad is one big button by itself and you can define the right side to act as a right click and left as your primary click. Alternatively, multi-touch gestures also work with Apple adding a four finger swipe for Expose and Task Switching as well.

One more thing is the new glassy feel of the surface of the trackpad and it certainly feels very very nice. I did have a couple of issues with mouse jumping and clicks not registering when I received the unit but a system update to 10.5.6 as well as the firmware update of the trackpad pretty much fixed everything.

The keyboard on the MacBook comes with back-lighting if you chose the higher-end model which I feel is plain wrong. All models of MacBooks should have this functionality. Apple could continue charging a price premium for a higher-speed CPU, more RAM or more disk space, but features should be made standard across the board on similar models. The MacBook Pro, obviously, has this feature as a standard.

Heat produced by these new MacBooks is certainly less than my first generation Air which is probably due to a combination of the cooler chipset and better thermal design by Apple. The new nVidia 9400 chipset certainly runs circles around the previous Intel X3100 when it comes to graphics. While I don’t have exact figures, World of Warcraft is very playable on these new integrated graphics. With OpenCL standardized for Snow Leopard, I’m sure that GPU assisted effects will also get a boost in the upcoming O/S. The Pro features an additional dedicated GPU onboard- the nVidia 9600GT however switching between the onboard and integrated GPU requires you to log out- hopefully something that will be fixed in an upcoming O/S upgrade.

Battery life on these MacBooks is on par if not better that the previous models. i managed to get four hours writing documents and surfing the web wirelessly. Watching videos with Airport turned off should easily allow you to watch one full movie- even if its Lord of the Rings.

In short, these new Macs are beautiful, fast and very functional. They’re certainly a worthy upgrade over the previous models especially with the new nVidia chipset. Would I recommend getting one? If you’re not a power-user then I certainly would. If all you want to do is write emails/documents, surf the web and watch a few videos that the current MacBook is certainly up to the challenge. Power users will probably want to wait for the next revision which should hopefully feature Intel’s Nehalam based CPU- but you’re looking at waiting until the end of the year for that.

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