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Written by Branislav Bubanja
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Saturday, 24 March 2007 |
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Page 1 of 3 You can read in separate text about new things expecting us in the field of core computer components. But CeBIT is not about graphic cards, processors and motherboards only. Walking through the halls and passing by the stands, one could find unusual and interesting hardware specimens. We were, let’s say, fond of prototype of mobile phone which is charged through solar cells. Manufacturer is completely unknown Chinese company whose name is even hard to write and speak, let only to pronounce.
Many renowned firms represented prototypes of their devices which should appear in commercial production during this year. Maxell exhibited first holographic system for data storage. Holographic media are of the same diameter like CD/DVD media, but slightly thicker (app. 4 mm), and they can store up to 300 GB of data. The device itself for burning those discs is now too bulky in order to be put in the computer, but it still is not important, because it cannot be bought anywhere yet.
On the other hand, same company represented another sort of media, which looks same as DVD, but it’s flexible and thin like sheet of paper. They are to be put in particular drawers, reminding of small CD bags, with maximum capacity of such storage system (which is not bigger than standard 10 CD box) of 5 terabytes.
This year there were significantly more LCD and Plasma TV sets. If we exclude TV company Technovision with diagonal 205“ which is not intended for house use and it is not based either on Plasma or on LCD technology, with picture of questionable quality, the title of the biggest plasma monitor exhibited on the fair was awarded to Panasonic with its full HD TV with diagonal 103“, while in LCD category title was awarded to firm Aquos with TV with diagonal 108“.
If these MP3/MP4 players lost a bit of their attraction, then their primate will be overtaken by digital cases. Quality of the display on these devices is now even better then on computer monitors. For example, on cases with diagonal of 7“, we often encountered resolution of up to 800 x 600 pixels. Besides, these cases became completely equipped with multimedia features. Except static pictures now they are able to display even video recordings, and they have speakers added. In practice, now they are real MP4 players with displays which are big enough to actually see something on them. The best of all is that their price is twice lower than last year, when they were presented for the first time.
Another group of devices we were not able to find this year on CeBIT, not even a hint of them. Classic DVD players seem retired. They consign their place to their portable variants, but it is obvious this is only "silence before storm". Announcement of the storm could be seen on press conferences of two confronted camps, HD-DVD and Blu-ray association. The fact they are hard opponents was reflected in press conferences of both associations held almost at the same time, but on different parts of (huge) fair. Your reporter had to put a lot of effort to leave before conference of HD-DVD association ended, in order to arrive on the second part of Blu-ray association conference. Both associations claim that their standard won and interesting thing is that both of them dispose of almost same data regarding film titles issued in some of new generation DVD formats. Naturally, everyone pulled the water to its water-mill.
Like each year until now, CeBIT demonstrated an exhibition of modified computers. This year’s favorite of ours is R2D2 computer, made in imitation of well-known robot. This computer has built-in stereo speakers, two drives in slot variant, in form of monitor it uses projector built-in in its head, and there was enough space for iPod connector. We think that even genuine R2D2 would not complain if it would have been equipped like this one. Walking through the fair, we found another special computer. Maybe it was not modified, but it was surely made for special conditions. It is laptop computer which costs 100 USD designed for children in poor countries. Until now, we used to see variety of different pictures of such laptops on the Internet, which probably means that few different models are in hand.
This one which we had an opportunity to see reminded us on Spectrum, with additional monitor. This association was originated primarily because of rubber keyboard. We were not able to find out any details on this computer (no one on the stand where computer was positioned didn’t know to tell us about its characteristics), but we managed to know one interesting, but unofficial information. Namely, commercializing of these computers is considered, whereat their price in developed countries would not be 100 USD, but 200 USD. Thus each buyer of such computer would finance another computer for the children in undeveloped countries. Concept is very interesting and we hope something like this will realize as soon as possible.
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