2000 Site Updates

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 theSlot A Motherboards page.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.