Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 10, 2011

BetaNews.Com (3 non lus)

Would you pay Verizon $530 - $730 for Motorola Droid XYBOARD?

Publié: décembre 10, 2011, 8:29pm CET par Joe Wilcox
I wouldn't, and I'm probably wasting time bothering to ask. Many of you won't either. But, please, do tell. Your reasons why or why not are valuable, and you can offer them up in comments.

Droid XYBOARD replaces the XOOM, and it's unclear whether the predecessor's brand disappears (I assume not) or if XYBOARD is a Verizon-exclusive brand like Droid (I assume yes). Whichever, the new tablet is all about rebranding, rather than being a worthy successor to XOOM. By the specs, there nary is anything to tell the tablets apart -- other than price, a little Battlestar Galactica-like trim to the corners and introduction of a smaller model. Now there's an 8.2-inch Moto tablet to compliment the 10.1-incher.

Over Black Friday weekend, Verizon offered an unbelievable deal on XOOM LTE -- $199.99 with two-year activation. I bought one, and it arrived this week. Looks like Verizon cleared out excess inventory in preparation for XYBOARD. Here's how they compare:

XOOM LTE: 1GHz dual-core processor; 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution; 1GB of RAM; 32GB internal storage, expandable to 64GB with MicroSD card; 5-megapixel back-facing and 2-megapixel front-facing cameras; 720p video recording; 1080p video playback; WiFi N; Bluetooth; 4G LTE; accelerometer; barometer; gyroscope; 3250mAh Li-Ion battery; Android 3.2 (Honeycomb).

Droid XYBOARD 10.1: 1.2GHz dual-core processor; 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution; 1GB of RAM; 5-megapixel back-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras; 720p video recording; 1080p video playback; HDMI and USB 2.0 ports; WiFi N; Bluetooth; 4G LTE; accelerometer; barometer; gyroscope; 7,000 mAh Li–Ion battery; Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). Storage: 16GB, 32GB or 64GB -- $529.99, $629.99 and $729.99, respectively.

These prices are $100 each less than comparable iPad 2s, which have slower 3G and not faster 4G radios, but don't require data plan. Verizon requires two-year data commitment with XYBOARD purchase.

Regular price on XOOM -- still heavily discounted from its release -- is $299.99, but new tablets are out of stock. Strangely, Verizon will sell you a refurb for $100 more. How fraked is that? What might really distinguish the tablets is battery -- 3250mAh for XOOM vs 7000mAh for XYBOARD, but strangely Verizon puts usage time higher for the older tablet, that's 540 minutes vs 480 minutes. Something else: There's no MicroSD port, so memory isn't expandable like it is on XOOM.

That's the apples to apples comparison -- now for some Apple to XYBOARD comparison:

iPad 2: 1GHz dual-core processor; 9.7 inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution; 512MB of RAM; 32GB internal storage (non-expandable); front-and-rear cameras; 720p video playback; WiFi N; Bluetooth; accelerometer; barometer; gyroscope; and iOS 5.

By the specs and price, I'd take XYBOARD over iPad 2. Commenters can debate Android vs iOS platform and applications benefits. But there's another option to consider:

Droid XYBOARD 8.2: 1.2GHz dual-core processor; 8.2-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution; 1GB of RAM; 5-megapixel back-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras; 720p video recording; 1080p video playback; WiFi N; Bluetooth; 4G LTE; accelerometer; barometer; gyroscope; 3,960 mAh Li–Ion battery; Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). Storage: 16GB or 32GB -- $429.99 and $529.99 respectively.

Amazon Kindle is $199, and offers most of the same benefits -- sans camera, 4G and swapping Gingerbread for Honeycomb, for operating system.

What price would be low enough for you to buy a media tablet?

I've got three problems with XYBOARD:
- Selling prices
- Two-year data commitment (for selling price)
- Not worthy upgrade for XOOM, which packs extras XYBOARD takes away
What the hell are Motorola and Verizon product managers thinking? Surely Verizon execs see 4G LTE as differentiator enough. I'm not sure it is -- hence the pricing question this post's headline asks.

Based on BetaNews' tablet pricing poll, most of you don't want to pay even what the lowest-priced XYBOARDs sell for -- $429.99 and $529.99. Among the 1,353 respondents so far, only 5.46 percent would spend $399 or more for a tablet. The majority -- 58.98 percent: $199 or less. By that measure, XOOM was priced to sell over Black Friday weekend and XYBOARD is overpriced. The config looks pretty outdated looking at, for example, ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime, which packs quad-core processor.

Verizon is currently taking preorders for XYBOARD, which will be in stores December 12. So the question remains: Would you pay $530 to $730 for the 10.1-inch model, or $430 to $530 for the 8.2-inch XYBOARD. You know where to answer.
Don't miss even one of this week's 20 exciting downloads

Publié: décembre 10, 2011, 5:31pm CET par Mark Wilson

It may only be the second week of December, but the Christmas feeling has already taken over. Software publishers are still releasing software throughout the festive season and we’ve collected together twenty of the biggest titles from the past seven days that you may have missed.

Whether you get a new camcorder for Christmas, or you’re using an existing camera to capture the seasonal excitement on film, CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Ultra (build 1129a) includes everything you need to edit, burn and share your footage. If your needs aren’t quite as high, you could opt for the slightly cheaper, but still powerful, CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Deluxe (build 1129a).

While there is a general trend for programs to become bigger and bigger with each release, the portable software movement aims to achieve the reverse. As well as providing powerful tools that require very little space, these tools can also run from a USB drive without the need for installation. PortableApps.com Platform 10.0.1 FINAL is a major update to the portable software suite that enables you to create your own custom USB utility drive. If you’re looking to take care of your computer, Toolwiz Care 1.0.0.118 is a free optimization tool that can be used to clean up your hard drive, manage your registry and much more.

In the same vein, Sysinternals Suite 2011.12.05 is a comprehensive suite of system utilities that can be used to control startup programs, manage running processes, check for rootkits and other malware -- there are more than sixty tools in total. Feel the urge to fee up a bit of hard drive space? IObit Uninstaller 2.1 can help you out in the this department, helping you to remove programs that would otherwise remain undeletable. While you’re keeping your system in good shape, you could turn to DriverMax 6 to make sure that you have all of the latest drivers installed for your hardware, and Norton Power Eraser 2.5 Beta returns us to the portable theme, offering you the opportunity to check your system for malware.

On the subject of security, creating a secure password for your Windows account and the various web sites you use is essential. If you are struggling to come up with something suitably secure, look no further than Awesome Password Generator 1.0.0.824 which can be used to generate hundreds of passwords in one fell swoop. Once you have created your passwords you can rest assured that your online life is safe and you can venture onto the web without worries.

When you encounter a PDF file that you would like to read, make sure that you have Foxit Reader 5.1.3 installed to enable you to do so without the need to use a slow and bloated app. You can also use the updated Evernote 4.5.2 to store notes online ad share them with others, but if all of this sounds too much like hard work, you can relax with a game of Sea Battle 3.0.

Increasing numbers of people are realizing that using the Internet need not mean using Interner Explorer or even Firefox, and Opera 11.60 FINAL with its refined look and excellent performance shows just why alternative browsers are proving so popular.

But using the Internet is about much more than just visiting web sites and sending emails. If you want to download large files, it is often more efficient and faster to use BitTorrent to do so. You could use the official client, BitTorrent 7.6 or you could use the lightweight alternative uTorrent 3.1 which now includes a built in media player in addition to a number of performance improvements.

For many people, the Internet is all about social networking and the all-new TweetDeck 1.0 FINAL sees the tweeting tool not only exiting beta but also leaving behind its days as an Adobe AIR app.

Fancy getting a little creative with your computer, take a look at Skin Pack Installer System 3.0 (32-bit). This will enable you to not only create your own themes and skin packs for Windows, but also to wrap them up in an installer so you can easily share them with others. If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, you’ll need to install Skin Pack Installer System 3.0 (64-bit) instead.

Chances are you will take lots of photos over the coming weeks. Rather than leave them sitting on your hard drive, why not use the updated Jalbum 10.2 to create an impressive digital photo gallery. If you’d like to share your Christmas photos online -- a great option if you have friends and family overseas – Google Picasa 3.9 could be what you’re looking for. Despite the small version number increase, this is a fairly major update to Google’s photo sharing tool which adds the ability to share through Google+ as well as providing you with more photo editing options.

That’s it for this week. Join us again in seven days for another roundup and look out for a special Christmas-specific roundup next week.
Tune up your PC this holiday with these smart savings

Publié: décembre 10, 2011, 4:44pm CET par Mark Wilson

Taking care of your computer means that it will serve you well and hopefully delay the need to upgrade your hardware for as long as possible. The festive season is now upon us, which means over-indulging in the food and drink departments and generally failing to look after ourselves. But this does not mean that our computers also need to be neglected.

If you’re feeling the pinch after splashing out on Christmas presents for friends and family, our great sale prices on optimization and maintenance software means that you will still be able to keep your system in top shape. There are a number of tools to choose from, all of which are very gentle on the pocket.

TuneUp Utilities 2012 is available at the hugely discounted price of $18.95 -- that’s 62 percent off usual price of $49.95. This versatile tool can be used to not only optimize your computer by cleaning up the registry and removing unwanted software, but also to free up disk space, fix problems you may be experiencing and tweak system settings to give Windows a more personal feel. If the price sounds like a great deal, it’s about to get even better: the software can be installed on up to three PCs so you can take care of all of the computers in your household.

If you run a small business, and have more computers that need attention, TuneUp Utilities 2012 Business Edition [5-PC] may be more what you have been looking for. The software can be installed on up to five computers and you can save 58 percent off the usual selling price of $83.95 by grabbing yourself the software for just $34.95.

AVG may be a name that is more readily associated with antivirus software, but AVG PC Tuneup 2012 is a power program for tweaking your computer. It replaces the PC Analyzer module that ships with AVG Internet Security 2012 or AVG Anti-Virus with more comprehensive options for boosting the registry and taking care of your system in other ways. A single license version of the program can be purchased for just $14.99 (a saving of 57 percent off usual price of $34.99), but there is also a 2-PC license version available for just $21.49 -- a saving of 52 percent off usual price of $44.99.

IObit Advanced SystemCare PRO 5 is a tool that can be used to not only optimize, but also protect your computer. In addition to a range of tools that can be used to boost performance and improve stability, the program can also be used to check for and remove malware. You can save a massive 60 percent off usual price of $19.95, so for $7.95 this is great value for money.

Auslogics Bootspeed 5 is also super cheap through December, with 70 percent off the usual $49.95, bringing the price down to just $14.95. This is for a 3-PC license so you can boost the performance of all your machines for less than $5 each. The program includes tools to help you to optimize your hard drive, take control of browser addons, manage startup programs and much more.

Another great bargain to snap up this month is Uniblue PowerSuite 2012. Usually available for $119, you can grab this great set of maintenance tools for a mid-blowing $19.95 -- saving a gigantic 83 percent. The suite is made up of three individual tools, DriverScanner, RegistryBooster and SpeedUpMyPC. These individual components ensure that your drivers are up to date, your registry is fully optimized and enabling you to tweak a huge number of system settings to boost performance. Everything you could possibly need can be found here from tools to control third-party apps’ use of processor time to internet connection optimization.

And as this is the season of giving, you can expect some presents to come your way courtesy of Betanews’s Downloadcrew, in addition to great savings. Later this month, we’ll be giving you some full free commercial software as part of a brand new website. More details to follow soon!