TechKnowledgey 2004
Computers and
Networking
Big Power in a Small Box
The LPC-401X provides clock rates up
to 3.2 GHz in a textbook-sized
aluminum enclosure. Courtesy of
Stealth Computer Corp.
wide between January and early May
of 2003 are potentially defective and
should be replaced. Although there
are no safety concerns, a voltage-regulating inductor can overheat,
generate some smoke, and cause the
machine to shut down. The machine
is a rack-mount server intended for
use in data centers. The company did
not disclose how many servers have
the problem, but will be contacting
customers and making arrangements
for motherboard replacements.
dynamic bearing motors for
quieter operation. (The motor uses viscous oil in its rotational component
instead of ball bearings, increasing head
positioning accuracy and reducing
rotational fluctuations.)
Industry and the
Profession
HP and Dell Battle
Hard Drive Provides Up to
300 GB Storage
If you need a high performance
CPU, but don't have much in the
way of desk space, you might want to
look at the new LPC-401X from
Stealth Computer Corp. ( www.stealt
hcomputer.com). It's a Pentium 4-
based machine that runs at 3.2 GHz,
features Intel's Extreme Graphics 2
chip, and includes on-board LAN,
USB 2.0, Firewire, and in/out audio
processors. Included is a CD-ROM;
DVD and CD/RW drives are available
options. Up to 200 GB of drive space
is also available. Even so, the LPC-
401 measures only 10 x 5. 8 x 2.8
inches ( 25. 4 x 14. 7 x 7.1 cm).
The machine is compatible with
WIN2000/XP, Linux, and others.
According to the company, the
machine is particularly useful for
deployment in applications such as digital signs, kiosks, embedded controls,
human/machine interface applications,
and so on. The LPC-401 is actually
available in a range of configurations
and you'll pay $1,095.00 for the lowly
2.0 GHz Celeron-based unit.
Upgrading to the 3.2 GHz Pentium
will run you another $400.00.
Complete pricing details are available
at the company's website; just log
onto www.stealthcomputer.com/
pricelists/ littlepc_p4pricelist.htm
The Fujitsu MAT series hard drive.
Courtesy of Fujitsu, Ltd.
According to a report from
research company IDC ( www.id
c.com), Hewlett-Packard closed out
2003 by beating its competitor — Dell
( www.dell.com) — in fourth quarter
sales. Capitalizing on holiday
promotions, HP enjoyed 21% growth
compared to the same quarter a year
before. Dell, however, sustained growth
of nearly 20% for the entire year, thus
beating HP on an annual basis. The top
five vendors for the final quarter were
HP ( 7,520 units, 16. 9 % market share),
Dell ( 7,242, 16.3%), IBM (2,663, 6%),
Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens (1,897 and
4.3%), and Toshiba (1,416 and 3.2%).
All others scored sales of 23,815 units,
for a total of 53.5% of the market.
"It was a good finish to a great
year," said Roger Kay, vice president
of client computing at IDC. "Prices
attracted buyers at holiday time
and vendors like eMachines and HP
benefited from consumer activity in
retail. Although the majors took in
the richest harvest, even non-branded
vendors managed to grow shares.
IBM's performance was reflective of a
recovering enterprise sector."
The report also observed that IBM
— despite a general slide — obtained a
17% increase in sales of portable computers. Gateway shipments continued
to fall "precipitously" as the company
tried to reinvent itself (in part by acquiring eMachines for $280 million) and
Apple Computer achieved double-digit
growth in the fourth quarter, although
annual sales were down slightly.
In Case You Smell Smoke ...
Conference Addresses
Hydrogen-Based Economy
Dell, Inc., recently announced that
the motherboards of all
PowerEdge 1650 servers sold world-
MAY 2004
Fujitsu ( www.fujitsu.com) has
introduced two new series of 3. 5
inch hard disk drives that deliver
increased performance and storage
capacity. The MAT series — featuring
spindle speeds of 10,000 rpm —
offers storage capacity of up to 300
GB with four-platter design. The MAU
series — featuring spindle speeds of
15,000 rpm — offers up to 147 GB in
storage capacity. Both are available in
three capacity points, with two types of
interfaces, and are designed for use in
enterprise systems — from servers to
storage systems. The MAT and MAU
series are successors to the company's
MAP and MAS series, respectively.
Through improvements in areal
recording density, the MAT series
offers 73, 147, and 300 GB storage
capacity, whereas the MAU series
offers 36, 73, and 147 GB. Both are
available with a choice of two interfaces
— Ultra320 SCSI (U320) or Fibre
Channel 2 (FC2) — and employ fluid
Four societies of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics
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