The was a major, annoying, oversight that is now corrected. Automatic game profile updates is a nifty idea too. Notebookcheck has the details.
Notebookcheck: NVIDIA: New graphics drivers brings Optimus improvements.
Optimus Improvements: The Ability to Determine What GPU is Active
29 07 2010Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: nvidia, optimus, nvidia optimus
Categories : News
Gateway ID49C – Missing Optimus Device IDs – LaptopVideo2Go Forums
29 07 2010Modding 101 – Missing Optimus Device IDs – LaptopVideo2Go Forums.
The always helpful community at LV2G forums, and Super Member Nautis1100 in particular, has a solution for Gateway ID49C owners struggling to update their drivers.
It Seems Acer/Gateway/Packard Bell are not participating in NVIDIA’s awesome Verde driver program.
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Tags: gateway, acer, drivers, modded drivers, nvidia verde, ID49C
Categories : News
Alienware M11x R2 First Look – AnandTech
3 07 2010People have been receiving these for weeks – why is there such a delay on the reviews? The M11x lost its ‘good deal’ label as soon as Dell started trying to fetch $1000 for them. In Canada the i5 version starts at $1050! Yikes!
Gateway’s ID and Acer’s Timeline series offer a lot more bang for the buck in my opinion.
Alienware M11x R2 First Look – AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News.
Comments : 1 Comment »
Categories : News
Gateway ID49C Review
1 07 2010I don’t feel brand loyalty to any particular company, I am a big advocate of getting the best deal you can for something that makes you happy to use it. In my case it always seems to come down to products from a couple of companies; Apple and Acer.
Apple gives me pride of ownership but it comes at a premium cost and often omits things that I, as a gadget freak, covet. Things like Blu-Ray, HDMI, the latest GPUs, and cool operating temperatures. Acer on the other hand seems to create products that appeal to my sense of value for dollar, but they are usually a little rough around the edges.
Frankly I think it is easier for Acer to become like Apple than the other way around. And the Gateway ID49C is the best evidence of this to date.
What does $749.99 CDN (regular price) get you? Read the rest of this entry »
Comments : 19 Comments »
Tags: 3820tg, 4820tg, buy, gateway, Gateway ID49C Review, geforce 330m, i3-330m, i3-350m, ID49C, timeline x, timelinex
Categories : Reviews
Gateway ID Series – New Hotness
1 07 2010While Acer is getting lots of attention due to its awesome Timeline X series – with includes 14″ and 15″ models that have power dedicated video systems while maintaining 8 hour battery life – Gateway has not been standing still either. Perhaps a little rivalry between product managers across the hall form each other (Acer group owns Gateway). Whatever the motivation, it looks like Gateway has a winner on its hands in the ID series.
Similar in a lot of ways to the Timeline X series, the Gateways offer a healthy dose of metal construction, Nvidia Optimus, appealing design and a few innovations. In particular a glowing mutltitouch touchpad. The Core i series CPUs and Geforce 330m GT also feature prominently in the specifications. All of this is bundled into a system that sells for $750 CDN – regular price (ID49C).
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Tags: 330m, acer, gateway, id series, ID49C, timelinex
Categories : News
Lenovo intros 3D-equipped IdeaPad Y560d – TechSpot News
17 06 2010Does adding an ugly lid design make it faster? If so, this must be very fast. Maybe users can opt to peel it off.
The RADEON HD 5730 is essentially a 5650 combined with GDDR5. That should be a very good thing as the 5650 was no slouch with its comparatively pokey GDDR3 memory, but we won’t know until someone tries one.
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Tags: lenovo, y560c
Categories : News
The Dumbest Thing Apple Ever Did
17 06 2010Topping this list takes something exceptional, a master stroke of stupidity. Why omit VGA on a professional notebook? If I lose the stupid mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter in Fort McMurray, AB what are the odds of me finding another one in that town?
A PC maker should hire me. I will dust off my magical Product Manager powers (I was pretty good) and completely destroy Apple’s mobile lineup with better performing products and superior craftsmanship – for less money!
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Categories : Opinion
Mac Mini Mid 2010 Teardown – iFixit
16 06 2010Beautiful inside and out.
No big revelations here, just more of Apple’s absurdly well engineered products.
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Categories : News
Apple updates Mac mini with unibody case, better graphics – TechSpot News
15 06 2010Apple’s entry level headless desktop continues to creep up in price. Over the years its price has gradually risen from the original G4 model (about $500). All of a sudden Apple is asking $700 for one.
Why the increase? I have no idea. The internals are equivalent to a $999 MacBook. Key specifications include a Core 2 Duo CPU, measly 2 GB of RAM, 320 GB HDD. The NVIDIA 320m GPU is nice for a device like this as is the aluminum case. Apple includes an HDMI port after ignoring years of consumer demands for one.
I don’t know why notebooks do not get HDMI ports – converting it to DisplayPort, DVI or VGA would be more convenient for people than the route Apple has teken.
Apple updates Mac mini with unibody case, better graphics – TechSpot News.
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Tags: mac mini
Categories : News
Fan Control for MacBooks – Lobotomo Software
15 06 2010Unless I am running my MacBook Pro on its lowest power settings, I find it too hot to use as god (not Job) intended; on my lap.
It is not uncommon for surface temperatures to reach well over 40 degrees centigrade. This should be no surprise, as the entire case acts as a giant heat-sink for the CPU and GPU. The fans in this notebook can easily cool down the case, but his highness at Apple would rather have a whisper quiet and blazingly hot workstation. It’s no wonder he spends so much time on his iPad!
There are several solutions available, but the best free one is Lobotomo Software’s well-named ‘Fan Control.’
It uses a simple preference panel and makes you cooler
Simply increase the base speed of the fan to 2000-2500 rpm (from the default of 1500. Then adjust the lower and upper temperature thresholds (where the computers tells the fans to spin faster) to something lower than the default values of 50/80 degrees centigrade (45/75 in my case).
Voila! You have a notebook that can comfortably be used on your lap. This may burn out your fans faster, but fans are some of the least expensive parts in notebooks.
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Tags: fan control, freeware, heat, lobotomo, macbook, macbook case is hot, macbook pro, smc, temperature
Categories : Reviews
