Geeks Blog

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Dual-Card Graphics Sales very slow

Despite my deep love for PC games I still have not taken the plunge to upgrade my video card to one of those new and high tech dual graphics card setups. There are many reasons for my decision not to upgrade yet – first and foremost is the fact that I still think that this new technology is a bit overpriced. If you are one of those, who just like me, also did not have the desire to upgrade their graphics cards, fear not. You are not alone.Based on an analyst report that was recently released, dual card graphics setups actually just represented about $28.4 million in sales during the second quarter. This is just 0.48 per cent of the $5.883 billion that was posted in desktop graphics cards sales for the same quarter. This was based on the report that was made by the Jon Peddie Research.

In the past year, dual card setups have actually came up with $86.2 million in sales, which is an average of $21.6 million per quarter.

Based on published figures,52.29 million desktop graphics cards were shipped during the second quarter. From this total number, 32.7 million or 62.5 per cent were actually integrated parts. Based on the total desktop share, Intel had 35 per cent of the desktop graphics market while ATI held about 26 per cent and Nvidia increased to one point its share by one point to 24 per cent of the market share.

With these figures I feel a little glad that I’m not yet joining adopters to the dual card setup. With such a low acceptance rate it could mean that this particular setup may not last and could be replaced by an alternative setup soon.

HD DVD/Blu-Ray hybrid?

The home electronics industry is again in the midst of a frenetic and aggressive format war. The protagonists are the two competing high definition DVD formats that are trying to dominate the market – HD DVD and Blu Ray. I myself do not want to get embroiled in the middle of these format wars because I have no intention of buying an expensive piece of first generation equipment that could later on prove to be the loser in these wars – of course, the loser ends up with a very expensive piece of paperweight. And I think I’m not alone in sitting on the fence for this particular competition.But a new patent application could change this impasse overnight. The new application is for a disc that could play the two competing formats and was filed by three Warner Bros. employees, with two of the applicants being engineers for the company.

The supposed “multi layer dual optical disk” will have one layer of data in the standard CD or DVD format, a second layer, on the other hand, can play one high capacity format and a third layer carries the competing high capacity format.

Blu-Ray, which is being championed by Sony Corp., and HD DVD, which is supported by Toshiba, both work using a blue – indigo laser but they are not compatible with each other. These new generation of DVDs can store more information and thus have far more superior video and audio quality compared to the “old” DVD format.

This impasse is actually forcing consumers to pick one or the other. A bad situation that analysts say will alienate the market and actually be detrimental to growth.

Microsoft unveils Zune

Zune

Microsoft is really intent on invading the portable space that is being dominated by the likes of Nintendo (with its Nintendo DS and other portable gaming devices) and the Apple’s iPod.

Now the software giant has officially mounted a challenge to the iPod’s dominance with the release of its Zune media player. The new device, which will be made available around the holiday season, will feature wireless technology to let people easily share their music with friends and other people and devices. The device will be able to share not only songs but playlists and also pictures with other Zune users who are within range.

The users can then listen to the said songs for up to three times over three days before they are made to decide whether they want to purchase it themselves.

According to J Allard, Microsoft’s VP in charge of the Zune line (and who gamers recognize as one of the braintrusts of Microsoft’s Xbox), the idea of Zune is to legitimize the whole idea of peer to peer sharing in a way that is healthy and that will be accepted by all quarters.

According to Microsoft the Zune’s capability to share song will be made available for a majority of songs that will be made available through the company’s new Zune market place service. But Some music publishers though have expressed their opposition to the idea.

At this point though users still cannot purchase songs directly from the Zune. All they can do is to flag the song and then purchase it when they connect the device to their computers and then access the Zune market place.