Definition:
The letters CAD stand for computer-aided design. Architects, drafters, engineers, and artists use CAD software to create plans and construction drawings.
Before the age of computers, drawings and blueprints were drafted by hand. CAD is more efficient because the software records lines as vectors based on mathematical equations. Portions of a drawing can be twisted, stretched, or moved. The picture as a whole will automatically adjust.
CAD Software will let the designer:
Switch between two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) views.
Zoom in and out for close-up and distant views.
Rotate images to view them from different perspectives.
Change the scale of images: When one value changes, related values are automatically adjusted.
Manipulate the shape of images: Changing one portion of an image automatically changes the entire picture.
Also Known As:
CAD is also known as CADD, which stands for Computer-Aided Design & Drafting
Examples:
Popular CAD programs used by architects and engineers include:
Autocad
TurboCAD
Vectorworks
Custom Search
Friday, December 17, 2010
SAP
What is SAP?
SAP, started in 1972 by five former IBM employees in Mannheim, Germany, states that it is the world's largest
inter-enterprise software company and the world's fourth-largest independent software supplier, overall
The original name for SAP was German: Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte, German for "Systems Applications and
Products." The original SAP idea was to provide customers with the ability to interact with a common corporate
database for a comprehensive range of applications. Gradually, the applications have been assembled and today many
corporations, including IBM and Microsoft, are using SAP products to run their own businesses.
SAP applications, built around their latest R/3 system, provide the capability to manage financial, asset, and cost
accounting, production operations and materials, personnel, plants, and archived documents. The R/3 system runs on
a number of platforms including Windows 2000 and uses the client/server model. The latest version of R/3 includes a
comprehensive Internet-enabled package.
SAP has recently recast its product offerings under a comprehensive Web interface, called mySAP.com, and added new
e-business applications, including customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM).
As of January 2007, SAP, a publicly traded company, had over 38,4000 employees in over 50 countries, and more than
36,200 customers around the world. SAP is turning its attention to small- and-medium sized businesses (SMB). A
recent R/3 version was provided for IBM's AS/400 platform.
SAP, started in 1972 by five former IBM employees in Mannheim, Germany, states that it is the world's largest
inter-enterprise software company and the world's fourth-largest independent software supplier, overall
The original name for SAP was German: Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte, German for "Systems Applications and
Products." The original SAP idea was to provide customers with the ability to interact with a common corporate
database for a comprehensive range of applications. Gradually, the applications have been assembled and today many
corporations, including IBM and Microsoft, are using SAP products to run their own businesses.
SAP applications, built around their latest R/3 system, provide the capability to manage financial, asset, and cost
accounting, production operations and materials, personnel, plants, and archived documents. The R/3 system runs on
a number of platforms including Windows 2000 and uses the client/server model. The latest version of R/3 includes a
comprehensive Internet-enabled package.
SAP has recently recast its product offerings under a comprehensive Web interface, called mySAP.com, and added new
e-business applications, including customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM).
As of January 2007, SAP, a publicly traded company, had over 38,4000 employees in over 50 countries, and more than
36,200 customers around the world. SAP is turning its attention to small- and-medium sized businesses (SMB). A
recent R/3 version was provided for IBM's AS/400 platform.
programming
What Does A Programming Language Do
A programming language is used to write computer programs such as
Applications
Utilities
Servers
Systems Programs
A program is written as a series of human understandable computer instructions that can be read by a compiler and
linker, and translated into machine code so that a computer can understand and run it.
Examples Of Programming Languages:
These languages include Assembler, C or C++. A computer motherboard with the CPU, RAM and ROM), the instructions to
boot the computer are limited to a small amount of memory in the boot ROM chip and so are usually written in
assembler. Operating systems like Linux or Windows are written in C and C++.
What Programming Languages Are Now In Use?:
It is mainly Java and C++ with C# starting to gain popularity and C holding its own. There have been many attempts
to automate this process, and have computers write computer programs but the complexity is such that for now,
humans still write the best computer programs.
More advanced techniques, for instance using
Objects
Generics
Multi-threading
mean that the modern programming languages are far more powerful.
Programming Languages - What Are They?
How Are These Newer Programming Languages Better?:
Lower level languages like
Assembly Language
C,
C++
Force the programmer to think more about the problem in computer terms, instead of the business logic. Less about
payrolls and more about how the data is stored.
C# though does not use pointers, so that removes the chances of a pointer being corrupted or not freed. The .NET
runtime handles things like garbage collection, so the developer doesn't have to reinvent this wheel.
A programming language is used to write computer programs such as
Applications
Utilities
Servers
Systems Programs
A program is written as a series of human understandable computer instructions that can be read by a compiler and
linker, and translated into machine code so that a computer can understand and run it.
Examples Of Programming Languages:
These languages include Assembler, C or C++. A computer motherboard with the CPU, RAM and ROM), the instructions to
boot the computer are limited to a small amount of memory in the boot ROM chip and so are usually written in
assembler. Operating systems like Linux or Windows are written in C and C++.
What Programming Languages Are Now In Use?:
It is mainly Java and C++ with C# starting to gain popularity and C holding its own. There have been many attempts
to automate this process, and have computers write computer programs but the complexity is such that for now,
humans still write the best computer programs.
More advanced techniques, for instance using
Objects
Generics
Multi-threading
mean that the modern programming languages are far more powerful.
Programming Languages - What Are They?
How Are These Newer Programming Languages Better?:
Lower level languages like
Assembly Language
C,
C++
Force the programmer to think more about the problem in computer terms, instead of the business logic. Less about
payrolls and more about how the data is stored.
C# though does not use pointers, so that removes the chances of a pointer being corrupted or not freed. The .NET
runtime handles things like garbage collection, so the developer doesn't have to reinvent this wheel.
WLAN
Definition: WLANs provide wireless network communication over short distances using radio or infrared signals instead of traditional network cabling.
A WLAN typically extends an existing wired local area network. WLANs are built by attaching a device called the access point (AP) to the edge of the wired network. Clients communicate with the AP using a wireless network adapter similar in function to a traditional Ethernet adapter.
Network security remains an important issue for WLANs. Random wireless clients must usually be prohibited from joining the WLAN. Technologies like WEP raise the level of security on wireless networks to rival that of traditional wired networks.
Also Known As: wireless LAN
Examples:
For WLANs that connect to the Internet, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology allows Web content to be more easily downloaded to a WLAN and rendered on wireless clients like cell phones and PDAs.
A WLAN typically extends an existing wired local area network. WLANs are built by attaching a device called the access point (AP) to the edge of the wired network. Clients communicate with the AP using a wireless network adapter similar in function to a traditional Ethernet adapter.
Network security remains an important issue for WLANs. Random wireless clients must usually be prohibited from joining the WLAN. Technologies like WEP raise the level of security on wireless networks to rival that of traditional wired networks.
Also Known As: wireless LAN
Examples:
For WLANs that connect to the Internet, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology allows Web content to be more easily downloaded to a WLAN and rendered on wireless clients like cell phones and PDAs.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Linux
Linux is a complete operating system that is similar but not identical to UNIX. It runs on a wide variety of hardware, ranging from 386's/486's/Pentiums/Pentium II's to more exotic hardware such as Digital Alpha computers, PowerPCs, and Silicon Graphics workstations. Probably the most unique characterisitc of Linux is that it is freely distributable. Freely distributable means that the source code for the kernel and most software cannot be withheld. It does not mean that companies cannot charge for it.
Originally the term Linux referred strictly to the kernel (the core of the operating system), but the phrase itself refers nowadays to a collection of configured software that runs on top of the Linux kernel. These 'collections of software' are known as distributions. Although these distributions often have their own unique (together with some proprietary software) flavour they are essentially the same. Just a few years ago there were only two popular distributions, Slackware and SLS. However, nowadays there is a wide choice from such companies as Red Hat, Caldera, S.U.S.E, Stampede. These companies do not just compile and configure the software. Caldera, Red Hat and others have added their own proprietary software to their distribution, which help to make such tasks as installation no harder than say Windows 95.
The easiest way to obtain a Linux distribution is to purchase a CD-ROM containing the software. Unless you have a very fast connection to the Internet a CD-ROM represents the most convenient method. Two American companies stand out in offering these distributions at incredibly cheap prices (just a couple of dollars); Cheapbytes and LSL. If you live in the UK and Europe the Linux Emporium offers the popular distributions for 2 pounds, which includes postage. I have purchased from all three companies in the past, and they offer a reliable service. One thing they can't offer is technical support. If you think you will need some help in installing Linux I would recommend you purchase from one of the distribution companies; for example Red Hat offer 30 days free technical support in installing their distribution.
If I had to recommend one distribution to a newcomer it would be Red Hat 5.0. Why, you ask? This is an up-to-date distribution which has some excellent utilities for configuring Linux, it has arguably the best package manager (for easy installation and de-installation of software), and has wide support among the Linux community.
Most UNIX software runs on Linux and there are many commercial applications that have been ported over to Linux, such as the excellent graphics package Corel DRAW, wordprocessors such as WordPerfect, and spreadsheets such as NeXS. Additionally the commercial WABI program allows you to run many 16-bit Windows applications under Linux, if you so wish.
Originally the term Linux referred strictly to the kernel (the core of the operating system), but the phrase itself refers nowadays to a collection of configured software that runs on top of the Linux kernel. These 'collections of software' are known as distributions. Although these distributions often have their own unique (together with some proprietary software) flavour they are essentially the same. Just a few years ago there were only two popular distributions, Slackware and SLS. However, nowadays there is a wide choice from such companies as Red Hat, Caldera, S.U.S.E, Stampede. These companies do not just compile and configure the software. Caldera, Red Hat and others have added their own proprietary software to their distribution, which help to make such tasks as installation no harder than say Windows 95.
The easiest way to obtain a Linux distribution is to purchase a CD-ROM containing the software. Unless you have a very fast connection to the Internet a CD-ROM represents the most convenient method. Two American companies stand out in offering these distributions at incredibly cheap prices (just a couple of dollars); Cheapbytes and LSL. If you live in the UK and Europe the Linux Emporium offers the popular distributions for 2 pounds, which includes postage. I have purchased from all three companies in the past, and they offer a reliable service. One thing they can't offer is technical support. If you think you will need some help in installing Linux I would recommend you purchase from one of the distribution companies; for example Red Hat offer 30 days free technical support in installing their distribution.
If I had to recommend one distribution to a newcomer it would be Red Hat 5.0. Why, you ask? This is an up-to-date distribution which has some excellent utilities for configuring Linux, it has arguably the best package manager (for easy installation and de-installation of software), and has wide support among the Linux community.
Most UNIX software runs on Linux and there are many commercial applications that have been ported over to Linux, such as the excellent graphics package Corel DRAW, wordprocessors such as WordPerfect, and spreadsheets such as NeXS. Additionally the commercial WABI program allows you to run many 16-bit Windows applications under Linux, if you so wish.
C
A tool called a compiler is then used to convert the high-level code into machine language. A program can be written in C and compiled for any computer, it's up to the compiler to get the hardware-specific instructions right.
To see just how readable C is compared to Assembly language, take a look at the following tiny program written in each:
Example 1-1. C vs. Assembly language
.section .rodata
.LC0:
.string "Tax Due: %d\n"
.text
.align 2
.globl main
.type main,@function
main:
pushl %ebp
movl %esp, %ebp
subl $24, %esp
andl $-16, %esp
movl $0, %eax
subl %eax, %esp
movl $1000, %eax
movl $400, %edx
movl $0x3e6147ae, -12(%ebp)
subl %edx, %eax
pushl %eax
fildl (%esp)
leal 4(%esp), %esp
fmuls -12(%ebp)
fnstcw -18(%ebp)
movw -18(%ebp), %ax
movb $12, %ah
movw %ax, -20(%ebp)
fldcw -20(%ebp)
fistpl -16(%ebp)
fldcw -18(%ebp)
subl $8, %esp
pushl -16(%ebp)
pushl $.LC0
call printf
addl $16, %esp
movl $1, %eax
leave
ret
.Lfe1:
.size main,.Lfe1-main
And the program in C:
#include <stdio.h>
int
main()
{
int wages = 1000;
int tax_allowance = 400;
float tax_rate = 0.22;
int tax_due;
tax_due = (wages - tax_allowance) * tax_rate;
printf("Tax Due: %d euro\n", tax_due);
return 0;
}
To see just how readable C is compared to Assembly language, take a look at the following tiny program written in each:
Example 1-1. C vs. Assembly language
.section .rodata
.LC0:
.string "Tax Due: %d\n"
.text
.align 2
.globl main
.type main,@function
main:
pushl %ebp
movl %esp, %ebp
subl $24, %esp
andl $-16, %esp
movl $0, %eax
subl %eax, %esp
movl $1000, %eax
movl $400, %edx
movl $0x3e6147ae, -12(%ebp)
subl %edx, %eax
pushl %eax
fildl (%esp)
leal 4(%esp), %esp
fmuls -12(%ebp)
fnstcw -18(%ebp)
movw -18(%ebp), %ax
movb $12, %ah
movw %ax, -20(%ebp)
fldcw -20(%ebp)
fistpl -16(%ebp)
fldcw -18(%ebp)
subl $8, %esp
pushl -16(%ebp)
pushl $.LC0
call printf
addl $16, %esp
movl $1, %eax
leave
ret
.Lfe1:
.size main,.Lfe1-main
And the program in C:
#include <stdio.h>
int
main()
{
int wages = 1000;
int tax_allowance = 400;
float tax_rate = 0.22;
int tax_due;
tax_due = (wages - tax_allowance) * tax_rate;
printf("Tax Due: %d euro\n", tax_due);
return 0;
}
C++
C++ is an "object oriented" programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup and released in 1985. It implements "data abstraction" using a concept called "classes", along with other features to allow object-oriented programming. Parts of the C++ program are easily reusable and extensible; existing code is easily modifiable without actually having to change the code. C++ adds a concept called "operator overloading" not seen in the earlier OOP languages and it makes the creation of libraries much cleaner.
C++ maintains aspects of the C programming language, yet has features which simplify memory management. Additionally, some of the features of C++ allow low-level access to memory but also contain high level features.
C++ could be considered a superset of C. C programs will run in C++ compilers. C uses structured programming concepts and techniques while C++ uses object oriented programming and classes which focus on data. Read about the History of C and also about the History of C++.
C++ maintains aspects of the C programming language, yet has features which simplify memory management. Additionally, some of the features of C++ allow low-level access to memory but also contain high level features.
C++ could be considered a superset of C. C programs will run in C++ compilers. C uses structured programming concepts and techniques while C++ uses object oriented programming and classes which focus on data. Read about the History of C and also about the History of C++.
oracle
I guess the first question is really, "What is a database"? A database is an organized collection of data. The data can be textual, like order or inventory data, or it can be pictures, programs or anything else that can be stored on a computer in binary form.
A relational database stores the data in the form of tables and columns. A table is the category of data, like Employee, and the columns are information about the category, like name or address.
Some databases have minimal feature sets and only store data, while others include programming languages, facilities and utilities to support enterprise-level applications like ERP and data warehousing. Oracle is the #1 database and has the most advanced feature set.
Oracle is made up of a set of processes running in your operating system. These processes manage how data is stored and how it is accessed. I will cover these processes in detail in the future; but for now we just need to understand that Oracle is a program that is running in the background, maintaining your data for you and figuring out where it should go on your hard drive.
In almost all relational databases, data is accessed through SQL, or Structured Query Language, and Oracle is no exception. SQL allows you to SELECT your data, INSERT new records, UPDATE existing records and DELETE records you want to get rid of. SQL can be embedded in other languages or you can run scripts of SQL directly against the database.
PL/SQL is the procedural language extension to SQL. PL/SQL is a programming language like C, Java or Pascal. In the Oracle world, there is no better way to access your data from inside a program. SQL can be natively embedded in PL/SQL programs. I will be using both SQL and PL/SQL very heavily in my future articles.
PL/SQL is a feature-rich language geared toward developing database applications. PL/SQL is the procedural language of the database, but it is also the procedural language for most of Oracle's tools. Programs that run inside the database are called stored procedures. These stored procedures are almost always PL/SQL, but can be written in Java.
Some of Oracle's tools to access the database and create programs are:
SQL*Plus has a command line interface. With it, you can access the database and write stored procedures, you can run SQL commands to retrieve data and you can run scripts of either SQL, PL/SQL or built-in SQL*Plus commands, or a mixture of those three things.
Oracle Developer is a 4GL GUI application Builder. With Developer, you can create forms, reports, and graphics. Oracle*Forms and Oracle*Reports are two components of Oracle Developer. Earlier versions created client-server applications, but the more recent versions create web applications that run under the Oracle Application Server (OAS). OAS is a web-based application server sold by Oracle. OAS is licensed separately and is very expensive (as are its closed source competitors). The current version is OAS 10g.
HTML DB is a fairly new application builder geared toward web development (added to the DB with release 9iR2). HTML DB does not need an application server. This tool runs from the database and can be presented to the web using the Apache web server that comes with the database. Since this is not an additional license, it provides a cheaper way to develop applications. Developer is a feature-rich thick client with all of the normal GUI widgets. HTML DB is HTML-based and is very thin and limited to the HTML provided widgets.
Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) is the Enterprise GUI tool to manage the database. From this tool, you can perform any action in the database that is required. This tool is primarily used for administration but can also be provided to developers for application tuning and monitoring. In Oracle 10g, OEM also provides Grid control.
There are also a lot of third party tools for accessing the database. For our purposes, our primary tool for data access will be SQL*Plus. In the future, I will cover creating applications with HTML DB and accessing your data with some choice third-party tools.
How about Java? Java is the current hot language, especially on the web. I will also be covering Java in the database in future articles. Java is natively supported by Oracle. Technically, you could use Java to create your stored procedures if you chose, but I am not a proponent of that. When you are working inside the database, I believe that you should only resort to Java when you cannot accomplish a task in PL/SQL. As you'll see, there is very little you cannot accomplish with PL/SQL.
It will be hard to learn Oracle if you can't play with it. So where can you get access to this software? Oracle has a technical web site called OTN (Oracle Tech Net) that provides access to all of Oracle's software and all of the documentation for that software. There are also forums and many other tools to use to help you learn Oracle. You have to register to access it, but registration is free. Go to http://otn.oracle.com/ and get an ID today. In future articles, I will be spending a lot of time accessing this web site to download software and documentation. My next article will cover downloading Oracle 10g and installing it.
As a side note, Oracle provides all of their software with a developer's license. This license allows you to try out the software free of charge. You may not create production applications without a paid license, but development with the tools is acceptable. I am not a lawyer, so I recommend that you review the license when you download any software from OTN.
Also, a note about versioning in Oracle; all products released by Oracle have a version. The current version of the database is 10g Release 1, also written as 10gR1. In addition to this semantic release name, each release has a numeric version. The numeric release for 10gR1 is 10.0.1.3.
A relational database stores the data in the form of tables and columns. A table is the category of data, like Employee, and the columns are information about the category, like name or address.
Some databases have minimal feature sets and only store data, while others include programming languages, facilities and utilities to support enterprise-level applications like ERP and data warehousing. Oracle is the #1 database and has the most advanced feature set.
Oracle is made up of a set of processes running in your operating system. These processes manage how data is stored and how it is accessed. I will cover these processes in detail in the future; but for now we just need to understand that Oracle is a program that is running in the background, maintaining your data for you and figuring out where it should go on your hard drive.
In almost all relational databases, data is accessed through SQL, or Structured Query Language, and Oracle is no exception. SQL allows you to SELECT your data, INSERT new records, UPDATE existing records and DELETE records you want to get rid of. SQL can be embedded in other languages or you can run scripts of SQL directly against the database.
PL/SQL is the procedural language extension to SQL. PL/SQL is a programming language like C, Java or Pascal. In the Oracle world, there is no better way to access your data from inside a program. SQL can be natively embedded in PL/SQL programs. I will be using both SQL and PL/SQL very heavily in my future articles.
PL/SQL is a feature-rich language geared toward developing database applications. PL/SQL is the procedural language of the database, but it is also the procedural language for most of Oracle's tools. Programs that run inside the database are called stored procedures. These stored procedures are almost always PL/SQL, but can be written in Java.
Some of Oracle's tools to access the database and create programs are:
SQL*Plus has a command line interface. With it, you can access the database and write stored procedures, you can run SQL commands to retrieve data and you can run scripts of either SQL, PL/SQL or built-in SQL*Plus commands, or a mixture of those three things.
Oracle Developer is a 4GL GUI application Builder. With Developer, you can create forms, reports, and graphics. Oracle*Forms and Oracle*Reports are two components of Oracle Developer. Earlier versions created client-server applications, but the more recent versions create web applications that run under the Oracle Application Server (OAS). OAS is a web-based application server sold by Oracle. OAS is licensed separately and is very expensive (as are its closed source competitors). The current version is OAS 10g.
HTML DB is a fairly new application builder geared toward web development (added to the DB with release 9iR2). HTML DB does not need an application server. This tool runs from the database and can be presented to the web using the Apache web server that comes with the database. Since this is not an additional license, it provides a cheaper way to develop applications. Developer is a feature-rich thick client with all of the normal GUI widgets. HTML DB is HTML-based and is very thin and limited to the HTML provided widgets.
Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) is the Enterprise GUI tool to manage the database. From this tool, you can perform any action in the database that is required. This tool is primarily used for administration but can also be provided to developers for application tuning and monitoring. In Oracle 10g, OEM also provides Grid control.
There are also a lot of third party tools for accessing the database. For our purposes, our primary tool for data access will be SQL*Plus. In the future, I will cover creating applications with HTML DB and accessing your data with some choice third-party tools.
How about Java? Java is the current hot language, especially on the web. I will also be covering Java in the database in future articles. Java is natively supported by Oracle. Technically, you could use Java to create your stored procedures if you chose, but I am not a proponent of that. When you are working inside the database, I believe that you should only resort to Java when you cannot accomplish a task in PL/SQL. As you'll see, there is very little you cannot accomplish with PL/SQL.
It will be hard to learn Oracle if you can't play with it. So where can you get access to this software? Oracle has a technical web site called OTN (Oracle Tech Net) that provides access to all of Oracle's software and all of the documentation for that software. There are also forums and many other tools to use to help you learn Oracle. You have to register to access it, but registration is free. Go to http://otn.oracle.com/ and get an ID today. In future articles, I will be spending a lot of time accessing this web site to download software and documentation. My next article will cover downloading Oracle 10g and installing it.
As a side note, Oracle provides all of their software with a developer's license. This license allows you to try out the software free of charge. You may not create production applications without a paid license, but development with the tools is acceptable. I am not a lawyer, so I recommend that you review the license when you download any software from OTN.
Also, a note about versioning in Oracle; all products released by Oracle have a version. The current version of the database is 10g Release 1, also written as 10gR1. In addition to this semantic release name, each release has a numeric version. The numeric release for 10gR1 is 10.0.1.3.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
ANDROID
What is Android?
Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.
Features
Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
Integrated browser based on the open source webkit engine
Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
SQLite for structured data storage
Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE
Android Architecture
The following diagram shows the major components of the Android operating system. Each section is described in more detail below.
Applications
Android will ship with a set of core applications including an email client, SMS program, calendar, maps, browser, contacts, and others. All applications are written using the Java programming language.
Application Framework
By providing an open development platform, Android offers developers the ability to build extremely rich and innovative applications. Developers are free to take advantage of the device hardware, access location information, run background services, set alarms, add notifications to the status bar, and much, much more.
Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications. The application architecture is designed to simplify the reuse of components; any application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities (subject to security constraints enforced by the framework). This same mechanism allows components to be replaced by the user.
Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including
A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser
Content Providers that enable applications to access data from other applications (such as Contacts), or to share their own data
A Resource Manager, providing access to non-code resources such as localized strings, graphics, and layout files
A Notification Manager that enables all applications to display custom alerts in the status bar
An Activity Manager that manages the lifecycle of applications and provides a common navigation backstack
Libraries
Android includes a set of C/C++ libraries used by various components of the Android system. These capabilities are exposed to developers through the Android application framework. Some of the core libraries are listed below:
System C library - a BSD-derived implementation of the standard C system library (libc), tuned for embedded Linux-based devices
Media Libraries - based on PacketVideo's OpenCORE; the libraries support playback and recording of many popular audio and video formats, as well as static image files, including MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, and PNG
Surface Manager - manages access to the display subsystem and seamlessly composites 2D and 3D graphic layers from multiple applications
LibWebCore - a modern web browser engine which powers both the Android browser and an embeddable web view
SGL - the underlying 2D graphics engine
3D libraries - an implementation based on OpenGL ES 1.0 APIs; the libraries use either hardware 3D acceleration (where available) or the included, highly optimized 3D software rasterizer
FreeType - bitmap and vector font rendering
SQLite - a powerful and lightweight relational database engine available to all applications
Android Runtime
Android includes a set of core libraries that provides most of the functionality available in the core libraries of the Java programming language.
Every Android application runs in its own process, with its own instance of the Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik has been written so that a device can run multiple VMs efficiently. The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format which is optimized for minimal memory footprint. The VM is register-based, and runs classes compiled by a Java language compiler that have been transformed into the .dex format by the included "dx" tool.
The Dalvik VM relies on the Linux kernel for underlying functionality such as threading and low-level memory management.
Linux Kernel
Android relies on Linux version 2.6 for core system services such as security, memory management, process management, network stack, and driver model. The kernel also acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the rest of the software stack.
Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.
Features
Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
Integrated browser based on the open source webkit engine
Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
SQLite for structured data storage
Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE
Android Architecture
The following diagram shows the major components of the Android operating system. Each section is described in more detail below.
Applications
Android will ship with a set of core applications including an email client, SMS program, calendar, maps, browser, contacts, and others. All applications are written using the Java programming language.
Application Framework
By providing an open development platform, Android offers developers the ability to build extremely rich and innovative applications. Developers are free to take advantage of the device hardware, access location information, run background services, set alarms, add notifications to the status bar, and much, much more.
Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications. The application architecture is designed to simplify the reuse of components; any application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities (subject to security constraints enforced by the framework). This same mechanism allows components to be replaced by the user.
Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including
A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser
Content Providers that enable applications to access data from other applications (such as Contacts), or to share their own data
A Resource Manager, providing access to non-code resources such as localized strings, graphics, and layout files
A Notification Manager that enables all applications to display custom alerts in the status bar
An Activity Manager that manages the lifecycle of applications and provides a common navigation backstack
Libraries
Android includes a set of C/C++ libraries used by various components of the Android system. These capabilities are exposed to developers through the Android application framework. Some of the core libraries are listed below:
System C library - a BSD-derived implementation of the standard C system library (libc), tuned for embedded Linux-based devices
Media Libraries - based on PacketVideo's OpenCORE; the libraries support playback and recording of many popular audio and video formats, as well as static image files, including MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, and PNG
Surface Manager - manages access to the display subsystem and seamlessly composites 2D and 3D graphic layers from multiple applications
LibWebCore - a modern web browser engine which powers both the Android browser and an embeddable web view
SGL - the underlying 2D graphics engine
3D libraries - an implementation based on OpenGL ES 1.0 APIs; the libraries use either hardware 3D acceleration (where available) or the included, highly optimized 3D software rasterizer
FreeType - bitmap and vector font rendering
SQLite - a powerful and lightweight relational database engine available to all applications
Android Runtime
Android includes a set of core libraries that provides most of the functionality available in the core libraries of the Java programming language.
Every Android application runs in its own process, with its own instance of the Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik has been written so that a device can run multiple VMs efficiently. The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format which is optimized for minimal memory footprint. The VM is register-based, and runs classes compiled by a Java language compiler that have been transformed into the .dex format by the included "dx" tool.
The Dalvik VM relies on the Linux kernel for underlying functionality such as threading and low-level memory management.
Linux Kernel
Android relies on Linux version 2.6 for core system services such as security, memory management, process management, network stack, and driver model. The kernel also acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the rest of the software stack.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
WINDOWS 7 VERSIONS
Windows 7 Home Premium
This is the successor to Windows Vista Home Premium, and Microsoft expects it to be the most common edition sold, the standard for virtually all consumer PCs.
It includes the Aero interface with its Windows 7 enhancements, plus Windows Media Center, DVD playback support, and multi-touch and handwriting features. I'm also told (but can't yet confirm) that image-based backup is included in this edition for the first time.
Windows 7 Professional
This edition drops the Business label used in Windows Vista and goes back to the old XP-era name, presumably to give XP users more comfort in their upgrade decision. Unlike Vista Business, this edition contains all features in the Home Premium edition, including Media Center.
For the extra cost, you get more traditional business features like the ability to join a Windows domain, group policy based management tools, Remote Desktop host capabilities, network-based backup features, and support for the Encrypting file system.
Windows 7 Ultimate/Enterprise
In the retail channel, this edition will be called Ultimate; for corporate customers with a Select license agreement, it will be called Enterprise.
In either case, the feature set includes everything in Professional edition plus support for BitLocker whole-drive encryption (and the new BitLocker To Go feature, which adds high-grade encryption to removable media).
This edition also includes all supported language packs (those cost extra for other editions) and the capability to boot from a VHD.
Microsoft is de-emphasizing the Ultimate edition, which has only been able to gather a tiny share (a Microsoft told me yesterday that Ultimate's share is in the 3-5 percent range).
It will still be available, but primarily for those who want BitLocker and as a premium upgrade for super-high-end machines where the Ultimate name might add some cachet.
The real news is that each edition is a superset of the one before it. That means you can upgrade from, say, Home Premium to Professional by purchasing an upgrade key and then "unlocking" the additional features. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes, I'm told by people who've tested it, and involves none of the hassles of the current upgrade strategy, which requires a complete reinstallation.
Windows 7 Home Basic
Which lacks the Aero interface, will be available for sale only in emerging markets and will not legally be available for sale in the U.S., Western Europe, Japan, and other developed countries.
Windows 7 Family Pack
The Windows 7 Family Pack is a deal which allows you to upgrade three eligible PCs.
There are some advantages to moving a whole household over to Windows 7—mainly related to the home network setup and music, media, file and printer sharing.
Windows 7 Starter Edition
With its artificial restriction on performance (you can only run three simultaneous programs) will be available for sale worldwide, but only as a preinstalled operating system on OEM-built PCs "limited to specific types of hardware."
Microsoft is clearly confident that it has pared down the resource requirements of Windows 7 Home Premium so that it will run acceptably on the generation of netbooks that will be current when Windows 7 arrives later this year.
It's hard to imagine the Windows 7 Starter Edition name being much of a selling point. Microsoft may even be taking the calculated risk of discouraging Windows 7 from being installed on underpowered notebooks and triggering disappointing reviews.
The crucial element missing from today's announcement is pricing. Microsoft's Mike Ybarra, General Manager for Windows, told me yesterday that we can expect "aggressive price points and some very good offers" when Windows 7 is released.
In my estimation, the biggest news in this announcement is the change in how the upgrade process works. Microsoft's Anytime Upgrade program was a complete failure in Windows Vista. But the revamped version has a much better chance of drawing in upgrade dollars, a topic I'll look at more closely in a follow-up post.
This is the successor to Windows Vista Home Premium, and Microsoft expects it to be the most common edition sold, the standard for virtually all consumer PCs.
It includes the Aero interface with its Windows 7 enhancements, plus Windows Media Center, DVD playback support, and multi-touch and handwriting features. I'm also told (but can't yet confirm) that image-based backup is included in this edition for the first time.
Windows 7 Professional
This edition drops the Business label used in Windows Vista and goes back to the old XP-era name, presumably to give XP users more comfort in their upgrade decision. Unlike Vista Business, this edition contains all features in the Home Premium edition, including Media Center.
For the extra cost, you get more traditional business features like the ability to join a Windows domain, group policy based management tools, Remote Desktop host capabilities, network-based backup features, and support for the Encrypting file system.
Windows 7 Ultimate/Enterprise
In the retail channel, this edition will be called Ultimate; for corporate customers with a Select license agreement, it will be called Enterprise.
In either case, the feature set includes everything in Professional edition plus support for BitLocker whole-drive encryption (and the new BitLocker To Go feature, which adds high-grade encryption to removable media).
This edition also includes all supported language packs (those cost extra for other editions) and the capability to boot from a VHD.
Microsoft is de-emphasizing the Ultimate edition, which has only been able to gather a tiny share (a Microsoft told me yesterday that Ultimate's share is in the 3-5 percent range).
It will still be available, but primarily for those who want BitLocker and as a premium upgrade for super-high-end machines where the Ultimate name might add some cachet.
The real news is that each edition is a superset of the one before it. That means you can upgrade from, say, Home Premium to Professional by purchasing an upgrade key and then "unlocking" the additional features. The entire process takes 5-10 minutes, I'm told by people who've tested it, and involves none of the hassles of the current upgrade strategy, which requires a complete reinstallation.
Windows 7 Home Basic
Which lacks the Aero interface, will be available for sale only in emerging markets and will not legally be available for sale in the U.S., Western Europe, Japan, and other developed countries.
Windows 7 Family Pack
The Windows 7 Family Pack is a deal which allows you to upgrade three eligible PCs.
There are some advantages to moving a whole household over to Windows 7—mainly related to the home network setup and music, media, file and printer sharing.
Windows 7 Starter Edition
With its artificial restriction on performance (you can only run three simultaneous programs) will be available for sale worldwide, but only as a preinstalled operating system on OEM-built PCs "limited to specific types of hardware."
Microsoft is clearly confident that it has pared down the resource requirements of Windows 7 Home Premium so that it will run acceptably on the generation of netbooks that will be current when Windows 7 arrives later this year.
It's hard to imagine the Windows 7 Starter Edition name being much of a selling point. Microsoft may even be taking the calculated risk of discouraging Windows 7 from being installed on underpowered notebooks and triggering disappointing reviews.
The crucial element missing from today's announcement is pricing. Microsoft's Mike Ybarra, General Manager for Windows, told me yesterday that we can expect "aggressive price points and some very good offers" when Windows 7 is released.
In my estimation, the biggest news in this announcement is the change in how the upgrade process works. Microsoft's Anytime Upgrade program was a complete failure in Windows Vista. But the revamped version has a much better chance of drawing in upgrade dollars, a topic I'll look at more closely in a follow-up post.
WINDOWS 7 FEATURES
Windows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors, improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel improvements.
Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center, a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion.
Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.
Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The default setting for User Account Control in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted application. Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that there are other vulnerabilities that do not rely on the new setting.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons.
These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks. The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon.
This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop. In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.
Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to either the top or left/right edges of the screen.
This also allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores their previous state automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent.
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services), new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages, and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.
At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.
Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives, including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely. Microsoft is also planning to support USB 3.0 in a subsequent patch, although support would not be included in the initial release due to delays in the finalization of the standard.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista.
New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.
Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.
A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.
It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.
Furthermore Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD.
The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means that Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment.
The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
Windows 7 is said to be capable of running Windows programs and games, such as South Park Rally, that neither XP nor Vista supported for various reasons.
Windows 7 is available for general purchase on October 22nd, 2009.
Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center, a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion.
Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.
Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer.
The default setting for User Account Control in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted application. Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that there are other vulnerabilities that do not rely on the new setting.
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons.
These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks. The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon.
This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop. In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger.
Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to either the top or left/right edges of the screen.
This also allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores their previous state automatically.
This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent.
For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services), new features to shorten application install times, reduced UAC prompts, simplified development of installation packages, and improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API.
At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.
Microsoft is also implementing better support for Solid State Drives, including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 will be able to identify a Solid State Drive uniquely. Microsoft is also planning to support USB 3.0 in a subsequent patch, although support would not be included in the initial release due to delays in the finalization of the standard.
Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12.
Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista.
New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform.
Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.
A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.
It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop.
Furthermore Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD.
The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means that Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment.
The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter.
Windows 7 is said to be capable of running Windows programs and games, such as South Park Rally, that neither XP nor Vista supported for various reasons.
Windows 7 is available for general purchase on October 22nd, 2009.
NAMING
As major feature work on Windows Vista wound down in early 2006, Blackcomb was renamed Vienna. However, following the release of Windows Vista, it was confirmed by Microsoft on 20 July 2007 that "the internal name for the next version of the Windows Client OS" was Windows 7, a name that had been reported by some sources months before. On 13 October 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.
Mike Nesh, Microsoft's vice-president of Windows product management said:
The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Simply put, this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore Windows 7 just makes sense.
Coming up with an all-new 'aspirational' name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.
Mike Nesh, Microsoft's vice-president of Windows product management said:
The decision to use the name Windows 7 is about simplicity. Simply put, this is the seventh release of Windows, so therefore Windows 7 just makes sense.
Coming up with an all-new 'aspirational' name does not do justice to what we are trying to achieve, which is to stay firmly rooted in our aspirations for Windows Vista, while evolving and refining the substantial investments in platform technology in Windows Vista into the next generation of Windows.
HISTORY OF WINDOWS 7
In 2000, Microsoft started the planning to follow up Windows XP and its server counterpart Windows Server 2003 (both codenamed Whistler) with a major new release of Windows that was codenamed Blackcomb (both codenames refer to the Whistler-Blackcomb resort). This new version was at that time scheduled for a 2005 release.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. In this context, a feature mentioned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for Blackcomb was "a pervasive typing line that will recognize the sentence that [the user is] typing in."
Later, Blackcomb was delayed and an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn", was announced for a 2003 release. By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb, including WinFS, the Desktop Window Manager, and new versions of system components built on the .NET Framework.
After the 2003 "Summer of Worms", where three major viruses − Blaster, Sobig, and Welchia − exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold in order to develop new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn was also "reset" in September 2004.
Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. In this context, a feature mentioned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for Blackcomb was "a pervasive typing line that will recognize the sentence that [the user is] typing in."
Later, Blackcomb was delayed and an interim, minor release, codenamed "Longhorn", was announced for a 2003 release. By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb, including WinFS, the Desktop Window Manager, and new versions of system components built on the .NET Framework.
After the 2003 "Summer of Worms", where three major viruses − Blaster, Sobig, and Welchia − exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period, Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold in order to develop new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn was also "reset" in September 2004.
WINDOWS 7
Windows 7 (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and Vienna) is the next release of Microsoft Windows, an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, Tablet PCs, and media center PCs.
Microsoft stated in 2007 that it is planning Windows 7 development for a three-year time frame starting after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista, but that the final release date will be determined by product quality.
Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 is intended to be an incremental upgrade with the goal of being fully compatible with existing device drivers, applications and hardware.
Presentations given by the company in 2008 have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements.
Some applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, most notably Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker and Windows Photo Gallery, are no longer included with the operating system; they are instead offered separately as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.
Microsoft stated in 2007 that it is planning Windows 7 development for a three-year time frame starting after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista, but that the final release date will be determined by product quality.
Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 is intended to be an incremental upgrade with the goal of being fully compatible with existing device drivers, applications and hardware.
Presentations given by the company in 2008 have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements.
Some applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, most notably Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker and Windows Photo Gallery, are no longer included with the operating system; they are instead offered separately as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.
windows vista versions
Windows Vista Home Premium
Whole home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go. As a true superset of Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support), DVD video authoring and HDTV support, DVD ripping support (yes, you read that right), Tablet PC functionality, Mobility Center and other mobility and presentation features, auxiliary display support, P2P ad-hoc meeting capabilities, Wi-Fi auto-config and roaming, unified parental controls that work over multiple PCs, backup to network functionality, Internet File Sharing, Offline Folders, PC-to-PC sync, Sync Manager, and support for Quattro Home Server, a Windows Server 2003 R2-based server product aimed at the home market.
Windows Vista Premium is similar to XP Media Center Edition, except that it adds numerous other features and functionality, including Tablet PC support. My guess is that this will be the volume consumer offering in the Windows Vista timeframe (today, XP Pro is the dominant seller). This version is aimed at PC enthusiasts, multiple-PC homes, homes with kids, and notebook users.
The marketing message: Home Premium turns it up a notch. In addition to the baseline functionality offered in Home Basic, this version focuses on such things as integrated entertainment (movies, memories, and more), mobility (media and productivity on the go), and connected living (connect with family, friends, and home). Home Premium supplies whole-home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go.
Windows Vista Business
A powerful, reliable and secure OS for businesses of all sizes. Windows Vista Business will include domain join and management functionality, compatibility with non-Microsoft networking protocols (Netware, SNMP, etc.), Remote Desktop, Microsoft Windows Web Server, and Encrypted File System (EFS). Additionally, Vista Business will include Tablet PC functionality. Windows Vista Business is roughly analogous to XP Pro today. This version is aimed at business decision makers and IT managers and generalists.
The marketing message: Vista Business is a powerful, reliable, and secure operating system. It helps PC users be more effective at work and offers improved connectivity and access to information, so that companies can realize better return on their IT investment.
Windows Vista Small Business
Designed for small businesses without IT staff. Vista Small Business is a superset of Vista Business, and includes the following unique features: Backup and Shadow Copy support, Castle and server-join networking, and PC fax and scanning utility. Additionally, Microsoft is looking at including a number of other features, many of which might be cut:
These include Vista Small Business guided tour, pre-paid access to the Windows Live! Small Business or Microsoft Office Live! subscription services, Multi-PC Health (a managed version of Microsoft One Care Live), and membership in the Microsoft Small Business Club online service. Microsoft will offer a Step-Up program for Vista Small Business that will allow customers to upgrade to Windows Vista Enterprise (see below) or Windows Vista Ultimate (see below) at a reduced cost. This SKU is new to Windows Vista; there is no XP Small Business Edition. This version is aimed at small business owners and managers.
The marketing message: Vista Small Business provides smooth operation even for those businesses without an IT staff. It is the operating system designed to help small businesses start, grow and thrive.
Windows Vista Enterprise
Optimized for the enterprise, this version will be a true superset of Windows Vista Business. It will also include unique features such as Virtual PC, the multi-language user interface (MUI), and the Secure Startup/full volume encryption security technologies ("Cornerstone"). There is no analogous XP version for this product. This version is aimed at business decision makers, IT managers and decision makers, and information workers/general business users. Vista Enterprise will be offered exclusively through Software Assurance.
The marketing message: Vista Enterprise provides an advanced application compatibility solution that will be crucial to many large business users, can be deployed to multiple language locales using a single image, and provides Secure Startup functionality for the ultimate in security on the go. It is the client OS that is optimized for the enterprise. Vista Enterprise reduces IT cost and complexity by providing tools that protect company data, reduce the number of required disk images, and ensure the compatibility of legacy applications.
Windows Vista Ultimate
The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Business, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online "Club" services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product).
Microsoft is still investigating how to position its most impressive Windows release yet, and is looking into offering Vista Ultimate owners such services as extended A1 subscriptions, free music downloads, free movie downloads, Online Spotlight and entertainment software, preferred product support, and custom themes. There is nothing like Vista Ultimate today. This version is aimed at high-end PC users and technology influencers, gamers, digital media enthusiasts, and students.
The marketing message: Vista Ultimate is the "no compromises" version of Windows Vista. It provides the best performance, most secure and complete connection to the office, and is optimized for the individual. Everything you need for work or fun is included. It is the best operating system ever offered for the personal PC.
N Editions
Finally, I should note that Microsoft is planning to offer so-called N Editions of Windows Vista for the European market, in order to meet the requirements of an antitrust ruling there. Windows Vista N Editions--Vista Home N and Vista Business N--will mirror the Vista Home Basic and Vista Business versions, respectively, but will not include Windows Media Player and other media-related functionality.
Whole home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go. As a true superset of Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support), DVD video authoring and HDTV support, DVD ripping support (yes, you read that right), Tablet PC functionality, Mobility Center and other mobility and presentation features, auxiliary display support, P2P ad-hoc meeting capabilities, Wi-Fi auto-config and roaming, unified parental controls that work over multiple PCs, backup to network functionality, Internet File Sharing, Offline Folders, PC-to-PC sync, Sync Manager, and support for Quattro Home Server, a Windows Server 2003 R2-based server product aimed at the home market.
Windows Vista Premium is similar to XP Media Center Edition, except that it adds numerous other features and functionality, including Tablet PC support. My guess is that this will be the volume consumer offering in the Windows Vista timeframe (today, XP Pro is the dominant seller). This version is aimed at PC enthusiasts, multiple-PC homes, homes with kids, and notebook users.
The marketing message: Home Premium turns it up a notch. In addition to the baseline functionality offered in Home Basic, this version focuses on such things as integrated entertainment (movies, memories, and more), mobility (media and productivity on the go), and connected living (connect with family, friends, and home). Home Premium supplies whole-home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go.
Windows Vista Business
A powerful, reliable and secure OS for businesses of all sizes. Windows Vista Business will include domain join and management functionality, compatibility with non-Microsoft networking protocols (Netware, SNMP, etc.), Remote Desktop, Microsoft Windows Web Server, and Encrypted File System (EFS). Additionally, Vista Business will include Tablet PC functionality. Windows Vista Business is roughly analogous to XP Pro today. This version is aimed at business decision makers and IT managers and generalists.
The marketing message: Vista Business is a powerful, reliable, and secure operating system. It helps PC users be more effective at work and offers improved connectivity and access to information, so that companies can realize better return on their IT investment.
Windows Vista Small Business
Designed for small businesses without IT staff. Vista Small Business is a superset of Vista Business, and includes the following unique features: Backup and Shadow Copy support, Castle and server-join networking, and PC fax and scanning utility. Additionally, Microsoft is looking at including a number of other features, many of which might be cut:
These include Vista Small Business guided tour, pre-paid access to the Windows Live! Small Business or Microsoft Office Live! subscription services, Multi-PC Health (a managed version of Microsoft One Care Live), and membership in the Microsoft Small Business Club online service. Microsoft will offer a Step-Up program for Vista Small Business that will allow customers to upgrade to Windows Vista Enterprise (see below) or Windows Vista Ultimate (see below) at a reduced cost. This SKU is new to Windows Vista; there is no XP Small Business Edition. This version is aimed at small business owners and managers.
The marketing message: Vista Small Business provides smooth operation even for those businesses without an IT staff. It is the operating system designed to help small businesses start, grow and thrive.
Windows Vista Enterprise
Optimized for the enterprise, this version will be a true superset of Windows Vista Business. It will also include unique features such as Virtual PC, the multi-language user interface (MUI), and the Secure Startup/full volume encryption security technologies ("Cornerstone"). There is no analogous XP version for this product. This version is aimed at business decision makers, IT managers and decision makers, and information workers/general business users. Vista Enterprise will be offered exclusively through Software Assurance.
The marketing message: Vista Enterprise provides an advanced application compatibility solution that will be crucial to many large business users, can be deployed to multiple language locales using a single image, and provides Secure Startup functionality for the ultimate in security on the go. It is the client OS that is optimized for the enterprise. Vista Enterprise reduces IT cost and complexity by providing tools that protect company data, reduce the number of required disk images, and ensure the compatibility of legacy applications.
Windows Vista Ultimate
The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Business, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online "Club" services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product).
Microsoft is still investigating how to position its most impressive Windows release yet, and is looking into offering Vista Ultimate owners such services as extended A1 subscriptions, free music downloads, free movie downloads, Online Spotlight and entertainment software, preferred product support, and custom themes. There is nothing like Vista Ultimate today. This version is aimed at high-end PC users and technology influencers, gamers, digital media enthusiasts, and students.
The marketing message: Vista Ultimate is the "no compromises" version of Windows Vista. It provides the best performance, most secure and complete connection to the office, and is optimized for the individual. Everything you need for work or fun is included. It is the best operating system ever offered for the personal PC.
N Editions
Finally, I should note that Microsoft is planning to offer so-called N Editions of Windows Vista for the European market, in order to meet the requirements of an antitrust ruling there. Windows Vista N Editions--Vista Home N and Vista Business N--will mirror the Vista Home Basic and Vista Business versions, respectively, but will not include Windows Media Player and other media-related functionality.
WINDOWS VISTA
Windows Vista
Windows Vista (formerly code named Longhorn) is the next evolution of Microsoft's operating system. Vista offers an advancement in reliability, security, ease of deployment, performance and manageability over Windows XP. As of July 30, 2005 Windows Vista is in the beta 1 phase and is expected to be released late in 2006. Some of the Windows Vista features include the following:
Detects hardware problems before they occur, which is designed to reduce the frequency of incidents in which applications stop responding or the PC needs to be restarted.
Windows Vista security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses and spyware. If an attacker manages to compromise a computer, Windows Vista limits the damage.
Security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses and spyware. If an attacker manages to compromise a computer, Windows Vista limits the damage.
Faster start-up time and low power consumption of the new sleep state. In many cases, Windows Vista is noticeably more responsive than Windows XP on identical hardware.
Windows Vista simplifies and centralizes desktop configuration management, reducing the cost of keeping systems updated
Windows Vista (formerly code named Longhorn) is the next evolution of Microsoft's operating system. Vista offers an advancement in reliability, security, ease of deployment, performance and manageability over Windows XP. As of July 30, 2005 Windows Vista is in the beta 1 phase and is expected to be released late in 2006. Some of the Windows Vista features include the following:
Detects hardware problems before they occur, which is designed to reduce the frequency of incidents in which applications stop responding or the PC needs to be restarted.
Windows Vista security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses and spyware. If an attacker manages to compromise a computer, Windows Vista limits the damage.
Security features protect against the latest generation of threats, such as worms, viruses and spyware. If an attacker manages to compromise a computer, Windows Vista limits the damage.
Faster start-up time and low power consumption of the new sleep state. In many cases, Windows Vista is noticeably more responsive than Windows XP on identical hardware.
Windows Vista simplifies and centralizes desktop configuration management, reducing the cost of keeping systems updated
XP
Windows XP
The Windows eXPerience operating system is available as home and professional edition and are similar suitable for the use on standalone computers. The home edition is suitable for user which worked with Windows 9x/ME till now and don't need special network or security features in theire environment. If the user have used Windows NT/2000 private, in business or both, the Professional Edition is not only with a view of the administration optimally. Microsoft already encloses 10,000 drivers on the installation media of Windows XP, about the Windows update further more 2,000 drivers are available.
The Professional Edition of Windows XP has more network features than the Home Edition. An update of Windows 9 x/ME is possible, with Windows NT/2000 only the Professional Edition can be used for update. Optional FAT32 and NTFS are available as a file system for the installation partition.
Windows XP (Windows version 5.1) becomes a predecessor of Windows 9x/ME as well as Windows NT/2000 and is available for 32-bits CPUs in the following versions:
- Embedded
- Home Edition (1 CPU) for private user (Oct. 2001)
- Professional Edition (2 CPU) for business user (Oct. 2001)
- Media Center (1 CPU) especially for multimedia devices (Nov. 2002)
- Tablet PC Edition especially for Tablet PCs (Nov. 2002)
- Server Edition (4 CPU)
- Advanced Server (8 CPU), also 64-bit Intel CPUs
- Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (July 2007)
A 64-bit version of Windows XP was announced officially of Microsoft in April 2003. The RC2 was available in February 2005. Windows XP Professional x64 was published in April 2005. At most 16 gbyte RAM are utilizably with that, the virtual address range enlarges to 16 tbyte.
Same will be the product activation at all versions, which is needed at every new installation or extensive upgrade of the PC devices. Company customers can use an so-called Corporated version by a special licensing option without this product activation.
As the most visual innovation the revised Windows interface with the new design is well done, the design called Luna (as of beta 2428) can display window elements in high colour. The return to the interface as of Windows 2000 is further possible. The representation and organisation of the central registry is quit the same as used in Windows 2000.
The Windows eXPerience operating system is available as home and professional edition and are similar suitable for the use on standalone computers. The home edition is suitable for user which worked with Windows 9x/ME till now and don't need special network or security features in theire environment. If the user have used Windows NT/2000 private, in business or both, the Professional Edition is not only with a view of the administration optimally. Microsoft already encloses 10,000 drivers on the installation media of Windows XP, about the Windows update further more 2,000 drivers are available.
The Professional Edition of Windows XP has more network features than the Home Edition. An update of Windows 9 x/ME is possible, with Windows NT/2000 only the Professional Edition can be used for update. Optional FAT32 and NTFS are available as a file system for the installation partition.
Windows XP (Windows version 5.1) becomes a predecessor of Windows 9x/ME as well as Windows NT/2000 and is available for 32-bits CPUs in the following versions:
- Embedded
- Home Edition (1 CPU) for private user (Oct. 2001)
- Professional Edition (2 CPU) for business user (Oct. 2001)
- Media Center (1 CPU) especially for multimedia devices (Nov. 2002)
- Tablet PC Edition especially for Tablet PCs (Nov. 2002)
- Server Edition (4 CPU)
- Advanced Server (8 CPU), also 64-bit Intel CPUs
- Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (July 2007)
A 64-bit version of Windows XP was announced officially of Microsoft in April 2003. The RC2 was available in February 2005. Windows XP Professional x64 was published in April 2005. At most 16 gbyte RAM are utilizably with that, the virtual address range enlarges to 16 tbyte.
Same will be the product activation at all versions, which is needed at every new installation or extensive upgrade of the PC devices. Company customers can use an so-called Corporated version by a special licensing option without this product activation.
As the most visual innovation the revised Windows interface with the new design is well done, the design called Luna (as of beta 2428) can display window elements in high colour. The return to the interface as of Windows 2000 is further possible. The representation and organisation of the central registry is quit the same as used in Windows 2000.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
Real-time Operating System: It is a multitasking operating system that aims at executing real-time applications. Real-time operating systems often use specialized scheduling algorithms so that they can achieve a deterministic nature of behavior. The main object of real-time operating systems is their quick and predictable response to events. They either have an event-driven or a time-sharing design. An event-driven system switches between tasks based of their priorities while time-sharing operating systems switch tasks based on clock interrupts.
Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems: The operating systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-sharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a computer through the sharing of time. Single-user operating systems, as opposed to a multi-user operating system, are usable by a single user at a time. Being able to have multiple accounts on a Windows operating system does not make it a multi-user system. Rather, only the network administrator is the real user. But for a Unix-like operating system, it is possible for two users to login at a time and this capability of the OS makes it a multi-user operating system.
Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems: When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is grouped under a single-tasking system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multi-tasking can be of two types namely, pre-emptive or co-operative. In pre-emptive multitasking, the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each of the programs. Unix-like operating systems such as Solaris and Linux support pre-emptive multitasking. Cooperative multitasking is achieved by relying on each process to give time to the other processes in a defined manner. MS Windows prior to Windows 95 used to support cooperative multitasking.
Distributed Operating System: An operating system that manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a distributed operating system. The development of networked computers that could be linked and communicate with each other, gave rise to distributed computing. Distributed computations are carried out on more than one machine. When computers in a group work in cooperation, they make a distributed system.
Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being used in embedded computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with a limited number of resources. They are very compact and extremely efficient by design. Windows CE, FreeBSD and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded operating systems.
The operating systems thus contribute to the simplification of the human interaction with the computer hardware. They are responsible for linking application programs with the hardware, thus achieving an easy user access to the computers.
Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems: The operating systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-sharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a computer through the sharing of time. Single-user operating systems, as opposed to a multi-user operating system, are usable by a single user at a time. Being able to have multiple accounts on a Windows operating system does not make it a multi-user system. Rather, only the network administrator is the real user. But for a Unix-like operating system, it is possible for two users to login at a time and this capability of the OS makes it a multi-user operating system.
Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems: When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is grouped under a single-tasking system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multi-tasking can be of two types namely, pre-emptive or co-operative. In pre-emptive multitasking, the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each of the programs. Unix-like operating systems such as Solaris and Linux support pre-emptive multitasking. Cooperative multitasking is achieved by relying on each process to give time to the other processes in a defined manner. MS Windows prior to Windows 95 used to support cooperative multitasking.
Distributed Operating System: An operating system that manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a distributed operating system. The development of networked computers that could be linked and communicate with each other, gave rise to distributed computing. Distributed computations are carried out on more than one machine. When computers in a group work in cooperation, they make a distributed system.
Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being used in embedded computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with a limited number of resources. They are very compact and extremely efficient by design. Windows CE, FreeBSD and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded operating systems.
The operating systems thus contribute to the simplification of the human interaction with the computer hardware. They are responsible for linking application programs with the hardware, thus achieving an easy user access to the computers.
OPERATING SYSTEM
An operating system is a program designed to run other programs on a computer. A computer’s operating system is its most important program. It is considered the backbone of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources. Operating systems are responsible for everything from the control and allocation of memory to recognizing input from external devices and transmitting output to computer displays. They also manage files on computer hard drives and control peripherals, like printers and scanners.
The operating system of a large computer system has even more work to do. Such operating systems monitor different programs and users, making sure everything runs smoothly, without interference, despite the fact that numerous devices and programs are used simultaneously. An operating system also has a vital role to play in security. Its job includes preventing unauthorized users from accessing the computer system
The operating system of a large computer system has even more work to do. Such operating systems monitor different programs and users, making sure everything runs smoothly, without interference, despite the fact that numerous devices and programs are used simultaneously. An operating system also has a vital role to play in security. Its job includes preventing unauthorized users from accessing the computer system
DELL LAPTOPS
B120
The B120 is dells most "basic" computer. This dell is perfect for a basic computer user and a good gift for that someone that needs just a basic laptop. This computer from dell comes with these specs:
14.1 Inch WXGA Screen
Intel Celeron M 360 1.4GHz
Windows XP Home Edition
256MB Shared, 1 DIMM
40GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/ DVD Combo Drive
No Integrated Wireless Support
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
4 Cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Those are the options for the Dell B120
Dell B130
The Inspiron B130 is perfect for that person that just wants a basic laptop, except unlike the B120, this has a slightly bigger screen, and is more customizable. This is the gift for someone that wants a basic computer with a few higher specs than the B120. Available specs here:
Intel Pentium M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)
Windows XP Home/Pro
15.4 WXGA LCD Display
512MB DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimm
40GB Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Dell Intel 1370 Wireless Card
Integrated Intel Media Accelerator 900 Graphics
4 cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
The B120 is dells most "basic" computer. This dell is perfect for a basic computer user and a good gift for that someone that needs just a basic laptop. This computer from dell comes with these specs:
14.1 Inch WXGA Screen
Intel Celeron M 360 1.4GHz
Windows XP Home Edition
256MB Shared, 1 DIMM
40GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/ DVD Combo Drive
No Integrated Wireless Support
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
4 Cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Those are the options for the Dell B120
Dell B130
The Inspiron B130 is perfect for that person that just wants a basic laptop, except unlike the B120, this has a slightly bigger screen, and is more customizable. This is the gift for someone that wants a basic computer with a few higher specs than the B120. Available specs here:
Intel Pentium M Processor 740 (1.73GHz)
Windows XP Home/Pro
15.4 WXGA LCD Display
512MB DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimm
40GB Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Dell Intel 1370 Wireless Card
Integrated Intel Media Accelerator 900 Graphics
4 cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Dell Inspiron 6000
The Dell 6000 is a fairly new 15.4 inch Dell. Its the perfect choice if you dont want to lug around a large desktop replacement, but still have a decent sized laptop. Its good for viewing movies, music, and productivity. Here is Dell's Basic 6000. Specs:
Intel Pentium M Processor 725 (1.60GHz)
Windows XP Home/Pro/Media Center
15.4 inch WXGA LCD Display
512MB Shared DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimms
40GB Hard Drive
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Intel Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
DELL
For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether they’re at home, work, school or anywhere in their world. Learn more about our story, purpose and people behind our customer-centric approac
HP LAPTOP MODELS
HP Pavilion dm1z series
Our lightest HP Pavilion laptop; great for road warriors who need a lightweight but powerful PC
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Athlon(TM) II Neo K125 (1.7GHz, 1M L2 cache) + ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4225 Graphics
FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Wireless-N Card
Up to 5.0 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
HP Pavilion dm3t series
Our coolest laptop with intelligent thermal software so it will stay cool on your laps for hours. Ultra lightweight at 3.99 lbs with all the power of a full PC. Optional backlit keyboard and Mobile Broadband.
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Processor U5400 (1.20 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) + Intel(R) HD Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Up to 7.5 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
HP Pavilion dv5t series
HP-exclusive 14.5" (diagonal) ultraportable optimzed for mobility, performance, and value; Available in three colors; optional Core i processors and backlit keyboard
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual Core Processor P6100 (2.00 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Wireless 802.11b/g/n Card
Up to 5.75 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
Our lightest HP Pavilion laptop; great for road warriors who need a lightweight but powerful PC
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Athlon(TM) II Neo K125 (1.7GHz, 1M L2 cache) + ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4225 Graphics
FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Wireless-N Card
Up to 5.0 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
HP Pavilion dm3t series
Our coolest laptop with intelligent thermal software so it will stay cool on your laps for hours. Ultra lightweight at 3.99 lbs with all the power of a full PC. Optional backlit keyboard and Mobile Broadband.
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Processor U5400 (1.20 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) + Intel(R) HD Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Up to 7.5 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
HP Pavilion dv5t series
HP-exclusive 14.5" (diagonal) ultraportable optimzed for mobility, performance, and value; Available in three colors; optional Core i processors and backlit keyboard
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual Core Processor P6100 (2.00 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Wireless 802.11b/g/n Card
Up to 5.75 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
HP
Hewlett-Packard
- HP was founded in 1939.
- Corporate headquarters are in Palo Alto, Calif.
- Leo Apotheker is CEO and President.
- HP is the world's largest IT company, with revenue totaling $114.6 billion for fiscal 2009.
- HP's 2010 Fortune 500 ranking: No. 10.
SONY WAIO LAPTOPS
Sony VAIO CS
Sony VAIO NW
Sony VAIO FW
Sony VAIO CW
ACER LAPTOP MODELS
Acer Laptop models:
Acer Ferrari : The Acer Ferrari is a combination of an atest mobile 64-bit technology, sleek design and innovative work, an instrument for "no compromise.” Acer Ferrari range Laptop is an ideal for professionals, who want to deliver ideas and images with eye-catching ability. It has a wide high-resolution 15.4 inch screen with a great performance, multipurpose flash card slot, trayless double-layer optical drive and 1GB of RAM. Ferrari has the best features like, the vision clarity, power to pull ahead, lightning speed communication, totally mobile expansion, and wide coverage.
Acer Travelmate : The Acer Travelmate is a high-performance ultra portable notebook along with the standard features including lightweight and excellent connectivity, offered by Technoworld PLC. It is an ideal product for the highly-mobile employees of small, medium and large companies and outbound self-employed professionals, with its Intel's CentrinoT mobile technology. And it is the best bet for those who are looking for the power and performance.
Acer Aspire : The Acer Aspire is an extremely versatile great-value notebook that will bring added power, mobility and performance to your working environment. It provides high performance and all that you can expect from a complete mobile office to an occasionally wide screen entertainment solution which can be used for both business purpose and personal use.
Acer Ferrari : The Acer Ferrari is a combination of an atest mobile 64-bit technology, sleek design and innovative work, an instrument for "no compromise.” Acer Ferrari range Laptop is an ideal for professionals, who want to deliver ideas and images with eye-catching ability. It has a wide high-resolution 15.4 inch screen with a great performance, multipurpose flash card slot, trayless double-layer optical drive and 1GB of RAM. Ferrari has the best features like, the vision clarity, power to pull ahead, lightning speed communication, totally mobile expansion, and wide coverage.
Acer Travelmate : The Acer Travelmate is a high-performance ultra portable notebook along with the standard features including lightweight and excellent connectivity, offered by Technoworld PLC. It is an ideal product for the highly-mobile employees of small, medium and large companies and outbound self-employed professionals, with its Intel's CentrinoT mobile technology. And it is the best bet for those who are looking for the power and performance.
Acer Aspire : The Acer Aspire is an extremely versatile great-value notebook that will bring added power, mobility and performance to your working environment. It provides high performance and all that you can expect from a complete mobile office to an occasionally wide screen entertainment solution which can be used for both business purpose and personal use.
ACER LAPTOP
Acer is a Taiwan based company which was set up in the year 1976 by the name Multitech, and later renamed to Acer in 1987. It has its headquarters located in Hsichih City, Taipei County, Taiwan. By 2005 Acer Laptop was ranked as the world's No. 4 branded PC vendor. It offers a range of products like desktop and mobile PCs, servers and storages, LCD monitors and high-definition TVs, projectors, and handheld/navigational devices. In 2000, Acer spun-off its fabricating business to focus on developing technologically advanced and user-friendly computing. And it decided to support the sales of the product lines through specific marketing activities that best utilizes distribution channels. Revenues increased from US$4.9 billion in 2003 to US$7 billion in 2004. By 2005, Acer employed only 7,800 people across the world while maintaining a sales and service network throughout the world. And in 2006, its revenues reached US$11.32 billion.
Acer has a portable product line extension, the TravelMate series, the Aspire series and the cutting edge Ferrari series in line. Acer Ferrari laptops have the high persistent quality because of which they have managed to carve out a niche for themselves in the market. It is already popular in Asian and European markets, now it is hoping to garner attention in the profitable U.S market. Acer is ranked as first in 13 countries- Italy, Spain, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Russia, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Hungary and The Slovakian Republic. Acer provides a wide range of portables with advanced features like flexibility, power, speed, full coverage, vision, and style to name a few.
Acer Laptops have 299.00 Intel Pentium III 600 MHz Processor 128 MB with RAM 12 Gb Hard Disk CD RW Drive, in-built Modem and Ethernet of 10/100 Lan Infra Red port Audio-in out and Mic Jacks 2 USB ports 1 Parallel and 1 Serial Ports External Keyboard port PCMCIA Slot Upgradeable Memory and Hard disks and Lithium-Ion Battery, provided with Drivers CD ROM.
The products include Travel Mate notebook computers, convertible Tablet PCs with Intel Pentium processors, wide-screen Aspire multimedia notebooks and Ferrari notebooks notable for a bright red chassis. Acer also markets a full range of Veriton business desktops, AcerPower and Aspire value desktops, Altos servers for the enterprise, and both LCD and CRT displays.
Acer Laptop market in North American share has slipped over the past few years while the European market share has flanged up. Most of their success in Europe can be attributed to their on going association with the Ferrari Formula 1 Team and the former F1 team, Prost Grand Prix in 2001. They have recently broadened the scope of their relationship with Ferrari by announcing that they will sponsor the Formula One team until 2008.
Acer has a portable product line extension, the TravelMate series, the Aspire series and the cutting edge Ferrari series in line. Acer Ferrari laptops have the high persistent quality because of which they have managed to carve out a niche for themselves in the market. It is already popular in Asian and European markets, now it is hoping to garner attention in the profitable U.S market. Acer is ranked as first in 13 countries- Italy, Spain, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Russia, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Hungary and The Slovakian Republic. Acer provides a wide range of portables with advanced features like flexibility, power, speed, full coverage, vision, and style to name a few.
Acer Laptops have 299.00 Intel Pentium III 600 MHz Processor 128 MB with RAM 12 Gb Hard Disk CD RW Drive, in-built Modem and Ethernet of 10/100 Lan Infra Red port Audio-in out and Mic Jacks 2 USB ports 1 Parallel and 1 Serial Ports External Keyboard port PCMCIA Slot Upgradeable Memory and Hard disks and Lithium-Ion Battery, provided with Drivers CD ROM.
The products include Travel Mate notebook computers, convertible Tablet PCs with Intel Pentium processors, wide-screen Aspire multimedia notebooks and Ferrari notebooks notable for a bright red chassis. Acer also markets a full range of Veriton business desktops, AcerPower and Aspire value desktops, Altos servers for the enterprise, and both LCD and CRT displays.
Acer Laptop market in North American share has slipped over the past few years while the European market share has flanged up. Most of their success in Europe can be attributed to their on going association with the Ferrari Formula 1 Team and the former F1 team, Prost Grand Prix in 2001. They have recently broadened the scope of their relationship with Ferrari by announcing that they will sponsor the Formula One team until 2008.
Laptops come in all shapes, colors and sizes and people buy them for many different reasons. Some people want a laptop for gaming, others want them to be mobile and easy to carry around, others might just want a general laptop that can do a bit of everything. So how do you categorise them all? Well here at the main types of laptops that you might read about and see on offer:
Gaming Laptops - Usually gaming laptops are quite big and have larger screen of at least fifteen inches. If your going to be doing a lot of gaming on one then your going to want to have a decent screen size that won't strain your eyes. The other main aspect of a gaming laptop is the performance that it offers. The latest games require a lot of power and for a laptop to be able to run them they need to have good hardware.
Primarily the processor, memory and graphics card are the important points. The processor is usually a dual or quad core and memory will start around two gigabytes and anything up to eight. A powerful graphics processor is crucial for quick video rendering and so you will usually find some type of Nvidia that has a large amount of graphics memory.
Netbooks - These are all about mobility. They are small, sleek and very light which makes them ideal for travelling around with. You will usually find that netbooks have small screen sizes of around ten inches and can weigh under five pounds.
Performance is usually adequate for general use such as getting email, browsing the web and some word processing. However, you shouldn't expect a netbook to be good on multi tasking or gaming as they are not designed for this.
General office and home laptops - These are usually anything that doesn't fit into the other two categories. They will vary in price range and specification but are usually good overall for multi tasking, storing files, browsing the internet and perhaps some gaming as well.
These can come in a variety of screen sizes but standard is around fifteen inches. Depending on what kind of use you want out a laptop will depend on how much you will need to spend and the specification you need. If you are only planning on using them for a bit of web browsing, email and basic media then usually a budget entry level laptop is more than adequate.
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Gaming Laptops - Usually gaming laptops are quite big and have larger screen of at least fifteen inches. If your going to be doing a lot of gaming on one then your going to want to have a decent screen size that won't strain your eyes. The other main aspect of a gaming laptop is the performance that it offers. The latest games require a lot of power and for a laptop to be able to run them they need to have good hardware.
Primarily the processor, memory and graphics card are the important points. The processor is usually a dual or quad core and memory will start around two gigabytes and anything up to eight. A powerful graphics processor is crucial for quick video rendering and so you will usually find some type of Nvidia that has a large amount of graphics memory.
Netbooks - These are all about mobility. They are small, sleek and very light which makes them ideal for travelling around with. You will usually find that netbooks have small screen sizes of around ten inches and can weigh under five pounds.
Performance is usually adequate for general use such as getting email, browsing the web and some word processing. However, you shouldn't expect a netbook to be good on multi tasking or gaming as they are not designed for this.
General office and home laptops - These are usually anything that doesn't fit into the other two categories. They will vary in price range and specification but are usually good overall for multi tasking, storing files, browsing the internet and perhaps some gaming as well.
These can come in a variety of screen sizes but standard is around fifteen inches. Depending on what kind of use you want out a laptop will depend on how much you will need to spend and the specification you need. If you are only planning on using them for a bit of web browsing, email and basic media then usually a budget entry level laptop is more than adequate.
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LAPTOPS
A laptop computer, usually called a notebook computer by manufacturers, is a battery- or AC-powered personal computer generally smaller than a briefcase that can easily be transported and conveniently used in temporary spaces such as on airplanes, in libraries, temporary offices, and at meetings. A laptop typically weighs less than 5 pounds and is 3 inches or less in thickness. Among the best-known makers of laptop computers are IBM, Apple, Compaq, Dell, and Toshiba.
Laptop computers generally cost more than desktop computers with the same capabilities because they are more difficult to design and manufacture. A laptop can effectively be turned into a desktop computer with a docking station, a hardware frame that supplies connections for peripheral input/output devices such as a printer or larger monitor. The less capable port replicator allows you to connect a laptop to a number of peripherals through a single plug.
Laptops usually come with displays that use thin-screen technology. The thin film transistor or active matrix screen is brighter and views better at different angles than the STN or dual-scan screen. Laptops use several different approaches for integrating a mouse into the keyboard, including the touch pad, the trackball, and the pointing stick. A serial port also allows a regular mouse to be attached. The PC Card is insertable hardware for adding a modem or network interface card to a laptop. CD-ROM and digital versatile disc drives may be built-in or attachable.
Laptop computers generally cost more than desktop computers with the same capabilities because they are more difficult to design and manufacture. A laptop can effectively be turned into a desktop computer with a docking station, a hardware frame that supplies connections for peripheral input/output devices such as a printer or larger monitor. The less capable port replicator allows you to connect a laptop to a number of peripherals through a single plug.
Laptops usually come with displays that use thin-screen technology. The thin film transistor or active matrix screen is brighter and views better at different angles than the STN or dual-scan screen. Laptops use several different approaches for integrating a mouse into the keyboard, including the touch pad, the trackball, and the pointing stick. A serial port also allows a regular mouse to be attached. The PC Card is insertable hardware for adding a modem or network interface card to a laptop. CD-ROM and digital versatile disc drives may be built-in or attachable.
TYPES OF CABLES
All computer devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, CPU, modem, etc. are connected using a Ethernet cable. Ethernet cables are determined and distinguished by their quality. By quality it means, the amount of transmission load the cable can handle. Following are some Ethernet cable types:
Normal Ethernet Cables
A normal Ethernet cable is a straight-through cable, where the smaller cables inside the Ethernet cable on both ends will be in the same order of colors, from left to right. There are two standards in which the colors of the cables are arranged, they are; T-568A and T-568B. The variation in their color order is not an indication of their performance, but just their standard. This type of cable is used to connect the computer to a hub or router to a switch.
Ethernet Cable Categories (Cat)
Cat 3 - This category was widely used as a voice cabling format among computer network administrators in the 1990s. It is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP), that can carry up to to 10 Mbit/s with a bandwidth performance of 16 MHz.
Cat 4 - Cat 4 was mainly used in token ring networks and the cable consists of four unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) wires, with a data rate of 16 Mbit/s, and performance of up to 20 MHz.
Cat 5 - This is a a twisted pair high signal integrity cable, that has three twists per inch of each twisted pair of 24 gouge copper wires within the cables. Cat 5 is used for 10/100Mb Ethernet and as a voice cabling format.
Cat 5e - This category is an enhanced version of Cat 5, that prevents interference between one unshielded twisted pair to another twisted pair running in parallel within the same cable (Far End Crosstalk – FEXT). It works for 10/100Mb and 1000Mb Ethernet.
Cat 6 - It is very similar to Cat 5e and is a cable standard for Gigabyte Ethernet (considered better than Cat 5e) and other network protocols that are backward compatible with the Cat 5/5e and Cat 3 cable standards. Cat 6 is made up of larger gouge wires, that work for 10/100/1000Mb Ethernet.
Cat 7 - This cable type is a standard for Ethernet and other interconnect technologies, that are backward compatible with traditional Cat 5 and Cat 6 Ethernet cables. As it has more strict specifications for crosstalk and system noise than Cat 6 and Cat 5e, its cables and the wires within are completely shielded. the cable contains four twisted copper wire pairs and supports up to 600Mhz.
Ethernet Crossover Cable
An Ethernet crossover cable is a type of Ethernet cable, that is used to connect computing devices together, without the use of a hub or switch. These cables have different pin points or plugs on each side. The wires within the Ethernet crossover cable can reverse the transmit and receive signals. Starting from the left, the 1st and 3rd wires and the 2nd and 6th wires are crossed, and can be seen through the RJ-45 connectors at each end of the crossover cable.
Ethernet cable types should be determined by your requirement, as there are many types and categories easily available all across the country. Ethernet cables are faster and take less processing from the CPU and other computer networking devices, which can save a lot of time during the transmission of data
Normal Ethernet Cables
A normal Ethernet cable is a straight-through cable, where the smaller cables inside the Ethernet cable on both ends will be in the same order of colors, from left to right. There are two standards in which the colors of the cables are arranged, they are; T-568A and T-568B. The variation in their color order is not an indication of their performance, but just their standard. This type of cable is used to connect the computer to a hub or router to a switch.
Ethernet Cable Categories (Cat)
Cat 3 - This category was widely used as a voice cabling format among computer network administrators in the 1990s. It is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP), that can carry up to to 10 Mbit/s with a bandwidth performance of 16 MHz.
Cat 4 - Cat 4 was mainly used in token ring networks and the cable consists of four unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) wires, with a data rate of 16 Mbit/s, and performance of up to 20 MHz.
Cat 5 - This is a a twisted pair high signal integrity cable, that has three twists per inch of each twisted pair of 24 gouge copper wires within the cables. Cat 5 is used for 10/100Mb Ethernet and as a voice cabling format.
Cat 5e - This category is an enhanced version of Cat 5, that prevents interference between one unshielded twisted pair to another twisted pair running in parallel within the same cable (Far End Crosstalk – FEXT). It works for 10/100Mb and 1000Mb Ethernet.
Cat 6 - It is very similar to Cat 5e and is a cable standard for Gigabyte Ethernet (considered better than Cat 5e) and other network protocols that are backward compatible with the Cat 5/5e and Cat 3 cable standards. Cat 6 is made up of larger gouge wires, that work for 10/100/1000Mb Ethernet.
Cat 7 - This cable type is a standard for Ethernet and other interconnect technologies, that are backward compatible with traditional Cat 5 and Cat 6 Ethernet cables. As it has more strict specifications for crosstalk and system noise than Cat 6 and Cat 5e, its cables and the wires within are completely shielded. the cable contains four twisted copper wire pairs and supports up to 600Mhz.
Ethernet Crossover Cable
An Ethernet crossover cable is a type of Ethernet cable, that is used to connect computing devices together, without the use of a hub or switch. These cables have different pin points or plugs on each side. The wires within the Ethernet crossover cable can reverse the transmit and receive signals. Starting from the left, the 1st and 3rd wires and the 2nd and 6th wires are crossed, and can be seen through the RJ-45 connectors at each end of the crossover cable.
Ethernet cable types should be determined by your requirement, as there are many types and categories easily available all across the country. Ethernet cables are faster and take less processing from the CPU and other computer networking devices, which can save a lot of time during the transmission of data
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is the solution for all PC users who want an instant, no-hassle way to connect new hardware like digital joysticks, scanners, digital speakers, digital cameras or a PC telephone to their computer.
USB makes adding peripheral devices extremely easy. With USB-compliant PCs and peripherals, you just plug them in and turn them on. USB makes the whole process automatic. It's like adding instant new capabilities to your PC. You never need to open your PC, and you don't need to worry about add-in cards, DIP switch settings or IRQs.
Another USB feature is "hot-swapping". You no longer need to shut down and restart your PC to attach or remove a peripheral. Just plug in the new device and the PC automatically detects the peripheral and configures the necessary software.
USB also lets you connect many peripherals at one time. Many USB PCs come with two USB ports. And special USB peripherals -- called USB hubs -- have additional ports that let you "daisy chain" multiple devices together.
Most PCs, including laptops on the market today are fully USB-ready...ready for USB digital cameras, scanners, printers, computer telephony products, digital speakers and digital gaming devices.
USB makes adding peripheral devices extremely easy. With USB-compliant PCs and peripherals, you just plug them in and turn them on. USB makes the whole process automatic. It's like adding instant new capabilities to your PC. You never need to open your PC, and you don't need to worry about add-in cards, DIP switch settings or IRQs.
Another USB feature is "hot-swapping". You no longer need to shut down and restart your PC to attach or remove a peripheral. Just plug in the new device and the PC automatically detects the peripheral and configures the necessary software.
USB also lets you connect many peripherals at one time. Many USB PCs come with two USB ports. And special USB peripherals -- called USB hubs -- have additional ports that let you "daisy chain" multiple devices together.
Most PCs, including laptops on the market today are fully USB-ready...ready for USB digital cameras, scanners, printers, computer telephony products, digital speakers and digital gaming devices.
DVD AND BLUERAY
Blu-ray has finally won the high definition format war, but that is just the beginning. There is a lot of confusion out there among the general public about the difference between DVD and Blu-ray discs. Although Blu-ray discs look exactly the same as DVDs in size and shape there are many differences between the media, including storage capacity, laser technology, disc construction, image resolution and player compatibility.
Storage Capacity
Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB), like computers and iPods. The more GB the disc has more information it can hold.
Laser Technology
Lasers are used in both media to read the information stored on the disc. As the disc spins the laser reads the information and transfers both picture and sound to the television.
Storage Capacity
Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB), like computers and iPods. The more GB the disc has more information it can hold.
- DVD- Single layer DVDs can store about 4.7 GB of data, which is about two hours worth of movie. These are commonly referred to as DVD-5s. Double layer DVDs, or DVD-9s, can store twice the amount of data at 8.7 GB. This equals about four hours of movie, or one “Lord of the Rings” movie.
- Blu-ray- Single layer Blu-ray discs store approximately 25 GB of data, this equals about two hours of high definition information or 13 hours of standard definition information. Double layer Blu-ray discs can hold about 50 GB equaling about four and a half hours of high definition information or 26 hours in standard definition. Potentially you could put all three “Lord of the Rings” movies on one double layer Blu-ray disc.
Laser Technology
Lasers are used in both media to read the information stored on the disc. As the disc spins the laser reads the information and transfers both picture and sound to the television.
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