Apple continues to hold first place in tracking conducted by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, says Fortune. The company has scored 84 out of 100 in a 2009 study, leaving it in a dominant position over rival computer builders. It has also dropped a point since 2008 however, when it achieved its highest-ever score.
Packard Bell has recently updated its imedia series of desktops with a 60 percent smaller footprint and a matte chassis and soft curves along with a glowing blue power button. Buyers can pick from a range of processors, including Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core chips, and option up to 8GB of RAM. Storage space can be as large as 1TB, and there is an optional Blu-ray drive.
Packard Bell is unveiling the 13.4-inch Butterfly EasyNote S notebook for European markets. Its LCD widescreen is LED backlit, which helps to attain the rated battery life of 8 hours, also thanks in part to an Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processor and Energy Star 5.0 certification. The one-inch thick netbook will also have a switchable graphics mode feature that switches from the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4300 graphics chipset to integrated graphics to save power in those models that have the two visual cores.
Packard Bell will no longer bring its earlier announced DOT netbook to market, the computer maker said recently. The Acer Aspire One-based netbook was announced just a few months ago, and was due to go on sale this past January in Europe, priced at the equivalent of about $413. A Packard Bell spokesperson said in an interview the DOT netbook will be replaced by a new model, though did not go into specifics. The same person also mentioned that some changes will be made to the brand, again not expanding on this.
Apple has potentially slipped from third place to fourth in US market share among computers, according to data for the holiday quarter from research firm IDC. The Mac producer is estimated to have shipped about 1.25 million computers to the country, dropping it from its previous position and lowering it from 9.1 percent market share in the summer to 7.2. The company's sheer unit growth has also cooled from 32 percent year-over-year in summer to 7.5 percent.
Apple has seen the single largest jump in notebook market share of all top manufacturers in North America, according to a new DisplaySearch report. The company's spring 2008 market share in North America surged year-over-year from 6.6 percent to 10.6 percent, moving it up to fourth place in the market and handing the Mac maker the single largest jump in market share of the top five. This surge came at the expense of other established notebook producers, with Acer plunging from 18.6 percent to 14.4 percent over the same period while Toshiba also lost significantly, dropping from 11.4 percent to exactly nine percent.
The American music industry may be pressuring Dell and other computer manufacturers to disable stereo recording support in an artificial attempt to discourage piracy, say accounts from users. Users of Dell systems with SigmaTel chips in particular claim to be only allowed single-channel recording out of the box and are told that an official solution that restores stereo input will cost $99; Gateway and (in Europe) Packard Bell systems with the audio hardware are also said to be affected.
Packard Bell is planning to take its first steps into the world of high-end gaming PCs, an announcement reveals. The company has announced the ipower X2.0, a revamping of its current ipower systems that is said to be aimed at garnering more attention. Foremost in the construction is a new case design, which adds highly angular corners to a glossy black finish. As with many gaming computers, owners can see the insides of the system through a translucent panel.
Packard Bell today became the next system builder to update its line with newer platforms from AMD and Intel. The 13.3-inch EasyNote RS65 runs on a Centrino 2 chipset with an unspecified Core 2 Duo processor and joins the increasing ranks of ultraportables at its screen size, with a very thin and extremely stylized design; Packard Bell's signature circular trackpad sports hidden buttons while the rest of the system is backed by chrome trim and brushed black metal. Few other details are available beyond its use of a slot-load optical drive and HDMI video out.
Typically associated with notebooks, Acer's plans for next year include some form of game machine, according to the company's senior vice president. James T. Wong explains, however, that the company is not merely working on a performance-tuned Windows PC, but something intended to compete with the current crop of dedicated consoles. Furthermore, the machine is expected to be based on "open standards," a term which may refer to the Linux operating system.
Acer has successfully finalized its plans to buy control of Packard Bell, according to an update provided by the former company. First begun in August, the deal will give Acer a 75 percent stake in Packard Bell, handing control of the smaller, Europe-based PC maker to the larger firm. The deal was said to have been helped by Acer's recent acquisition Gateway, which reserved the right to counter-offer any potential bidders on Packard Bell.
