« Component News | Main | CPUs & memory »
Computex 06 in pictures
We wrote much about Computex last week, and the products and trends we were seeing. So as a final wrap up, we thought we'd bring you some of the sights of Computex....
This strange looking creature greeted us on the opening day of Computex 2006.
It may not be considered PC at European or US high-tech exhibitions, but at Computex, girls wearing few clothes on the stands is almost a requirement. And they're a little more interesting than the 150th motherboard that day....
Greenpeace mounted a demo outside the exhibition's main hall, protesting against the use of toxins in high-tech products. They may not affect you and I directly, but much of our discarded wasted is sent to third world countries for dismantling by children, many of whom suffer from lead poisoning. Full story.
The world's tallest building, Taipei 101, at night. Part used by companies for meetings during Computex. Intel announced its latest chipset on the 84th floor, and the view was the most interesting point of the proceedings...
Origami style ultra mobile PCs were not high on the agenda in Taiwan, with few companies displaying them. THis one, from ECS, may hit the UK streets - ECS wasn't sure. But with the usual three hour battery life, it's hardly the all day device Microsoft talks about. But, we like the concept, and look forward to early issues being ironed out.
Computex 06: Mac Mini-like PC updated
AOpen has followed up on the tiny, Mac Mini-like, PC it launched at Computex last year with an updated Viiv compliant model.
To accompany the new MiniPC, it is also bringing out its take on the burgeoning external hard disk backup products, with 128bit encryption.
The Viiv MiniPC MP945-VXR comes out at the end of the month and weighs just 1.3kg – the weight of some of the smaller ultraportable laptops we get into our labs.
Again it uses a mobile CPU, this time Intel’s Core Duo processors – but it won’t support the Merom Core 2 Duo chips due out soon. Internally, its other components are also from notebooks – its memory and 2.5in hard disk.
Aimed at digital home enthusiasts (and offices with space problems), the black-cased PC also comes with a remote control for its TV functions.
Also in black, and the same size, is he ST201, its secure external hard drive box. It will work with any PC though. It can handle a 12 digit code, using keys on its facia, to secure data.
If the wrong number is keyed in, the had disk is locked. If a thief removes the hard disk from the box, the data is still secure, said AOpen, because it is encrypted on the disk.
ECS works on living room friendly Vista PC
The EKT is a concept design for a media PC that is very firmly meant to sit under your TV in your living room.
It won’t be out until Jaunary (once Vista is widely available), but maker ECS said it will be equipped with Intel’s Conroe Core 2 Duo CPU and use the new G965 chipset, which is aimed at digital home machines. This will also use Intel’s new GMA X3000 integrated graphics, again, built for entertainment PCs.
It is HDMI complaint and uses three TV tuners, so you can watch one channel and record two more at the same time. If sitting it under the TV doesn’t appeal, it can be wall mounted, when the LCD display can be swivelled so that it is still visible. 
The machine on show at Computex was still a little noisy, but that was because the Bios hadn’t been tuned.
By its release ECS hopes to get noise when idle down to 24dBs and 28dBs when under full load, such as when recording. Under normal playback only conditions, it will be about 26dBs, which is fairly standard for consumer electronics devices.
Computex 06: Twinhan works on dual channel PC Express TV tuner
We’re seeing a lot of new TV tuners at Computex, and Twinhan is working on an internal digital card for notebooks.
The company wouldn’t say which laptop makers plan to fit the Hybrid DVB-T Mini Card in their machines, but as it was being demonstrated in a BenQ notebook, I’d say that’s a fair bet for starters.
It would mean there’s no need to use an external tuner with your laptop, and should be with manufacturers by August. So it will be the fourth quarter until we see them in machines.
It is also one of the few manufacturers to build a device using the PC Express Card slot (the so far little used, but much faster, replacement for the PCMCIA slot on notebooks). 
The Duo DVB-T Express Card will be available later this year, and Twinhan admitted that “right now there’s not much demand” for Express Cards.
Being a duo, it has can support two Freeview digital channels at the same time, so you can watch one, record another.
But, as ever at the moment, beware that elsewhere in Europe has a much stronger DVB-T signal than the UK, so to get all the channels, you will most likely have to hook it to your main household aerial.
Computex 06: Doubts over UK signal strength for handheld digital TVs
It was the handheld TV that caught our eye. Honest.
It’s MSI’s new D310 digital TV. A DVB-T device, it will be available worldwide and is obviously aimed at anyone that just can’t live without the telly.
But you won’t get a signal if travelling above 20 miles an hour, MSI said, which means either convincing your driver to slow down, or grabbing a quick bit TV while waiting for public transport.
It has a 4.2in TFT display with an embedded antenna (plus an external antenna jack). It will also play mp3 and mpeg 4 video, and has slots for SD and MMC cards.
Over at ECS it had a couple of handheld TVs due for release, using 3.5in (called EM-3511) and 4.2in (EM-3535W) QVGA displays.
The latter also comes with an internal hard drive of 10GB or 12GB. ECS claimed that the signal was good up to 100km/h, although we’re sceptical. Certainly that won’t be the case in the UK, with our weaker DVB-T signal.
Battery life is still an issue at three hours – you won’t be using these handhelds so much on long journeys.
At Computex the image quality for both was pretty good, but they were in areas of controlled lighting, so the real test will be what they are like to use when out and about.
Computex 06: My USB stick is smaller than yours
The folks at Apacer claim on their stand at Computex to be releasing the smallest USB memory stick in the world, with a capacity up to 1GB.
The Handy Steno AH123 (above) is quite cute, and is tiny, but in the next door booth Kingston, while not making the same claim, also has a range of tiny USB sticks about
to come out. And if anything, the Data Traveller Mini looks slightly smaller (next to the phone).
It also has the Data Traveller Mini Fun (below), again with capacities between 256KB and 1GB, but clearly aimed at the female and children's market. In the next version, you'll be able to clip two 
together to increase their capacity.
Kingston is also moving into the multimedia player market, bringing out the pretty small KPEX (Portable Entertainment Experience). It can be used to watch video, playing games, viewing photos and listening to mp3s.
It has a capacity of 1GB or 2GB, includes a miniSD card slot and has a 2in screen and intgrated voice recorder. It will start from about $120. 
A company rep said Kingston wants to diversify its business, and has set up a team to develop more mulitmedia devices.
Computex 06: Asus moves into modern art
When the clever chaps over at Asus aren't designing and making motherboards and graphics cards, they're turning their hands to modern art. 
This model is of Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world, and part used for the Computex exhibition. It's made entirely from printed circuit boards and took about one month to build. You can see from the people walking past just how tall the model is.
Last year I visited the Asus head office here in Taipei and in the reception is a massive picture of the Mona Lisa, over a metre high and again made only from PCBs.
Computex 06: Geil overclocks DDR2 memory to 1200MHz
Geil is bringing out 1GB 1200MHz DDR2 Cas 4 memory, aimed at hardcore gamers and overclockers.
The memory is overclocked from 800MHz, but not the fastest on show here at Computex – Corsair is running some at 1250MHz.
According to Geil, it achieves this by testing the memory during manufacture, and only using those without any defective ICLs that could pull down the speed. It costs $350.
The company also has the David 201 about to hit the shops. This strange named device is a 1GB Bluetooth mp3 watch. Aimed at sportsmen, you wear it like any normal watch but it connects wirelessly to the headphones that are sold with it, so can listen to music while running, etc.
Bluetooth headphones are usually pretty unsightly, and these are almost no exception. They’re a little big, but don’t look too bad. The sound quality was okay too. The watch itself is a little big too – hence the reason it’s aimed at men and not women, and has a touch sensitive screen to adjust sound volume.
The next generation, due towards the back end of the year, will include a heart monitor and pedometer.
It tells the time too.
Computex 06: Hitachi silent over future for 200GB notebook drive
Despite launching its 200GB perpendicular 2.5in notebook hard disk a couple of days ago at Computex, Hitachi is still being annoyingly guarded about the product.
A visit to its stand to find out more yielded a string ‘can’t say’ and ‘no comment’ answers. So, we don’t know the product roadmap. Nor do we know the price to buy it stand alone, or how much extra cost it will add to the price of a notebook.
Hitachi wouldn’t say which notebook manufacturers are planning to use it, or even if any makers had agreed to take it – although we find it hard to believe that they wouldn’t.
We have no idea when we are likely to see even larger capacities in these Serial ATA drives, but we can tell you that they spin at 4,200 rpm.
But the ‘non’ spokesman did let slip that Hitachi is developing a 1.8in perpendicular disk for use in products such as mp3 players and satellite navigation devices, although didn’t give any indication of a release date.
So expect to see massive storage capabilities in these types of devices in the not too distant future.
You can learn more about how perpendicular drives work here.
Computex 06: Dual channel digital TV tuner to watch even more telly
TV device manufacturer KWorld has a PCI tuner and high resolution TV adapter about to hit the UK market.
The PCI-E Dual D DVB-T tuner lets you watch two channels at the same time. Although not a function that will be used all the time, you can tune into different digital (Freeview in the UK) stations, and have the TV windows open to whatever size you want. It’s not picture in picture, as the windows function and sit separately in your monitor.
Over here in Taiwan, there are about 130 analogue stations and only a handfull of digital channels, so it expects its dual analogue version to be more popular here. In the UK though, with only five terrestrial channels, the dual analogue seems a little pointless.
The PCI-E Dual D tuner is out in June and is expected to cost £99, but expect to need to hook it to your roof aerial as it may not work with the travel aerial due to the poor DVB-T signal in the UK.
The 1680 TV Box connects to a PC monitor and allows you to watch TV without turning on your computer. This is not a new idea – we’ve tested similar devices in the past from AverMedia. But it also connects to a games console and supports a resolution of 1680x1050, or up to 1600x1200 when using a 4:3 screen size.
Pamela Wang, a sales and marketing manager at KWorld, said: “It’s for people that want good resolution and an easy way to watch TV on an LCD monitor.”
It will also work with an Xbox 360 and Playstation, but there was no indication of price.
