February 16, 2010
Can Sony compete against Apple’s iPad with its own tablet PC?
ZD Net
Sean Portnoy writes about Sony possibly competing with Apple in the tablet PC space.
“So how can Sony compete when Apple clearly has momentum (from its built-in fanboy audience, if not a more skeptical general public) and may be able to create an iPad ecosystem of customized apps that extends the successful iPhone infrastructure? It may release a tablet with its own app store, but Sony’s previous attempts at these marketplaces (be it for music or otherwise) have flopped. It could create one running a version of Windows 7, though that wouldn’t necessarily have apps that are specifically designed to run for the device. Let’s not forget that there have been Windows-based tablets for some time now, and they’ve only attracted a niche audience.”
NVIDIA pursuing external graphics accelerators for laptops?
Engadget
Joanna Stern writes why Nvidia may be entering into the external laptop GPU arena soon.
“It’s not everyday that we can say there’s external laptop GPU love in the air, but right on the heels the appearance of the Gigabyte M1405 with its GeForce GT220 dock, Nvidia is expressing interest in external laptop GPUs as well. Manager of notebook GPUs Rene Haas told X-bit Labs that he thinks external graphics adapters for laptops are a ‘big opportunity’ for Nvidia, though he noted the drawback of their high price tags.”
Retail Point of Sale Systems: Going HaaS?
MSPmentor
Joe Panettieri shares his thoughts on where he thinks the hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) market is heading next.
“Where is the hardware as a service (HaaS) market heading next? My best guess: The point of sale (POS) industry, where retailers want to focus on business rather than purchasing and owning point of sale devices. One recent deal, involving Island Pacific and First National Technology Solutions, offers some clues about how managed service providers are moving deeper into the retail market.”
