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Tuesday, 30 September 2008
ASUS ADD YET ANOTHER NETBOOK
Hardware manufacturer Asus is developing yet another addition to its range of Eee-branded mini-laptops, or “netbooks”, bringing it to a total of 12 models. The Eee range is noted for being relatively low-cost and lightweight, initially based on solid state drives but more recently adding traditional hard drives. No technical specification or price is available at time of writing for the Eee PC 900HD model, but from first looks it appears to have a larger baseplate which indicates a more easily upgradeable drive.
(Source: Register Hardware)
Epicentre Says:
“With their range of netbooks Asus provide a relatively low-cost alternative to traditional laptops, but they’re risking alienating customers with a confusing range of options. Further, prices need to be kept low enough to keep users from going for a ‘proper’ laptop.”
BECTA GETS SIRIUS
Open source software house The Sirius Corporation has been named by Becta (the UK government’s e-learning strategies co-ordinator) as one of 12 suppliers who will deliver materials under the Software for Educational Institutions Framework (SEIF) agreement.
As such, Sirius will be the very first open source developer to be granted Becta’s official seal of approval – a move which many commentators consider to have been long overdue. ‘We almost fell off our chairs when we heard,’ said Mark Taylor, Sirius’ president. He added that the contract represented a ‘significant breakthrough’ for open source software in the UK.
(Source: The Register)
Epicentre Says:
“First it may be, but The Sirius Corporation is unlikely to be the last open source developer Becta signs up. Any other developers with an interest in the UK schools market would be well advised to keep a close eye on the situation – and to consider allocating more time to open source platforms in their test plans."
Monday, 29 September 2008
INTERNET ACCESS FOR ALL
An advisory group for Ofcom have suggested that the next generation of super-fast broadband services should be prioritised for areas of the UK that are currently excluded from internet provision. The consumer panel gave examples of a wide range of online public services which could be offered to remote communities including healthcare and education services.
It’s thought that up to 35% of the population is currently without any internet access whatsoever, whilst around 9% of users who are online do so via dial-up connections. And whilst some users choose dial-up providers because they feel it’s cheaper or doesn’t tie them to a contract, many are unaware that annual prices can actually work out more expensive than for faster broadband connections.
(Source: BBC News)
Epicentre Says:
“While some people may genuinely have no need or want for an internet connection, many communities could benefit greatly from having more access to online services and information, whether for education, health, social or economical reasons. And the initial cost of implementing the technology would most likely be offset by the long-term benefits to be gained from widespread communication networks.”
Monday, 8 September 2008
NEW BROWSERS EAT RESOURCES FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH.
With Microsoft and Google weighing into the ring for the next round of browser warfare, many users have already downloaded the latest beta versions in the hope of finding the Next Big Browsing Thing. Both IE8 and Chrome have seen huge amounts of attention in short periods of time, with both already suffering the odd ham-string tug here and there. IE8 has already been labelled as “fat”, with a shocking 350mb RAM footprint, meaning it’s chewing through resources faster than a hamster through newspaper. One report has clocked IE8 as using more RAM than the entire XP operating system.
And in the blue corner… Google’s Chrome goes for a much less cluttered view, with few buttons and more contextual menus, without attempting to reinvent the wheel. Chrome offers a refined interface that, although not entirely groundbreaking, is pleasant enough to look at. However, after their License Agreement foul-up on release day, whereby they helped themselves to everyone using the browser’s intellectual property with a poorly worded agreement, Google’s browser is looking like it may receive more attention than IE’s latest incarnation.
Whilst both of these browsers appear to sport nice, new, innovative features, both appear to be targeting higher-end users, with some reports of Chrome not working on older systems, which could also be said about IE8 after its shocking RAM picnic. Of course, with IE8 to ship as a part of the next Windows OS, it will probably continue to dominate the browser market in the way its previous versions have.
(Sources InfoWorld and InfoWorld Blog)
Epicentre Says:
“Currently, neither of these browsers is performing to the best of its abilities, but it’s still early days. When a stable version of both is finally released, Epicentre will be available to test your product for compatibility with it.”
CHROME: TOTAL BROWSER WAR
Google’s latest stab at cornering all of Microsoft’s markets has manifested in the shape of a new internet browser, Chrome. Google seem keen to break the browser market, with Chrome’s beta appearing on the 2nd of September, to much anticipation. Like Firefox, Chrome boasts open source code, as well as many features similar to those currently found in Mozilla’s awfully successful flagship. These include an address bar that mimics many of Firefox 3’s “awesome bar’s” features, allowing for deeper searching and a more minimal, streamlined interface. The browser is almost completely button-free with only a few visible, and more useful contextual menus hidden away. The design is clean and clear, much like their search engine, with little clutter. Whilst not reinventing the wheel, Chrome adds just enough in the way of innovation to put it ahead of the market-dominating Internet Explorer.
However, the browser has already encountered a number of bugs that may set back a full release by a long while. Many laptop users have reported that they can happily scroll down the page with their touch-pads, but when attempting to scroll back up, nothing happens. Others have reported incompatibility with sites that are critical to their daily activities – in the worst cases, people are unable to access their online banking. This must come as quite a painful surprise to Google, having already claimed that the browser was tested against “hundreds of thousands of sites”. Beyond that, some are claiming incompatibility with Google’s own sites.
These set backs won’t help the launch-day blues Google encountered, where many users noticed a particularly sore-point in the licensing agreement – where Google became the proud owner of all intellectual property of anything submitted or posted whilst using the browser. Google rapidly set about issuing a new test release with a new agreement, and a retroactive promise that they will not be claiming ownership of anyone’s forum posts.
CHROME WATCH
Check back later for updates on any high-profile Chrome bugs!
Epicentre Says:
“As soon as a stable release of the browser is available, Epicentre will be available to test your product for Chrome-compatibility.”
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