Consumers Win as Computer Giants Fight for Supremacy

After more than a decade of dominance from US PC manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell, the epicenter of the market has now shifted to the Far East, with China and Taiwan taking over as the leading suppliers in the world. Companies such as Asus, Lenovo and the mighty Samsung are experiencing an increase in their PC shipments, even as the general demand for desktop and laptop computer slows down in favor of tablets and handheld devices.

Flagging economies and a lack of innovation on the part of many manufacturers has seen Asian companies placed in a better position to lead the pack when it comes to supplying computer and memory solutions to consumer markets. Their proximity to supply chains for components, as well as their positioning within growing economies such as China are ensuring that the USA firms are being overtaken as market leaders.

In the fourth quarter of last year, just three of the top ten global computer manufacturers were based in the US: Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Apple. The rest of the top ten boasted bases in the Far East. Through takeovers such as the acquisition of IBM’s PC department by Lenovo, and the buying out of Gateway by Acer, these companies situated in the most rapidly expanding economies on the planet are climbing the ranks.

In the US, the market for handheld devices is largely cornered by Apple and Samsung, with newly-branded Blackberry mounting a renewed challenge to become one of the top competitors. Apple has even managed to create their own niche within the PC market, creating a cult-like phenomenon around the release of their products, and ensuring that consumers are willing to splash out for Macs and Macbooks when they are launched. But Lenovo recently overthrew Hewlett-Packard as the country’s primary provider of personal computers and laptops, and it is anticipated that they will soon join the fray in creating a tablet to rival that of Apple’s and Samsung’s.

In the process of these battles for supremacy, there is one true winner: the consumer. With all of these huge names fighting to be top dog amongst the PC market, companies will start to push the envelope where developing their technology is concerned, and their prices will start to come down as they endeavor to compete with rivals. As companies from the US and the Far East push for the top spot, the consumer benefits every step of the way.

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Sound Waves Form Next Frontier for Computer Storage Solutions

Research undertaken at Oregon State University has found that there may be a viable way in the future to use high-frequency sound waves in order to improve magnetic data storage. Hard disk drives and SSDs could both benefit from this breakthrough in computer storage, which has been hailed as one of the greatest things that technology can do for magnetic storage.

It is commonly stated that there is always a need for more storage/memory in a smaller space, with a smaller cost and less energy consumption. These demands are constantly being worked towards in laboratories and workshops across the world, with research always being carried out to improve the state of computer storage. This new technology is called ‘acoustic-assisted magnetic recording’, and was presented to a team of industry experts at the 12^th MMM / Intermag Conference in Chicago this week.

The process has worked in the past temporarily heating the disk platters within a hard disk drive. They become less stiff for a small amount of time, which allows more data to be stored in a particular spot in that window of opportunity. However, heating the platters is a difficult process to sustain, especially as heat tends to spread beyond where it is directed. Heat is also a wasteful form of energy as it is tough to harness, and surplus is often needed just to ensure that the criteria is met.

With the new technology, feted as a revolution in PC storage/memory, ultrasound is used as a direct substitute for heat. It is directed at a very specific location on the disk platter which creates a special elasticity, which in turn allows more data to be stored. Once the ultrasound is turned off, the material is immediately returned to shape, unlike the heat process which causes heat energy to linger. The data stored in the process remains safe even after the ultrasound system has been turned off.

The researchers who have discovered this new technique have not established how much data storage could be increased by using their new method but they have stated that they will continue to experiment with materials, cost issues and performance levels. Their next step will to be established whether the ultrasound would have an effect on other forms of storage/memory, which would truly be a breakthrough for all types of computer storage solutions. The technological holy grail of more storage in less physical space, with lower energy consumption and an affordable price tag may yet be in reach for thousands of consumers and businesses.

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World’s First 1TB USB Drive Is Announced

The announcement in recent weeks of the world’s first terabyte USB flash memory device has broken boundaries for portable flash storage. Kingston revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show last month that they had created a 1TB USB 3.0 flash drive which could transfer huge volumes of files quickly from device to device. The USB drive has the largest capacity of any portable device ever created, and is one of the fastest drives of its kind to hit the market.

However, the price is set to disappoint many. Recommended retail price is yet to be confirmed, but with a recent 512GB model retailing at $1750, conservative estimates have the 1TB device at around $3000 when it is released later this year. This could end up limiting the market for such a device to experts, professionals and niche users who have a command of such huge computer memory capacities as part of their everyday work. Graphic artists, video editors and others in similar industries will now be able to carry around vast amounts of data within a device small enough to fit within a pocket. Even casual users with large budgets would be able to transfer HD movies within seconds.

The read/write speeds of the device are up to 240MB and 160MB per second, sometimes surpassing those possible with SSD computer memory. It would be possible for casual computer users to back up their entire notebook onto a tiny device within seconds. The cost of flash memory is dropping by the quarter, with more affordable and higher capacity storage devices hitting the market all the time. Devices like Kingston’s 1TB USB drive could pave the way for competitors to create similar models and force the prices down, ending up with everyone being able to access the incredible PC memory offered by this type of flash device.

With such a vast amount of vital information stored on it, the USB device also has impressive protective features. A zinc alloy metal provides a shock-resistant casing which will prevent disasters in pockets, underfoot or in luggage. The matte metallic finish is stylish without being industrial, and the sliding design makes access to ports simple.

Flash memory is known as one of the most reliable forms of memory, especially for those working on shared or networked computers who have security worries or issues. Cloud storage is also a popular, and often free, method of storing data, but with dependability issues on many serves, they are a much less viable way for professionals to store large volumes of audio, text or video.

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