Inside the iPad2 and the Apple A5

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Information on what's inside the Apple iPad2 is becoming available as teardown experts open up the first tablets going on sale. Here are some pictures and analysis from our sister division UBM TechInsights which is in the process of burrowing into the secrets of the system—including Apple's new A5 microprocessor.

There are major design wins for Qualcomm again with the MDM6600. Essentially Qualcomm has pushed Infineon--whose wireless properties now belong to Intel--right out of Apple’s flagship products.

"It makes you wonder if Intel might have buyer’s remorse considering they purchased Infineon while it had the iPhone and iPad design wins," said Allan Yogasingam, a technical marketing manager with TechInsights, a division of United Business Media, the publisher of EE Times.

The iPad2 had significant reuse from past products.? "The wireless data card, for example, shows virtually 100 percent of the same components we found in the corresponding sockets of the Verizon iPhone 4," said Yogasingam.

The iPad2 communications board (below) includes the following chips:

--A Qualcomm PM8028 power management IC

--A Skyworks SKY77711-4 power amplifier module for CDMA/PCS

--A Skyworks SKY77710-4 power amplifier module for dual-mode CDMA/AMPS

--An Avago AFI05Z front end module

--A Toshiba Y9A0A111308LA memory package

--A Qualcomm MDM6600 multi-mode baseband supporting GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA, HSDPA and HSPA+ as well as EV-DO

Click on image to enlarge.1. Qualcomm beats back Infineon

2. Estimated iPad2 BoM: $270

3. Inside the A5 microprocessor

Next: 2. Estimated iPad2 BoM: $270

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iPad2 Frenzy Grips Consumers, Worries Tablet Makers

Apple sold a million pieces of iPad2 during the first weekend of arrival as per a Reuters report. The new tablets flew off the shelves, ten times as faster as the original iPad which took 28 days to sell its first million. Few stores ran out of stock within 10 minutes of launch. Consumers in Manhattan and San Francisco braved rain and winter winds making a beeline for the product with nearly a 1000 people queuing overnight to become the first users. The new generation Tab has several advanced features is twice as fast, but lighter and slimmer and importantly with the same price.

Sold at Apple, AT&T and Verizon Wireless outlets as well as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy Stores, besides Apple online stores, it became impossible to find iPad stocks by the end of the weekend. Consumers will now have to wait till supplies are bolstered by Apple next week, justifying the long lines and Apple’s 61% market share of the Tablet market.

When Steve Jobs defied market rumors and pancreatic cancer to return briefly to unveil the iPad2 a week ago to a select San Francisco audience, he had already dented the confidence of upcoming market players. Apple was? launching the second generation variant of an immensely popular and proven product with an aggressive $499 pricing, just when its competitors were getting ready for their first generation offerings.

Gartner analyst Van Baker rightly summed up its success with the words “The hardware is as good as anything on the market, the price is still very aggressive, and the software just buries the competition,” What chance would the yet to be tested Motorola Mobility’s Xoom, or RIM’s Blackberry Playbook, HP Touchpad, LG G Slate, ACER Iconia Tab or HTC flyer have with a higher pricing between $600 to $800 against the formidable iPad2. Virtually none claimed analysts, saying that Apple’s latest launch would have sent others scurrying back to the drawing board to rework their product design and prices.

That leaves the only competitor to have successfully entered the Tab market the Samsung Galaxy Tab worth a consideration. It’s very popular

7” model is priced higher at $599 at Amazon online or at Verizon but is available also at $399 on a 2 year contract with Sprint and T-Mobile. Launched during end November 2010 it has sold well over a million pieces mainly in Europe and the emerging markets. Samsung has also unveiled the 10” Galaxy Tab at the Barcelona fair in January but its pricing will be hard hit when it comes to the market in April. If the product price exceeds the iPad2 it could bomb in the price sensitive emerging markets that it operates in. Apple’s plans to ship its new tablet to over 25 destinations worldwide would surely be giving Samsung and other players the jitters.

Sandip Sen

I love to write on anything and everything under the sun from Project Management to Poetry, Economics to Travel and Technology. But most of all I love to write about our planet earth, about which you can read more in my blog Ecology to Economics.

Read other articles by Sandip Sen

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iPad2 Exceeds Revenue Expectations, Triggers Rise in Shares

Posted by Madalena David

The days of the success of the original iPad that was sold in 300,000 units devices are history by now; the iPad 2 has outrun its next of kin by 67 percent in sales, just days after its retail availability. Frantic buyers spend a few days wandering the stores to buy themselves a device, but some retailers have already run out of stock.

“Our checks pointed to a shocking 100% stock-out rate across Apple/authorized retail stores just a few hours into the official launch Friday evening, contributing to what we believe was one of the company’s most successful product launches to date,” wrote Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank in a report to clients on Monday.

A good indicator of how busy Apple is with selling the iPad2 is their order section of their website; last week it took them one week to deliver the product, whereas this week the waiting time goes about three or four weeks.

A small survey undertaken by Piper Jaffray shows that buyers of the iPad 2 tend to be new to tablet devices and draws us a bit closer to the next question. Why did new clients opt for Apple’s iPad instead of going for competitors’ devices such as Motorola’s Xoom or HP’s TouchPad for example? Or why don’t tablet owners of the original iPad upgrade to iPad 2 as iPhone owners do? An important role is played by retailers as well as iPad2 is sold by AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon and Wal-Mart , unlike the original iPad that was sold by Apple alone.

It’s not only the revenues from the unexpected sales of the iPad 2 device that make Apple content with what has come out of months of hard work of the whole Apple team, from the technical team, to the marketing department. Following the huge success in sales of the new device, the Apple Inc. shares got a fractional rise of 1 percent yesterday morning on the stock market. The trading price was $352.75 per share.

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Spotlight on the iPad2

But as enthusiastic as reviewers and early adopters of the device were, criticisms surfaced as well. For example, the iPad's lack of USB or Ethernet ports and glossy screen were consistently cited as shortcomings.

Now, Apple is upping the ante again with the iPad2, released in the United States last week and arriving in other countries over coming weeks. The big questions are: will the latest iPad solve the problems of the original? And will it tempt you to hand over your hard-earned cash to buy one? Read on for some answers.

What's new about the iPad2?

Apple has made the iPad2 faster, thinner, lighter, more powerful and more versatile than the original iPad. And it has done so while keeping the starting price - at about US$499 (Bt15,146) for a base model - the same as the previous generation iPad.

Notable features are a dual-core processor at the heart of the device, which Apple claims is twice as fast as that of the previous iPad, more powerful graphics designed to do justice to fast-moving games and battery life that's better than the original iPad's by about an hour.

Perhaps most interesting, the iPad2 has two integrated cameras - one on the front and one on the back. The two cameras are there so that you can use the device for different purposes. The camera that faces you as you look into the iPad2, for example, can be used to capture your image for video chats or Skype video sessions. The other camera can be used as a more traditional movie or still camera. Point your iPad at something you want to film, and let it roll.

Apple has also taken note of the most useful accessory that owners bought for the original iPad - a cover for the screen - and has included one with the iPad2. However, Apple's is not just any old cover. It can be folded in upon itself several times and turned into a stand that makes the device easy to view while sitting on a desk or your lap.

The iPad2 also sports upgraded WiFi compatibility, with the 802.11n standard, for much faster surfing and downloads when connected via an 802.11n hotspot. 3G connectivity is also standard, for use with mobile-carrier networks that support it.

Finally, the device's interface boasts features that iPhone 4 users enjoy, including an "accelerometer" that allows you to rotate the device to landscape mode and have whatever you're watching adjust itself automatically, as well as "multi-touch" technology, which enables you to move and manipulate objects on the screen with your fingers in a very intuitive manner.

Does the iPad2 fix the shortcomings of the previous model?

If you're talking about the original iPad's lack of a USB or Ethernet port, you'll have to keep waiting. Some also complained that the original iPad lacked a memory-card slot. So does the iPad2. Complaints such as these are made by those worrying how they will connect the iPad to various data sources. However, Apple does sell an iPad camera-connection kit that allows users to import photos and videos from a digital camera using the camera's USB cable or an SD card.

Some people also complained about the original iPad's screen, claiming that while it was fine for surfing the web, playing games and viewing multimedia content, it was not as well suited to long periods of reading. The same holds true for iPad2, which has a backlit screen rather than the e-Ink non-backlit screen featured by devices such as Amazon's Kindle. The iPad2, in short, is less of an e-reader than it is a general media consumption and creation device. Perhaps even more disappointing, the iPad2 does not even incorporate a larger version of the iPhone 4's "retina display" technology, which renders graphics and text at a resolution so fine that the human eye cannot detect pixelation.

So the base price is $499. How much will the iPad2 really cost? And will the original iPad now be cheaper?

With the base model of the iPad2, you get WiFi connectivity and 16GB of memory; the next model up, with 32GB, will retail for around $100 more; the next higher model, with 64 GB, will cost yet another $100.

There's another class of iPad2, however, with both WiFi and 3G connectivity. This series starts at $629, again with more memory increasing the price by $100 dollars each time.

You will want the WiFi plus 3G model if you wish to connect the device to information sources both at home and while on the road.

.

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Apple Delays iPad2 Launch in Japan

{"s" : "rimm","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Zacks Equity Research, On Wednesday March 16, 2011, 9:30 am EDT

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is postponing the launch of iPad2 in Japan, following the earthquakes and tsunami that hit the north-eastern coast of Japan on March 11. The company has also been forced to close down a retail store in the quake-affected city of Sendai.

Apple had planned to release the tablet computer in Japan and 25 other countries on March 25. Apple did not set any new release date for Japan, but said that it will go ahead with the launch of iPad 2 in other countries like Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The iPad product line is the fastest-selling technology product in history, in terms of revenue, according to Creative Strategies Inc. Analysts believe that Apple may have sold more than 500,000 iPad2 in its debut weekend, after retail outlets ran out of the tablet-style device since its arrival on March 11.

Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on the very first day of launch in April, 2010. The company sold more than 15 million units in the first nine months of launch, including 7.3 million units to holiday shoppers during the December quarter.

Apple reported sales of about $4 billion in Japan (6.1% of the total revenue) in 2010. Approximately 5.0% of Apple's revenue came from Japan in the December quarter. Revenue from the country rose 83.0% in the period to $1.4 billion.

According to Piper Jaffray, iPad2 sales are expected to surpass the previous estimate of 5.5 million units for the current quarter, which ends on March 31, 2011. We believe that the iPad2’s international roll out will be equally successful.

Despite the decline in Apple’s market share in tablet computers (down to 73.0% from 93.0% in the September quarter), research firm IDC expects the company to maintain 70%–80% market share through 2011, primarily due to the launch of iPad2. Based on IDC estimates, Apple will ship a minimum of 35 million tablets in 2011.

Piper Jaffray estimates that revenue loss from the Japan crisis will be negligible in this quarter, at less than 1.0% of sales. For the June quarter, the negative impact is expected to be less than 3.0%.

Recommendation

We believe that strong demand for iPad2 will provide Apple a competitive edge, even as competitors, including Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI), Samsung Electronics Co., Research In Motion Ltd. (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) continue to introduce tablet computers to compete with iPad2.

We continue to believe that Apple will outperform its peers given its strong iPad and iPhone sales and new product launches. With a loyal customer base, international expansion, competitive pricing strategy and solid cash in hand, we remain positive on its long-term growth.

However, a prolonged crisis in Japan, particularly a nuclear catastrophe can affect Apple due to supply shortages, particularly for components like flash memory.

We have an Outperform rating on Apple over the long term (6-12 months). Currently, Apple has a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating.

APPLE INC (AAPL): Read the Full Research Report

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RESEARCH IN MOTION LTD (RIMM): Read the Full Research Report

Zacks Investment Research

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iPad2, an inflation buster, debuts

Published: March. 11, 2011 at 6:49 PM

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 11 (UPI) -- Long lines greeted the retail launch of Apple's iPad2, a good example of price inflation on hold, the president of the New York Federal Reserve said Friday.

New York Fed President William Dudley during a speaking engagement in Queens, N.Y., said, "Today, you can buy an iPad2 that costs the same as an iPad1, that's twice as powerful," The Wall Street Journal reported.

His remark did not go over so well, the Journal reported. Dudley was trying to explain that low inflation was a sign of a slow economy, the Journal said.

Lines were reported at Apple stores in San Francisco and New York, Apple Insider reported. Apple released its newest tablet computer at 5 p.m. EST, but was mum on why it chose that particular hour to release its newest gadget.

The successor to the iPad was available at Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Verizon and AT&T stores at 5 p.m. and at Apple's online store at 4 a.m., which allowed lines to remain smaller than for some of Apple's other blockbuster releases. At its San Francisco store, Apple staff members rolled carts of refreshments up and down the sidewalk to keep about 140 people in line in good cheer.

The device Apple calls "magical" is 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the previous iPad, which boasts sales of 15 million. It features an A5 dual core processor "for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics," the company said in a statement.

Apple suggested the device sell for the same price as the iPad. The 16GB tablet with WiFi sells for $499, the 32GB model has a suggested retail price of $599, and a 64GB model goes for $699.

A second version, with WiFi and 3G capability, would start at $629 and run up to $829 for the 64GB model.

The WiFi and 3G version, compatible with the Verizon network, would be available in the United States only, Apple said.

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TVWeek's 10th Annual Media Planning Conference. It's Free to Attend, and You Could Win an iPad2!

Please come! It’s the 10th Annual TVWeek Media Planning Conference in association with the Advertising Research Foundation. It’s for free, it’ll be fun, interesting and informative.

Plus we’ll have a drawing to give away TWO iPad2’s to two attendees!

Here are the details:

When: This coming Wednesday, March 30, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Where: The Grand Hyatt in Manhattan, which is right next door to the Grand Central Terminal. We’ll be in the Manhattan Ballroom on the Lobby level.

We’ll have two panels.

Panel One: Communications Planning. Our panelists include Lee Doyle, CEO of MEC, North America; Rich Simms, EVP and Managing Partner, Horizon Media; Antony Young, CEO of Optimedia, U.S.; plus a manager from MarketShare, a top leading media mix modeling company.

Some of what we’ll be discussing includes what make sense and what is just hype in the full-service media plans that your clients demand today. How does one integrate paid media, owned media and earned media? How does one define these terms and what is the intersection between them? What's up with metrics today? What do planners need to pay attention to? What are the best ways to build brand value and consumer brand connections?

Panel Two: Social Media. Our panelists include David Puner, Director, Social Media, Havas Digital; Sheila Seles, Research Program Manager, ARF; Colin Sutton, Managing Director of Group M’s M80; plus a panelist from Dukky Technology, a company that aids marketers in monetizing ROI on social media platforms and increasing engagement.

With social media being one of the buzz words that a lot of your clients are throwing around, what are the best ways you can integrate it into your plans. What are the tool sets that really DO matter? What do you need to avoid? How do you keep up with your client’s customers as they are constantly shifting how they are consuming media. How does mobile fit in? Plus much more.

Again, it’s Free to attend the conference. But we do need your name, and the names of any of your friends at any media shops who would like to attend. So just send me an email to chkross@TVWeek.com and let me know your name and any of your friends that will attend. We have to all the names by end of business on Tuesday.

Hope to see you there and I hope you win one of the two iPad2’s we’ll be giving away!

Best,

Chuck Ross

Editorial Director, TVWeek

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iPad2's global sales kick off

Apple Inc began selling iPad2 to queues of consumers in Australia and New Zealand on Friday as part of a release in 25 countries including the UK, France, Switzerland and Germany as the company tries to defend its dominance in tablet computers amid mounting competition.

The iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Singapore and additional countries from April. It was released in the US on March 11, when hundreds of people queued at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York.

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Apple fans face iQueue test to get hands on iPad2

Hundreds of gadget enthusiasts queued through the night in central London for the launch of the new iPad and a pioneering 3D games console.

About 300 formed a huge line outside the Apple store in Regent Street as they waited to buy an iPad2 from ?399.

Some had arrived at 7am yesterday and would have been queuing for more than 33 hours by the time they got their hands on the device at 5pm today.

More than 300 gamers spent the night in nearby Oxford Street to purchase a Nintendo 3DS, starting at ?199. Some were wrapped in foil blankets, others slept on air beds or deck chairs and many brought snacks and tea flasks.

The two high-profile launches were expected to make today one of the most lucrative for high street gadget sales.

Father-of-two Jewels Lewis, 32, from Notting Hill, was first in line for an iPad2. The finance executive, who was fourth in the queue for the launch of the original iPad last year, told how he missed his son's birthday to sleep outside the Apple store. He said: "My son Shyam turned 12 yesterday but gave me permission to come here so I could be first. We'll celebrate properly tomorrow.

"My wife Victoria thinks I'm crazy. I love gadgets and Apple so I had to be here. I'll give the kids the old iPad so they'll be happy." Fenella Barnes, 29, an operations manager from Clapham, spent the night on the pavement with boyfriend Harry Barrington-Mountford, 21. She said: "I not even buying an iPad. I'm just here to keep Harry company.

"I only managed to get one hour of sleep because of the street lights. It's been cold but everyone is friendly."

Mr Barrington-Mountford, who works in risk management, added: "When I found out the iPad2 was coming out I gave back my original iPad. I've been bored for a month without an iPad so I look forward to getting a new one."

The first Nintendo 3DS was sold in the UK at a minute past midnight, with hundreds of gamers standing outside HMV's flagship store in Oxford Street and at nearby Game.

The console - which has two screens, a built-in motion sensor, three cameras and doubles as a pedometer - is said to offer glasses-free, 3D technology.

First in the queue was Buckingham University student Marwan Elgama, 21, from Wembley, who queued for 24 hours. He said: "The vibe was great. You keep each other company and the time flies by.

"I'm happy to pay for the 3DS as there are no other 3D consoles."

Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "This new console will help 3D become a standard format for entertainment."

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iPad2 may have a supply problem

Published: March. 18, 2011 at 1:03 PM

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 18 (UPI) -- Electronic parts monitor iSuppli said production of Apple's recently launched iPad2 could be curtailed due to the earthquake in Japan.

The firm said at least five critical parts of the tablet computer were made in Japan, including a NAND flash made by Toshiba Corp, the touch screen overlay glass, produced by Asahi Glass Co., and the battery, produced by Apple Japan Inc., The Apple Blog reported Friday.

A 9-magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami March 11 left thousands of people dead and shut down many of Japan's industrial businesses.

The company iSuppli breaks down products to their component parts and says identifying where the parts originate is not always possible.

The Apple Blog said there are alternative suppliers for some of the iPad2's components.

The NAND flash can be produced by Samsung in South Korea and by Micron Technology, a U.S. company.

Industry analyst Wayne Lam at IHS, however, said it was unlikely the battery for the iPad2 could be made anywhere but Japan.

"The iPad2's lithium-ion polymer battery is unusually thin," he said. "It likely requires advanced battery cell manufacturing technologies that reside in Japan," he said.

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iPad2 launch: Never mind the Budget blues – today is must-have Friday

Jon Enoch Photography ltd

Apple stores are preparing for frenzied scenes as the second generation of its groundbreaking tablet device goes on sale in the UK from 5pm today

Reports of its elegant design and sleek, wipe-clean surface have had would-be purchasers rubbing their hands in anticipation. But the official royal wedding loving cup – the latest addition to the official Royal Collection celebrating the impending nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton – isn't the only eagerly awaited purchase to become available today.

Two much-hyped new gadgets, the iPad2 and the Nintendo 3DS, also hit UK stores today, in a convergence of product releases that have caused some to dub it "must-have Friday".

Apple stores are preparing for frenzied scenes as the second generation of its groundbreaking tablet device goes on sale in the UK from 5pm today. Analysts estimate that Apple sold 500,000 iPad2 devices on its first day of sale in the US, and huge queues are expected to build during the day for the ￡399 upgrade, which adds front and rear-facing cameras to a thinner-designed model. The queue outside the Apple Store in London's Regent Street was headed by Jewels Lewis, 32, who began waiting at 7.30am yesterday. By the time he gets the new iPad he will have waited 33 hours.

Nintendo, meanwhile, was hoping to steal a march on the iPad by releasing its ￡179 3DS console, which allows users to play games and films in 3D without wearing glasses, at midnight last night.

Nintendo said it had received 140,000 pre-order sales on Amazon for the handheld device, which was made available at midnight openings at HMV stores across Britain.

Nintendo and Apple both maintained that European supplies of their gadgets would not be affected by component shortages caused by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Some gadget-hungry customers are expected to commute from the late-night Nintendo store openings to Apple. But the iPad is also expected to be available for collection at launch from Argos and John Lewis, while Orange is offering a ￡200 iPad contract deal at its flagship London store.

But Luke Peters, editor of T3, the gadget magazine, warned that "must-have Friday" could turn into "must-return Saturday". "I gave the 3DS to my nieces to play with and the 3D began to hurt the eyes," he said. "Nintendo have to be clear about their warnings that it is not suitable for children aged six and under."

Peters predicted that gadget fans would be most excited about the iPad. "A lot of our readers said they were waiting for the second generation device with cameras for face-to-face conferencing."

The queues for iPads and 3DSs may not be quite as well-mannered as those for the latest must-have item of royal wedding memorabilia – the official William and Catherine loving cup. But the cachet of exclusivity is comparable. Only 1,000 of the double-handed mugs, which retail at ￡125, are available through Royal Collection gift shops.

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iPad2 coming to Hong Kong, Singapore in April

And misses the Philippines, again. April isn’t really that far so we might be seeing more affordable iPad2′s in the local grey market (cheaper than the 36k we’re seeing). No specific date in April was made but that should be under 30 days.

Hong Kong and Singapore was also ahead of the Philippines during the first international release of the first generation iPad.

If we follow the same “delay” as last year, it could get some 4 or 5 months after April before we see the official Philippine release to happen.

Here’s that important part of the press release from Apple:

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April, and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

The iPad2 in Hong Kong will have an estimated retail price of HK$3,888 while it will be about SG$728 in Singapore.

We’re also running a poll here asking whether people are interested in buying the upcoming iPad 2. Head over there and share your opinions.

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Hundreds queue as iPad2 release nears

LONG QUEUES: The iPad2 goes on sale at the Chermside Apple store. Pic: Glenn Barnes Source: The Courier-Mail

The new Apple iPad 2 will be in stores this Friday

ABOUT 300 iPad enthusiasts lined up outside the Chermside Apple store from 5.30 this morning to get their hands on the new iPad 2.

But it was a long wait, with Apple holding the new release until 5pm.

At 3pm, Apple closed the store and handed out "Golden Tickets", guaranteeing those at the start of the queue didn't miss out.

They wouldn't say how many they had in stock - and how many in the queue would go home empty-handed.

Mickey Pascoe, 22, felt safe towards the front of the line, where he'd been waiting since 6.45am, armed with a sleeping bag, laptop and plenty of food.

"I was surprised at how many people were there already," he said.

"I knew they were going to sell out and that if I didn't line up, I wouldn't get one for months."

Those who order their iPad online will have to wait at least four weeks for delivery according to the Apple website.

The new model costs around $50 to $100 less than the original version, ranging from $579 for the most basic to $949 for a 64GB, 3G model.

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iPad2 coming to Hong Kong, Singapore in April

And misses the Philippines, again. April isn’t really that far so we might be seeing more affordable iPad2′s in the local grey market (cheaper than the 36k we’re seeing). No specific date in April was made but that should be under 30 days.

Hong Kong and Singapore was also ahead of the Philippines during the first international release of the first generation iPad.

 

If we follow the same “delay” as last year, it could get some 4 or 5 months after April before we see the official Philippine release to happen.

Here’s that important part of the press release from Apple:

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April, and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

The iPad2 in Hong Kong will have an estimated retail price of HK$3,888 while it will be about SG$728 in Singapore.

We’re also running a poll here asking whether people are interested in buying the upcoming iPad 2. Head over there and share your opinions.

View the original article here

Apple Delays iPad2 Launch in Japan

{"s" : "rimm","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Zacks Equity Research, On Wednesday March 16, 2011, 9:30 am EDT

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is postponing the launch of iPad2 in Japan, following the earthquakes and tsunami that hit the north-eastern coast of Japan on March 11. The company has also been forced to close down a retail store in the quake-affected city of Sendai.

Apple had planned to release the tablet computer in Japan and 25 other countries on March 25. Apple did not set any new release date for Japan, but said that it will go ahead with the launch of iPad 2 in other countries like Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

The iPad product line is the fastest-selling technology product in history, in terms of revenue, according to Creative Strategies Inc. Analysts believe that Apple may have sold more than 500,000 iPad2 in its debut weekend, after retail outlets ran out of the tablet-style device since its arrival on March 11.

Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on the very first day of launch in April, 2010. The company sold more than 15 million units in the first nine months of launch, including 7.3 million units to holiday shoppers during the December quarter.

Apple reported sales of about $4 billion in Japan (6.1% of the total revenue) in 2010. Approximately 5.0% of Apple's revenue came from Japan in the December quarter. Revenue from the country rose 83.0% in the period to $1.4 billion.

According to Piper Jaffray, iPad2 sales are expected to surpass the previous estimate of 5.5 million units for the current quarter, which ends on March 31, 2011. We believe that the iPad2’s international roll out will be equally successful.

Despite the decline in Apple’s market share in tablet computers (down to 73.0% from 93.0% in the September quarter), research firm IDC expects the company to maintain 70%–80% market share through 2011, primarily due to the launch of iPad2. Based on IDC estimates, Apple will ship a minimum of 35 million tablets in 2011.

Piper Jaffray estimates that revenue loss from the Japan crisis will be negligible in this quarter, at less than 1.0% of sales. For the June quarter, the negative impact is expected to be less than 3.0%.

Recommendation

We believe that strong demand for iPad2 will provide Apple a competitive edge, even as competitors, including Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI), Samsung Electronics Co., Research In Motion Ltd. (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) continue to introduce tablet computers to compete with iPad2.

We continue to believe that Apple will outperform its peers given its strong iPad and iPhone sales and new product launches. With a loyal customer base, international expansion, competitive pricing strategy and solid cash in hand, we remain positive on its long-term growth.

However, a prolonged crisis in Japan, particularly a nuclear catastrophe can affect Apple due to supply shortages, particularly for components like flash memory.

We have an Outperform rating on Apple over the long term (6-12 months). Currently, Apple has a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating.

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Cramer: I Couldn't Buy An iPad2

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iPad2: worth the wait

Customers and store employees talk about covers for the new iPad2 at the AT&T store at 14th Street and Lewis Avenue on Friday. The store had only five of the new iPad2s in stock when they went on sale at 5 p.m. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World

By far, the retailer garnering the most interest in the device was the Apple Store at Woodland Hills mall – more than 200 people formed a line all the way to the mall's front entrance in hopes of purchasing the product.

The new version of Apple's tablet, which boasts faster speeds, a trimmer body and cameras on the front and back, officially went on sale at retail stores at 5 p.m. Friday.

Kent Tillery arrived before 5 o'clock. He and two other people were the first to set up camp in front of the Apple Store at 6 a.m.

"We've taken turns to go on bathroom breaks and get food," Tillery said.

Although he and his friends were interested in iPads, they were being paid to wait in line by Mark and Cindy Neely, proprietors of the Invisible Shield by Zagg kiosk adjacent the Apple Store. Cindy said the Neelys couldn't keep their screen protector sales site open and stand in line themselves to buy an iPad2.

"We'll have one on display here, and the rest are personal," she said.

The tablet, unveiled by Apple during a media event March 2, is the follow-up to the first iPad, which sold briskly after its release a year ago and inspired a flurry of competing tablet computers.

Several people in the Apple Store line passed the time Friday poking away at their first-generation iPads, including Eric Weber.

He

said he waited in line for all three of the first iPhones and pre-ordered the iPhone 4 and the original iPad. The iPad2 wasn't available for pre-order, but Weber, who said he arrived at 1 p.m., didn't mind.

"I'm an Apple fan, and coming out here is part of the experience," he said.

Weber said he was purchasing an iPad2 partially so he could write programs for it via his business, SmartMax Software Inc., and partially for his own enjoyment.

"I like that it's faster, thinner and lighter," he said. "It's supposed to be a better tablet experience."

Paula Quillin, who arrived in line at 4:30 p.m., was approximately 170 people from the front.

"I wasn't expecting the line to get this long," she said.

She was hopeful she could get an iPad2, but was nervous about supplies being exhausted by the strong turnout.

Other retailers offering the iPad2 had smaller crowds, although people still arrived early.

Rebecca Waldo showed up before 4 p.m. at the AT&T Wireless store near 14th Street and Lewis Avenue.

"I'm getting it for my husband, Colby," she said. "He told me to just order it online, but I told him I wanted it today."

D.J. Meeker, manager of the AT&T store, said he received only six iPad2s, but he expects to get more soon.

"Our employees have done a lot of training and learning what the new iPad can do," he said.

Terry Rackley, district retail manager for Verizon Wireless, didn't disclose how many units his stores received. But he said he expects the iPad2 will be even a better seller than the original iPad.

"We're definitely excited to have it, since it really boosts our portfolio," he said.
Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com

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iPad2, an inflation buster, debuts

Published: March. 11, 2011 at 6:49 PM

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 11 (UPI) -- Long lines greeted the retail launch of Apple's iPad2, a good example of price inflation on hold, the president of the New York Federal Reserve said Friday.

New York Fed President William Dudley during a speaking engagement in Queens, N.Y., said, "Today, you can buy an iPad2 that costs the same as an iPad1, that's twice as powerful," The Wall Street Journal reported.

His remark did not go over so well, the Journal reported. Dudley was trying to explain that low inflation was a sign of a slow economy, the Journal said.

Lines were reported at Apple stores in San Francisco and New York, Apple Insider reported. Apple released its newest tablet computer at 5 p.m. EST, but was mum on why it chose that particular hour to release its newest gadget.

The successor to the iPad was available at Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Verizon and AT&T stores at 5 p.m. and at Apple's online store at 4 a.m., which allowed lines to remain smaller than for some of Apple's other blockbuster releases. At its San Francisco store, Apple staff members rolled carts of refreshments up and down the sidewalk to keep about 140 people in line in good cheer.

The device Apple calls "magical" is 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter than the previous iPad, which boasts sales of 15 million. It features an A5 dual core processor "for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics," the company said in a statement.

Apple suggested the device sell for the same price as the iPad. The 16GB tablet with WiFi sells for $499, the 32GB model has a suggested retail price of $599, and a 64GB model goes for $699.

A second version, with WiFi and 3G capability, would start at $629 and run up to $829 for the 64GB model.

The WiFi and 3G version, compatible with the Verizon network, would be available in the United States only, Apple said.

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Apple's iPad2 Ships Today

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Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) will kick start sales of iPad2, its second generation tablet computer with additional features this afternoon. Enthusiasts can also order for the iPad2 online from 1 am PST onward, well before it goes on sale from 5p.m local time at various Apple outlets in the United States. The iPad 2 will also be available for sale on Apple’s website from 4a.m.

From Friday onward, the iPad2 will not only be available at carriers AT&T (NYSE: T - News) and Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ - News), but also in Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News), Target (NYSE: TGT - News) and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News) stores.

?Apple sold over 300,000 iPads on the very first day of its launch in April, 2010. It sold more than 15 million in the first nine months of its launch, which included 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the December quarter.

The new iPad2 comes with essentially the same appearance but with some functional improvements from its original version. The most significant of these is the two-way camera system, including the front facing VGA camera and the rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video facilitating video conferencing. It also has the Photo Booth software for capturing video and still images. ?

The speed enhancement is also significant, with the new A5 processor chip expected to be nine times faster and deliver superior graphics performance.

However, the price tag remains the same at $499 to $829, depending on storage space and cellular connectivity. The 16GB model is priced at $499, 32GB model will cost $599 and the 64GB model (only for the Wi-Fi model) will dent your purse at $699.?

The other model with both Wi-Fi and 3G will be available at $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. From March 25, 2011, Apple will begin shipping iPad 2 overseas, reaching out to 26 countries including the U.K., Germany and Japan.

The iPad2 comes with a LED-backlit LCD touch screen that measures 9.7 inches (25 cm) and weighs a mere 1.3 pounds, which is at least 15.0% lighter than the previous version. The iPad 2 is only 8.8 millimeters thick making it 33.0% thinner than the original version.

iPad 2 is available in two colors, black and white and ?comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, with new features including Safari mobile browsing performance, iTunes Home Sharing and AirPlay. There are 65,000 apps specifically made for the iPad available at the Apple app store.

Our Take

Competition in the tablet market is heating up as several new companies are flocking to the market with their impressive product line up. Apple already competes with Dell Inc’s (NasdaqGS: DELL - News) Streak, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Toshiba’s SmartPad, as well as Acer and Lenovo. Most of these tablets are based on Google’s (NasdaqGS: GOOG - News) Android OS. Additionally, Motorola and Research in Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) are all set to join the bandwagon with their Xoom and PlayBook, respectively

Apple is determined to protect its share in the tablet market through iPad 2. The aggressive pricing, with the start-up model at $499 appears much better than Motorola’s Xoom, which is priced at $800.

We continue to believe that Apple will outperform its peers given its strong iPad and iPhone sales and new product launches. The company is expected to benefit immensely from iPad2, the new version.

Thus, we have an Outperform rating on Apple over the long term. Currently, Apple has a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating.

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Spotlight on the iPad2

But as enthusiastic as reviewers and early adopters of the device were, criticisms surfaced as well. For example, the iPad's lack of USB or Ethernet ports and glossy screen were consistently cited as shortcomings.

Now, Apple is upping the ante again with the iPad2, released in the United States last week and arriving in other countries over coming weeks. The big questions are: will the latest iPad solve the problems of the original? And will it tempt you to hand over your hard-earned cash to buy one? Read on for some answers.

What's new about the iPad2?

Apple has made the iPad2 faster, thinner, lighter, more powerful and more versatile than the original iPad. And it has done so while keeping the starting price - at about US$499 (Bt15,146) for a base model - the same as the previous generation iPad.

Notable features are a dual-core processor at the heart of the device, which Apple claims is twice as fast as that of the previous iPad, more powerful graphics designed to do justice to fast-moving games and battery life that's better than the original iPad's by about an hour.

Perhaps most interesting, the iPad2 has two integrated cameras - one on the front and one on the back. The two cameras are there so that you can use the device for different purposes. The camera that faces you as you look into the iPad2, for example, can be used to capture your image for video chats or Skype video sessions. The other camera can be used as a more traditional movie or still camera. Point your iPad at something you want to film, and let it roll.

Apple has also taken note of the most useful accessory that owners bought for the original iPad - a cover for the screen - and has included one with the iPad2. However, Apple's is not just any old cover. It can be folded in upon itself several times and turned into a stand that makes the device easy to view while sitting on a desk or your lap.

The iPad2 also sports upgraded WiFi compatibility, with the 802.11n standard, for much faster surfing and downloads when connected via an 802.11n hotspot. 3G connectivity is also standard, for use with mobile-carrier networks that support it.

Finally, the device's interface boasts features that iPhone 4 users enjoy, including an "accelerometer" that allows you to rotate the device to landscape mode and have whatever you're watching adjust itself automatically, as well as "multi-touch" technology, which enables you to move and manipulate objects on the screen with your fingers in a very intuitive manner.

Does the iPad2 fix the shortcomings of the previous model?

If you're talking about the original iPad's lack of a USB or Ethernet port, you'll have to keep waiting. Some also complained that the original iPad lacked a memory-card slot. So does the iPad2. Complaints such as these are made by those worrying how they will connect the iPad to various data sources. However, Apple does sell an iPad camera-connection kit that allows users to import photos and videos from a digital camera using the camera's USB cable or an SD card.

Some people also complained about the original iPad's screen, claiming that while it was fine for surfing the web, playing games and viewing multimedia content, it was not as well suited to long periods of reading. The same holds true for iPad2, which has a backlit screen rather than the e-Ink non-backlit screen featured by devices such as Amazon's Kindle. The iPad2, in short, is less of an e-reader than it is a general media consumption and creation device. Perhaps even more disappointing, the iPad2 does not even incorporate a larger version of the iPhone 4's "retina display" technology, which renders graphics and text at a resolution so fine that the human eye cannot detect pixelation.

So the base price is $499. How much will the iPad2 really cost? And will the original iPad now be cheaper?

With the base model of the iPad2, you get WiFi connectivity and 16GB of memory; the next model up, with 32GB, will retail for around $100 more; the next higher model, with 64 GB, will cost yet another $100.

There's another class of iPad2, however, with both WiFi and 3G connectivity. This series starts at $629, again with more memory increasing the price by $100 dollars each time.

You will want the WiFi plus 3G model if you wish to connect the device to information sources both at home and while on the road.

.

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iPad2 Receives Great Response

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Apple Inc.’s (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) much-hyped tablet computer iPad2 received a blockbuster response in its debut weekend. Analysts believe that Apple may have sold more than 500,000 iPad2s after retail outlets ran out of the tablet-style device since its arrival on March 11.

iPad2 is available at more than 236 retail stores in the U.S. and also at thousands of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - News), Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ - News), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News), Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT - News) and Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT - News) stores.

iPad2 was also available online at Apple’s website, expected to be delivered to customers in less than a weeks’ time. However, due to the exceptionally strong demand, Apple has extended the delivery time to up to a month for online orders.

According to Piper Jaffray, iPad2 sales are expected to surpass the previous estimate of 5.5 million units for the current quarter, which ends on March 31, 2011. The analyst also noted that 70.0% of the iPad2 customers were first-time buyers, which suggests increased product adoption for Apple.

From March 25, 2011, Apple will begin shipping iPad 2 overseas to 26 countries including the U.K., Germany, Belgium and Japan. We believe that the international roll out will be equally successful.

According to research firm IDC, Apple’s share of the tablet market slipped to 73% in the December quarter, from 93% in the September quarter. Samsung, with its Galaxy Tab tablet, which uses Google Inc’s (GOOG) Android, was the only competitor of note, coming a distant second with 17% of market share.

However, IDC expects Apple to maintain 70%–80% market share through 2011, primarily due to the launch of iPad2. Based on IDC estimates, Apple will ship a minimum of 35 million tablets in 2011.

Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on the very first day of its launch in April, 2010. The company sold more than 15 million in the first nine months of its launch, which included 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the December quarter.

We believe that strong demand for iPad2 will provide Apple a competitive edge, as competitors, including Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (NYSE: MMI - News), Samsung Electronics Co., Research In Motion Ltd. (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ - News) continue to introduce tablet computers to compete with iPad2. According to consultancy firm PRTM, there are 102 tablets from 64 makers either on sale or in the development stage.

iPad2 Features

The new iPad2 comes with essentially the same appearance but with some functional improvements from its original version. The most significant of these is the two-way camera system, including the front facing VGA camera and the rear-facing camera that captures 720 pixel (0.7 mega pixels) HD video facilitating video conferencing. It also has the Photo Booth software for capturing video and still images.

The speed enhancement is also significant, with the new A5 processor chip expected to be nine times faster and deliver superior graphics performance.

The previous version lacked the second camera and given its speed limit, more than one application could not run on the iPad at the same time.

The iPad2 comes with a LED-backlit LCD touch screen that measures 9.7 inches (25 cm) and weighs a mere 1.3 pounds, which is at least 15.0% lighter than the previous version. The iPad 2 is only 8.8 millimeters thick making it 33.0% thinner than the original version.

iPad 2 is available in two colors, black and white and comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, with new features including Safari mobile browsing performance, iTunes Home Sharing and AirPlay. There are 65,000 apps specifically made for the iPad available at the Apple app store.

However, iPad2 does not have a USB or SD port and does not support 4G wireless. Apple’s reluctance in using Flash is a defect in our view, as it still makes up a large portion of interactive and animated Web content compared to HTML5, which will take some time to ramp (not before 2014).

iPad2 is priced in the range of $499 to $829, depending on storage space and cellular connectivity. The 16GB model is priced at $499, the 32GB model will cost $599 and the 64GB model (Wi-Fi only model) costs around $699.

The other model with both Wi-Fi and 3G will be available at $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. The fact that there is no contractual commitment for 3G models hugely differentiates iPad2 from other Android tablets, many of which require multi-year data contracts.

According to a survey conducted by Piper Jaffray, 47% of customers paid an extra $130 for a 3G model, while 41.0% bought the 32GB model, rather than the entry-level 16GB model.

According to the research firm IHS ISuppli, materials used in the iPad2 cost about $326.60, up from $320.0 for the earlier version. However, we believe this increase in material cost will not have any significant effect on iPad2 pricing.

Recommendation

Despite some minor glitches, iPad2 will be a major revenue contributor for Apple, in our view. Apple is bent on protecting its share in the tablet market through the launch of iPad 2. The aggressive pricing, with the start-up model at $499 appears much better than Motorola’s Xoom, which is priced at $800.

We continue to believe that Apple will outperform its peers given its strong iPad and iPhone sales and new product launches.

We have an Outperform rating on Apple over the long term (6-12 months). Currently, Apple has a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short-term Buy rating.

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Fla. iPad2 Buyers: Tablet's Speed Great, Camera a Mixed Bag

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The iPad 2 went on sale on March 11, bringing Christmas early to Apple fans in Sarasota. The iPad 2 replaced the original iPad version, which sold 15 million since its April 2010 release. The iPad2 has an enhanced processor, is thinner and lighter and includes cameras on both sides for video chat.

Here is what some of the Sarasota area residents said about their purchase the day after their purchase.

* “Unlike most, I didn't purchase the first. I can't compare it. I bought it so I can talk to my husband while he is on the road. So far, so good. The only thing I don't like is that it freezes up. However, that may be because of the area I live in. I love the video camera on both the rear and the front; makes it easier for video chat." -- Nicole Stolzer, homemaker, Osprey

* “I am liking the iPad 2. It seems to be faster than the original iPad. This is an upgrade for me. My kid who is in college at Florida State will be getting the original iPad. It seems to be a lot faster than the first one, and the double-sided camera is great. Now if I want to annoy my daughter, I can see the goofy faces I make." -- David Mitchell, mason, Sarasota

* “I bought because my grandkids recommended it. We bought the first one for them, and they seemed to like it. My husband like that he can watch movies on it. This will make it easier when we travel up north. As it stands, I have yet to find anything that we don't like, but then I have to use it. My husband has used it the whole time." -- Mary Johan, retired, Sarasota

* “I don't like that they didn't upgrade the camera feature, as far as pixilation. I could use a point and shoot film camera and get better quality. But everything else is wicked fast compared to the original iPad. I guess I will have to get over the camera aspect because the high-speed features out-weigh the low mega-pixel photos." -- Rick Brybiman, musician, Bradenton

* “I was set out to get an iPad2. If this location didn't have it when I got here, I was going to go to the other locations. I love my original iPad touch, but this one is far beyond the original. The graphics are clearer. Everything moves quicker. The camera on both-sides works awesome. It doesn't freeze up for me, unlike the original. I am stoked I got one at the first store." -- Jack Lewis, student, Sarasota

* “I am glad they have a 30-day return policy. I am not happy at all. It is too difficult to use for my non-computer brain. The guy in the store told me that even I could use it. However, I have no clue how to turn on the camera, record things, watch a movie, or anything else that the store rep told me I could do. Not happy at all. To difficult for someone my age (58) to use." -- Elgin Willis, retired, Bird Key

* “It's a tech device, so I realize there is going to be issue. However, for what I paid for it, Steve Jobs should be ashamed of himself. I love taking photos of my kids, and the camera has [bad resolution]. My Android phone has a better camera. The video chat app has shut down three times in the midst of conversation. Not happy at all, but willing to bite the bullet unless tech support can offer me a solution." -- Jymie de Lauga, teacher, Siesta Key

* “Oh, the iPad 2 totally rocks. I can totally watch movie and play video games anytime I want and it is not hard to do. Just push a little icon on the screen, and bam, there you go. The only thing I don't like is that [Apple] didn't [include a good] camera. I mean, where I live there is always cool things going on, and without a good camera, I don't want to post them on Facebook." -- Jessie Bryman, student, Sarasota

* “For the price, you would expect top notch quality. The speed and dependability is there in my new iPad2, but some of the apps don't work very well. The camera is terrible. I think I had a better film camera back in the early 1990s. I teach art, so how would I tell a student to buy this machine when it has crappy quality? Oh well, I do get to watch movies and play chess anytime with no worries. I didn't have the original iPad, so this is a treat for me." -- Dallas Montgomery, teacher, Bradenton

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iPad2 Frenzy Grips Consumers, Worries Tablet Makers

Apple sold a million pieces of iPad2 during the first weekend of arrival as per a Reuters report. The new tablets flew off the shelves, ten times as faster as the original iPad which took 28 days to sell its first million. Few stores ran out of stock within 10 minutes of launch. Consumers in Manhattan and San Francisco braved rain and winter winds making a beeline for the product with nearly a 1000 people queuing overnight to become the first users. The new generation Tab has several advanced features is twice as fast, but lighter and slimmer and importantly with the same price.

Sold at Apple, AT&T and Verizon Wireless outlets as well as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy Stores, besides Apple online stores, it became impossible to find iPad stocks by the end of the weekend. Consumers will now have to wait till supplies are bolstered by Apple next week, justifying the long lines and Apple’s 61% market share of the Tablet market.

When Steve Jobs defied market rumors and pancreatic cancer to return briefly to unveil the iPad2 a week ago to a select San Francisco audience, he had already dented the confidence of upcoming market players. Apple was? launching the second generation variant of an immensely popular and proven product with an aggressive $499 pricing, just when its competitors were getting ready for their first generation offerings.

Gartner analyst Van Baker rightly summed up its success with the words “The hardware is as good as anything on the market, the price is still very aggressive, and the software just buries the competition,” What chance would the yet to be tested Motorola Mobility’s Xoom, or RIM’s Blackberry Playbook, HP Touchpad, LG G Slate, ACER Iconia Tab or HTC flyer have with a higher pricing between $600 to $800 against the formidable iPad2. Virtually none claimed analysts, saying that Apple’s latest launch would have sent others scurrying back to the drawing board to rework their product design and prices.

That leaves the only competitor to have successfully entered the Tab market the Samsung Galaxy Tab worth a consideration. It’s very popular

7” model is priced higher at $599 at Amazon online or at Verizon but is available also at $399 on a 2 year contract with Sprint and T-Mobile. Launched during end November 2010 it has sold well over a million pieces mainly in Europe and the emerging markets. Samsung has also unveiled the 10” Galaxy Tab at the Barcelona fair in January but its pricing will be hard hit when it comes to the market in April. If the product price exceeds the iPad2 it could bomb in the price sensitive emerging markets that it operates in. Apple’s plans to ship its new tablet to over 25 destinations worldwide would surely be giving Samsung and other players the jitters.

Sandip Sen

I love to write on anything and everything under the sun from Project Management to Poetry, Economics to Travel and Technology. But most of all I love to write about our planet earth, about which you can read more in my blog Ecology to Economics.

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iPad2 Makes Debut in United States

A display advertises the iPad in the window of Apple Computer's North Michgan Avenue store in Chicago on April 3, 2010. Apple's new tablet device went on sale Saturday at the company's more than 200 retail outlets in the United States, as well as many Best Buy stores. UPI/Brian Kersey

iPad2 is now officially available for customers in the United States. On Friday morning, U.S. technology giant Apple readied its iPad2 for retail shelves, but was mum on why it was waiting until 5 p.m. EST.

The successor to the iPad was to bow at Best Buy, Target, Walmart and Verizon and AT&T stores at 5 p.m. and at Apple's online store at 4 a.m., the company said.

The device Apple calls "magical" is 33 percent thinner than the iPad, which boasts sales of 15 million, and 15 percent lighter. It features an A5 dual core processor "for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics," the firm said in a statement.

Apple said one version of the tablet with Wi-Fi would be sold for $499 for a 16GB model and another, a 32GB model would have a suggested retail price of $599, with a 64GB model going for $699.

A second version, with Wi-Fi and 3G capability would start at $629 and run up to $829 for the 64 GB model.

The Wi-Fi and 3G version, compatible with the Verizon network, would be available in the United States only, Apple said.

Source: UPI

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Dell's Number Two In The PC Market Again, Thanks To The iPad

Arik Hesseldahl, On Thursday March 10, 2011, 8:20 pm EST

Having languished in third place behind Hewlett-Packard and Acer for some time, Dell finally scrambled its way back to the PC market’s number two spot during the fourth quarter of 2010, a new survey by research firm iSuppli says. What’s strange is the unusual quarter from which Dell got some help: Apple’s iPad.

Acer had a tough time in the consumer market as the iPad cut into its consumer netbook sales, giving Dell, still strong in the healthy market for corporate PCs, the opportunity it needed to edge ahead of Acer by nearly two percentage points. ISuppli analyst Matthew Wilkins says it looks like a “firm lead.” Dell also edged out Acer for the number two spot for the entire year, iSuppli says. (Table courtesy iSuppli.)

Overall, iSuppli says the fourth quarter set a record for overall PC shipments with more than 93 million units, up nearly 5 percent from the same period in 2009. For the year, global PC shipments amounted to 345.4 million units, up 14.2 percent from 302.4 million in 2009.

Lately PC market analysts have been blaming Apple and its industry-changing iPad — the second iteration of which goes on sale tomorrow – for damaging the fortunes of PC makers. In this odd case it’s being seen as hurting one to the advantage of another. I have to wonder if Michael Dell feels at all thankful.

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PC Journal: Emotion carried Brooks on Senior Night

PROVIDENCE — Only a few years ago, Marshon Brooks was the wide-eyed youngster needling the seniors on their last night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Don’t cry, he warned. Be a man.

A few quick years later, Brooks was the senior star preparing for the final home game of his Providence College career. With his mother, Darlyn, by his side, Brooks had trouble not shedding a tear or two as he was introduced to the crowd before Saturday night’s game against Rutgers.

“I wasn’t going to cry but it was my mom,” he said. “All the fellas were watching me. They were saying, ‘You going to cry, you going to cry.’ They were saying that all day.”

After surviving the pre-game emotions, Brooks ended his career in front of the Friar fans a hero. His running, bank shot with 13 seconds left gave the Friars the cushion they needed to cap off a stirring comeback and beat Rutgers, 75-74. Brooks finished with a game-high 28 points.

“They don’t understand. I didn’t understand,” Brooks said of his teammates. “When it’s your night it gets a little emotional. This crowd has been so great to me.”

The crowd paused at one moment and gave Brooks a standing ovation when he drained a second-half 3-point shot. The hoop made him the Big East’s new single-season scoring leader, surpassing ex-UConn great Donyell Marshall. Brooks’ new scoring record is 468 points, for an even 26.0 points a game. That is the second-highest scoring average in PC’s Big East history, trailing only Eric Murdock’s 27.2 average set in 1991.

After the final seconds ticked off the clock, Brooks went to the scorer’s table and grabbed the microphone from Frank Carpano.

“Just to know that the whole state is behind you gets you kind of emotional sometimes,” he said. “They’ve been here through the ups and downs so I just wanted to thank the Friar fans for that. I figured I’d say something to them because I’ll never play here again so I figured they could hear my voice walking out of the arena.”

Losing it on defense

Rutgers coach Mike Rice is extremely emotional on the sidelines, barking at his players and the officials with equal ferocity. While he had to be thrilled with an offense that ripped through the Friars for 74 points on 59 percent shooting (65 percent in the second half), Rice could not hide his disappointment with his team’s defensive effort.

“Maybe they felt because we were scoring in such an easy phase that they didn’t have to defend tonight,” said Rice, whose team finished the regular season 14-16 and 5-13 in the Big East. “The intensity and commitment to defense was pathetic. It’s losing basketball and that’s why we’re a loser team.”

‘Coach’s decision’

PC sophomore guard Duke Mondy remained sidelined for the third straight game against Rutgers. The only thing the school will say about the situation is he is out for a “coach’s decision.”

Mondy did not play at either Marquette or Louisville last week amid concerns that he was involved in a legal situation. However, he has not been charged with any crime by local police. PC refuses to cite any details of Mondy’s situation but he is clearly healthy and ready to play in games.

Scoring greats together

Before the game, Brooks was presented with a commemorative ball to celebrate his Big East record 52-point effort against Notre Dame. Joining Brooks were two all-time great Friars in Eric Murdock and Marvin Barnes. Murdock, who is now the director of player development at Rutgers, held the previous Big East scoring record of 48 points set back in 1991. Brooks tied the school record of 52 points set by Barnes in 1973.

Around the rim

Another star of the past, Austin Croshere, was also on hand. Croshere was inducted into the PC athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night….The Ryan Gomes-led foundation Hoops for Heart Health presented two defibrillators to local organizations during a first-half timeout. The Davey Lopes Center and Providence Country Day School both received the devices, which Gomes hopes will prevent sudden heart attacks by athletes.

kmcnamar@projo.com

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Dell's No. 2 in PC market again, thanks to the iPad

jetscott: Of course, wife's reaction: disorientation. She thinks it's a gimmick. She's right, but I'm wondering if any apps will warm her up to it.

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gamigo Announces Elements Of War Online

Hamburg - In Elements of War Online, gamigo's new real time strategy MMOG, players find themselves in a dystopian future in which Russian forces have allied with Europe and invaded the USA. The continental United States have became war-torn battlezones where both sides launch strange and futuristic element weapons at one another.

On the dynamic map players can view the battling hordes and send their armies into battle. Strategic teamwork and the tactical know-how of up to eight players per match will decide whether the faction will be able to occupy and keep that sector.

Commanders select, train and equip a variety of different units to create an army and head off into the fray of combat. Thousands of players battle against one another to win the upper hand for their side. If the weather cooperates, that is. The effects of experimental element weapons such as artificial tornados and storms can make or break a battle.

Beta testing of Elements of War Online will start this quarter. Further information can be found soon on the game's website.

Features at a glance:
Tactical map with 50 different battle zones 16 maps (forest, desert, town, plains, hills, snow) Element weapons )earthquakes, tornadoes, thunder, electro-magnetic pulses, storms) 2 playable factions (USA, Russia); more factions are in planning 31 unit types for each faction (infantry, vehicles, planes,
helicopters) Experimental units (such as units with modern armor and uniforms) Up to 8 players on one map (4-on-4) Units gather experience and gain ranks, can be equipped and learn skills Destroyable environment
About gamigo AG
gamigo AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axel Springer AG, was founded in 2001 and has grown to become one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOGs in Europe. Since 2010, gamigo also publishes its games globally. A team of 100 employees works in the company headquarters in Hamburg and its branch office in New York City. The key to success is the emphasis on publishing high-quality games supervised by first-rate community management. The portfolio includes games from all ends of the gaming spectrum - from Facebook games and browser-based games to elaborate MMORPGs. Get the latest gaming news delivered to your inbox.

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The Sims Medieval Exclusive Hands-On: Kingdoms, Heroes, Role-Playing, and Everything Else [PC]

We dig deep into this unusual Sims game in this exclusive report and come away with magic potions, royal edicts, and a day or two in the stocks.

The Sims Medieval is the next chapter in the Sims series, and while it's not quite a full sequel, it is a step in a decidedly different direction. The Sims games generally start you off at a character creation screen and wait politely for you to create whichever character you like from any age group, shape, or size. Medieval, on the other hand, begins with a tongue-in-cheek opening movie narrated by the always-delightful Sir Patrick Stewart, who explains that in the days of old, little computer people aspired to lead lives of virtue and glory, except that they were too dumb. All seemed lost until their almighty deity, The Watcher (that's you), stepped in to help them lead better lives. GameSpot had the opportunity to dive deep into this upcoming game by hunkering down and playing it from the start, and we have much to report.

Sir Patrick Stewart introduces The Sims Medieval as perhaps only he can. Engage!

A new game of Medieval begins very differently than a new game of The Sims. Rather than suggest that you create a new character or move into an existing house, Medieval starts you out at the "kingdom ambition" screen and requires you to choose one of 12 different ambitions for your kingdom--long-term goals that include having a wealthy populace, expanding your demesne efficiently, or spreading one of the game's two religious denominations. Later ambitions unlock after you complete earlier ones--all players must start with the "new beginnings" ambition, which acts both as a full-fledged quest line and as starter material for new players. But don't worry--Medieval also has plenty of the pop-up tip help you've come to know and love from the original Sims games.

At first, your kingdom's monarch is the only character available for play, but you can at least choose to play as a pre-built character or to use Medieval's create-a-sim mode to make a new one. As we've mentioned previously, Medieval's create-a-sim mode is entirely different than what we've seen in previous games, and it comes loaded with all-new sets of clothing and hairstyles better suited to a Middle Ages-era game, including ornate armor sets, wizardly robes, and all manner of winsome new ladies' hairstyles. Medieval has a modified version of The Sims 3's trait system that lets you choose two personality traits (from a list of 21) and a fatal flaw (from a different list of 21) to add to your character. While Sims 3 favorites like evil, good, and excitable make their return to the traits list, there are plenty of new traits, like adventurous (becomes happier when seeking offscreen adventure) and "whale ate my parents," which is just what it sounds like. Fatal flaws include personality blemishes like "insecure" and "cowardly," as well as baser issues like "compulsive gambler" (which will detract from your character's focus if you don't step up to the gambling table every now and then) and "bloodthirsty" (which will make you less focused if you don't challenge someone to a fistfight or a duel sometime soon).

Focus is what determines your level of success. In Medieval, if you're not building out your kingdom, you're playing as one or more characters, and if you're playing as one or more characters, you've already accepted a quest. Character gameplay happens only once you've taken a specific quest and chosen a particular sim (and one or more assistants) to undertake it. However, once you are under way, the next step in your quest helpfully appears onscreen as an icon, and the next point of contact you need to meet in the world helpfully appears as a different floating icon--and clicking on this icon will immediately order your sim to walk right up to that quest character to complete the next step of your journey.

Quest progress is tracked by a meter on the left side of the screen that's reminiscent of The Sims 2's lifetime wish meter, and it even changes color from bronze to silver to gold to platinum the more "focused" your character gets. Focus comes from keeping your character happy and manifests itself in the form of Medieval's "moodlets"--which, just like The Sims 3's moodlets, provide minor positive and negative bonuses based on your character's actions and current needs. A compulsive gambler may suffer a moodlet that subtracts 15 focus if he hasn't hit the gambling table in a while, whereas an adventurous sim might gain a hefty positive focus bonus after going off on an adventure. The higher your focus is, the closer your meter gets to turning platinum (and if you complete your quest while your meter is platinum, you'll earn the most points for it once you've completed it). Unfortunately, characters with a negative amount of focus can't take on the next leg in their current quest, so it behooves you to keep your characters moderately happy.

As you complete quests, you'll earn kingdom points ("KP"), which you can spend to build new structures. The game's key structures, such as wizard towers, bard taverns, or guard towers, cost 40 KP (which is the usual reward for the early game's quests), and purchasing one of these structures effectively unlocks it, and the character that inhabits it, for regular play.

In keeping with the medieval European concept of caste, which separates and identifies people by their profession, all of Medieval's characters are defined by their day jobs. Each character's profession determines the character's dwelling (blacksmiths live at the smithy, knights live at the barracks, and so on). And each individual dwelling comes equipped with any individual items you may need for that character--such as an alchemy lab bench for a wizard--though depending on how much cash that character possesses, you can also open up "furnish mode" (Medieval's version of The Sims' "buy mode") and purchase new furnishings and decorations for that character's dwelling at any time.

And fortunately, each newly unlocked character dwelling also comes equipped with all the furnishings you need for basic survival. Keeping your characters alive and happy is a bit simpler in Medieval since all characters have only two "motives" (personal needs), as opposed to the traditional socializing, bathroom, and fun motives of more-traditional Sims games. This time around, all you need to worry about are hunger and energy, which can be addressed by food and bed rest, respectively. And if your character is at home, filling both of these depleted needs can be done in mere moments by using the cooking fire to serve up a bowl of bland gruel (or something better, if your sims have better ingredients in their inventory) and then hopping into a nearby bed.

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HP to Put webOS on Every Single PC it Builds in 2012

Newly "Californian-ized" CEO says he wants to save HP's "lost soul"

Many were critical of the?decision to appoint Leo Apotheker, a 57 year-old German native with little consumer retail experience and a poor business track record, to the position of chief executive officer at Hewlett-Packard Company. ?Likewise, the decisions Mr. Apotheker has made during the first few months of his tenure have done little to silence that criticism.

Mr. Apotheker, in a?recent interview?with?Business Week,?attacked his company's performance under former CEO Mark Hurd. ?He states, "HP has lost its soul. The first thing I wanted to do when I joined HP was listen to the people. The rank and file usually know about all the shortcomings."

He promises to get rid of "cynics" of his vision at HP. ?He states, "I’m not perfect. Temper comes with temperament; it comes with passion. The one thing I’ve learned is to try to manage my temper better and get rid of cynics sooner."

His vision involves sweeping changes. ?Among them, he vows to look at India as a market for his company's products rather than a source of cheap labor -- though what exactly that equates to in production contracts and actual results remains to be seen. ?Perhaps even great a change, he is discontinuing?Mark Hurd's aggressive cost cutting, replacing it with a policy of spending extra to ensure "quality" and bring promising products to market faster.

But perhaps no change sums up how dramatically Mr. Apotheker is shaking up the company more so than his plans for webOS.

According to his recent interview, HP will install webOS on every single PC it builds in 2012. ?WebOS is a mobile operating system built on web-centric languages like Java, PHP, HTML, and XML. ?HP acquired it when it?purchased device-maker Palm, Inc.??

While this may be limited to virtual machine or dual-boot applications on many machines, past comments by Mr. Apotheker's executive appointees indicate that?webOS may replace Windows entirely?on some machines.

Although this move does pose somewhat of a threat to the Microsoft Windows empire on the consumer side, ostensibly it's designed to try to jump-start the virtually dead webOS app market. ?Apple has over 350,000 apps, Google's Android platform has over 250,000 apps, but webOS has only a measly 6,000 apps. ?States Mr. Apotheker of the decision to push webOS on the masses, "You create a massive platform."

Aside from the unusual action with webOS, Mr. Apotheker plans on executing major acquisitions to try to keep pace with rival firms IBM and Oracle -- the firm his predecessor, Mr. Hurd has obtained a major position at. ?Mr. Apotheker says he's especially interested in data processing and security firms.

Analysts say Informatica Corp., BMC Software Inc., SAS Institute Inc., Symantec Corp. and CommVault Systems Inc. as possible targets. ?Mr. Apotheker has already denied having any interest in acquiring his struggling former employer -- business software giant SAP -- or payroll, business relationship software firm Salesforce.com.

In an attempt to work more closely with his American colleagues, the new CEO has bought a $7M USD mansion and is settling down in Silicon Valley, Calif. ?He states, "I consider myself a Californian now. I bought a house in California -- I can even say 'awesome' and 'cool.'"

Mr. Apotheker complains that his predecessor Mr. Hurd was too short sighted in cutting back on research spending and failing to jump on the cloud-computing bandwagon. ?Some industry figures do approve of his increased focus on research. ?States former executive co-worker at SAP, John Schwarz, "The minute you stop investing in innovation, you start spiraling toward your death."

But ultimately, the bottom line financially may speak louder than Mr. Apotheker's bold vision -- analysts say HP's growth will slow to 4 percent a year in 2011 and 2012. ?That's half the 8 percent a year growth that Mr. Hurd managed. ?On Wall Street shares have corresponding dropped over 8 percent since the new CEO took over.

"I f***ing cannot play Halo 2 multiplayer. I cannot do it." -- Bungie Technical Lead Chris Butcher
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Gray Matter (PC)

Review:

Drawing on stage magic, grand illusions, ghosts, parapsychology, and clinical necromancy for ideas, Gray Matter's inspirations are greedily eclectic. Its story, a paranormal mystery-cum-melodrama, is absorbing, delivered with an ingenuous sincerity that makes even its clich?s likable. It's got great looks and a decent pedigree, too, with Gabriel Knight author Jane Jensen as designer. But for an adventure game that sets the table, thematically speaking, with a spread this rich, Gray Matter's puzzles suffer a lack of ambition. Though the plot is underserved by some mundane puzzling, there is still a worthwhile adventure to be had, ... Expand full review

Drawing on stage magic, grand illusions, ghosts, parapsychology, and clinical necromancy for ideas, Gray Matter's inspirations are greedily eclectic. Its story, a paranormal mystery-cum-melodrama, is absorbing, delivered with an ingenuous sincerity that makes even its clich?s likable. It's got great looks and a decent pedigree, too, with Gabriel Knight author Jane Jensen as designer. But for an adventure game that sets the table, thematically speaking, with a spread this rich, Gray Matter's puzzles suffer a lack of ambition. Though the plot is underserved by some mundane puzzling, there is still a worthwhile adventure to be had, but this isn't a point-and-click game to raise the bar for the genre.

American gothic.

As the game begins, goth heroine and aspiring stage magician Sam Everett takes a wrong turn on the road to London and breaks down outside stately Dread Hill House. To get a bed for the night, she poses as the new assistant for Dr Styles, the house's reclusive, Byronic master: a formerly brilliant neuroscientist obsessed with the memory of his dead wife. Soon Sam is helping the doctor recruit students from nearby Oxford for an experiment in the mansion's gloomy underground lab, while also solving riddles from the Daedalus Club, the secret society of magicians that was her original destination. The story spans eight chapters, switching between Sam and Dr Styles, as her magical ambitions and his macabre research intertwine. The plot builds steadily into a mystery around Styles' wife's death and apparent haunting of Dread Hill House; it's a slow-burning story, but will keep you clicking from chapter to chapter.

For Sam, the puzzles are a mixture of Daedalus Club riddles--scavenger hunts with cryptic clues--and magic tricks used to pilfer items and coerce recruits for Styles' experiment. The latter is a neat idea, asking you to work from Sam's recipe book of magic tricks to find the right combination of palming items, planting items, misdirection, and so on, but less impressive in the execution: a trick rehearsal window in which you queue the sequence of magical moves, then hit play. For Dr Styles, puzzles involve collecting items associated with memories of his dead wife. Though these are some of the simplest puzzles, mostly solvable by clicking everything you find, they at least add weight to the character's single-minded, grief-stricken obsession. Until near the end of the game, though, no puzzle is really taxing or intricate--it feels like it hits its stride too late and all at once, when Sam is caught up in a kind of florid Alice in Wonderland funhouse.

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The control scheme doesn't meddle with the traditional point-and-click formula, assigning movement and interaction to mouse clicks. The inventory menu is also smoothly hailed by hovering at the top of the screen, and your character's gaze follows the position of your cursor. Hot spot labels can be flicked on and off, so you can see what your options are at a glance; there's no pixel hunting here. There are useful progress bars to show percentage completion of a chapter and of puzzle sets within a chapter, too, and the quick-travel map highlights locations at which you still have work to do. The lack of a hint system may slow you down on the few occasions when you lose the trail of a puzzle solution and need to backtrack.

Somehow, Dread Hill House has problems recruiting medical research volunteers.

There are plenty of quirks in Gray Matter's vision of England. Sam loses her way to London when the wooden signpost on the lonesome road apparently connecting that city, Oxford, and Liverpool, gets comically spun around in a storm. The various local accents encountered at an Oxford pub are anything but. What it lacks in authenticity, though, it makes up for in enthusiasm; the static, prerendered Oxford environments are meticulously done, crisp, and richly coloured. The historic Oxford colleges and stately Dread Hill House make for handsome pseudo-3D backdrops for the 3D character models. The character designs are similarly crisp and detailed, with Sam being the particular standout. Understated music--piano and strings--adds to the atmosphere, though it verges on repetitive. Cutscenes, meanwhile, are done in painted still images to mostly good effect.

Gray Matter plays the paranormal mystery of its plot with full, straight-faced commitment, and it works. This kind of made-for-TV melodrama needs nothing less. There are clich? pitfalls left and right (Dr Styles wears a Phantom of the Opera-style mask to hide his scars, incidentally), but with its slow-burning plot and engaging main characters, the game hits enough of the right emotional notes to pull it off. Though the puzzles could stand some more flair and imagination, the story and visuals have quality enough to carry the day.

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V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS

TypeGamingProcessor FamilyIntel Core i7RAM6 GBStorage Capacity (as Tested)2128 GBGraphics CardnVidia GeForce GTX 580 Triple SLIPrimary Optical DriveBlu-Ray DiscOperating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Home PremiumMore

The V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS ($3,499 direct) is a hardcore performance gaming desktop with three high-end Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards running in a Triple SLI configuration. What all that technobabble means is you'll be able to hook this up to a large-screen monitor and play current 3D games at full resolution with all the eye candy turned on. It doesn't quite have the dominating braggability, nor bang for the buck we look for in an Editors' Choice, but it's certainly a compelling option for the hardcore gamer who wants to spend well under $5,000 for a triple-SLI system.

Design and Features
The Avenger 3DS comes in a standard black gaming tower case. A little digging identifies it as the Antec Twelve Hundred. It's a huge chassis, standing about 23 inches tall, so space is a must. Internally-lit 120mm fans reside in the front and back, with a huge 200mm fan on the top panel. All of these fans push air through the desktop, especially over the CPU's liquid cooling radiator mounted to the back panel. However, there's a lot of extra cabling left over, connected to the three graphics cards. While not a dealbreaker, the extra looped cabling can affect airflow in the case, and is unattractive when seen through the windowed side door. (Builders of more expensive systems would have trimmed these extra cables). The fans all have manual controls, so you can slow down or silence them, but of course that would mean the desktop wouldn't get the needed cooling they provide. While running through the 3D gaming tests and benchmark tests, the graphics cards' fans added to the case fans noise. I hope you have a pair of sound-blocking headphones, because this desktop gets loud.

The Avenger 3DS's bulk translates into a lot of interior space with room for airflow, but surprisingly little usable upgrade space, thanks to the three humungous Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards. The desktop has one set of three memory DIMM slots free (you need to populate all three since the Avenger 3DS has triple-channel memory). Aside from that, there isn't any internal space for components. The three graphics cards block the remaining PCI and PCIe slots, so you don't have space for upgrades like a gaming-optimized network card (if you believe that they help in the first place). There's physical space for up to four more hard drives and two optical drives, but you'll have to remove the graphics cards to get to the three free SATA ports on the motherboard. The 1,000W power supply will provide more than enough power to the Avenger 3DS. It comes with a lifetime labor warranty, so I'd recommend that you ship the system back to V3 Gaming for future upgrades. The system has a 3-year warranty on parts, something I'd almost mandate for overclocked systems.

There is a plethora of I/O ports, some on the top of the desktop, but most in the back. The Avenger 3DS has 6 USB 2.0 ports, 3 eSATA ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and a FireWire port. Basically, every kind of hard drive can connect to the Avernger 3DS—good thing since internal upgrades are a pain. The top of the case has a wide, shallow indentation where you can rest your digital camera, hard drives, or phone, while connected to one of the USB or eSATA ports.

The Avenger 3DS unaffected by bloatware, which is a benefit of buying from a smaller system builder. The only thing on the hard drive is Windows 7, drivers for the various hardware bits, and some software for the Blu-ray burner (including Cyberlink PowerDVD 9 BD). It comes with download codes for the games H.A.W.X. 2, Mafia II, and Napoleon Total War, courtesy of the Nvidia GTX 580 cards. It also comes with a pair of 64GB solid-state drives (SSDs) linked together in a RAID 0 array (for a total of 128GB) for the C: drive, plus a pair of 1TB 7,200 rpm SATA hard drives for storage (for a total of 2TB). The GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards are 3D Vision capable, for people who really want to be on the bleeding edge.

Performance
The system comes with an overclocked 4.0GHz Intel Core i7-930 processor. The combination of that and the the three Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 graphic cards helped the Avenger 3DS dominate two of the six 3D tests: 3DMark Vantage at the Extreme setting (31,574 points) and Lost Planet 2 at the high-quality setting (148 frames per second). The other 3D scores weren't the absolute top, but they were competitive with gaming desktops costing almost twice as much, like the $6,499 Origin Genesis ($6,499 direct, 4 stars). You can certainly play modern 3D games smoothly at the highest settings. An anecdotal test showed that you can play smoothly even when pushing the resolution up to 30-inch panel settings (2,560 by 1,600). The other tests were also near tops in class, including a fast 1 minute 26 seconds run of our Handbrake video encoding test and just over 3 minutes for Photoshop CS5 (3:03). This system should be able to make quick work out of anything you set it on.

The V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS shows good bang for the buck compared to systems like the Falcon Northwest Mach V (Core i7-2600k) ($4,812.82 list, 4 stars) and Origin Genesis. The Avenger 3DS can run with these big boys on the game tests. However, the system isn't quite as nice: The Avenger's chassis is a retail design off the shelf, and the internal wiring could be a bit better in light of the windowed case. The current reigning mainstream gaming Editors' Choice winner is the Maingear F131 Super Stock ($2,300 direct, 4 stars), and while it is true that the Avenger 3DS is faster at the highest end gaming tests, the fact that the Maingear F131 is about $1,200 less expensive is a pivotal detail. The Avenger 3DS is not $1,200 faster than the Maingear F131 Super Stock, in fact the F131 is faster on two of the 3D tests and all of the multimedia tests. So, the V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS is a good system for hardcore gamers that want a triple SLI system for a lot less than $5,000, but it doesn't have the bang for the buck or the braggability we look for in a Editors' Choice gaming desktop.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS with several other desktops side by side.

More desktop reviews:
‧?? Acer Veriton Z290G-UD525W
‧?? Giada Ultra MiniPC DN2301
‧?? Asus Eee Box EB1501P-B016E
‧?? V3 Gaming PC Avenger 3DS
‧?? ViewSonic VPC220T
‧?? more

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