Hewlett-Packard (HP) on July 4 launched in the Taiwan market two laptops powered by AMD's 64-bit Turion 64 X2 mobile CPUs, with the company expected to introduce more AMD-based notebooks for the business sector in the second half of this year, according to company sources. The two models—the Compaq Presario V3015 for the consumer segment and the Compaq nx6325 for the business sector—are both available for around NT$39,900 (US$1,240), the sources noted. The company received pre-sale orders for 2,000 Compaq Presario V3015 laptops from the local channel in the past two weeks, indicating that the popularity of AMD-powered notebooks is rising, the sources stated. Dennis Chen, general manager of personal systems group at HP Taiwan, expects the number of offerings by HP for AMD-based business laptops to double in the second half. The new models will include an upgraded version of its AMD-powered Compaq nx6125, according to company sources.The HP Compaq nx6325 features a 15-inch XGA display, the ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 graphics chipset, 512MB of DDR2 memory and a 80GB HDDSource: CompanyThe HP Compaq Presario V3016 comes with a 14.1-inch dWXGA display, the Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 graphics core, 1GB of DDR2 memory and a 100GB HDDSource: Company

LG Electronics Taiwan Taipei (LGETT), the Taiwan subsidiary of LG Electronics, on July 3 announced the launch of the its GBW-H10N Blu-ray Disc burner in the Taiwan market. The unit will be in stores later this week at a recommended retail price of NT$29,900 (US$923). The GBW-H10N supports single-sided single-layer (SL) BD, DVD+RW/-RW, DVD-RAM (rewritable), CD-R/RW burning as well as SL and single-sided double-layer (DL) DVD+R/-R burning, according to LGETT. The model can also record and play back video in BD/DVD/CD formats, the company indicated. GBW-H10N specifications Format Maximum writing speed Maximum reading speed Blue-laser Blu-ray Disc (BD) BD-ROM, SL 4.8x BD-ROM, DL 4x BD-R (recordable, write once), SL 4x 4.8x BD-RE (rewritable), SL 2x 2x Red-laser DVD -ROM, SL 16x -ROM, DL 8x -R, SL 12x 10x -R, DL 4x 8x -RW 6x 10x +R, SL 12x 10x +R, DL 4x 8x +RW 8x 10x -RAM 5x 5x -Video (CSS) 8x CD -ROM 40x -R 8x 40x -RW 10x 40x -DA (DAE) 40x Source: LGETT, compiled by DigiTimes.com, July 2006 The LG GBW-H10N Blu-ray Disc burnerPhoto: LGETT

Motorola will introduce its Rokr E2 handset to the Taiwan market on July 4, according to the company. The model features an integrated MP3 player and debuted in China earlier this month with sales already exceeding expectations, according to the company.Integrating Bluetooth wireless technology, the device supports approximately 500 songs on a single 2GB SD card and has a built-in 1.3-mega pixel camera with flash, said Motorola. The Motorola Rokr E2Photo: Company

Hewlett-Packard (HP) yesterday released in Taiwan the Pavilion dv2000 and Presario V3000, two Core Duo notebook series with "HP Imprint" technology, with a suggested retail price of around NT$44,900-49,000 (US$1,380-1,500). The Pavilion dv2000 and Presario V3000 incorporate an advanced molding technique produced using Nissha Film Products, giving the two models a polished metallic and piano black high-gloss look.The HP Pavilion dv2000 and Presario V3000 series feature 14.1-inch widescreen panel displays, 512MB of memory and 100GB in hard disk memory. The new business notebooks are both manufactured by Quanta Computer, according to market sources.The HP Pavilion dv2000Photo: Andrea Liu, DigiTimesThe Presario V3000Source: Company

JVC on June 15 debuted six new Everio-G series HDD (hard disk drive) DV (digital video camcorder) models for launch in the Taiwan market later this month, according to JVC Taiwan. JVC aims to account for 10% of HDD DVs sold in Taiwan this year, JVC Taiwan indicated. Main specifications of JVC's six Everio-G series HDD DV models Item Model GZ-MG505US GZ-MG77TW GZ-MG57ATW,GZ-MG57BTW, GZ-MG57PTW GZ-MG37TW CCD sensor size 1/4.5-inch 1/3.9-inch 1/5-inch 1/6-inch Resolution (megapixel) 5 2.18 1.33 0.68 Lens performance (F number) F1.8 F1.2 F1.2 F2.0 Optical/digital zoom 10x/300x 10x/300x 15x/700x 32x/800x Size of color LCD screen (inch) 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 Recommended retail price in (NT$) 46,900 38,900 33,900 31,900 Source: JVC Taiwan, compiled by DigiTimes.com, June 2006 Reference: DV market demand volume 2005 estimate 2006 forecast 2007 forecast Global market HDD DV models (million units) 0.8 2.0 4.0 8cm-DVD-disc DV models(million units) 2.4 4.0 4.3 Taiwan All kinds of DVs 87,000 units 90,000 units N/A Source: JVC Taiwan, compiled by DigiTimes.com, June 2006JVC showcases its Everio-G series HDD DV models in TaiwanPhoto: Jimmy Hsu, DigiTimes, June 2006

Ralink Technology, a Taiwan-based developer of wireless LAN chipset solutions, on June 14 announced that Rotani, which specializes in the development and design of wireless networking solutions, has released an OEM Wi-Fi access point (AP) reference design that makes any 802.11 WLAN interference-resistant using Ralink's 802.11g solution with MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) XR (eXtended Range) technology.Rotani's turn-key Wi-Fi AP reference design enables OEMs, ODMs, designers and manufacturers to tailor wireless networking solutions for high-throughput and latency-sensitive applications such as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), video or music on demand, online gaming, VoIP (voice over IP), PVR (personal video recorder), STBs (set-top boxes), digital media center for the digital home, SOHO (small office and home office), enterprise, hotspots, mesh networks and other emerging WLAN markets. The complete reference design solution includes hardware, software reference design, support and licenses.MIMO XR features Range-OVERDRIVE, Packet-OVERDRIVE and MIMO-MRC technology; availability in PCI, mini-PCI, and CardBus interfaces; and support for standards-based features and certification requirements including security, quality of service and international regulatory."In combination with the Intel IXP425 processor and Ralink's RT61 chipset, we achieved usable throughput rates of 35 megabits per second (Mbps) in AP to client mode and 27Mbps over a distance of 30 feet while surrounded by more than 15 access points. That is the best .11g performance we have seen so far," said Nicholas Funke, the executive vice president of Rotani. "We consider the Ralink radio among the industry's best, providing OEMs and ODMs with highly flexible wireless capabilities ideal for our market."The current 802.11n standardization process is evolving, and consumers might be stranded until the final standard is approved, according to Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to bring out its certification program coincident with the ratification of the standard and not before," stated Hanzlik. The ratification of the 802.11n standard is estimated for the third quarter of 2007.In the meantime, Ralink's MIMO XR is an alternative WLAN solution for customers looking to build WLAN solutions with performance comparable to or better than that of pre-802.11n/MIMO products, which deliver sustained multimedia content streaming at an extended range, without worrying about interoperability with multimedia content streaming at an extended range, without worrying about interoperability with 802.11n products.Ralink's MIMO XR chipsetPhoto: CompanyRotani's AirReferee combines standard off-the-shelf 802.11x radios with Rotani's antenna architecture and methods of operation in a multi-radio configuration.Photo: Company

Acer is set to showcase its lineup of high-definition (HD) notebooks at Computex Taipei 2006, including the new Aspire series that feature 15.4- and 17-inch displays for the mainstream and multimedia segments and the Aspire 9800, which sports a 20.1-inch screen to meet entertainment needs.The HD solution includes the HD-DVD-ROM drive will allows for much improved screen response time, brightness and audio capabilities, according to the company. Acer's HD notebooks are also equipped with HDMI and HDCP support for projecting HD movies and gaming to LCD TVs, said the company.HD-DVD technology supports 13 types of optical media formats as well as the DVD Super-Multi drive for advanced capability – with up to six times the image quality of standard DVD movies – and complete backward compatibility, the company noted. Exceptional HD viewing supports the highest quality HDTV of 1920x1080 pixels, subset recognition through SDTV, and CIF of 320x240 pixels, the company indicated. Acer Aspire notebook series specifications Item Aspire 9800 Aspire 9510 Aspire 5670 Aspire 9110 CPU Intel Core Duo Chipset 945PM Display 20.1-inch WXSGA TFT, 1680x1050 pixels 17-inch LCD 15.4-inch WXGA TFT with 16ms response-time 15.4-inch WXGA TFT Graphics Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 System memory 667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) 667MHz DDR2 (up to 4GB) 533/667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) 533/667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) Memory 256MB GDDR2 VRAM 512 MB GDDR3 128 MB GDDR2 VRAM (up to 384MB of shared system memory) 256 MB GDDR2 VRAM HDD memory One or two 80/100/120GB SATA (up to 240GB, 5400 rpm) 240GB SATA (up to 240GB) 80/100/120GB SATA (up to 120GB) 80/100/120GB SATA ODD 8x slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive - 8X slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer 1X HD DVD-ROM drive or 8X slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive Dimension 475x352x61.8mm - 364x274.75x28/36.3mm 358x270x 33mm Weight 7.8kg with TV-tuner and 2nd hard disk drive - 3.0kg with TV-tuner 2.98kg with TV-tuner Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, June 2006In addition to the HD-notebooks, Acer will showcase its Ferrari 5000 and Ferrari 1000 series based on the AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU, during the IT trade show. The models are crafted with a thin and light carbon fiber casing – styled in black and the exclusive "Ferrari red" – with the Ferrari 1000 featuring a 12.1-inch screen and the Ferrari 5000 having a 15.4-inch screen size.Bundled with an Acer Bluetooth VoIP (voice-over IP) phone, the Ferrari 5000 also exploits the potential of visual communication with the Acer Video Conference solution that consists of an Acer OrbiCam, a 1.3-megapixel webcamera mounted at the top of the LCD panel. The model is also built with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi connectivity , WPAN with built-in Bluetooth 2.0 module, LAN connection with Gigabit Ethernet cards and standard connectivity through the integrated 56K ITU V.92 modem.The Ferrari 5000 offers a HDD of up to 160GB and a choice between a slot-loading DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive or the latest generation HD-DVD drive.Weighing in at 1.7kg, the Ferrari 1000 features the ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 chipset for up to 512MB of HyperMemory graphics.The Acer Ferrari 5000 notebookSource: CompanyThe Acer Ferrari 1000 notebookSource: Company

LG recently debuted its latest FM35 PMP (portable multimedia player) in South Korea, the world's first PMP with DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) functions, according to LG Electronics Taiwan Taipei (LGETT). The LG FM35 features a 2.4-inch LCD screen, a size of 92×52×14mm, weighs 88 grams, plays P3/WMA/OGG/AVI/ASF audio formats, and has either a 512MB, 1GB or 2GB flash-based capacity, LGETT pointed out. The device's battery allows for four hours of watching digital TV or 55 hours of listening to music, LGETT said. The recommended retail price in South Korea is 199,000 won (US$210) for the 512GB unit, 229,000 won (US$241) for the 1GB version and 279,000 won (US$294) for a 2GB model.The LG FM35 will not be launched in the Taiwan market for the time being because 3G handsets and digital broadcasting are not that popular yet, LGETT indicated.The LG FM35, claimed to be the world's first DMB PMP devicePhoto: Company

Tyan Computer launched a lineup of servers based on the dual-core Intel Xeon 5000-series processors - the Tempest i5000PX (S5380), which targets the high-end sector and the entry-level and mid-range series, the Tempest i5000VS (S5372) and Tempest i5000VF (S5370).The Tempest i5000VS (S5372) supports up to six DIMMS of DDR2 667/533 ECC FBDIMM memory, two Gigabit Ethernet ports and one Fast Ethernet (10/100) port, in a 12x10.5-inch SSI CEB form factor.The Tempest i5000VF (S5370) supports up to four DIMMS of Registered DDR2-667/533 ECC FBDIMM memory and two Gigabit Ethernet ports for streamlined network communications, in a 12x10.5-inch SSI CEB form factor.The Tempest i5000PX (S5380), Tempest i5000VS (S5372) and Tempest i5000VF (S5370) will be sampling in the middle of the second quarter 2006 with mass production slated for late second quarter.Tyan Tempest i5000PX (S5380)Source: Company

Biostar Microtech on May 23 introduced its new T-series motherboards supporting AMD's AM2 platform and nForce 500 series chipsets, the TForce 590 SLI Deluxe and TForce 570 U Deluxe. The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe with the Nvidia nForce 590 SLI chipset belongs to the enthusiast motherboard segment, and features Nvidia technology like SLI(2x16), Linkboost and DualNet. The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe builds in a variety of I/O ports and strong overclocking hardware features such as flexible e-SATA 3Gb/s port, dual Gb LAN, LED diagnostic monitor and 6 MOSFETs with heatLimited sinks to stabilize CPU power. TForce 590 SLI Deluxe provides a complete overclocking solution to satisfy even the most demanding power user, The TForce 570 U Deluxe with Nvidia nForce 570 Ultra chipset is a performance motherboard. It integrates 6 SATA 3Gb/s with Nvidia RAID, Dual Gb LAN for more connectivity options and LED diagnostic to monitor motherboard status.The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe has a recommend price of US$139 while the TForce 570 U Deluxe has a recommended price of US$109. Both boards will be available for sale worldwide on May 26. Biostar motherboard main specifications Item TForce 590 SLI Deluxe–Limited Edition TForce 570 U Deluxe CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron Chipset Nvidia nForce 590 SLI Nvidia nForce 570 Ultra Memory 4 x Dual Channel DDR2 800 4 x Dual Channel DDR2 800 Slots 2 x PCI, 2 x PCI-Ex16, 1 x PCI-Ex1, 1 x PCI-Ex4 3 x PCI, 1 x PCI-Ex16, 3 x PCI-Ex1 Audio 8+2-CH HD Audio, Dual Gb LAN 8+2-CH HD Audio, Dual Gb LAN Ports 5 x SATA 3Gb/s with RAID, 1 x e-SATA3Gb/s, 2 x 1394a 6 x SATA 3Gb/s with RAID Form factor ATX Form Factor ATX Form Factor Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes.com, May 2006