Fujitsu has announced that it has updated its lineup of hard disk drives (HDDs) for enterprise applications. The new product line includes 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm which support the mainstream Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA interfaces, providing a one-stop solution to meet an increasingly diverse array of market needs.Enterprise customers are looking for HDDs that deliver better I/O performance, lower heat levels, lower power consumption, more sophisticated processing performance, and higher reliability. With its new line of 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm and 2.5-inch drives supporting the SATA interface, Fujitsu can meet all of these needs, said the company. Supporting SAS and other traditional interfaces, the new line-up includes the MBB2 series of 2.5-inch drives running at 10,000-rpm, as well as Fujitsu's first 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm, the MBC2 series, and the MBA3 series of 3.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm. Each of these series boasts best-in-class specifications and are ideal for server and storage implementations, said Fujitsu.Fujitsu is also introducing the MHW2 BK series of 7,200-rpm 2.5-inch drives that are SATA compatible and designed for 24-hour continuous operation. Available in capacities up to 120GB, they are Fujitsu's first SATA-compatible HDDs that also include built-in functions designed to minimize the adverse effects of Rotational Vibration. All four new series of HDDs are RoHS-compliant, according to Fujitsu.For Fujitsu's fiscal year 2007 the company aims to sell 500,000 units of its MHW2 BK; two million units of its MBA3; two million units of its MBB2; and one million units of the MBC2 drives.Fujitsu's updated enterprise hard drivePhoto: Company

Dell has unveiled three consumer systems – the XPS 410n and Dimension E520n desktop PCs and the Inspiron E1505n notebook – that are now available with Ubuntu 7.04 Linux as the factory installed operating system.Dell is offering hardware options on each system that have the most mature and stable Linux driver support, according to the company, which added that these hardware options have been thoroughly tested and certified by Canonical (the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu). For hardware options not offered with this release, Dell is working with the vendors of those devices to improve the maturity and stability of their associated Linux drivers, and expects to have a broader range of hardware support with Linux over time. Model Inspiron E1505n Dimension E520n XPS 410n CPU Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080 Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Memory 512MB shared memory 1GB shared memory 1GB shared memory VGA Intel Media Accelerator 950 Graphics 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7300LE TurboCache 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7300LE TurboCache Price Starting at US$599 Starting at US$599 Starting at US$849 LCD 15.4-inch TrueLife WXGA display 17-inch flat panel display 19-inch flat panel display Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007Dell XPS 410n Photo: Company

Pioneer High Fidelity Taiwan (Pioneer Taiwan), Pioneer's marketing subsidiary in Taiwan, on May 23 debuted two new Blu-ray Disc (BD) optical drives for the PC, BDC-S02, a Blu-ray Disc combo drive, and BDR-202, a BD burner. The products are tentatively scheduled to launch in the Taiwan market in June and July or August respectively.BDC-S02 supports reading/writing of DVD+R/-R SL (single-sided single-layer), DVD+R/-R DL (single-sided double-layer), DVD+RW/-RW, CD-R and CD-RW as well as reading of BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE (rewritable), DVD-ROM and CD-ROM according to Pioneer Taiwan. BDR-202 supports all of the capabilities of BDC-S02 and adds support for the writing of BD-R and BD-RE (the difference between combo and burner), Pioneer Taiwan indicated. For the Taiwan market, BDC-S02 will be sold at the current global market recommended retail price of US$299, while the retail price for BDR-202 is tentatively set at NT$21,000 (US$631), Pioneer Taiwan pointed out.In related news, Pioneer adjusted the marketing organization of its optical disc drive business in April by assigning Pioneer Taiwan as its Asia Pacific (except Japan and South Korea) operational center for such products. This makes the office responsible for marketing in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Shannon Yu, general manager, optical disc drive business division, Pioneer Taiwan. Pioneer aims to sell four million optical disc drives of various types in these markets in 2007, Yu pointed out. Pioneer BDC-S02BK BD Combo drive, (BK is the suffix for black color)Photo: CompanyPioneer BDR-202BK BD BurnerPhoto: Company

Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) announced that Dell has adopted its SiSM661GX chipsets in the Dell EC280, the computer giant's MoDT (mobile on desktop) PC solution for the China market, which was introduced on March 21. However, concerning the EC280, some makers believe that MoDT solutions should not be pushed in emerging markets, as it will drive down prices for the platform. Although most MoDT systems are targeted at the high-end, the Dell EC280 features much lower specifications, and is being offered in China at prices ranging from Chinese yuan 599-3,999 (US$339-522).The system features an Intel Celeron M 205 processor with a 400MHz FSB (front side bus), DDR 256/512MB memory, 40/80GB HDD options, CD-ROM or DVD-ROM options and the Windows XP Home Edition operating system (OS). The whole system only consumes 65 watts, according to SiS.The systems are also being offered with two hard drive options and three monitor choices – 17- and 15-inch LCD displays and a 17-inch CRT option. Customers may also choose to not include a monitor. With most makers using a strategy of low-volumes and high-profits in the MoDT PC segment, sources at MoDT makers noted that Dell's strategy is quite different and the PC vendor is unlikely to see any profits with its entry-level pricing strategy. However, some PC vendors believe Dell's strategy is to expand its share in emerging markets. Dell EC280Photo: Company

Dell expanded its line of desktop gaming systems by introducing the XPS 720 H2C, which is designed for overclocking.The XPS 720 H2C pushes the performance with Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP) memory technology. The system ships with 800MHz Corsair DOMINATOR EPP memory modules (factory overclocked to 1066MHz) combined with Intel multi-core processors (factory overclocked up to bin+3). Additionally, BIOS switches allow users to manipulate the speed of the FSB (front side bus) and chipset through the Windows operating system and third-party applications such as Nvidia's nTune.Systems configured with dual SLI-enabled Nvidia GeForce graphics cards will be ideally suited to take on this year's highly anticipated DirectX 10 gaming titles, as well as next-generation OpenGL titles. Hard-core multi-taskers can set up dual or even quad-display stations to combine game play with productivity applications. With a starting price of US$5,999, the XPS 720 H2C features Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX6700 at 2.66GHz (factory overclocked to 3.46GHz) combined with Nvidia nForce 680i SLI MCP, 2GB 800MHz Corsair DOMINATOR DDR2 memory featuring EPP (factory overclocked to 1066MHz) and SLI-enabled dual 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards.The XPS 720 H2C is available immediately in the US and will be available the next few weeks in Europe. Dell XPS 720 H2C Edition specifications Item Detail Processor Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 Chipset Nvidia nForce 680i SLI MCP Memory Up to 4GB dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz or 800MHz, 2 or 4 DIMMs) Up to 8GB when 64-bit operating system is installed VGA Dual 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards - SLI enabled Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007Dell XPS 720 H2CPhoto: Company

OCZ Technology Group announced their official crossover into DDR3 memory to coincide with the recent launch of the Intel Bearlake chipset. OCZ's hand-tested DDR3 solutions enable ardent enthusiasts to take advantage of the highly-anticipated P35 platform while experiencing the legendary quality and reliability of OCZ memory, according to OCZ.OCZ's DDR3 products will accommodate standard JEDEC specifications for third generation DDR. OCZ is offering its Gold Series memory kits in PC3-8500 (1066MHz) and PC3-10666 (1333MHz) speed grades.OCZ Gold DDR3 modules will be initially available in 2x512MB and 2x1024MB dual channel kits. These modules are currently available in limited quantity and OCZ has been working closely with leading platform providers to ensure optimal performance and compatibility on all the next generation computing platforms that will be introduced later this year.Each module is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and compatibility and feature proprietary gold-mirrored XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders for the most effective heat dissipation, stated OCZ. As part of OCZ's line-up of premium memory, the DDR3 series is backed by a Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support, stated the company.OCZ Technology's DDR3 memory modulesPhoto: Company

Panasonic expanded its Lumix family of digital cameras with the introduction of the compact Lumix DMC- FX100, a 12.2-megapixel resolution camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens.The newly developed and exclusive 28mm wide-angle Leica DC lens on the DMC-FX100 features a 3.6x optical zoom, f/2.8 brightness, 1/1.72-inch large CCD and Intelligent Image Stabilization with Mega O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO Control. The Lumix DMC-FX100 will be equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD screen, stated Panasonic.Intelligent Image Stabilization is a feature across the Panasonic's entire 2007 Lumix digital camera line, and provides countermeasures against blurring. This system comprises two features – MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) and Intelligent ISO Control.The DMC-FX100 also introduces a more powerful flash with reach up to 16 meters, high-speed burst shooting, which allows consecutive shooting at a lightning-fast eight shots per second and a new high sensitivity mode in which ISO 6400 recording is realized, according to Panasonic.The DMC- FX100 can also record 1920×1080 high-definition still pictures and 1280×720 at 15 frames per second motion pictures.The Lumix DMC-FX100 also includes an Easy Zoom feature that shifts the lens instantly to full 3.6x zoom power. A second touch of the button activates the Extra Optical Zoom function and extends zoom all the way to 7x, but recording at this zoom level is limited to a 3-megapixel resolution.The camera has 27MB of built-in memory and will be available in silver and black colors. The Lumix DMC-FX100 will be available in July 2007.The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100K digital cameraPhoto: CompanyThe Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100S digital cameraPhoto: Company

Western Digital (WD) announced it is now shipping its 250GB WD Scorpio 2.5-inch Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives. The drives employ perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology to achieve one of the highest capacities available in a small form factor drive and have WD proprietary features that make the drive quiet, use less power and run at cool operating temperatures, according to the company.The new WD Scorpio drive further expands the company's breadth of 2.5-inch mobile hard drive offerings to capacity points ranging from 40GB up to 250GB.The WD Scorpio features WD's exclusive WhisperDrive technology, which combines state-of-the-art seeking algorithms to yield one of the quietest 5400RPM, 2.5-inch drives available, according to the company. ShockGuard technology combines firmware and hardware advancements to protect the drive mechanics and platter surface to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications required for mobile and notebook applications. Another unique WD Scorpio 250GB feature is its IntelliSeek technology, which proactively calculates an optimum seek speed to eliminate hasty movement of the actuator that produces noise and requires power, which is common in other drives, stated WD. With IntelliSeek, the actuator's movement is controlled so the head reaches the next target sector just in time to read the next piece of information, rather than rapidly accelerating and waiting for the drive rotation to catch up. This smooth motion reduces power usage by more than 60% compared with standard drives, as well as quiets seek operation and lowers vibration, according to the company.Western Digital's 250GB Scorpio 2.5-inch Serial ATA (SATA) hard drivePhoto: Company

Transcend Information has released its latest Hi-Speed USB 2.0 microSD card reader, the S2. Transcend's S2 Card Reader measures 44×19×11mm and weighs seven grams.The portable S2 card reader can read data directly from the popular microSD card used in cell phones and other mobile devices. It is equipped with a USB 2.0 connector, so a USB cable is not necessary. Besides, the S2 features high-speed transfer rate (up to 480Mb/s), user-friendly operation, and a small and stylish design.The S2 microSD card reader has a red LED light that shows when data is being transferred. Without any installation hassle, Transcend's S2 microSD card reader can be easily plugged into the USB port on any desktop or notebook computer, for a high-speed data transfer.The S2 is now available in pearl white and is compatible with Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP/Vista, Mac OS 9, and Linux Kernel 2.4 and later versions. Transcend S2 card reader Features Fully compliant with the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 specification and supports USB 1.1 Supports the direct input of microSD card Hi-Speed data transfer rates up to 480Mb/s USB powered (no external power or battery required) LED indicates card insertion, and data traffic Compatible with Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP/Vista, Mac OS 9, and Linux Kernel 2.4 and later versions Part number: TS-RDS2 Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007Transcend S2 card readerPhoto: Company

Yageo announced the release of X5R dielectric multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) in 100μF, 1210 size package targeting applications in today's ultra compact electronic devices where component stability under high temperature is a key concern for manufacturers.Yageo's X5R 1210 100μF surface mount MLCC, which are under 2mm in dielectric thickness, under 1mm in electrode thickness with 800 layers, are available in temperature operating ranges of -55 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius and capacitance tolerance of ±15%.Yageo's release of the X5R dielectric MLCC in 100μF, 1210 size package will lead to changes in the 100μF capacitor markets, which were traditionally dominated by tantalum capacitors. X5R 1210 100μF chip ceramic capacitors provide superior temperature stability and are widely applied to LCD TV, LCD monitor, power supply, and portable consumer electronics with low power consumption, according to Yageo. It is expected that the X5R dielectric MLCC in 100μF, 1210 size package will effectively replace tantalum capacitors, noted the company.In anticipation of strong customer demand for specialty MLCCs, Yageo has been focusing on X5R and Y5V product development with its strength in advanced technologies. Currently, specialty MLCCs contribute to 40% of Yageo's turnover.