The Rife Report  January 2010

Vegas Leaks - Intel Shows CPU-GPU hybrids; Express Assist Upgraded; XP Begins to Fade At this time of year I feel like someone trying to decide when to buy a new computer - should I wait for the latest and greatest upgrade or jump in, get what's available. You see this was written on the New Year's weekend - that's a few days BEFORE the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas scheduled January 7 to January 9. My dilemma - Would I write what has been leaked or wait for all the maybe news, breaking my self-imposed Report deadline (first weekend of the month)? I opted for what any PC buyer should do - jump in. If you wait - you just wait (there's always something later and greater). So here's what I do know: Despite the financial situation, the world's largest trade show expects an attendance of more than 100,000. It isn't open to the general public; you have to be in the consumer electronics business or media to attend. Of course YouTube videos will be on the Internet right after any announcement. Familiar faces will be on the keynote stage: Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer will be happy with Windows7's success having announced its public availability at last year's CES. Although little is known about what Microsoft might announce, some enthusiastic individuals are hoping for a glimpse of Windows Mobile 7. But there are leaks (humans being the imperfect secrets keepers they are) that Microsoft and KIA motors will announce something labelled UVO. Microsoft car technology makes you think of SYNC - Ford's use of Microsoft's Windows Embedded Technologies which lets drivers turn their cars into wireless Internet hot spots. Kia unveiled the UVO name in late December, saying it meant: "your voice." Nothing else - is it similar to SYNC or is it speech recognition technology? Another leak has Intel chief Paul Otellini with a desktop roadmap for 2010 revealing the rumoured Core i9 is just that - a rumour. The rumoured "hottie" CPU chip is actually an Extreme Edition Core i7 to be launched in March. The map shows Intel staying with the 3-tier, good, better, best scenario of Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7. The big chip maker does say online it will introduce a family of Core processors using the company's 32nm High-K / metal gate manufacturing process. They join older Core i7, i5 and i3s. On the list are a number of mobile parts that feature 32nm processor cores linked to 45nm GPUs on a single chip and other products related to 3D content creation such as WiMax and MIDs. In another post, Intel discusses features due to arrive with the next-generation mobile CPU-plus-GPU hybrid, codenamed Arrandale (a member of the Westmere family designed for mobile platforms). Also en route are mobile Core i5 and Core i3 processors based on Westmere. Making the All New 32nm Intel Core- In this YouTube video, technicians from a number of Intel's testing and validation labs are shown working with 32nm Westmere processors. Intel's Srinivas Chennupaty (Principal Engineer, Westmere Architect) says in the video that Westmere offers "everything you ever wanted in a home entertainment system." The integrated GPU is a step up from current Intel graphics offerings, but how high a step remains to be seen. The video also shows a 6-core Gulftown chip. Gulftown will initially be used in server-class processors, but desktop variants compatible with the current socket 1366 platform are planned. If you think a Core i7 975 is fast, consider a chip with 50 per cent more cores and cache, a higher clock speed, and next-generation Turbo Boost technology - oh, yeah! A total of 17 processors are to be revealed in a variety of speeds at CES. The Intel web site also showed teaser images of an Arrandale mobile and Claredale desktop processor. Both are based on the same Westmere design, which includes one 32nm die with two Nehalem microprocessor cores, and another 45nm die with the memory controller and integrated graphics processor -- all in the same package. The new Core i3 and Core i5 chips will be able to handle as many as four threads at once via Hyperthreading, but only the latter will have Turbo Boost to dynamically adjust clock speeds as required. PC makers will debut laptops this spring using Intel's new Core i3 processor, and they are cheap. A Gateway model online at Future Shop costs just $ 730 Canadian. There are pros and cons to Core i3, but will you notice the difference? For example with i3 you get: graphics built directly into the CPU, which means better overall power efficiency; improved graphics performance over current Intel 4500MHD graphics silicon; Hyper-Threading and Intel's newest 32-nanometre chip technology. You don't get: Intel Turbo Boost; only two cores, not four and a relatively small cache memory size. Try before you buy. And beyond that hype, one source sees gadgets taking the CES spotlight - suggesting e-readers will make a huge, multi-vendor push into the market this year. Many versions will be at CES, but a hot one is Plastic Logic's QUE. Their innovation is an E-Ink-based display, unlike other similar readers, printed on a flexible, plastic backplane. It is lighter, more robust and has an 8.5x11 inch touch screen. Printed business documents can be shown full size without scaling. No word on pricing or availability at the home site here. Frankly, I expect lots of CES news about USB 3.0 devices - the new SuperSpeed technology. A-DATA jumped the gun, announcing year-end its N002 Combo Flash Drive. It's an external drive with both eSATA and USB 3.0. LaCie and Symwave teamed to also announce in late December the first USB 3.0 dual-drive RAID storage solution. About the same time PQI showed a pair of USB 3.0 external hard drives and more recently introduced its version of an USB 3.0 flash drive. Express Assist v10 Released Express Assist, the Canadian software, which claims it is "the original and premiere Outlook Express backup and restore utility" recently moved to version 10. AJSystems in Oakville, Ont., created the software in 1999 and now has thousands of users worldwide. The new version, Express Assist 10, has broadened the scope of its backup and restore not only to Outlook Express and Firefox, but Vista's Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail (the Windows 7 email utility). Happily, Express Assist 10 runs on Win7 (32 bit and 64 bit systems), Vista and XP. Not only that but it also runs on older operating systems such as Media Center 2003, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows 98SE, and even Windows 98. FYI - Windows Live Essentials is free here. As you may know, Live Mail works on XP SP2 (32-bit only), Vista (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit ), or Windows Server 2008. Installation of EA10 is simple - there's no need to uninstall previous versions. The new product goes right in without disturbing the older version. You can then operate the new utility, comparing its virtues and when you are up-to-speed, merely remove the old software via Control Panel. Mind you, in one configuration when I uninstalled EA9, I was informed EA10 was missing a dll file and had to be re-installed. After a quick re-install, everything did then work well. EA10s user interface has been given a face-lift, but it remains close enough to the original so there is no problem-filled learning curve. Win7 users will see EA10s ability to backup and restore Live Mail's Contacts and Calendar. In addition it works well with Internet Explorer 8, backing up such things as RSS Feeds, Accelerators, Web Slices, IntelliForms and Search providers. Besides IE8, it also supports backing up data from Chrome, if you prefer that browser. My favourite use is transferring mail and settings to a new machine or new operating system, something I do frequently. And you can search for and view any message in the backup file without doing a full restore - a truly unique feature. A free 15-day trial download is available at the home site. It is a fully operable version of Express Assist 10, not limited in any way. A single user (personal) licence, allowing up to 3 home installations, costs $ 39.95 US. The site is here. Windows Help NOT Part of Vista or Win 7 Windows Help (WinHlp32.exe) is a program included with Microsoft Windows versions starting with Windows 3.1. However it has not had a major update for many releases and no longer meets Microsoft's standards. So, as was the case starting with the release of Windows Vista and continuing now in Win7, the Windows Help program will not ship as a feature of the Windows OS. If you want to view 32-bit .hlp files, you must download and install the program (WinHlp32.exe) from the Microsoft Download Center . For details see this KB article, which also has the URLs for the Vista and Server 2008 help files as well as known issues (and fixes) for the installations. Microsoft Video Omits Me From Windows History At the European Windows 7 launch event October 22, Microsoft showed off a promotional teaser with a count-up of all the previous releases of Windows eventually reaching number seven of course. Long Zheng on his site istartedsomething points out that "a Windows release is clearly missing from this video's timeline - Windows Me." Watch it here. Support End for XP - Begins July 13, 2010 If you're still running a computer with Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (I am, on one system), you should be aware that Microsoft ends support for that configuration on July 13, 2010. It really is time to consider installing XP's Service Pack 3. I know, I know, the deadline is still months away, but perhaps it would be best to find out just how your system would work with the upgrade. Don't forget, Microsoft's support for XP SP3 lasts an additional four years until April 2014! The whole problem behind using a computer whose operating system is beyond "end of support" doesn't mean you can't get direct help from Microsoft, if something goes wrong. The trouble rests with the fact that you no longer get those regular security patches. Your computer is at real risk when your operating system sits minus security upgrades. For details of the XP SP2 state see this. If you've got XP SP2 or earlier, and want to upgrade to SP3, download it here. On the other hand , perhaps you are just putting off the move to Win7, waiting for all the bugs to get out. The old saying - wait for Win 7 SP1 before going there, doesn't make much sense in these times. Microsoft now releases most fixes and updates regularly over Windows Update. SP1 is basically only a rollup of all these fixes. Microsoft officials aren't saying when they are planning to release SP1 for Win7, but one analyst (Gartner) figures it will be mid-2010. Rafael's Within Windows site shows Microsoft is well on the way to sending out Win7 SP1. The software giant has enabled a beta 'candidacy check' within its Windows Update software. As was the case with betas of Vista SPs, a registry key and value pair need to be added prior to being authorized to download the new software. Following up on that upgrade-to-Win7 thought, one Microsoft blog outlines online resources including an XP-to-Win7 migration guide, the Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit, and the User State Migration Tool. It walks you through the decisions you will make when migrating from an XP environment to Win7 and to learn about the tools and resources available from Microsoft to assist you. Check this Technet site.

-30-