Windows 7 Ship Date – I think we’ve all been waiting for Windows 7 since that first fateful moment we clicked Enter after typing in the password on a new Vista set-up. The whole “Mojave” diversion was like bleach in the wounds. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer. Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will be shipping to customers on Oct. 22. I’ll be anticipating it like prom-night virginity loss. Indications are that all versions of the new OS will run on PCs, notebooks and netbooks. The release candidate has received relatively positive reviews, but I guess we won’t really know for sure until we power it up. For those that can’t make the full leap, Microsoft will also be issuing Windows Upgrade Option for current users. Like said prom night, there’s a real mix of hair-tingling excitement and petrifying, palm-drenching fear. And similarly, it will all be over soon, for better or worse. [via PC World]
Bing Search Engine by Microsoft – Ahead of schedule appears to be the theme of this beautiful, bright 1st of June. Microsoft’s anticipated new search engine Bing was originally scheduled to launch on Wednesday, but is already available today. Though it will take more than a couple of hours to decipher just how much of a “Google killer” it is, it does offer some new features that set it apart. When searching travel destinations, for instance, you’ll be provided with real time pricing and availability to make booking fast and seamless. Similarly, online shoppers and those looking for health-related and local information are provided with more customized tools.
Dude, you’re gettin’ a downturn. Dell’s income fell 63 percent in Q1, from $784 million to $290 million. Stocks are slightly above analyst expectations, but revenue is slightly below. Chairman and CEO Michael Dell speaks of a “powerful replacement cycle, with virtualization and managed services playing larger roles in what customers want and Dell provides.” That’s corporate jargon for “people are doing everything on the Internet and no longer want to pay for products they don’t need.” Revenue even dropped in the “mobile products” category, which includes laptops, even as laptop shipments rose 32 percent. That’s the netbook craze you’re seeing right there. The plan is to improve profit margins over time — though it’s not clear how — and get into more retail stores. [via ComputerWorld]
Trying to stay under a $600 PC budget but can’t wait for the affordable ultrathins or ultrapowerful netbooks? Woot’s got a way out with a $549 Dell 17-inch Studio notebook. Built for entertainment, the refurbished Dell Studio 1737 includes a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, a DVD player and burner, a webcam and Vista Home Premium installed. There’s also an HDMI output and a 1-year warranty if you’re a worry wart. I know, PCs don’t make the greatest impulse buys, but normally a 17-inch Studio with these specs will set you back $759, so consider pulling the trigger if you were already shopping. [via Woot]
With HP losing profits, it certainly makes sense to focus on the segment of the tech industry that’s actually doing well. Two new variants of HP’s Mini series are on the way, including one model breaks the $300 barrier. The new Mini 110s are a lot like their predecessors, but you can add a widescreen display and optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator for watching high-definition video. The Mini 110 starts at $330 with Windows XP, but you can save $50 by fitting it with Linux instead (it goes great with the Pink Swirl model). For the business set, HP’s Mini 1101 has optional mobile broadband and a six-cell battery, and can be equipped with Windows XP Home, XP Pro or even Vista, though we’re not sure why you’d want the last option. The price begins at $329. Look for the Mini 110 on June 10 and the Mini 1101 on June 1. [via InformationWeek]
Lenovo IdeaPad U350 and G550 – Marking its territory in the upcoming battle over the ultra-thin, ultra-cheap, better-than-netbook PCs, Lenovo announced the IdeaPad U350 and G550. The former (pictured) has a 13.3-inch display with ambient light sensing, a 1.4 GHz Core 2 Solo or two less powerful options, a 500 GB hard drive, up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM, a GMA 4500M or 4500 MHD graphics set and an optional 8-cell battery for 10 hours of life. The G550 has a 15.6-inch display with a Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, a hard drive of up to 320 GB, a DVD burner and either a GMA X4500 or GeForce G105M graphics card. The U350 will sell in July starting at $649, while the G550 goes on sale in June starting at $599.
Lenovo also announced the IdeaCentre C300 all-in-one, featuring a meager Atom 230 processor but a 20-inch display with up to 2 GB of DDR2 RAM and up to a 640 GB hard drive. You’ll find it in July starting at $449. [via Engadget]
Stories of tech layoffs were a dime a dozen earlier this year, but there’s been some hope lately that it’ll all turn around soon. If HP is any indication, that’s not the case. The company’s profits fell 17 percent in the second quarter, and now it will slash 2 percent of the workforce, or roughly 6,420 people. As the New York Times notes, HP makes a pretty wide variety of products, so its performance can be viewed as a barometer for the entire tech industry. Out of its major divisions, notebooks saw the least decline, with sales falling by 13 percent compared to 28 percent for servers and storage, 23 percent for printers and related technology and 15 percent for software. I imagine HP’s netbooks are buoying the notebook category, but they only account for a small (but growing) share of the market. There’s always next quarter. [via NYTimes]
Chances are your computer and your home entertainment center have irreconcilable differences. The latter wants to be out there, the life of the party. The former is an ugly mass of plastic or aluminum, but it can do so much with the Internet and digital content. If you’ve got $4,350 to $4,950 in liquidity, the MECO (short for Media Core) might be your answer. On the outside, it’s an inconspicuous side table, but it packs a full PC with an Intel i7 processor and a 6 TB hard drive. A slick user interface ties it all together, letting you record up to four live television shows at a time and stream media to all corners of your house. Thee MECO can control your home’s lighting and other comforts. Your living room probably needs a redesign anyway. [via Pearing Systems]
Around here, we see enough carefully-timed press releases and slowly trickling droplets of information that it’s worth a laugh when a company’s spot gets blown up. So here we have a Dell netbook that runs on Google’s Android operating sytem, being announced by a company responsible for the porting of Flash Lite onto the computer. That Bsquare then tried to pull the press release in hopes that people wouldn’t notice (they did) makes the situation more comical. Being an announcement related to Adobe Flash, there’s really no other substantial information except that the netbook will be called the Mini Inspiron 910, but hey, now you know. [Yahoo! Business via Gizmodo]
