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Microsoft delivers next milestone for highly anticipated Windows Server 2008, makes RC1 (release candidate one) ready for testing; industry readies for worldwide launch wave with “Heroes Happen Here” launch theme.

REDMOND, Wash — Dec 5, 2007 — Reaching a major milestone in development, Microsoft today made available the Windows Server 2008 release candidate one (RC1) for customers to download and evaluate.

In addition, Microsoft committed more than $150 million (U.S.) worldwide for outreach and demand generation to IT professionals and developers, and disclosed additional details and partner programs in preparation for the “Heroes Happen Here” launch events, beginning on Feb. 27, 2008, in Los Angeles.

Windows Server 2008 RC1
Windows Server 2008, which is scheduled to release to manufacturing (RTM) by the Feb. 27 launch event, reached the RC1 milestone today and is available to customers for download at Microsoft.com/ws08eval.

With RC1, Microsoft is enhancing Group Policy with Group Policy Preferences, formerly known as PolicyMaker Standard Edition and Policy Share Manager. As the code approaches final signoff, RC1 is one of the last opportunities for customers and partners to evaluate it and provide feedback. So far, more than 1.8 million customers have obtained Windows Server 2008 evaluation code.

Industry Partners Kick Off Windows Server 2008 Launch Wave
As the industry gears up for the new enterprise and developer platform, thousands of industry partners have been working with Microsoft on product testing and evaluation, and are currently developing new applications, device drivers, services and solutions.

Ten partners in particular — Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Citrix Systems, Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, Intel, Quest Software, SAP AG and Unisys — have already invested significant time and resources to be platinum sponsors of the upcoming launch, demonstrating their strong support for and excitement about Microsoft’s next-generation products.

To date more than 140,000 IT professionals and developers have been trained on Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008, and 3,100 certifications have been granted on Windows Server 2008. More at Microsoft.

PALO ALTO, Calif –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 19, ‘07 — HP today announced financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2007, with net revenue of $28.3 billion, up 15% from a year earlier and up 11% when adjusted for the effects of currency.

Hewlett-Packard Co., the biggest personal-computer maker, forecast sales and profit that beat analysts’ estimates after extending its lead over Dell.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd, who cut 15,000 jobs and closed offices to buoy profit since taking over in 2005, is winning sales of PCs, printers, software and server computers. The company, whose stock reached a seven-year high this month, said today it will buy back as much as $8 billion in shares.

Fourth-quarter net income rose 28 percent to $2.16 billion, or 81 cents a share, from $1.7 billion, or 60 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Excluding some costs, profit was 86 cents a share, exceeding analysts’ estimates for the 11th straight quarter.

Passing IBM
Hurd, 50, has topped his forecasts in each quarter since succeeding Carly Fiorina. He also delivered on a goal to surpass $100 billion in annual sales for the first time, with revenue tallying $104.3 billion for the year. That makes the company the world’s largest maker of computer technology, beating International Business Machines Corp. for the second year.

HP last year overtook Dell as the largest maker of personal computers after three years of lagging behind its Round Rock, Texas-based rival. Hurd has focused on selling laptops and printers in stores and in markets outside the United States, areas where Dell lagged. More at HP.

AMD Firestream 9170 and Supporting Software Development Kit Unlock Stream-Based Accelerated Computing.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –BUSINESS WIRE–Nov 07, ‘07– AMD today announced the AMD FireStream 9170 Stream Processor and an accompanying Software Development Kit (SDK) designed to harness the massive parallel processing power of the graphics processing unit (GPU). AMD leveraged its unique collective expertise in both GPUs and CPUs to deliver the first integrated hardware and software development solution that meets the needs of the demanding high-performance computing (HPC) market. AMD plans to deliver the FireStream 9170 and supporting SDK to market in the first quarter of 2008. With this launch AMD expects to achieve another important milestone on the path to Accelerated Computing by delivering the first in a series of next-generation heterogeneous compute architectures.

“With a broad range of customer engagements underway, notably customers in the oil and gas, financial and engineering analysis industries, AMD is delivering on its vision of Accelerated Computing with breakthrough benefits for our enterprise customers,” said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Graphics Products, AMD. “Leveraging the immense graphics processing capabilities acquired from ATI and the HPC domain expertise of AMD, we are developing strong relationships with system vendors and the supporting technology eco-system to deliver processing innovation through an open platforms approach.”

AMD FireStream 9170

The AMD FireStream 9170 will be the world’s first Stream GPU with double-precision floating point technology tailored for scientific and engineering calculations. Competitively priced at an MSRP of $1999 USD, it features up to 500 GFLOPS of compute power, rivalling many of today’s supercomputers, and providing dramatic acceleration for critical algorithms. This second generation Stream Processor is built with 55 nm process technology and consumes less than 150 watts of power – delivering an exceptional performance per watt. In addition, the reduced heat dissipation allows it to function in dense design configurations. The FireStream 9170 is a single card solution with two GB of onboard GDDR3 memory to compute large datasets without CPU traffic. The asynchronous direct memory access (DMA) ensures data can flow freely without interrupting the stream processor or CPU.

“GPUs have long been known for their immense parallel processing performance but many challenges still remain in driving widespread customer adoption for general purpose compute,” said Jon Peddie, President, Jon Peddie Research. “Leveraging its unique capabilities in high-performance CPU and GPU technologies, AMD is well positioned to drive an integrated hardware and software proposition that can deliver the best of both processing worlds to its HPC customers.” More at BusinessWire.

San Francisco, CA–BUSINESS WIRE–Nov 07, ‘07–One year after delivering its first workstations based on Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors, HP said customers are experiencing performance increases of up to 400 percent, with double-digit gains in productivity and faster return on investment.

Today, HP followed up on this momentum with the unveiling of two upcoming eight-core workstations – the HP xw6600 and HP xw8600 – both powered by two next-generation Quad-Core and Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors.

“Customers can expect HP to be first to market with leading-edge workstation technology at a great value, while improving the customer experience,” said John Thompson, vice president and worldwide general manager, Workstations, HP. “As part of our singular focus on satisfying the world’s most demanding users of workstation technology, we offer more performance and robust capabilities with an eye towards designing for the environment.”

Unveiled at an HP and Intel co-hosted event in San Francisco, the soon to be released workstations are designed to meet the needs of some of the most computing-intensive industries, including software design, architecture, high-definition video, game development, scientific imaging and oil exploration.

 Sneak peek at what will be under the hood:

- Two next-generation Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5400 series or Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5200 series, based on Intel’s new formula for creating chips (Intel 45-nm Hi-k metal gate silicon technology), which provide significantly better performance per watt than their predecessors and eliminate eco-unfriendly lead
- Dual, full-performance PCI Express Gen2 x16 graphics slots
- Memory capacity of up to 128 gigabytes in the HP xw8600
- Storage capacity of up to 5 terabytes
- HP workstations are 90 percent recyclable by weight and now come standard with more than 80 percent efficient power supplies, saving businesses money by reducing power requirements
- Supports HP Remote Graphics Software, Performance Tuning Framework, tool-less chassis, and acoustic optimization technologies
- Form that is optimized for desk-side, desktop or industry-standard rack mount solutions

The quad-core HP xw6600 and xw8600 Workstations are expected to begin shipping in mid-December with starting prices around $1,200. More at HP.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — November 5, 2007 –AMD today announced availability of home servers based on the AMD LIVE! Home Media Server solution. First to market is the HP MediaSmart Server, which is powered by AMD64 technology and Microsoft Windows Home Server software. This new category of home media servers offers consumers a simple way to access, share and enjoy their PC files, digital photos, movies and music throughout the networked home and on the go.

Broadband, multi-PC networked households are expected to grow to 150 million worldwide by 2010, according to a recent study by analyst firm IDC. As the consumption of digital media continues to rise exponentially, devices like the HP MediaSmart Server help fulfill a growing need for digital file protection and centralization within the home while enhancing consumers’ entertainment experiences, regardless of media format or preferred devices.

The HP MediaSmart Server can be ordered beginning today from HP and select online channel partners in North America, and is expected to be available in select European countries in early 2008.

The complete AMD LIVE! solution includes desktop and notebook PCs, the AMD LIVE! Home Cinema, the AMD LIVE! Home Media Server, and the AMD LIVE! Entertainment Suite. More information and free software downloads are available at AMD Live!

HP MediaSmart Server EX470 / EX475 Specs:

- OS: Windows Home Server
- Control Center: Software that runs on network PCs to give all network users the ability to browse browse shared folders on the HP MediaSmart Server, add photos and video clips video clips to the HP Photo Webshare and perform an immediate backup of their computer
- PC hard drive backup: Once the HP MediaSmart Server software is installed on a home PC, the Windows Windows Home Server backup software automatically starts backing up the PC’s hard drive image every night. You can customize number and frequency of backups kept.
-Media streaming: Microsoft Windows Media Connect media streaming capability for streaming streaming photos, music, video and downloaded movies to an HP MediaSmart TV, an Xbox 360, or to a networked home entertainment center
- Users: Up to 10 user accounts can access the HP MediaSmart Server. In addition, a predefined predefined Guest can be enabled
- PC operating system support:
  - Backup – Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP
  - Remote access to computers – Microsoft Windows XP Pro, Media Center Edition 2004 or higher, or Windows Vista Ultimate or higher
  - File sharing – Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP Home or Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000 Pro SP4, Mac OS X, Linux
- AMD 1.8 GHz 64-bit Sempron
- 512MB DDR2 DRAM
- 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45
- 4 USB 2.0, 1 eSATA
- Internal Hard Drives: 1 SATA 500GB for EX470
  2 SATA 1TB(2×500GB) for EX475
- Four Hard Drive Bays for Expandability
- No word on price yet

More at HP MediaSmart Server, AMD Live!

Acer, the world’s fourth-largest seller of personal computers, said on Wednesday it had sued Hewlett-Packard for patent infringement.

Acer alleged violation of seven patents in its lawsuit filed with a U.S. Distict Court in Wisconsin and the U.S. International Trade Commission, the company said in a statement with the Taiwan stock exchange.

Hewlett-Packard, the world’s top PC maker, sued Acer in March for patent infringement, aiming to stop the Taiwan firm from selling some products in the United States. In July, Acer countersued the U.S. rival for patent infringement.

Acer Press Release:

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (October 31, 2007) — Acer Inc. has filed patent infringement complaints with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin and International Trade Commission against Hewlett-Packard Development Co.

The complaints filed on October 30, 2007 involve innovations related to personal computers, servers and peripheral devices.
These complaints are part of Acer’s response to the “Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Acer Inc. and Acer America Corp.” case (No. 2:07-CV-103).

With or without a legal proceeding, Acer persists to take all necessary steps to protect and enforce its patented technologies.

More at Acer

PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HP today announced that it will integrate Sprint mobile broadband capabilities into several HP business notebook PCs, giving mobile professionals convenient access to the fastest and largest U.S. mobile broadband network.

The companies will jointly market HP business notebooks that can take advantage of the dynamic features of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, such as the faster data speeds provided by 3G EV-DO Rev. A technology.

When on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, HP business customers will be able to enjoy wireless connections at broadband speeds to corporate networks, email and the Internet without being tied to a wireless hotspot. Customers also will be equipped for more powerful applications and services as they become available.

HP mobile broadband notebook PCs

Across the lineup, HP business notebook PCs feature security, reliability and ease of use innovations such as Drive Encryption for HP Protect Tools, HP DuraKeys and HP QuickLook, which with a touch of a button allows users to browse email, calendars and contact information in as little as 10 seconds. HP business notebooks that will integrate Sprint Mobile Broadband service, including support for EV-DO Rev. A technology, include the following models, as well as additional models expected later this year:

• HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC – Weighing only 3.6 pounds, this sleek, ultra-thin convertible notebook combines conventional notebook productivity with tablet PC flexibility. It features an optional integrated camera for convenient video conferencing, image capture and integrated business card reader software, as well as HP NightLight on the keyboard to improve visibility in low-light conditions.
• HP Compaq 6510b Notebook PC – This notebook boasts a low-profile, 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen display that offers 30 percent more viewing content than the standard 15-inch diagonal XGA display.
• HP Compaq 6910p Notebook PC – With industry-leading battery life of up to five hours and 45 minutes and weighing only 4.7 pounds, this notebook is designed with enhanced reliability features for on-the-move productivity. The Ultra-slim MultiBay II drive bay allows users to swap optical drives for increased storage or optimal travel weight.
• HP Compaq 8510 series – This notebook PC and mobile workstation offer a choice of intense graphics from ATI and NVIDIA in a 6.1 pound, highly mobile design. Users also can develop, record, re-write and playback high-definition video, as well as store up to 50 gigabytes (GB) of data, with optional Blu-ray DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL Drive.

Pricing and availability

HP business notebook PCs with integrated Sprint Mobile Broadband service are expected to be available starting in October. Sprint Mobile Broadband service package pricing will vary. Estimated U.S. street prices for the HP Compaq Notebook PCs:

• HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC starts at $1,599.
• HP Compaq 6510b Notebook PC starts at $929.
• HP Compaq 6910p Notebook PC starts at $1,199.
• HP Compaq 8510p Notebook PC starts at $1,479, and the HP Compaq 8510w Mobile Workstation starts at $2,049

^{More at BusinessWire}

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2007 — Hundreds of industrial designers attending the Connecting’07 conference in San Francisco this week are experiencing the HP mscape software platform as they roam through the city’s neighborhoods playing Defenders of Design, a customized and highly interactive location-based mobile game created especially for the conference.mscape is a software suite that enables people to design, play and share “mediascapes” – location-based experiences, games and tours. Developed by HP Labs, the company’s central research facility, the technology has been used to recreate historical moments, bring a community’s stories to life and develop new ways of socializing, entertaining and learning.

Earlier this year, HP made the mscape authoring toolkit and mobile player software available via download from the community website, mscape, at no cost for non-commercial use on specific iPAQ models and other compatible handheld devices. The toolkit allows people to associate physical locations with digital media, such as video, music, images and text.

Defenders of Design was created by The GoGame, which produces and stages interactive participative team-building games for corporations and other groups. The group incorporated mscape’s location capabilities into the game, which supplies clues and other information that guide Connecting’07 participants to some of San Francisco’s premier design studios and through special missions that challenge their creativity.

“mscape is a great tool that opens new possibilities for the designers of our high-tech urban adventure,” said Finnegan Kelly, co-founder, The GoGame. “The mscape platform gives us the ability to integrate customized digital media that we can link to a specific location in our futuristic storyline. We can send fun facts about a design company just as players walk in the door of a studio, or a video containing an important clue before participants approach an undercover actor with a secret password.”

HP Labs offered the mscape platform to the public so consumers, gamers and designers could experience its capabilities and explore new uses for location-sensitive technologies. The mscape site hosts numerous ready-made mediascapes, which can be downloaded by anyone to use with a GPS-enabled HP iPAQ or other compatible handheld device running the Windows® Mobile operating system. The website provides everything people need to develop their own mediascapes, including training and tips to get started, and it encourages people to upload their mediascapes so others can enjoy them.

“mscape matches digital media with the physical world, providing an immersive and location-aware experience,” said Phil McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Mobile devices will increasingly incorporate context and location awareness in the coming years, and mscape helps us better understand how associating digital media with physical locations can not only be fun and informative, but also useful in our personal and professional lives.”

More at HP, mscape

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Software giant Oracle said Friday it had bid 6.68 billion dollars for BEA Systems, an offer that was swiftly rejected by the rival business software group as too low. AFP further writes, “Hours after the proposed tie-up was announced for the two California-based firms, BEA said its board concluded that the offer “significantly under-values BEA Systems.”BEA said in a statement that even though the offer represents a premium to the latest share price, the company “is worth substantially more to Oracle, to others and, importantly, to our shareholders than the price indicated in your letter.” It said the recent low share price reflects “the absence of current financial information in the public (which) limits investor visibility into our performance” and that “we expect that this will be corrected in the near future.”

The deal comes as Oracle, the world’s number two software firm keeps up its battle against German rival SAP, which earlier this month announced a deal for French software maker Business Objects for 4.8 billion euros (6.8 billion dollars). Some analysts say the offer for BEA may spark a bidding war.

The price of 17 dollars a share would be a 25 percent premium to the most recent closing price of BEA, which is based in San Jose, California. “We have made a serious proposal including a substantial premium for BEA,” said Oracle president Charles Phillips.

“We believe our all cash offer provides the best value for BEA’s shareholders and the best home for BEA’s employees and customers. This proposal is the culmination of repeated conversations with BEA’s management over the last several years. We look forward to completing a friendly transaction as soon as possible.” Trip Chowdhry at California-based Global Equities Research said he believes there are “multiple bids” in play, possibly from SAP but also from Hewlett-Packard. “This all info is based on chatter we hear in Silicon Valley,” he said.

Chowdhry said a counterbid from SAP is likely and that the German firm is in a “fight for survival” in the sector. “If SAP loses BEA, probably then SAP will be on block to sell itself,” he added.”

More at AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Carly Fiorina, the former chief executive of computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard, has signed on as a contributor with the soon-to-start Fox News business news channel. International Herald Tribune further reports via The Associated Press, “Fiorina was one of the most divisive figures in corporate America during nearly six years at HP. Fox did not specify her role at the new channel.

“We are proud to have her join FBN as a contributor,” Kevin Magee, executive vice president of Fox News, said in a statement Tuesday. “Carly Fiorina is one of the foremost business leaders of our time.” HP severed its ties with Fiorina in February 2005 amid concern that benefits from her hard-won $24.2 billion acquisition of Compaq Computer in 2002 were not materializing quickly enough.

More at IHT

HP will ship its new iPAQ 110 Classic & iPAQ 210 on October 8, ‘07. Sounds nice though poor in specs and that makes me think, in this day & age, why any one wants to carry a Cellphone AND PDA together all the time while you can have AT&T Tilt 8925 / iPhone and some 10,000 other choices…

Quick Specs:

iPAQ 110: $299.00

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic Edition
• Marvell PXA310, 624 Mhz
• 3.5” TFT Display
• Wi-Fi 802.11b(NO g?), Bluetooth(just Bluetooth means NO 2.0/A2DP)
•  64 MB RAM(low on RAM) & 256 MB ROM
• SD Slot

iPAQ 210: $399.00

•  Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic Edition
•  Marvell PXA310, 624 Mhz
• 4.0″ VGA 640 x 480 TFT with touch screen
• Wi-Fi 802.11b(still NO g?), Bluetooth v2.0 with EDR
• 128 MB RAM & 256MB ROM
• Compact Flash type II and SD Slots

More at HP iPAQ 110 / iPAQ 210…