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42″ Touch Screen LCD Digital Signage DisplayAugust 31st, 2010Hewlett-Packard (HP) has been at the forefront of touch screen technology for some time, and cranks out both touch-based all-in-one PCs as well as touch screen displays targeted at everything from home entertainment to digital signage. Extra dose of inventiveness A capacitive touch screen at this size would have been extremely costly, so HP engineers added an extra dose of inventiveness to the LD4200TM’s digital DNA. The device has a unique way of delivering multi-touch capabilities with an “array of infrared (IR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), along with photo sensors.” With a native resolution of 1920×1080, you’ve got full HD for lifelike color and clarity, ably assisted by a superior brightness rating and a 1000:1 contrast ratio (with 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio). It adds up to jaw-dropping graphics and video, and incredibly sharp text, in bright lighting or dim. CRE has LCD monitor rentals and plasmas, too, for all kinds of display purposes, but we’ve added this great touch screen model because of its power, presence and aforementioned people-magnet potential. As an attention-getter in exhibit booths the LD4200TM excels with an ultra-wide 178 x 178 degree viewing angle providing clean, bright views. As opposed to TV screens, Wide range of applications Interactive kiosk rentals can do yeoman’s duty collecting contact information and making small-screen presentations wherever you place them, but for attracting visitors to your booth in an exhibit hall – and thoroughly engaging them – there’s nothing quite like this new HP display. For meetings, corporate presentations and high-end brainstorming, the LD4200TM is also perfectly suited, and teamed with one of CRE’s Audience Response System rentals it could be the star of many productive polling sessions, marketing focus groups and product demonstrations. The LD4200TM’s hardware supports multi-touch gestures, and after the software driver was WHQL certified a slew of applications started to support their use with this big boy. To make its “magic” happen, you will connect the display to your computer via USB (for control and gestures) and send images via an HDMI connection. It can also take VGA (for tiling, too), component video, composite video and S-video signals. The range of its connectivity makes the LD4200TM extremely flexible for a broad array of duties. You can opt for the rear-facing audio amplifier and speakers from HP that give you 20 watts (10w x 2) of sound. Whatever you need to spread your marketing message or capture attention in a sea of exhibits, CRE has it, from this great new HP display to all manner of convention rentals. We are also your productivity partners, with the potent Mac Pro rentals and newly-upgraded iMacs to help you finish that post-production, animation or design work and hit your deadline. Contact a seasoned Account Executive today, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form right now, and let us know just where you need to go – we’ll help you get there, guaranteed. New Mac Pro: Apple’s Fastest Computer EverJuly 29th, 2010Apple may have dropped “Computer” from its corporate name – ostensibly to emphasize its “i” strengths, as in iTunes, iPods, iPads and iPhones – but the biggest news lately is all about their desktops and laptops. With new and scary-fast offerings in the Mac Pro, iMac and MacBook Pro lines, plus a new desktop Magic Trackpad and some iPhone happenings, there’s a lot to report. We’ll start today with the Mac Pro and work through the rest of the Apple crate in subsequent blogs.
The tremendous punch packed by the new Mac Pro makes it, once again, the fastest Mac available, after losing its top ranking some time back to a Core i7-equipped iMac. The new tower Mac can access up to 12 processing cores for 50% more performance, now fueled by up to 32GB of RAM. This makes the Mac Pro the prohibitive favorite for audio, video, animation and post-production, and will bring a new rush to working with HD or SD in Final Cut Pro when paired with CRE’s AJA Io HD rentals. Digital artists and content creators will feel like their spaceship got a new rocket or two whichever CPUs they choose – Intel’s quad- and six-core Xeon processors, the quad-core Xeon Nehalem or the Xeon Westmere with four or six cores. Apple claims buyers can choose from “1.3 billion possible configurations of the Mac Pro” when ordering, and it feels like about half of the options involve processors! Dual displays? Nope – six! The new Mac Pro maxes out, as stated above, at 12 cores with two six-core Intel Xeon Westmeres running at 2.93 GHz. (Other CPUs may have faster clock speeds, up to 3.33 GHz, but the Westmeres are the most efficient, effective workers.) Apple has left NVIDIA behind, now offering the ATI Radeon HD 5770 or 5870 graphics card. Each has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory (fast!) and get this – support for as many as six simultaneous displays. Get one or two Xserve RAID rentals, some LCD monitor rentals and send for lots of take-out, because with this kind of setup you will get a whole lot done, and you’ll have so much fun you just might want to keep going. The new Mac Pro also has a dual 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 slot, for expansion purposes, and can be configured with up to 8 TB of internal hard disk and SSD (Solid State Drive) storage, the latter offering a first for the Cupertino firm. The new models should hit the retail channel sometime in August, meaning CRE will soon offer the latest, greatest Mac Pro computer rental. Apple’s been busy! Apple has also revamped its standalone Cinema Display line (one model now, 27-inch), juiced up the surprising iMacs (available for rent), upgraded its MacBook Pro line and released a desktop Magic Trackpad. The company is also in the news with its iPhone, as the government has decreed that consumers can now “jailbreak” the device. All of this news and more will be in forthcoming blogs, so check out our new posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Don’t forget that we’re here every other workday, too, with not just the best and newest computer rentals but everything you need to attend, produce or exhibit at a conference or convention, from Audience Response System rentals to plasma panels. Call or e-mail an expert Account Executive, or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form that’s just a quick click away. We’re here with solutions, so just let us know what you need to solve! PowerPoint Presentation in Your PocketJuly 22nd, 2010Our recent gadget blog mentioned a potent hard-drive-based media player that could connect with CRE plasma rentals to create a low-cost, high-impact presentation system. For all of you who use PowerPoint, we’re going to share some creative and cost-effective ways of bringing a presentation to your seminar or breakout session. You could present the PowerPoint show from your connected laptop – or from a CD or DVD containing the presentation and the standalone PowerPoint Viewer application – but PowerPoint is notorious for its propensity to stutter and crash. The most dependable playback format is a universally supported video format like AVI, where you will have a smooth, flawless presentation with no glitches. With an AVI file of your presentation, you can then leverage the power of a neat piece of equipment we found in a rather unexpected place. Convert PowerPoint presentation to video Literally scores of applications, from freeware and shareware to commercial packages, can convert PowerPoint presentations to AVI. Most allow a trial period before buying, although they might watermark your video, so find out about that. PowerVideoMaker Professional, for example, converts PowerPoint files to AVI , MPEG or WMV formats, while PPT To Video Scout will convert to AVI and over half a dozen other formats. There are plenty of converters to choose from, and several Web-based conversion sites, as well. Mention “karaoke” and most people think of rolling carts full of audio equipment. You can still have a big rack of karaoke gear if you want, but the Flexible power with AVI movie Convert your PowerPoint file into an AVI movie and load it on the PK-6000 via USB. A touchscreen with great navigation tools offers intuitive control, and the PK’s mini-gooseneck microphone lets you speak over the program material as it runs. The device has a built-in FM transmitter so you can use it as a PA, but you won’t need to if you connect it via the included RCA cable to one of CRE’s LCD monitor rentals or other big displays. In addition to its presentation chops, the PK has a digital mixer for tweaking mic volume, echo level and tone settings. You can make an honest case that the Acesonic Pocket Karaoke was made for presenters as well as singers. There’s nothing in the manual that says you can’t talk instead of sing, or play business presentations instead of Toy Story. At CRE, we don’t let any obstacles get in the way of working smarter as well as harder, and can offer you creative solutions to even the most daunting audio, video and post-production challenges. If you need meeting rentals, simply fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you what you need to capture the meeting presentation on video. Hello, Solid State Drive (SSD); Bye-Bye, Hard DriveJuly 6th, 2010About the slowest thing your computer has to contend with is the hard drive. While CPUs are in the nanosecond range, hard drive access is measured in thousandths of a second, quite slow in the world of light-speed processors. On top of that, most computers crash because of hard drive problems, as they are extremely complicated eletromechanical beasts. Want to work faster? Want to say goodbye to hard drive crashes? You will, with Solid State Drives (SSDs), which represent the next step in storage evolution. The future has already started, and CRE is on the leading edge once again with MacBook Pro rentals equipped with this superfast memory. It will take some time for the prices to come down to “old-fashioned” hard drive levels, but now that SSDs are being mass-manufactured it is happening just like it did before. More and more computer makers are offering them as options. But the really astonishing thing is this: SSDs address just about every weakness of standard hard drives, and will completely replace them in the future. SSDs really are amazing, which is why they are taking over, and soon! How Solid State Drives work
Their advantages are many and dramatic – no moving parts, no noise, less heat and zero vibration. Because there are no spinning platters and moving read/write heads, there are no crashes due to hardware malfunctions. They draw less power, as well. All of this means tremendous reliability, over a million hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) and incredible speed. A fast 7200rpm hard drive has an access time of between 5 and 10ms, while the SSD clocks in at a staggering 0.1ms. Yes, one-tenth of a millisecond. Clearly, this is the future of data storage, at least for work in progress. It may or may not be the best long-term archiving solution, which is why other media (hard drives, optical media, tape) will remain in use. Benefits of SSDs As previously noted, CRE now has MacBook Pro rentals with superfast SSDs. You may not notice that the laptop is a bit lighter, but you will definitely notice that it is quieter, cooler and faster. SSDs can also withstand drops and impacts that would send read/write heads scraping across your regular hard drive’s disc platters, obliterating data on their way. You would have to physically crush or smash an SSD with a crowbar to experience that kind of data loss. Whether you need the swift SSD-equipped MacBook Pros, the potent Mac Pro rentals, other computer rentals, or A/V and convention-related technology, CRE is your one-stop shop for all of it. We have the expertise, the equipment and the experienced Account Executives to help you find the right solution for your particular challenge. Give us a call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form. We will put together a quote right away so that you get the laptop rental with SSD or other rental equipment when you need it – guaranteed! Apple’s new big bad Mac miniJune 18th, 2010
The Apple Macintosh mini, the computer so small it doesn’t even get a capital letter for its name, is the latest Mac to get a facelift and refreshing. (”Facelift” refers to cosmetic changes, while “refreshing” means operating hardware has been upgraded.) Base unit drive sizes are 320 and 500GB. Of course, some real goodies are still standard in all models – Airport Extreme, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, upgraded NVIDIA GeForce 3200M graphics, a FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0 ports, SD card slot, Mini DisplayPort for external monitors, an HDMI port and both optical digital and analog audio ins and outs. This is not your father’s (well, older brother’s) Mac mini by any means. Not only are the Core 2 Duo CPUs ugraded to 2.4 and 2.66GHz, the base models come with 2 and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, respectively, and both now accommodate a max of 8GB. The mini bundle is brawny A tad wider than the original, the mini has a new, unibody aluminum case like CRE’s MacBook Pro rentals, and it’s only 1.4 inches tall. The external power supply has been miniaturized and installed in the case. All of the first hands-on reviewers (from Computerworld to MacWorld) have raved about the small size, great design and energy-stinginess (it draws just 10 watts at idle, a 25% reduction over previous models). The mini is the most energy-efficient desktop computer you can get. Along with Mac OS X Snow Leopard (now at 10.6.x), the mini can be outfitted with an easy-to-configure copy of OS X Server, while every model in the line gets the usual laundry list of solid Mac programs – iTunes for your media, Time Machine for backups and other essentials like Spaces, Quick Look, Spotlight, Dashboard, Address Book, QuickTime, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row and Xcode Developer Tools. For productivity, you have Mail, iChat, the Safari browser, iCal and the fabulous iLife bundle (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb and GarageBand). CRE carries wide array of Macintosh models, from the potent Mac Pro rentals to the best laptop for creatives on the go, the MacBook Pro. In addition, the phenomenal new 21.5- and 27-inch iMac rentals are in stock (as are the 20- and 24-inch models) and ready to help you push on through another deadline or another last-minute job. We are your Mac-at-work specialists so when you are ready to rent the new Mac mini, just give us a call or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you fully equipped in no time. Unique Input Devices for Animation & DesignMay 20th, 2010Artists working in the digital domain often feel frustrated by the limits of their keyboards. Over the years, alternative input devices like graphics tablets have helped in many ways. Overlay keyboards Another way for artists to streamline and accelerate their workflow is by using overlay keyboards, which date back to the first days of computer use. Typically, the overlay keyboard is a flat grid of buttons, usually unmarked, that is programmed with special software that accompanies the product. After this, a sheet (the overlay) is placed over the keys to identify their functions. The future for these alternative input devices will include touch-screen technology, which is a hot field for R&D right now. Artists using Maya or Pro Tools on CRE Mac Pro rentals can automate entire workflows without writing complex scripts and save valuable time by programming the special keyboards. For example, the Enterpad reduces repetitive keystrokes and automates common tasks, reducing the time, effort and cost of the work. It is plugged in like any other keyboard and plays nice with all your programs. The Enterpad uses no proprietary drivers or special interface, not even when used with DOS. The XKeys unit is a fully programmable key pad that will program shortcuts and record your typing so you can use a single keystroke to generate boilerplate messages, e-mails or correspondence. Digital artists can also customize the XKeys pad to perform elaborate tasks of all kinds, whether they’re using one of CRE’s iMac Rentals or a PC. The time you save using a special keyboard depends on many variables, but there is no question that they aid in efficiency and throughput. On the ‘inputing” horizon In the future, we will be inputting information into our computers with our bodies – eye movements, head positions and the kind of hand and body input already seen in the Wii and other game systems. These are the next devices we will see in computing because of the head start gained in the game industry. The technology is just starting to take off. Voice input is already available, but the technology is limited to taking dictation. True control of the computer will require that voice commands be understood at sentence length, like post-production managers telling their computer rentals to “copy the files, render the cartoon and upload it all to the main server.” The problem is “speaker independent continuous voice recognition.” Even the best software used today, which some say is Dragon Naturally Speaking, still needs to be trained to a particular speaker’s voice, intonation and cadence. When everyone can use the software out of the box, a new age will dawn in human-computer interaction. CRE follows the technology trends so that we can help you be prepared for whatever comes your way. Need mac rentals or render farm for upcoming project? Simply fill out the Quick Rental Quote form and we’ll be on it right away. There’s no time to spare, the future is coming fast! Is Adobe Creative Suite 5 a “No-Brainer” Upgrade?May 6th, 2010
Photoshop heaven In the new Photoshop, you can now drag and drop files from the desktop to an open Photoshop window, where they create a new layer, as well as save customized layer styles as defaults, change multiple layers’ opacity/fill simultaneously and lots more. More Adobe magic is on display with the Content-Aware Fill option, which helps you remove unwanted areas or objects quickly. The brush palette got its first overhaul in many moons, and now features realistic tips in addition to a Mixer Brush that turns photos into paintings without filters. None of these upgrades will overwork any modern Mac CPU, but CS5 will only run under Mac OS X 10.6 on an Intel model. That said, it will happily cruise along on a Mac mini and CRE’s iMac rentals, too (until you bog down in 3D work; see below). Other top new tools include a revised Refine Edge function, whose Smart Radius tool makes selecting fur and other ephemera quick and easy, and a Lens Correction filter that uses camera profiles you create or download. The list goes on – and on. This is a massive upgrade, for sure, and Photoshop Extended users even get the new Repoussé (“Rep-oo-say”) tool, which makes 3D versions of paths, text, selections and masks on a special layer where all the program’s 3D tools can be used. Power vacuum in 3D Even on powerful Mac Pro rentals, working in 3D is not a particularly swift process, as there are huge amounts of CPU power needed for the extrusion process. Speaking of 3D, there are other multidimensional features like the new Ground Plane Shadow Catcher, which makes creating realistic cast shadows a snap. A faster 3D Ray Tracer allows pauses in rendering to change quality, and there are tons of new light sources, overlays and new material types in addition to the option to change depth of fields, adjust preferences and more, even as you work. Powerful software, yes – but for this you need hardware power, too, as much as you can get. Adobe even specifies minimum requirements for graphics cards with CS5. Don’t buy without checking this out! Adobe updates appear every year and a half or two, and in a recessionary economy justifying the cost (especially a first purchase) is tough. Numerous reviewers have called the buy a “no-brainer” but this is really true only if you passed on CS4 and are two versions behind. If you don’t work in 3D, but need the rest of the new stuff, stick with the standard version. Which Creative Suite for you? Now there are five different bundles starting with the Design Standard version — standard Photoshop CS5, Illustrator CS5, InDesign CS5, Acrobat 9 Pro, as well as Bridge CS5 and Device Central CS5 — to the top-of-line Master Collection. This bundles Adobe’s best, including Photoshop Extended CS5 with the advanced 3-D capabilities, with the other tools you need to make content (and apps!) for the upcoming Flash Player 10.1. Our Account Executives can give you more information on the hardware you need to run Adobe’s powerful new software. Call, send an e-mail or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form online and we’ll get you set up, promptly and properly, with the solutions you need for the work you do. Reviewing the Reviewers of LCD MonitorsApril 6th, 2010One great thing about the blog format and hyperlinking is the ability to simply link to good information that is already available in the “‘virtual world”. That said, we will “review the reviewers” and recommend where the best information is. We want to point out some great sites where you can get the very best insight into TFT Central is a British Web site with some of the very best reviews of LCD monitors. The site has added visual documentation to increase its credibility and explain its ratings. While most Web sites view (and review) LCD monitors from just one or two perspectives – say, gaming or watching movies – the thorough evaluations at TFT Central cover the kinds of different uses found in today’s businesses, including color performance for designers, stable imaging for technologists and video playback for media professionals. The estimable Government Computer News (GCN) Web site is a similarly trustworthy and dependable with reviews. It covers, along with its print magazine, government, technology and a wide range of products and solutions, including in-depth monitor reviews. While it also delves deeply into PCs and Apple computers, like Mac Pro rentals, its monitor reviews are particularly well-regarded by the tech press pool. Other top LCD monitor sites Another well-known Web site, X-bit Labs, may justly lay claim to reviewing the greatest number of LCD monitors. With thorough, formal testing and precise documentation, its reviews tend to be technical and sometimes opaque to non-techies. PC Magazine’s site also has excellent reviews, and they are written for the average user. Although the site lacks the technical depth of some other recommended reviewers, it is possibly the best starting place, and reviews all other computer technology, too. If you are looking into LCD monitors but want the specs on an iMac rental, it’s the place to go. One thing to remember when reading any review is that one person’s dud is another’s star performer. Because of different ways of testing, and people’s natural subjectivity, you will find the very same monitors being hailed and panned. The best thing to do is read a number of competing reviews, or stick with a reviewer or review site that you have come to trust. Regardless of how you learn the inside scoop, on monitors or other displays like CRE’s plasma rentals, the more you know which monitors are best for each kind of work your business does. Don’t have the right monitor to get the project done? Rent monitors from CRE – you’ll get exactly what you need. Call or send an e-mail and we will help you. If you already know the monitor you need, even a non-LCD type like our LED-based 30-inch Apple Cinema HD rentals, just fill out a Quick Rental Quote form and you’ll be plugging and playing (well, “plugging and working”) in no time. Sony’s Touchscreen iMac? Rent a VAIO L ComputerFebruary 18th, 2010
“Put your world at your fingertips,” say the ads for Sony’s VAIO L Series all-in-one touchscreen PC (now available from CRE Rentals!). A stylish computer with a crisp 24-inch multi-touch display, the L is being marketed as “the ultimate multimedia machine”. Its 2.7GHz Pentium E5400 processor is dual core, and is considered by “techsperts” to be a very good low-wattage processor, one of the reasons the VAIO L is “certified green.” Potent computing experience with all-in-one computer rental Its graphics processor (GPU) is an NVIDIA GeForce G210M with 512MB of dedicated RAM, letting the CPU with its 4GB of RAM work with the 7200rpm, 320GB hard drive to bring forth a potent computing experience. The CPU is plenty fast enough for cruising the internet, playing the latest games, watching movies and more – all with various taps, swipes and one- and two-handed “multitouch” moves with your fingers. The VAIO L All-In-One computer rental also includes a built-in webcam and microphone, and has a Blu-ray compatible optical drive for playing movies in stunning HD resolution (no Blu-ray recording, however). Finally, its Bluetooth wireless is the latest stereo version, so you can stream CD-quality sound to Bluetooth speakers, as well as connect to cell phones, cameras and other devices (like its keyboard and mouse, for starters). Add the right kind of outboard audio and video equipment rentals, and you’ve got a powerful center for controlling sights, sounds, lights and most everything else at your conference, seminar or shareholder meeting. Superduper display Like the standalone LCD monitor rentals from CRE, the 24-inch widescreen display uses LCD technology, and has “full HD specs” of 1920 x 1080 to create what the ad copywriters call “dazzling” colors and clarity – and, this time at least, they’re not exaggerating. The display is dramatic, and reviewers have admitted that the combination of its look and the feel of the touch commands is downright addictive. Many “creatives” will want to rent this PC computer with its CPU that can handle high-end media work (video editing, audio recording, post production, etc.). The VAIO L could be used for presentations and “info capture”. With simple software, the VAIO L can be loaded up with presentations, product FAQ sheets, questionnaires and other push-button materials. This is a handy interactive tool when you’re exhibiting at a trade show or conference. Talk to a CRE Account Executive for expert advice on how you can put this new VAIO all-in-one computer rental to work for you. Call or send an e-mail and we’ll be back to you swiftly, or take advantage of our Quick Rental Quote form. Whatever you do – whatever you need – we are ready to deliver the latest solutions. Review the New Mac Computer Desktops – CRE RentalsDecember 17th, 2009Several times this year, most recently at the end of October, Apple upgraded and updated its Macintosh product lines. It still has its top of line Mac Pro towers, last “refreshed” in Q1 2009, but now has faster iMacs with larger screens and a potent Mac mini. (Not that it will replace the Xserve line that CRE rents, but the mini can now be purchased with Mac OS X Server installed.) The new Mac laptops are pretty exciting, too; read the MacBook Pro laptops review. Go with a Mac Pro When the Mac Pro high-performance desktops like CRE rents get their next refreshing in early 2010, they may get Intel Xeon six-core processors, according to a recent unconfirmed rumor on the Web site, Hardmac. The Core i9 chip will increase performance while decreasing power usage, or so the story goes. The Mac Pro might also have a modified motherboard with a 10 Gbit/second Ethernet port (a major increase) and support for 8 and 16 GB RAM modules (current maximum is 4GB). This allows a potential total of 128 GB of RAM. A new iMac for you? The iMac line has had two screen sizes in its modern (flat panel) version, now measuring 21.5 and 27 inches, but has new LED backlit displays with 16:9 widescreen ratio. A 21.5-inch imac rental has a high-resolution 1920 x 1080 pixel display. Movie lovers should note that the 27-inch model’s Mini DisplayPort supports bi-directional connections – just connect an HD source and your iMac is an HD monitor. The iMacs now have 4 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of RAM, and four different Intel processors. The 21.5-inch models can be configured with 3.06 GHz or 3.33 GHz Intel Core2 Duo processors, but the “serious fun” starts with the 27-inch iMac. It is configurable with the aforementioned CPUs, a 2.66 Quad-Core i5 or a 2.8 GHZ Quad-Core i7 processor. The two Quad-Core options take the iMac to the level of performance first seen in the Mac Pro – very impressive! Mini goes maxi The Mac mini has two new configurations: one model featuring a 2.26 GHz Intel Core2 Duo, a 160 GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM; the second has a 2.56 GHz Intel Core2 Duo processor and double the hard disk and RAM (320 and 4 GB, respectively). Both feature seriously upgraded graphics capabilities via an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M chipset. These minis are becoming very popular as “small-but-mighty” servers especially for small businesses or for off-site, temporary offices at a convention center. Call one of our Account Executives today and find out how a Mac Pro rental or iMac rentals can help increase productivity or solve those backlog problems. Give us a call or send an e-mail, or simply fill out a Quick Rental Quote form. We are Mac rental specialists and are here to help. |
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