Save Us, Windows 7! By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published November 17, 2008
Retail sales are falling like a skydiver without a parachute. The fearsome R-word -- recession -- has become the E-word, said by everyone every day. Is there any good news for the PC industry amid the doom and gloom? Yes, from some unlikely sources (let's hear it for hardcore gamers) and from users and IT managers suddenly looking favorably on that favorite bugaboo, Microsoft.
Mini Mobile PCs: Now Comes the Hard Part By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published July 1, 2008
It's a myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but what are the odds against catching lightning in a bottle twice? The ultralight, ultra-affordable subnotebook PC category that the Asus Eee ignited last winter will soon see a second generation of what are now called netbooks -- but this time around, it might be Eee II: The Laptop Strikes Back.
Falling Off the Catwalk By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published May 23, 2008
The economy's in a slump and PCs are in danger of becoming interchangeable commodity products anyway. So how can hardware manufacturers perk up sales and prop up profit margins? Chrome trim and pretty colors, of course, as vendors ranging from Dell to Staples introduce limited-edition artistic cases and fashionable decorations. HardwareCentral editor Eric is bemused. Apple is unworried.
Let Loose in the Toy Department: Report From CES 2008 By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published January 15, 2008
Once a year, Las Vegas goes from rolling dice and shuffling cards to rolling home videos and shuffling graphics cards. HardwareCentral returns to the colossal Consumer Electronics Show, getting the scoop on everything from Intel's 45-nanometer processors to HP's home theaters, Gateway's affordable gaming systems, and displays to die for. Plus roller skates.
The Best, the Worst, and the Ugliest: 2007 By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published December 18, 2007
Asleep by 10:30? Not at the Labs, Weather, & Sports Desk, where New Year's Eve is like any other midnight -- time to start a fresh count of the day's Diet Pepsis, along with a last look over the, uh, vista of the dozen months past. Our seventh annual flashback bounces from nifty notebooks and cool Web tools to HDTV headaches, poorly launched processors, and a surprise pick for Product of the Year.
The Tick-Tock of Doom, or For Whom Intel Tolls By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published September 25, 2007
Processor upgrades: just say no? HardwareCentral editor Eric won't go that far, but finds reasons not to tie your purchases to Intel's newly announced policy of scheduling new CPU designs and less radical manufacturing and power-saving improvements for alternate years. He also covets a 433MHz notebook and considers the apocalypse: putting a Mac on the Labs, Weather, & Sports Desk.
Get Ready To Gain Two Pounds By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published June 8, 2007
Last week, Palm sounded the trumpets and threw confetti for what it described as a new category of portable technology -- only to get an immediate, unimpressed "Uh, no thanks" in response. But while the Treo manufacturer's new Foleo may falter, Intel, VIA, and other vendors are betting you'll crave a real, live Windows PC that weighs in at the same two pounds for way under $1,000.
Paint It Piano Black By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published April 25, 2007
When Intel sponsored a contest for radical new PC design ideas, the winners were ... not radical enough. HardwareCentral editor Eric may be just a bit color-blind (OK, his wife picks his clothes, all right?), but that won't stop him from giving the industry some fashion as well as feature advice.
Toga! Toga! Vista! By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published January 30, 2007
Wild horses and icy winds couldn't keep us away from Monday's official Windows Vista and Office 2007 launch party in Times Square, where we were introduced to civilian consumers as well as to Messrs. Gates and Ballmer and where PC vendors opened the floodgates of new Vista-based desktops and notebooks. Here's the scoop on both the show and the systems.
Nerdy New Year: Report from CES 2007 By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published January 16, 2007
Last week's Consumer Electronics Show flooded Las Vegas with everything from streaming video servers to cell-phone TV and fire-breathing gaming PCs, not to mention the advent of Windows Vista and a possible cease-fire between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc formats. HWC's dedicated reporting -- we toured the PC exhibits at the Sands Expo, not the adult video convention in the adjoining hall -- takes you there.
The Best, the Worst, and the Ugliest: 2006 By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published December 31, 2006
Pop the champagne and open the Cheetos: It's time for HardwareCentral to embrace the great and kiss off the not-so-great PCs, peripherals, and technologies of 2006. This sixth annual recap from the Labs, Weather, & Sports Desk features Intel über alles, the mixed bag named Vista, why printer manufacturers are like Scrooge McDuck, and our editor's slightly imperfect New Year's predictions record.
Pay Big Bucks! See Miserable Movies! By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published July 14, 2006
What's the next big thing after HDTV? HardwareCentral editor Eric usually prides himself on product recommendations to friends and family, but he's stymied by the state of PC and home-theater video today. Who will survive the war between Blu-ray and HD DVD? What'll happen when Windows Vista finally shows up? What kind of cable will plug everything together? And who wants to see Robin Williams's RV in high definition?
Through a Vista Darkly By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published May 24, 2006
Both IT managers and consumers will need to revise their PC-shopping spec sheets for Windows Vista. Luckily for Microsoft, today's low hardware prices mean the upgrade won't be as painful as others have been -- but there are a few gotchas lurking on the software giant's new "Get Ready for Vista" Web site. To begin with, do you know the difference between "ready" and "capable"?
Microsoft To People: Get Ready By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published March 28, 2006
They're not going to ship on schedule or brighten PC vendors' holiday season, but Microsoft assures us that Windows Vista and Office 2007 are going to be worth the wait, with fantastic features for ultra-organized go-getters. Eric says he's more than willing to give Bill Gates the benefit of the doubt, but is Microsoft missing the forest for the trees -- or rather, just a few big enterprise trees?
Do Have-Nots Have It Better Than Haves? By Eric Grevstad -
Opinions Article Published January 27, 2006
Shopping for a new PC? HardwareCentral editor Eric just did, and the gulf between high and low prices has him wondering: As terrific as new technology is, what's the point at which terrificness gets trumped by bargains? Are mail-in rebates real savings or Satan's red tape? And why is he barred from entering Best Buy stores?
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