disk drive

Fountain Valley [Calif.]'s Kingston Technology Co. is looking to spur sales of a new type of data storage drive with a low-cost version that is targeted at niche users.

Kingston, the largest maker of computer memory products, is selling a drive that stores 40 gigabytes of data in flash memory chips. The drive is going for less than $100 after promotions at some online stores.

Similar but smaller drives sell for about $120. Intel Corp. sells one that's nearly $400.

Bigger is not necessarily better anymore. Lugging around a heavy notebook is becoming a thing of the past as users lean toward lighter, smaller netbooks.

But Microsoft and others could control the netbook market by changing the specifications and pricing. Depending who provides the specs, a netbook has a screen size as large as 13 inches or as small as five inches, weighs two to three pounds, and has a 160GB hard drive, or 32BG if it's a solid-state drive, to 250GB and 64GB for a SSD.

Steve Wozniak, half of the famed duo that founded Apple Computer, is taking a new job. On Thursday, solid-state storage company Fusion-io announced Wozniak will be chief scientist.

The company said Woz, as he is known to his fans, will act as a key technical adviser to the research and development group and work with the executive team "in formulating a company strategy that will accelerate the expansion of major global accounts."

'Extremely Useful'

Apple has updated its MacBook under the radar with a new graphics chip without changing the laptop's $999 price tag.

Until now, the MacBook has been offered in a white polycarbonate shell with an older graphics processor. With the change, the white MacBook has a Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor that makes it operate more like the aluminum MacBooks that cost $1,300, according to the Apple Store.

Hewlett-Packard is previewing a new mini-notebook aimed at mobile professionals and students looking for a small, portable package capable of delivering a full-blown computing experience.

Housed in an all-aluminum case, the HP Mini 2140 measures just 10.3x6.5x1.05 inches and tips the scales at a minimum weight of 2.6 lb. "The sturdy, lightweight HP Mini 2140 integrates innovative functionality to keep on-the-move executives connected without weighing them down," said HP Vice President Dan Forlenza.

Under the Hood

Fujitsu has rolled out three new notebook PCs, including a mini-notebook that is squarely aimed at field workers and mobile sales teams.

Powered by Garmin's Mobile PC navigation software, the LifeBook U820 arrives preloaded with maps of the U.S. and Canada, together with data covering millions of destinations and points of interest. Weighing just 1.32 lbs, the mini-notebook delivers turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation that eliminates the need for workers to carry a separate navigation device, according to Paul Moore, senior director of mobile product management at Fujitsu.

HP has just unveiled three mini-notebook PCs in a push to dramatically build upon the inaugural Mini 100 model it rolled out for education applications in April. The PC maker's overriding goal is to match speeds with rivals in what is fast becoming a high-growth segment globally.

Dell has rolled out a new mini-notebook PC in Japan that is slated to launch globally next month at a retail price of under $600.

Tipping the scales at 2.72 lbs and measuring just 0.92 inches thick, the Inspiron Mini 12 integrates Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) radios, 1GB of RAM, a 12.1-inch WXGA display, a built-in Webcam, and a 60GB or 80GB hard disk drive. In addition to Windows Vista Home Basic, users can elect to run Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux.

This probably will make me sound like an old fogey, but I believe you can't fully appreciate the present until you understand the past. This is especially true in the realm of consumer electronics, where innovations move so fast, it's easy to forget where we've been.

During this week's Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison unveiled two new products for data-warehousing applications. Called the Database Machine and the Exadata Storage Server, both offerings meld standard hardware from Hewlett Packard with Oracle's business software.