2000 Updates

Chipsets: Section added on Intel's "850 Chipset", designed for use in conjunction with its Pentium 4 processor;

Processors: Update to the section on "Pentium 4" following the first shipments of the Intel's new chip in late 2000;

Mobile Computing: "Crusoe" section updated to include plans for the introduction of a new generation of the chip in 2002 and section on "Synchronisation" updated to reflect the emergence of the first Bluetooth-enabled devices in late 2000;

Panel Displays: Sections on "Principles", "DSTN displays" and "Plasma displays" updated and expanded - with new/improved images being included for each;

Tape Backup: Section added on Ecrix Corporation's innovative "VXA technology", the first tape drive technology to read and write data in packets;

Serial Comms: Section on "ADSL implementation" updated and expanded.

Hard Disks:Section added on "Serial ATA", the storage interface for hard-disk drives and ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) devices that is expected to replace the current Parallel ATA interface;

Panel Displays: Section added on "DVI" (Digital Visual Interface), the Intel-backed specification which appears destined to become the de facto digital interface standard;

Tape Backup: Sections on "ADR technology" and "Super DLT" updated and expanded;

Serial Comms: Reorganisation of information on "Emerging standards", "USB", "IEEE 1394" and "USB 2.0" - with this being moved to "Interfaces" page - and addition of section on "ADSL implementation".

Processors: Section on Intel's new advanced desktop processor architecture renamed "Pentium 4" and updated in line with the company's recent announcements regarding its redesigned micro-architecture;

Mobile Computing: Section added on "XScale" - Intel's new low power consumption processor architecture designed to eventually replace StrongARM;

CRT Monitors: Section on "Electron beam" expanded to cover moiré ©nterference;

Input Devices: Section on "Mice" updated to cover the biggest advance in mouse design for 30 years - Microsoft's Intellimouse with IntelliEye optical tracking technology.

Sound Cards:Updated, reorganised and significantly expanded - including much wider coverage of sound "Standards" and the addition of a section on "DirectMusic";

CD-RW: Section added on Sanyo's "BURN-Proof technology", which renders the dreaded CD burning "buffer underrun" condition a thing of the past;

DVD: Section on "DVD Recordable" significantly expanded and, together with the section on "DVD-RAM", updated to reflect developments which have resulted in both media's effective capacity being increased to DVD-ROM's 4.7GB per side.

System Memory: Section on "PC133 SDRAM" extended to include NEC's unique performance-enhancing Virtual Channel Memory (VCM) technology;

Digital Video: Updated and extensively expanded - in particular to sections on "Video compression", "MPEG" and "DV" - including addition of new "Digital TV" page, organised as follows: "Evolution", "Digital broadcasting", "Digital TV sound", "Widescreen", "HDTV" and "Convergence".

Home/Navigation Level Pages:Layout modified to give better exposure to The PC Technology Guide's affiliate web sites;

Chipsets: Section added for Intel's "815 Chipset" - it's first to support PC133 SDRAM and a chipset that would probably never have been seen but for the catalogue of problems associated with the introduction of Rambus memory;

Processors: Sections on "Celeron" and "Pentium III" updated to reflect Intel's rationalisation of CPU packaging and migration from Slot 1 and Socket 370 form factors to the new flip-chip pin grid array (FC-PGA) style of packaging;

Non-Intel CPUs: Sections added on the "AMD-750 chipset" and AMD's confirmation of the trend back toward socket-based connections between CPUs and motherboard in the shape of its enhanced Athlon "Thunderbird" processor and value-market targeted "Duron" processor;

Laser Printers: Section added on "LED printers";

Product Reviews: General overhaul to eliminate dead links and update to a number of product categories, notably to the Slot A Motherboards page.

Graphics Cards:Section added on "FSAA" (full-screen anti-aliasing), one of the new techniques made possible by 3dfx's "T-Buffer" technology - introduced on its Voodoo5 range of cards;

DVD: Section added on Pioneer's rewritable DVD format, "DVD-RW";

Serial Comms: Update to sections on "IEEE 1394" and "USB 2.0" as the battle to become the next consumer interface standard hots up;

Digital Cameras: General update, including expanded descriptions of the competing "CCD" and "CMOS" imaging technologies;

Product Reviews: General update to several product categories and addition of a page for Multifunction Devices.

Hard Disks: Section added on "Millipede", IBM's novel new micromechanical data storage technology which promises densities of up to 500Gbit per square inch;

Panel Displays: Section added on "HAD technology", a British start-up's development of a true 3D consumer display device;

Processors:Section added on Intel's first new IA-32 architecture processor since 1995's Pentium Pro, the "Willamette";

Non-Intel CPUs: Reorganised into two separate pages, the first on Cyrix and the second on AMD processor designs. Section added on AMD's development "Roadmap";

Mobile Computing: Addition of section on "DynaSheet", Toshiba's concept mobile device of the not-too-distant future;

Graphics Cards: Sections on "DirectX" and "Direct3D" updated for the V7.0 release of the API;

DVD: General update, in particular to section on "DVD-Audio";

Tape Backup: General update, in particular to the "Mammoth" section to add information on Exabyte's forthcoming Mammoth 2 drive.

Mobile Computing:Reorganised into three separate pages and section added on "PC Card" technology;

Product Reviews: General update to several product categories;

Links: Amazon affiliate feature reorganised to present a selection of UK and US titles on separate pages.

Motherboards: Reorganisation of information on "Interfaces" and "Chipsets", with this being transferred to separate pages;

Chipsets: Expansion of information on Intel's Pentium III-optimised "820 chipset", including the addition of an associated image;

Mobile Computing: Section on Intel's "SpeedStep" technology (formerly codenamed "Geyserville") updated in light of the the technology's introduction on mobile Pentium III processors in early 2000 and "Crusoe" section added, outlining an innovative chip design aimed specifically at the mobile market sector;

Hard Disks: Section on "SCSI evolution" updated for the latest generation of the standard, Ultra160 SCSI;

DVD: Section on "DVD+RW" updated to reflect the fact that the technology is now unlikely to appear before 2001.

Mobile Computing: New "PDAs" page added with information organised as follows: "Origins", "Evolution", "Handwriting recognition", "Palm Pilot", "Operating systems", "Synchronisation", "Communications", "Applications" and "GPS".

Non-Intel CPUs:Addition of section on AMD's recently announced high-performance "Lightning Data Transport" system interconnect bus;

CRT Monitors: Expansion of the "Digital CRTs" section to better cover the potential application of the DVI (Digital Visual Interface) specification to the CRT monitor;

Tape Backup: Section on "Travan standards" updated to cover the TR-5 format and to preview the TR-6 format expected in early 2001;

Serial Comms: Section added on the "G.lite" ADSL standard - approved in mid-1999 and expected to greatly accelerate the deployment of ADSL technology to a mass consumer market:

Product Reviews: Addition of page for MP3 Players.