News for Monday, 10 April 2006

Of course we will not talk about Windows everyday, a bit weird for a Mac-dedicated website; but the news are currently bringing much emphasis to the Mac, and the reason is Windows-related...
Thanks to Frédéric to have sent us photos taken from one of the largest computer Shop in Paris, Surcouf.
Employes in this shop have been using Boot Camp to install the beta version of Windows Vista on a iMac Core Duo...


[update] Engadget has also reported that Vista can be installed on MacIntel:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/10/vista-successfully-installed-on-a-mac/
[update] photos could only display a Vista-like skin for WinXP. Anyway, it remains quick amazing that to promote the future version of Windows that will not arrive before one year, they have been using a Mac...

Microsoft is rumored to be working on a project named Monaco that could simply be a Garageband-like application for Windows Vista.
We do not have many details about it, except that it would use the Aero graphical interface to enhance its visual rendering.
After en integrated Mail-like application, Vista is indeed going to be a real copy of OSX Tiger. In the future, if OSX and Windows keep providing increasing number of integrated applications, it might be a problem for independent developers, and it might reduce the offer of software. It might also revive the war between Apple and Microsoft, both companies trying to promote their own file formats (for music, video, documents, etc…).

Our friends from AMUG have released a long and detailed article about the Sonnet Tempo SATA E4P 4 Port External PCI Express Host Adapter.

This card provides a native PCI Express (PCIe) solution featuring 4x host bus interface with FIS-based port multiplier capability: in other word when using bay port multiplier enclosures on can control up to 20 HDs.
This card does not work with PCI-Express 8x, and does not provide booting capability; but can manage deep sleep mode.
Performance of this card are quite impressive:
- with 4 HDs RAID 0 on can reach 200-240MB/s (in writing and reading modes respectively)
- With 2 of those cards and 8 HDs one can reach 500MB/s data transfer rate.
- With 20 HDs plugged via an port multiplier enclosure, the transfer speed can go even higher to 700 MB/s !!
Direct link to the full article, worth reading it!

We have performed some benchmarks of a MacBook Pro 2.16 GHz running XP with the Sysoft Sandra application.


Results are quite straightforward: a Core Duo 2.16 GHz is equivalent to an Athlon 64 x2 2x1 MB cache running at the same clock speed in 32bits mode, and it is even faster than the Pentium 4D 840 at 3.2 GHz.
Since is to convince Mac and PC users that a MBP is a perfect notebook that can be used with both OS.
Now a question, is Vista delay linked to the official support of Windows on MacIntel? If one can install beta version of Vista on MacIntel, will it be still possible with the final version of Vista in 2007?

A MacBook Pro owner, Randy, has developed an Alarm system named iAlertU.

Introducing the remote controlled motion sensitive alarm system for the MacBook Pro. Utilizing the built in motion sensor technology, iSight camera and the infrared remote control your MacBook Pro can now be turned into a high tech alarm system. iAlertU is aimed at being a tamper/theft deterrent system for those times when you need to step away from your work momentarily.
Current features:
Mute button override
Volume max when alarm is active
Flashing screen when alarm has triggered
Idle sleep disabled when alarm is active
Features under development:
Camera integration
Email snapshot on network availability
Forced sleep disable for duration of alarm
Audio output jack disable for duration of alarm
User selectable sensitivity
Visual deterrent that alarm is set

A video is available and demos the current features of iAlertU.