Dell Hoping to Scoop Up Clustered Storage Vendor Exanet

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

Dell is apparently hoping to reach out into the enterprise storage space and has placed a bid to acquire clustered storage vendor Exanet based out of Israel.

"The transaction has not yet been approved by the Israel court, so we won't speculate on its completion or timing," a Dell spokesman said in response to a Computerworld inquiry.

The bid included an offer to purchase Exanet's assets, which are mostly patents, and other intellectual property. The offer must be court approved through a Chapter 7 liquidation in Israel.

Exanet also has offices in New York, Europe, and Japan.

Dell’s UltraSharp U2711 LCD Screen Ships Today, 2560 x 1440 Resolution

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

There are cool 27-inch LCD monitors, and then there are super cool 27-inch LCD monitors. Apple’s 27-inch iMac has one. Now too does Dell with its newly released UltraSharp U2711.

The U2711 has an In-Plane Switching (IPS) LCD, and a resolution of 2560 x 1400, which provides a more vivid and detailed image, with a wider viewing angle (178º on the vertical and horizontal). Its 12-bit internal processing can support 1.02 billion colors. The aspect ratio is 16 x 9, response time is 6ms, brightness is 350 cd/m-squared, and the contrast ratio is 1,000 to 1 (with a dynamic contrast ration of 80,000 to 1). Not too shabby.

And the U2711 has ports galore. There’s an HDMI port, two DVI-D ports, a DisplayPort, a VGA port, plug-ins for component and composite video, one USB 2.0 upstream port, four USB 2.0 downstream ports, and an 8-in-1 media card reader. In a world gone wireless, it's nice to know there's still a place to plug things in.

All this super cool doesn’t come cheap. Dell’s offering the U2711 for $1,099. But, for that price your monitor comes with a “certified color-calibration factory report.”

Image Credit: Dell

Alienware M11x Gaming Notebook Now Available

Alienware M11x Gaming Notebook Now Available

Alienware announced its M11x 11-inch gaming notebook at CES this year - we covered the launch. The notebook is now avaiable for purchase starting at $799. It has the following specifications:

• Processor options:
  • Intel Pentium Processor SU4100 (1.3GHz/800MHz FSB/2MB L2)
  • Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2)
• Windows 7 64-bit
• Nvidia GeForce GT 335M graphics card w/ 1GB GDDR3 memory
  • Claimed 3DMark06 score of 6,100
  • Switchable to integrated Intel graphics
• 2-8GB DDR3-1066 RAM
• 11.6-inch display (1366x768)
• External slot-loading DVD burner
• 160GB 5400RPM, 160-500GB 7200RPM hard drives or 256GB SSD
• 8-cell 64Wh battery
• 802.11n wireless
• Dimensions: 1.29" (H) x 11.25" (W) x 9.19" (D)
• Weight: starting at 4.39 lbs
• Ports:
  • IEEE 1394a mini-Firewire
  • 100Mbps Ethernet
  • 3x USB 2.0
  • DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA out
  • 3-in-1 media card reader
  • 2x microphone jacks and microphone jack
• AlienFX illuminated keyboard
• Available in Cosmic Black or Lunar Shadow silver

Alienware claims the M11x can go for up to 8.5 hours unplugged. The M11x is available now starting at $799 and has estimated ship dates of early March.

Alienware Product Page