All of the Computex event coverage, news and analysis you are looking for at the one source.
Enthusiasts of motor racing games whether they be for the PC or a games console all know for the best play experience a steering wheel is an essential peripheral.
Over the 1990s there were attempts at making these gaming devices more realistic and accurate such as the Thrustmaster T2 wheel which used steel in its construction and the recent Momo Racing wheel from Logitech.
Quality steering wheels were quite expensive in the range of several hundred dollars (AUD) but with the onset of cheap gaming consoles peripheral vendors looked to simply their products to be more cost competitive and appeal to a wider audience by using more plastics and simplifying clamping mechanisms and pedals. The overall reduction in the number of racing titles being released also had an effect on this segment.
A very heavy, bulky and expensive racing wheel will not be very appealing to casual gamers or to those wishing to buy a wheel as a gift for family or friends.
Racing wheel features that have been lacking since the 1990s have typically been related to gearbox shifters and pedals. Vendors address the actual wheels by adding paddles and control buttons and even in some instances realistic textures and surfaces for the wheel coverings for the premium wheels such as the Logitech momo, but it has not been until recently that shifters and clutch pedals have become desirable features especially when they complement the number of quality racing titles that are currently available in the market.
US based review site BenchmarkReviews.com has published a review of Thrustmaster's Force Feedback Pro Clutch racing wheel which includes a clutch pedal
The clutch pedal gives a more realistic and enjoyable experience to the gamer.
The review makes an honest and worthwhile attempt at highlighting the features , advantages and disadvantages of the product as well as comparing and contrasting the wheel to other makes and models. The reviewer has also including a family member's opinion and experience with the wheel.
The introduction to the review makes note of the decrease in the number of vendors vendors offering gaming steering wheels which are now down to two companies. This is not entirely correct.
The number of choices even ten or fifteen years ago was never that many. Microsoft, Logitech, Dexxa, Saitek, Guillemot, Thrustmaster have all released various models of wheels over the years.
With consolidation in the industry, Thrustmaster became a Guillemot brand and now only offers gaming peripherals under the Thrustmaster brand, Dexxa is a Logitech brand and Saitek have somewhat lost their the market presence they once had.
The reviewer notes does note however that vendors have had to reinvent the wheel. Note is also made that the pedals lack weight, a common trait and that the wheel does not have a 6 speed shifter, but rather a sequential shift that is carried over from other Thrustmaster wheels
Mountings, and PC Interface are also covered as is a varied selection of PC games used to test the wheel.
Mention is made to the Logitech G25 but not the Fanatec Porsche 911 wheel which has both a clutch pedal and a 6 speed H pattern shifter, which addresses the concerns of the reviewer regarding a 6 speed shift and clutch in the one unit.
In all a comprehensive review of the product and a good insight into gaming steering wheels in general
Source: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=164&Itemid=1
Fanatec Porsche 911 Steering wheel: http://www.fanatec.de/html/index.php?id=210&lang=en
Popular portable computer review site Notebookreviews.com has reviewed the a new offering from HP in the UMPC (Ultra Mobile Portable Computing) segment, namely the HP 2133 Mini-Note.
The configuration of the VIA based pre-production sample reviewed by the outlet surpasses the specification of the similar ASUS Eee PC on all fronts except overall computing performance, where the Mini-Note is let down by its CPU.
The review's benchmarking indicates that the Mini-Note's S3 DirectX Graphics solution is able to run 3DMark, which the ASUS Eee is unable to due to its Intel GMA graphics solution. However, the performance of the Mini-Note's Graphics solution with a 3DMark06score of only 98 is unsuitable for modern 3D gaming.
Typical mainstream desktop or mobile graphics solution with DirectX 9 support from 2005 through to 2008 may score around 1000 points in the 3DMark06 benchmark.
This particular review includes images of the unit's main board and a video overview of the device.
The site claims the Mini-Note can be specified with either with a traditional hard disk, a Solid State Drive or a Flash module. In comparison the ASUS Eee contains a Flash disk rather than a SSD. We note that these two storage technologies may share similar components they differ in functionality and performance. An SSD is designed for constant use with regard to performance where as a flash disk is designed for casual use.
This review covers the value for money aspect of the unit's price point compared to other portable computers and highlights various issues with the unit such as the glossy screen coating and the performance of the computer as well as thermals and acoustics.
The included feature of 'integrated stereo microphones' is an interesting one and is something that has been touted for desktop use by audio component vendors but has not really caught on.
We were quite impressed by the feature list for this computer especially on the connectivity (Gigabit Ethernet for instance), storage and multimedia fronts but, as the review indicates it is somewhat let down by its computing power.
The review is recommended reading for those who are interested in Notebooks, portable computing, general technology interest or those seeking a functional portable computer for uses where size is an issue.
Source : http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4352
French Drivers site station-drivers.com reports that DELL has issued a patch for the following popular Samsung SATA Hard Disk Drives:
Samsung HD321KJ ( 320GB ) and Samsung HD501LJ ( 500GB )
The patch resolves an issue when these drives are used in RAID configurations and an error message 'RAID Degraded' is displayed by the RAID solution.
The firmware updates bring the drive firmware up to Version CP100-13 for the Samsung HD321KJ (320GB) and Version CR100-13 for the Samsung HD501LJ (500GB).
Full details of the patch including release notes, requirements and download links are avalible from DELL
Source (In French):
http://www.station-drivers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8468#8468
Mods4Me have revealed a method to enable hidden features and functionality on popular system chipsets such as those from VIA Technologies. Many of these features are not implemented by manufacturers who produce mainboards based on such chipsets due to marketing, product placement or R+D costs.
This article details how one is able to enable such features as asynchronos clocks signals, which allows the memory clockspeed to run at a higher rate than the CPU front side bus,allowing for the use of higher speed memory and greater bandwidth. The VIA KT266 chipset is used as a test subject and Mods4Me claim aysnc memory clock is the only new feature in VIA's new KT333 chipset for the AMD processors.
NitroWare.net warns readers that modifying such system paramaters can cause a system to freeze or risk data integrity. Such modifications are only recommended for power users or enthusiasts who are aware of the consequence and meaning of the action they are performing and have backups of critical files.