Rick's various computer tech reviews.

[rickhunter]

I regularly run across new tech stuff for PC's in the course of my work week.  Sometimes I buy a sample to evaluate to see if it is worthwhile to deploy company wide.  I figure I'd share my outlook on various technology items on this thread and hope that some of you may find this information useful.  I'm not sure if this should be made into a sub-forum, or just have a very long thread of stuff being reviewed, and then have a thread for comments.  What do you guys think?

[a69mopar]

Long thread sounds fine, unless you want to make sub threads each time you test.  It shouldn't matter since everyone uses the search function anyway....dont they...

I'd give you a K+ for the thought, but I did already today.

Thanks,
Wayne

[rickhunter]

Ok then, here we go, I've been evaluating SSD's (Sold State Drives, that is drives based on flash memory, like digital camera memory).

There are currently two types of memory used in SSD drives, MLC (Multi-Level Cell) and SLC (Single Level Cell).  SLC's are fast, expensive, and can have  about 100,000 write/erase cycles.  MLC's are slower, economical, and have about 10,000 write/erase cycles.  Most flash memory used on digitial cameras and USB drives use MLC memory.  SSD's that use SLC memory are typically used in enterprise environments where the write/erase usage is very heavy.  MLC is what I will be focussing on, especifically this particular model series:

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drives/ocz_vertex_series_sata_ii_2_5-ssd

So why buy one?

1.  Boot times are fast.  My current evaluation system using windows XP PRO boots under 30 seconds from the time you get the windows logo to the time drive activity stops, this includes loading your typical firewall, antivirus, antispam software.  BY comparison, the same OS on a magnetic drive takes about 150 seconds.

2.  Your apps load pretty much instantly, ALL THE TIME. (Microsoft words loads in about 1 second, Adobbe Photoshop CS3 loads in about 4 seconds)

3.  There's no defrag to worry about.

4. They make no noise and use less power.

5.  Did I mention they were fast?

So what's wrong?

1.  SSD's are expensive when compared to traditional magnetic spinning drives.  We can now regularly get a 1.5TB (that's 1,500 Gigabytes) for about the price you pay for a 30GB SSD.
2.  SSD's have a limited number of write cycles, typically in the 10,000 range or so.  Manufacturers believe their current batch of drives will last about 10 years with normal usage, but this limitation, nevertheless, worries some users.  From my point of view, I replace drives every 3 to 4 years anyway, so this is not a problem for me.  I'm pretty sure in 3 or 4 years, we will not be worrying about write/erase cycles on SSD drives.
3.  If you have a laptop and can only have 1 drive in it, this can get costly if you store lots of data on your laptop.  You can expect to pay upwards of $500 for a 120GB SSD. (you can always use an external drive, but it means carrying another drive for your data, however small that other drive might be)
4.  MLC SSD's have a problem when it comes to writing on previously used areas of the drive.  When the drive is new, this is not an issue, but as the drive ages, then you run into this problem.   SSD drives are divided into pages that then contain blocks.  You can write on a block level, but you can only erase on a page level.  So as the the drive is used, and the remaining pages are only partially used or have invalid blocks (data that has been erased by the OS), then the SSD controller must read valid blocks, from partial pages, re-arrange them into full pages, erase the pages it just read, then write the old re-arranged data, and then write the new data.  This is called write amplification and ideally you want a factor of 1, that is 1 byte written for every byte that needs to be written.  SLC SSD's don't have this problem, as every block is also a page, a write/erase cycle is just that, erase, then write. For a thourough explanation on Write amplification, I re-direct you to this article:

http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3631&p=1

In a nutshell the solution is to do the "garbage cleanup" during OS idle time or do it after every write cycle after drive activity has ceased.  The latter is the preferred method, but the OS must support this function, which is called "trim."  Right now, only Windows 7 supports this function, so for all other  OS's the garbage cleanup must be performend either manually every so often (like weekly) or let the drive do it while idle.

So here's how I configured my testbed.

1.  Installed OS on the SSD as well as frequently used apps.
2.  Installed a recoverable Ram Disk in order to move the temporary internet files to it, so as to reduce frequent writes to the SSD.  You can get free recoverable ramdisk software here:
http://memory.dataram.com/products-and-services/software/ramdisk/download-ramdisk
3.  Installed a traditional magnetic spinning drive to store all other data.

SSD's are not for everyone, but if you want a big boost on your PC experience, then I highly recommend that you get yourself one.

[rickhunter]

Digital Picture frame:

This Xmas I was looking for a picture frame I could remotely manage for my parents.  I gave them one last christmas, but they are unable (more like not really willing) to learn how to replace the images on the frame.  So I set out to find a frame that I could just "send" it photos.  I found this company called estarling that sells a frame that you assign it a gmail address to it and presto, you e-mail the photos to the frame.  It works very well and it also supports social networking sites like facebook and twitter, so you could sync the photos on your facebook account to it if you wanted to as well.  The frame supports wireless G/N and wired ethernet.  You can also just stick an SD memory card and use it for storage, but your slideshow will either be the memory card, or the internet based content.  The frame has 2GB of memory to store the pictures downloaded from the internet. And it's a touchscreen based solution as well.  Go have a look here:

http://www.estarling.com/

It was just recently released, so the company is still doing active firmware upgrades.  The frame checks for a new version of the firmware everytime it boots up and asks if you want to do the upgrade.  So far the frame has performed as advertised and I have set it up at my parent's house through their wireless network and all pictures send to it through gmail have gone without a hitch.  (you can also use your own domain e-mail if it is hosted by google apps).

[rickhunter]

I haven't bought one yet as they are kind of pricey for a niche product, but it looks very cool.  They have a camera and an autostereoscopic (does not need special 3d glasses to view) digital frame.  It's basically two cameras stuffed into 1 body as it has two CCD 10Mpix sensors to capture 3D Images.  With all the talk of 3D TV coming to homes sometime later this year, this might interest some of our gadget minded members.

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/3d/index.html

The camera's LCD screen is also autostereoscopic and it can also take pictures of images at different focal lengths simultaneously.  Pretty cool toy if you can spare the $600 it costs.

[rickhunter]

So the samsung 3D HDTV's are now available for purchase, thought the glasses are still not yet available and there's no 3D content yet.  Who's getting one?

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN46C7000-46-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B0036WT4EC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268168507&sr=8-3

[Ron (r273)]

I will provide the popcorn if you furnish the rest.

Ron (r273)

[a69mopar]

I think I'll wait a while.  I don't watch a lot of tv but if I did....

Thanks,
Wayne

[StatFreak]

I think I'll wait a while.  I don't watch a lot of tv but if I did....
...

...you'd STILL wait a while. 
The last time I checked, 3D TV/DVD wasn't exactly burying regular programming...

On a side note, they made Monsters Vs. Aliens in 3D for theaters, and then didn't bother releasing it in 3D on DVD. Not only did they release it in 2D, they added an extra BS (that doesn't stand for bonus) disc called "BOB's Big Break" in old fashioned red/blue 3D and included multiple sets of glasses in the box. So, were the polarized 3D glasses too expensive to include with the original movie, or was it that they couldn't figure out how to use the better 3D technology on a scanned video screen?

I guess it must be the latter, since Monsters Vs. Aliens is at the head of the line to support the new TV when it comes out:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/03/dreamworks-animation-ceo-jeffrey-katzenberg-talks-up-3d-in-the-home/1

[StatFreak]

Here is a copy of that article, in case it disappears.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/03/dreamworks-animation-ceo-jeffrey-katzenberg-talks-up-3d-in-the-home/1

Mar 09, 2010
DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg talks up 3D in the home

Samsung announced its new lineup of 3D TVs at a gathering of the media in Manhattan this morning.  The entry level 46-inch 3D model, the LN46C750, is coming in May for $1,700. Included is a "3D Starter Kit" containing two pairs of 3D glasses, plus a 3D Blu-ray copy of DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens.

The kit will also be included with Samsung's more expensive new 3D TVs, such as the top-of-the-line 55-inch $7,000 LED model UN55C9000 (out in April ). And it will be made available gratis with Samsung's first 3D Blu-ray player as well, the $400, BD-C6900, which starts selling this month.

Following the event, I sat down with Bookeun Yoon, the Korea-based president of Samsung Electronics visual display business (who spoke through an interpreter), and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the DreamWorks Animation CEO and one of the industry's leading 3D evangelists.  DreamWorks and Samsung are teaming up on the 3D launch.  Their remarks, edited for length and clarity:

Q: 3D TVs are expensive. In tough economic times, how fast and how mainstream can these TVs become?

Yoon: There was a study carried out by the Consumer Electronics Association in the U.S. (saying) that 65% of consumers are willing to pay a 25% premium on a 3D TV today. The pricing we have decided on is based on this evidence. People predict maybe one million to seven million 3D sets will be sold this year (industry-wide). I believe a minimum of five million will be sold.

Q: But are people going to buy a 3D TV when they only recently sprung for a new HDTV as part of the transition to digital?

Yoon: When we looked at the LED-type (2D TVs) market last year during an economic crisis there were a lot of doubts about whether these would be viable. The expectation was that maybe 2 million would be sold, but last year 2.6 million were sold and our market share was 80%. Now when we look at 3D TVs (based on LED technology), the product Samsung is launching is a standardized product. This is an opportunity for the TV industry. I believe there will be 70 3D Blu-ray titles out this year. I have high expectations.

Katzenberg: I look at it in a slightly different way.  The innovation of the experience from flat screen to 3D on these new TVs is exceptional. At a 25% premium, I think consumers are going to see that as a very high value. As always happens, when a new innovation is introduced it starts at a high end. First adopters' will be driven by sports and games. And very quickly you'll see this move to the mass market. If you look at a first year of introduction and the predictions (for five to seven million 3D TV sold this year)  --  in an introductory year that is huge. (And) there's a very high multiple of that number coming in 2011.

Q: The DreamWorks Animation studio is producing three movies a year now, all in 3D. How important is it for DreamWorks and others in the industry to get 3D into the home?

Katzenberg: For our filmmakers who spend four years making these movies, for them to have these films enjoyed the way they were created and designed on these spectacular TV sets has come much faster and of a much higher quality than we had anticipated. This is several years ahead of (expectations). Three years ago, when we made the commitment to offer all our movies in 3D, we thought the home market would be five to seven years (out). And it's here today and the quality is much greater than we had actually expected.

I think DreamWorks Animation was the first studio to commit 100% of production  to 3D; now many studios are doing more and more. We have sports channels, Discovery, ESPN, BSkyB, multiple platforms. Content creators and deliverers are committed to 3D in the home. And a lot is accelerated by how spectacular these TV sets are.

Q: Is wearing 3D glasses a hurdle for consumers?

Katzenberg: Many many many people wear glasses. What's the big deal? And if you don't wear them inside because you need them for quality of sight, in this day and age almost everybody who walks outside into sunlight wears sunglasses.  I think that stigma of wearing glasses was back to those days of cardboard red and blue goofy glasses that made you look like a dweeb. You felt like an idiot sitting next to a girl wearing those glasses.

Those days are gone. You see these new glasses -- they're beautifully styled. What is going to happen very quickly is the eyeglass companies are going to go into the business and people will make choices. Those options will be there within a year. 3D eyeglasses will become as common as the many choices as exist in sunglasses today.

Q: What will Blu-ray movies cost in 3D?

Katzenberg: You can't buy the Blu-ray 3D version of Monsters vs. Aliens or Shrek. They're exclusive to Samsung for a year. (The 4 movies in the Shrek series become available in 3D in the 4th quarter; Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D is just coming out now.)

Q: But what is your expectation about Blu-ray pricing?

Katzenberg: I don't know yet. I'm not sure what the 3D premium will be when product makes it way to the market.

By Ed Baig

[rickhunter]

For passive polarized glasses you need to be able to show two images at once.  Each image must be emitted at a different angle so that the polarized glasses can block out the left image to the right eye and vice-versa.  You cannot do this on a standard display.  In the movie theaters, the screen is designed to reflect the image at the right angle.  They also use two projectors to show the left and right eye information each image is reflected at the proper angle so that the glasses block out the unwanted side.  The new batch of 3D tv's get around this issue by using active polarized glasses.  The monitor will show a full image for each eye alternatively every 120th's of a second, and then the active polarized glasses will black out the eye that is not supposed to see the image (left eye for right image, etc).  This is why you need a monitor with a high refresh rate.   This technology has been around for a while, but you always needed a high refresh monitor.  CRT's were produced with this higher refresh rate, but it never caught on.  With the popularity of 3D films, it might catch on this time.

[StatFreak]

For passive polarized glasses you need to be able to show two images at once.  Each image must be emitted at a different angle so that the polarized glasses can block out the left image to the right eye and vice-versa.  You cannot do this on a standard display.  In the movie theaters, the screen is designed to reflect the image at the right angle.  They also use two projectors to show the left and right eye information each image is reflected at the proper angle so that the glasses block out the unwanted side.  The new batch of 3D tv's get around this issue by using active polarized glasses.  The monitor will show a full image for each eye alternatively every 120th's of a second, and then the active polarized glasses will black out the eye that is not supposed to see the image (left eye for right image, etc).  This is why you need a monitor with a high refresh rate.   This technology has been around for a while, but you always needed a high refresh monitor.  CRT's were produced with this higher refresh rate, but it never caught on.  With the popularity of 3D films, it might catch on this time.

What's neat is that I have a set of LCD shutter glasses for my PC buried in my closet somewhere, although I doubt that they would work in XP. I picked them up (along with the video driver and software ) at Comdex back in 1999 for $75. They were made by a company called i-Art and were fantastic for gaming, particularly first-person POV games like Doom and driving games like Test Drive (I don't recall trying it on Myst). They only problem was that their video driver had a nasty tendency to crash Windoze. The technology looked very good. I wonder why it never caught on?