I have some personal experience with him. I can tell you he was one of the most down to earth, wonderful people I've met. With his celebrity status taken into account, his approachability and warmth qualified this man as an angel.

Here's to you, Gary!

Signing off - Joshua

As you are probably aware, Fidel Castro resigned the presidency of Cuba, effective today.  Oddly enough, at nearly the same moment, in the greater scheme of things, Toshiba finally gave up on the HD-DVD format, ending the so called "DVD format wars" and allowing the BluRay format to achieve complete dominance.  What this means is you can finally get that BluRay player, burner or BluRay DVD drive on your computer system without having to worry about it becoming useless hardware.  You'll begin to see every DVD ever made rereleased in BluRay format.  You'll also see BluRay players become available on our products.

"We were disappointed by the Skulltrail platform. Although we have tested and reviewed numerous Intel products, we have never had such a half-baked system such as this in our labs. If this sounds harsh, bear in mind that all we have to base this conclusion on is the Skulltrail system itself in its current state, which Intel provided as an official review platform. We do not know whether Intel plans to revise and improve the platform before the final versions ship to retail."

We're hoping to get our hands on some to test ourselves. Hopefully, if there are problems, Intel will improve the product prior to release.

Joshua]]> http://www.widowpc.com/2008/02/intel_oct_core.php http://www.widowpc.com/2008/02/intel_oct_core.php news Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:49:16 -0700 I just saw that Anandtech published their review of the new WidowPC Sting 517D2 powered by the Nvidia 8800M GTX.  Jarred, Anandtech's editor, has makes some good points about 32bit versus 64bit Vista, as well as some points about Nvidia seeming lack of updated video drivers for the mobile performance crowd.  All in all, a very interesting review.

Other than showing how well the WidowPC Sting 517D2 smokes the various Alienware, Dell, ABS and Toshiba gaming laptops, this review delivered lots of interesting information.  For instance, it shows why we no longer offer the Nvidia GeForce 8700 Go video card.  The 8800M GTX is simply a better card in every way.  Some quotes I thought were compelling for the newly mobile 8800 technology...

The 8800M GTX scores 114% faster than the 8700M GT in 3DMark03, 47% faster in 3DMark05, and 100-150% faster in 3DMark06 (depending on which score you look at). Compare that with the gaming results where we saw performance increases ranging from 37% to 235%, depending on settings. Games that are primarily CPU limited (Battlefield 2, Far Cry, and Quake 4 without antialiasing) put the 8800M at around 50-75% faster than the 8700M, while games that are more GPU limited - shader, bandwidth, or both - generally show the 8800M GTX as being more than twice as fast as the 8700M GT.  [link]

Given the components in the Sting 517D2, it's safe to say that application performance is more than acceptable in everything we threw at it. If you actually need quad-core computational performance, you might need to look elsewhere, but for everything else this notebook is as fast as a good midrange to high-end desktop system.  [link]

Signing off for now...

Joshua
Founder, WidowPC

More Convenience Means Form Over Function
Mass appeal is no longer about power, it's about convenience. Hardware has become powerful enough to run everything the majority of us need: docs, email, web, pics and songs.  We've now reached the point at the hardware will be as small as it can get, we -- the humans -- are the limiting factor.  Our fingers stay the same size no matter how small the internal nuts and bolts become.  For now, the size of our devices is limited by the size of our fingers.  For instance, large fingered individuals already have problems with many cell phones.

The Asus EeePC is a good example of a device this is as small as it can get.  With it's 7 inch widescreen, flash memory and Linux operation system, it is one of the flagships for this trend for small size, fast access (boot time) and convenience.  At a convenient retail price of roughly $300, this is technology that will become pervasive quickly.  The notebook will no longer be thought of as a tool for the traveling bigshot or the coffee house workforce.  It will be everywhere.  It will be in schools, in the hands of children, inner city housing projects, even illegal immigrants will become citizens of the 'net wth this new pervasive, inexpensive technology.

The small size of the screens of these devices will be something we are willing to put up with because we will dock with larger screens that we will keep at our homes and offices.  The less powerful, energy efficient processors will be something that is transparent to most users, since they won't care as long as the system has a long battery life, boots quickly and is able to quickly jump on the web.

Although, we'll want some storage most consumers will be happy keeping their tunes, videos, emails and documents in an online storage location.  You can already store large attachments in online locations for free, Google's Gmail being the most prevalent example.  Google's acquisition of Picasa now allows those Gmail attachment and Picasa photos to be stored in one location.  Look for Google to continue to lead the charge into free-of-charge online storage, by adding Google documents, Google reader (ebooks) and video (per Google acquisition of YouTube) to this online storage bin. 

By the end of 2008, many homes will have adapted network attached storage (NAS) devices that allow them to store movies, songs and other large media files in a central location at a convenient price.  Currently, this is done by purchasing the wireless solution and the hard drive separately.  However, in 2008 we'll see commonly see these components merged into a single wirelessly networked hard drive at a convenient price.  A 750GB hard drive currently runs $160 and a wireless enclosure about $70.  So, for only $240, it's easy to see what networked, central storage will be a big mover in 2008.

We, as consumers, are demanding that technology mesh itself to their worlds instead of expecting them to mold their lives around the newest tech.  This emergence will show itself in two main forms: user interface and all-in-one solutions.  The success of Nintendo's Wii and Apple's iPhone show the dominance of technologies that use natural, convenient human movement to interface with electronics.

Advances in Gaming Hardware
Gamers will continue to see gaming software demands leap ahead of hardware capability.  DirectX 10 allows game developers to create visual effects that will require more and more hardware to keep pace.  Intel and Nvidia seem to have a firm hold on this niche and will continue to take first prize in this category throughout 2008. 

Vista will become widely adapted with the launch of Microsoft's first service pack for Vista.  Most expert level Microsoft customers, such as corporations and gamers, have held back on adopting Vista simply because it was released with too many drawbacks.  Vista Service Pack 1 is due to be released soon.  We can expect to see a high level of Vista adoption this year, which will lead to more game development specifically for DirectX 10 and Vista.

With both Crytek's Crysis and FunCom's Age of Conan pushing DirectX 10 graphics, 2008 will continue the trend of games pushing the state of leading edge computer hardware.  The major distguishing factor, this year, will be the dependence on network performance for good game play.  Massively multiplayer games will continue to grow the number of gamers who routinely play online with other players.  As the base of online gamers grows, expect to see more and more choices available.  Age of Conan is interesting in that it is intended mainly for a mature audience, including large amounts of gore and adult overtones consistent with the Conan series of novels and movies.  Online gaming will acquire a broader definition as more people become comfortable with it.  For instance, Webkinz were one of the more popular gifts this year because preteens are comfortable with the Internet and attracted to a toy that allows them to interact with others online. Enhanced network cards made specifically for online gaming will be popular as well as powerful video cards with plenty of dedicated memory demanded by DirectX 10 optimization.

No matter what the trends of the year will be, innovation will be rewarded as consumers become more comfortable with the technology in general.  This makes 2008 an exciting year to be working in the computer industry. 

Best wishes for the new year,

Joshua McClure
Founder, WidowPC

For now, let's remember Netscape. For those of you new to the Internet, Netscape used to BE the Internet. In mid 1995, Netscape accounted for over 80% of all browsers used. I remember visiting my local CompUSA (another RIP) and seeing multiple rows and versions of Netscape Navigator available for purchase. Purchase! Now imagine paying money for an Internet browser. It doesn't happen any more.

In 1998, Netscape was sold to AOL for $4.2 billion. It was only a few months later that Microsoft's free Internet Explorer stole the majority of the browser market, with a steady majority of users viewing the world wide web through Internet Explorer by the end of 1998. From that point on, it was a downhill slide for Netscape.

As of AOL's announcement today, Netscape had less than 1%, Firefox (Netscape's heir to the original Netscape code and core following) controlled roughly 16%, and Internet Explorer controlled roughly 77% of browser usage on the Internet.

If you're reading this article using Internet Explorer, I'd like to encourage you to try Firefox. It's more secure, takes up less of your overall memory and is simply the Right Thing To Do.

Until next time, have a great holiday season and please take a few moments this New Year's Eve to remember the great innovators who brought us the graphically based world wide web -- the way we experience the Internet today.

Joshua out! =)
Founder, WidowPC]]> http://www.widowpc.com/2007/12/rip_netscape.php http://www.widowpc.com/2007/12/rip_netscape.php news Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:41:51 -0700 The Sting 517D2 delivers NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX graphics power! When it comes to pixel pipelines and frames per second in a gaming laptop, the GeForce 8800M GTX can't be beat. NVIDIA's GeForce 8800M GTX powers the world's fastest gaming laptop with the ultimate DX10 gaming experience, playing the latest games the way the developers meant them to be played.

WidowPC's award-winning DNA is hard-wired into the Sting 517D2. We've put together the best components and technology in an awesome gaming laptop that will give you a competitive edge, including the new NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX 512MB video card!

The Sting 517D2, like all WidowPC performance machines, can be customized to your liking. Want the fastest Intel Core 2 Duo processor humming under the hood? How about a solid state drive for instant data access? The world's fastest mobile graphics card?  We've got you covered.

Powerful, Energy-Efficient Performance

There's no such thing as mobile gaming if your battery kicks it, which is why we use the mobile Intel Core2 Duo processor for incredible performance and unmatched energy efficiency, so you don't have to sacrifice battery life for blistering speed. Choose up to a 2.4GHz processor that devours huge chunks of data fed by a 4MB cache and dual cores on an 800MHz FSB pipe.

Unleash the Beast Within

The Sting 517D2 may look slick and sleek on the outside, but be prepared for this beauty to be more than skin-deep. Just beneath the cool exterior is an speed demon ready to tear opponents limb from limb. And the raging heart of that beast is your graphics card. Choose an NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GTX with 512MB of dedicated video memory muscle to unleash the beast. NVIDIA GeForce 8 series cards are the industry standard when it comes to screaming-fast performance, micro-detailed environments and larger-than-life game effects.

Storage Options Galore

Like everything else in a WidowPC, you've got plenty of freedom of customization. Max out speed and capacity with a 200GB 7200RPM drive, or favor storage with a 250GB 5400RPM drive. Then there's the stealth option. Say hello to the MTRON solid state drive. It's fast and light, with access speeds 84 times faster than a conventional high-speed drive.

You're the Decider

Our base configuration is designed for the average power user, but who wants to be average? Every WidowPC gaming machine is fully customizable, so you choose the specs you want. Bulk up on memory or max out your storage options. Throw in the OS flavor of your choice or an extended warranty. Consider wants, needs and budget to find your sweet spot, then we'll build it for you. Customize your system online or call 800.851.7502 now for your personalized system quote.

Features

All WidowPC systems are fully customizable. Here's our wish list for an optimized Sting 517D2 mobile gaming powerhouse.

Intel Core 2 Duo - Maximum Everything

Based on revolutionary Intel Core microarchitecture, the breakthrough Intel Core 2 Duo processor is designed to provide powerful energy-efficient performance so you can do more without slowing down. You'll experience revolutionary performance, unbelievable system responsiveness, and energy-efficiency second to none. And, you won't have to slow down for virus scan, multiple compute intensive programs, or multimedia downloads—these desktop processors are up to 40 percent faster with improved energy efficiency.

NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX - Extreme HD for Laptops

Experience Extreme High Definition (XHD) on a notebook with NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX graphics processing units (GPUs). Blast through today's graphic-intensive games with advanced 3D graphic engines throttled to extreme HD resolution. Put your 8800 GTX through its paces for extreme gaming, or kick back and watch HD videos on your notebook featuring the advanced nVidia PureVideo technology. Enjoy the latest features without compromising performance or frame rates – anytime, anywhere.

32GB Solid State Hard Drive

Access time? What's access time when we're talking less than a millisecond? WidowPC introduces a solid state solution that delivers light-speed performance. Reliability, thermals, and access times are night and day compared to traditional mechanical drives. Perfect for both the hardcore gamer and the demanding database server.

Powered by Windows Vista

Windows Vista offers a dramatically improved gaming experience that continues the long trend of gaming innovation happening on Windows. Windows Vista includes enhancements that make it easier to access, play and manage your games as well as experiencing next-generation gaming graphics. Enhancements include the Windows Vista Games Explorer, DirectX 10 graphics technology and compatibility with Xbox 360 game controllers and accessories.

Enjoy!

Joshua
Founder, WidowPC

1. Thou shalt not be sloppy in email
Keep it rated "PG"... Puctuation and Grammar!  Use informal puctuation, grammer and spelling in email.  Don't let your texting thumbs get their opinion in here. This includes capitalization. Sculpt your email to it's audience.  Be more formal if writing to superiors or subordinates.  Be less formal when writing to friends and family.  But always maintain the "PGs."  Examples: "Don't" instead of "Do not", Use "Talk to ya later" not "ttyl".

2. Thou shalt not run on and on in email
Use an appropriate subject header.  If you have more than one item to discuss, send it in a separate email.  If you are forwarding an email conversation you'd have with someone else, summarize it in 3-4 sentences up front.  Stick to the point and quickly get to the point.  To soften the message, wish them them well at the start of the message, deliver your message, and wish them well at the end of the message.  Because there is no body language associated with your message and tone is hard to convey, be explicit in your friendliness.  Think of  it as a sociable sandwhich.  Example:

-----
Subject: Christmas shopping date

Sam,

I'm so busy today but I love it.  I hope you are having a great day as well. [conveys general happy mood]

I'd like to take you up on the shopping date.  How is 12:30 tomorrow, at the mall?  My car or yours?  [the meat of the message; note the informal, sentence fragment for the friendly email.]

Best,      [conveys best wishes]

J  [If I email this person multiple times per day or very friendly, I just use my first initial "J"]
-------------

3. Thou shalt not use ALL CAPS in email
For some reason, some people think that using all caps or no caps is acceptable. It's not.  99% of the Internet population can't stand it.  Capitalization is there for a reason.  It makes the beginning of a sentence stand out almost as much as the punctuation and spacing.  It separates thoughts and breaks them into understandable bits.  Sort of like taking a breath during a face-to-face conversation.  If you still think using all caps is great, imagine listening to someone talk who never takes a breath and talks in a monotone voice.  Not fun.

4. Thou shalt not abuse BCC and CC in email
The most sensitive part of email communication is the audience.  My advice is use BCC only for sending an official message for public consumption to a long list of people in which you do not want a group reply.  Ie, a public email to the entire company.  Don't use it to secretly CC someone on a message to someone else.  This is consider a sneaky tactic.  If you want to CC someone, do it upfront and honestly.  Let the recipient know that there are other people who care about this message.  However, don't CC a person who doesn't really care about the message.  If you CC them, be sure that they want to see the message in their inbox.

5. Thou shalt not use email to avoid confrontation
If it's a sensitive topic, either phone or face-to-face work much better.  The worst miscommunications happen in email because there is no subtle tone or body language.  Bite the bullet and talk with that person.  You're asking for trouble if your message has any emotional content and you deliver it via email.  Follow up with an email to document the conversation, if necessary.

6. Thou shalt not expect privacy in email
Email is not private.  Say it with me.  Email.  Is.  Not.  Private.  If you send it to someone, expect it to be forwarded to the masses.  There was a book written recently, Great Email Disasters, the sole reason for this book was to catalog some of the world's worst email blunders.  As long as you are comfortable with your email being reprinted in the New York Times, send it.  Email is not a place for private thoughts, sexual innuendo, spats with a significant other, or any other emotional message (see #5, Thou shalt not avoid confrontation).

7. Thou shalt spare the group in email
One-to-many emails are the ones that get you in really hot water.  Don't hit "reply-to-all" unless it's really required.  In fact, remove it from your email tool bar so that you have to make an effort to reply to the group.  If you are initiating an email, only include people who really need to see the message.  Don't email the larger group because it takes some time to figure out who needs to see the email.

8. Thou shalt not even think about forwarding chain letters or "fun" attachments in email
Chain letters are a fast track to getting put on most people's "trash" filter.  I'd love to see the stats on how many people have lost their jobs after sending virus ladden "fun" attachments.  Don't send them and don't open them.  Don't send "warning" emails.  If someone sends an attachment to you that you weren't expecting and don't need, archive it or delete it.  Politely explain to that person, in-person, that you don't open "fun" attachments that might have viruses in them.  If they really want you to see it, make sure it's from a reputable site (YouTube.com videos are a common, fun and virus-safe link).

9.  Thou shalt not use sarcasm or nuances in email
Be very explicit in your thoughts, feelings and message.  It is very easy to misunderstand an email.  Don't try to use bold or italics to convey vocal inflection.  It generally comes of negatively.  If it's something you want to emphasize, call the person and make sure your emphasis is clear, then ask the person if they mind if you send them a quick email with the details.  Something that does work is emoticons.  There's a wikipedia link to learn more about emoticons if you don't know what they are.  They can quickly convey your mood.  However, limit your use of emoticons to, at most, one per email.  Otherwise, you may appear unprofessional as emoticons are still considered very informal and more appropriate to a text message.  :)

10. Thou shalt be considerate and intelligent in email
Every enjoys a considerate, intelligent person.  Be good to each other.  The first 9 email etiquette "thou shalts" all relate to being considerate of other people and intelligent in your communication.  Do this and you will appear wise in the eyes of your peers, professional and competent to your superiors and enjoyable for everyone concerned.

This Thanksgiving, my dad and I snuck away after the massive feast and played Crysis.  His new gaming computer was keeping up with the game well, but I could see that some game tweaking was necessary to get the most out of Crysis.  So, I've compiled this list of Crysis tips and tricks to help speed up the game.  Have fun, Dad!

Display Your Frame Rate In-game

1. Enter console mode (hit the ~ on your keyboard)
2. Type in the following and hit return "r_displayinfo = 1" (no quotes)
3. Hit the ~ again to exit console mode
4. You will now see your frame rate and other info on the upper right part of your screen

Suit Shortcuts

1. Make sure you have the "Suit Shortcuts" option enabled on the keyboard settings
2. You can then "double tap" the following default keys to access the different Crysis suit modes

• Jump (spacebar) = Strength
• Sprint (shift) = Speed
• Move Backwards (s) = Armor
• Crouch (ctrl) = Cloak

Removing the Intro Videos

1. Go to this folder from your install location "Crysis SP Demo\Game\Localized\Video"
2. Create a new folder to backup the videos (i.e. Backup)
3. Move all videos from the directory in step 1 to this newly created folder except for bg.sfd and intro.sfd
4. Next time your run Crysis it will go straight to the game menu

Run Benchmarks

1. Go to this folder from your install location "Crysis SP Demo\Bin32"
2. You will see "Benchmark_GPU.bat" & "Benchmark_CPU.bat" in the directory
3. Open a command prompt (Click on Windows Start Menu then click on "Run" then type in "cmd" and hit return
4. Navigate to directory in step 1
5. Run either file in step 2 to benchmark your system. Once benchmark is complete you can hit the "ESC" key to return to the command prompt and view the results

Run Crysis using Direct X 9 on Vista

1. Copy or Create a shortcut for Crysis.exe
2. Right Click on the shortcut and select "Properties"
3. At the end of the "Target" line add -dx9
4. The Target should now look something like this ("C:\Program Files\Crysis SP Demo\Bin32\Crysis.exe" -dx9)
5. Launch the game from this new shortcut and you should be all set
6. To verify you can enable the console command to display frame rate (described above) and it will tell you what version of Direct X you are running

A Good Method to Get Very High Settings in DX9

Recommended Crysis Video Settings Based on Video Card Memory

Looking at the video memory requirements of the game, you can see how this is the key to optimizing performance.  The higher you go over the dedicated memory available to your video card, the more "herky jerky" the Crysis game play will be.  You can optimize the performance quantitatively with the FPS view above.  You can also optimize the performance further by playing Crysis in DirectX 9 mode (see above).  DirectX 10 allows for much more appealing detail through textures and effects not available in DirectX 9.  However, the performance is not quite optimal for today's video cards as those graphics tend to take up more video memory.  Until video cards commonly sport 1028MB (1GB) video memory, playing with DirectX 9 will be the performance tweakers preference.

Recommended Desktop Hardware

NVIDIA Video Card - For those on a budget the NVIDIA 8800 GT is perfect.  If you've got plenty of cash, go for the 8800 GTX.  It's got more video memory, which is so key for Crysis.

Quad Core CPU - Look for an extreme edition version.  Specifically, the Intel Core 2 Quad QX6700 is my recommendation. It's a good bang for the buck, overclocks easily (on the right motherboard) and will provide plenty of processing power to deliver maximum Crysis game play experience.  Obviously, if you have a larger budget go for the fastest extreme edition quad core you can afford.  The more powerful the CPU, the better.

Maxed out RAM - If you're running Vista, upgrade your RAM to 4GB.  Crysis will use every bit of it.  If you're not running Vista, don't bother.  You won't be able to use all 4GB under Windows XP.  The XP max RAM usage is 3GB.  Make sure the RAM you buy has the same speed as the bus speed of your system.  For example, if your system bus is 1066MHz, buy 1066MHz RAM.

Cited Sources
A big thanks goes out to Mark Krynsky.  He found many of these Crysis game tweaks at other sites and compiled them on his blog at Krynsky.com. He's got some interesting thoughts on gaming.  Go check him out!

Well, I'll tell you... 

A fast SSD drive, like the MTRON SSD drive has a disk access speed of under 0.1ms.  That's one tenth of a micro second.  That's, for all intents and purposes, instant.  So, if you had instant access to your data what would that do for you?

SSD drives provide:

• Much faster boot speed
• Faster application launch speed - imagine loading saved games instantaneously
• Dramatically faster effects within Windows Vista
• Completely silent operation - in a custom "silent" PC the traditional hard drive can be the loudest component...the faster the hard drive the louder the hard drive
• Lower failure rates - with no moving parts to break, an SSD will likely last as long as the technology is still in use...there's nothing quite so annoying as a hard drive crash right in the middle of a World of Warcraft raid.

In the past, two 10,000 RPM drives in RAID 0 configuration were faster than an SSD drive.  However, with the new MTRON SSD drive's conservative specs: access time of less than 0.1ms, read of 100MB/s and write of 80MB/s, SSD drives now out perform even the fastest traidtional SATA hard drives in RAID 0.

SSD drives use high end flash memory similar to the lower end flash RAM used in the flash drive you most likely have seen on someone's keychain (maybe your keychain?).  They have extremely fast data access speeds, but even the latest MTRON has average throughput speeds.  So, SSDs are good for gaming, database application and other applications that require fast access to data, but their terrible for media servers or other roles where transfering large amounts of data is desired.

Joshua
Founder, WidowPC]]> http://www.widowpc.com/2007/11/mtron_ssd_drive.php http://www.widowpc.com/2007/11/mtron_ssd_drive.php what's new Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:02:19 -0700 November 8th, 2007 - A huge thanks to Stephen, Michael, Bill, Kyle, Shaun, Doug, Greg, Mike, Ryan and everyone else who helped get this system to PC Gamer Magazine. With only a couple days to get it out the door, several people worked on Saturday to get it out on time.  This was a big effort by the whole team and resulted in a big win and showed the magazine what kind of work we do for our customers on a regular basis.  We received an "Excellent" - the highest possible score - on their chart.  This is a big win and the score publicly highlights the excellence this team delivers!

Logan Decker, PCGamer's Senior Editors for Hardware, brings up some interesting points in his review.  The first one has to do with the operating system, Vista 64 bit, and why we chose the 64 bit version of Vista for this review system.  As you probably know, 64 bit drivers can be a pain to find for legacy printers, monitors, etc.  However, all new hardware comes with 64 bit drivers or Microsoft won't certify it for Vista. So, we think the time for Vista is now and we recommend the 64 bit version for the hard core gamers we love, who want the highest levels of performance from their gaming systems.

The 64 bit architecture of the processor, combined with the multiple threads of native 64 bit instruction sets, layered on top of the 64 bit operating system allowed us to bake a gaming system that proved its a tasty treat for gamers. With gaming performance scores that were out of this world, record breakers for PCGamer, what kind of gamer would order up anything different. I mean 32 bit is so 2006!   Most modern games are now programmed for a 64 bit instruction set.  This means that Vista 64 bit will run the game much faster than the 32 bit flavor.

However, with every cloud must come rain.  Because 3DMark06 has compatibility issues with Vista 64 bit, the benchmark showed a slower 3DMark and much higher game score.  In this case, this is a normal phenomenon as 3DMark will commonly only use one video card under Vista 64bit even when the system is set for dual card SLI mode.  I actually didn't know about this 3DMark issue until after we had delivered the system to Logan.  I know how confusing that must have been for him to see the lower 3DMark score along-side the record breaking game scores.

Logan also mentions the benefits of the high speed SSD drive.  This SSD drive is the only one that out performs the Western Digital Raptor.  However, it's also really expensive.  It's not for the budget-minded, that's for sure.  It threw our pricing for this review unit off.  At the time, we were only able to purchase the SSD drive for $1500.  We're now importing it directly and are getting a much better price on it. We're a big believer in this new technology and fully expect main storage drives to be fully solid state within the next year to two years on every high performance system. We've even added the 2.5" version of this drive to our laptops as an option. They are still more expensive by a few hundred dollars than a high performance, traditional hard drive. However, our customers want and deserve the best and the fastest. As always, feel free to email me at [my first name] @ widowpc.com. 

Joshua 
Founder, WidowPC]]> http://www.widowpc.com/2007/11/pcgamer_rates_w.php http://www.widowpc.com/2007/11/pcgamer_rates_w.php news Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:13:28 -0700