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Microsoft’s “3 Screens and a Cloud”

January 26th, 2012

When Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer did his keynote address at CES 2012, more than a few attendees (and most of the media) thought that the overproduced hip-hop-techno-video-extravaganza introduction was a bit odd. Plus, there was no “core messaging” at all regarding Microsoft’s focus of “three screens and a cloud.”

The three screens are PCs, tablet/game devices and phones, all with online storage and apps in the “cloud.”

PCs – Microsoft’s “first screen”

Microsoft is doing great with the “first screen” – PCs. Windows 7, which powers all of CRE Rentals’ PC desktop computer rental units and PC laptops, has shipped over half a billion copies since 2009 and is solidly ensconced in both homes and businesses.

Games & Tablets – “second screen”

Following the introduction of Kinect, the Xbox 360 has overcome its slow start to become a billion-dollar success. With new film and TV partnerships, Xbox is becoming a media hub for moms and dads, at least when they can get the kids off the thing. Chasing the success of iPad rentals are hundreds of Android tablets, but Microsoft can’t field a tablet product until later in 2012, after Windows 8 ships. Hardware details are nonexistent at this point but it’s fair to say that Microsoft is moving in the right direction with the “second” screen.

Smartphone – “third screen”

The firm’s biggest problem is with the third screen – smart phones. Windows Phone got mostly positives reviews, but market share is tiny after more than a year and attempts to use it on devices like tablet PC rentals didn’t work out. Apple and Samsung products dominate phone hardware, while iOS and Android own the software side. Windows Phone has a big challenge ahead.

The big question…what about the Cloud?

With little information about how and when Microsoft and its partners plan to roll out Windows 8 tablets, even the rosiest scenario puts the company in a distant third place at the end of 2012. So much for the three screens – what about the cloud that ties them all together, like Apple’s iCloud? For consumers, Microsoft has steadily refined SkyDrive and Windows Live, introducing new features and planning much better Windows 8 integration. For business users, Office 365 is doing well against Google Apps as Windows Azure continues a slow but steady growth.

Since the company’s cloud strategy requires customers loyal to Microsoft on all three screens, can Microsoft bring smart phones into the mix? The firm has been slow to deliver solutions for Android or iOS, and there are no Office apps on non-Microsoft devices. Microsoft already has a presence on the iMac and other Apple computers – as Macs run the Windows OS natively. If the company dedicates itself to “invading” the iPad and iPhone, this will be a very interesting year.

One call or e-mail puts an expert Account Executive on the job for you, or use our Quick Rental Quote if you know what you need!

All About Solid State Drives (SSDs)

November 10th, 2011

Solid State Drives (SSDs) store data on flash memory, like a USB thumb drive, instead of on rotating magnetic platters, like hard drives. They are a cool but costly way to give your computer a major performance boost. Because some people have had problems adjusting to this new technology, we are sharing with you the real-world pluses and minuses of owning a solid state drive.

Plus: Speed and Performance

SSDs connect to your computer the same way other drives do – from good old SATA to the new Thunderbolt on the Macbook Pro and other new Macs – so where do the performance gains come from? Simple: No moving parts. It’s almost (not quite) like having your data in RAM all the time, that’s how fast the electronic read/write speeds are. (Here’s a technical discussion if you want it.)

Plus: Ease of Transition and Use

Whether you have a VAIO or an iMac, your computer treats the SSD like any other drive. Some people use SSDs as a boot drive for the operating system (OS) and applications, keeping documents on another drive. Other users have an SSD as their only drive, although prices will have to come down before the average computer owner can do that. The biggest selling SSDs right now are 64GB.

Plus: Innovation

SSDs are larger versions of the flash memory in our iPad rental. Fast, light, dependable and nearly immune to vibration, SSDs are already better than hard drives, and will keep coming down in price (see below), so there may be much greater storage capacity in the iPad 3. We’ll see!

Minus: Cost

A price check done this week found a cost of $1-2 per GB for a bare SSD drive, depending on size and model. A 2TB hard drive sells for as little as $70, or 3.5 cents per GB, so we could outfit a Mac Pro with multiple hard drives for very little money. With volume, the price will come down, but right now SSDs are not economically viable for many users.

Minus: Capacity

Right now, SSDs have far less storage capacity than similarly priced hard drives. There are 500GB models, but they cost up to $1,000. Still, for the time being, any modern computer like CRE’s PC desktop computer rentals can be outfitted with the OS and applications on a (smaller) SSD and store lower-priority files on a different (larger) hard drive.

Bottom line

Gamers, artists, A/V engineers and the kind of post-production professionals that use our render farms can benefit from using SSDs as a boot-and-app drive. Speed gains are impressive for heavy users, so an economic case can be made for their use of SSDs. For everyone else, SSDs will be a viable option when today’s high-end systems become the low-end ones of tomorrow.

For the best of today’s (and tomorrow’s) technology, CRE is your one-stop shop. Call or send an-mail, or, to speed things up even more, use the Quick Rental Quote form. Remember, we’re here to solve problems – yours!

E-Waste Primer for California

October 25th, 2011

With the advent of the computer era, and the ongoing miniaturization of circuitry, the world is fairly awash in electronic “stuff,” and it’s cheaper to replace many devices than fix them. So we throw away tons of electronic waste (e-waste) including TVs, monitors, laptop and desktop computers, printers, cell phones, faxes, copiers, etc. Even today’s iMac is tomorrow’s e-waste. Government at all levels has taken steps to deal with the issue. As CRE is headquartered in California – among the states that lead in eco-friendly initiatives – we will focus this e-waste primer on the Golden State.

Overview

If electronic waste is disposed of in landfills or illegally dumped, it could introduce toxic matter into the ground water and otherwise pollute the environment. Also, with limited landfill area available, it is basic good sense to reduce, reuse and recycle what we can. With these matters in mind, Electronics Waste Recycling California passed its Electronic Waste Recycling Act in 2003 (expanded in 2005). It included an “Advance Recycling Fee” of $6-10 charged at the point of sale on video displays, as well as recycling and administrative requirements.

What should I do with e-waste?

E-waste is collected for free at L.A. County Household Hazardous/ Electronics Waste Collection Events that are scheduled every weekend throughout the year. Various cities, including the City of Los Angeles, also operate centers for the public. Most services are available at no charge to residents. There are currently six permanent HHW collection centers in the County.

If your electronics are still usable, you can list them on LACoMAX, the County’s materials exchange website, or donate them to charity. Some charities, notably Goodwill, even accept broken-but-repairable electronics like obsolete computers. (If you buy instead of rent laptops, you’ll be giving them yours every couple of years, too.) In addition, you can contact your own City’s recycling department to learn of other programs.

To find a recycler in L.A. County, use the DWP’s Smart Business Recycler Locator or check the databases maintained by CalRecycle (particularly useful for businesses). Here are the links:

• LACoMAX materials exchange website

• The DWP’s Smart Business Recycler Locator

• CalRecycle database listings

• Erecycle.org – another great resource

Remember the three Rs

• Reduce waste – buy only what you need, use only what you buy. CRE’s business model is green at its very core, as our entire inventory – from event production rentals to high-tech production gear – is available without making large capital outlays. We’re “sharing the wealth” tech-wise and reducing unnecessary consumption.

• Reuse what you have – by giving useful items to friends or charity.

• Recycle things – when they’re no longer useful to anyone.

CRE is your one-stop shop for high-end post-production gear, convention rentals, computers, office equipment, audio/visual support – everything you need, for everything you do. Call or e-mail an expert Account Executive, or use the Quick Rental Quote form, and get exactly what you need for what you do!

10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012 (Part 2)

August 25th, 2011

In Part 1 of “10 New Technologies You’ll See in 2012″, we gave you the first 5 new technologies to expect in the future. Today, lets get the last five blockbuster developments which includes even more hardware, software, smart appliances and multipurpose devices.

6. Android 4. Technoids are looking forward to the Samsung Nexus, and not because of the phone – it will be the first smart phone to run Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4. (Android 3 was called Honeycomb. Go figure.) Although Apple holds the lead in smart phones and tablets with its iOS-powered devices, Android is a solid alternative in both product categories, and new ones like embedded systems.

7. Branded tablets. Following the successful Kindle 3, Amazon is revising its approach to branding and product development. There has been talk of a touchscreen version, and the rumor mill now suggest that Amazon will release two different Android tablets in 2012. Aggressive pricing is a given, as is the entry into the tablet market of innumerable other companies.

8. Hybrid hard drives. Solid State Drives (SSDs) are fast, but expensive. Rotating-platter hard drives are inexpensive and offer huge storage capacities, but can’t keep up with CPU and system bus speeds. Until SSD prices come down with time, hybrid drives will combine fast-booting SSDs with big conventional drives to speed things up a bit. For swift, large- scale storage today you can rely on Ethernet disk RAID rentals, but tomorrow’s technology will encompass a variety of drive types and configurations.

9. Multi-touch commands. The futuristic trackpads on the new MacBook Pro rentals and Apple’s Magic Trackpad, introduced multi-touch commands to modern computing. Other manufacturers’ laptops, tablets and digitizing pads are moving the same direction, as the touch interface is natural for humans. As the screen costs continuing dropping, you will find touch commands on everything from vending machines to refrigerators.

10. Wireless everything. We had a blog with that title last November, which is ages ago in “tech time.” Suffice it to say that we really mean everything this time. You’ve seen the WiFi all-in-one office devices, right? HP was a trailblazer, but WiFi printing and scanning is old hat now, especially compared to the astonishing new “EyeFi” SecureDigital cards. They’re so astonishing, in fact, that they made our “Gadget Fun for August” blog last week. Pay attention, in particular, to advances in wireless power and charging stations.

CRE pays close attention to tech trends, as well as what its customers need. With great service to complement the expertise of our Account Executives, your call or e-mail will get you the right answers, right now. If you know what you need, of course, our Quick Rental Quote form will get you in, out and on your way.

ID Those Cables (Both Common and New)

August 11th, 2011

As Apple adds superfast Thunderbolt ports to all new Macintoshes, the technology is beginning to appear on PCs, too, under names like LightPeak, Intel’s code name for the multi-partner project. The Information Age has already given us numerous connectors and cables, but the relentless march of progress means we’ll see more. This quick cable review will show you what’s up today, and offer a glimpse of tomorrow, as well.

cables

Cable standbys

If you still use an older computer as a server or mail station, you still need parallel, serial and SCSI devices. Many PCs still have PS-2 type keyboard and mouse ports. And, there are the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) connectors (for keyboard, mouse, modems) that Apple abandoned in favor of USB.

Today’s major Cable players

Despite the rise of wireless everything there are still physical RJ-45 ports for Ethernet on most computers.

USB has gone from 2.0 to 3.0 with the peripheral-connector looking the same, but it has five hidden pins for SuperSpeed 3.0 capability. The computer end of the cable, however, gets a new piece above the existing, square-ish Type B connector.

FireWire will not likely develop beyond its current 400Mbps and 800Mbps forms, using the connectors/cables shown in Illustration below. It is much less widespread than USB, but it’s been around since our Macintosh laptop rentals came in rounded, candy-colored cases.

Monitor connections

VGA is the oldest, most prevalent monitor connection, while today’s other popular protocols are DVI, DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort. A variety of adapters are available to connect most kinds of computer rentals to most kinds of monitors, regardless of what ports are built in.

I/O for tomorrow

New Apple models like our iMac rentals have Thunderbolt, which uses the same connector as a Mini Display Port to carry audio, video, user data, network data and power. You will see Thunderbolt adapters with audio, Ethernet and other connections, as well as cables that use some or all of the available 100W of power to run external devices.

On iMacs or MacBook Pro rentals, a single Thunderbolt port provides two channels with 10Gbps of two-way throughput each, twice as fast as USB 3.0. You can connect Mini Display Port-equipped displays directly, or other kinds with appropriate adapters. Thunderbolt handles data, too, so firms are also developing adapters to connect FireWire 400/800 and USB devices to the new ports, with the peripherals working at the same maximum speed as on their own native buses.

At CRE Rentals, we work at maximum speed all the time, too, with maximum effectiveness to meet your need for computers, plasma rentals, conference gear and post-production technology. One call or e-mail puts our experienced Account Executives on the job just for you, finding the solution you need – now. (Need it even faster? Use our Quick Rental Quote form.)

Wave of PC Advances

July 21st, 2011

It has already been an exciting week, as Apple released its long-awaited upgrade, OS X 10.7 (Lion). We will give you that story in an upcoming blog, because there are some very exciting things happening “on the PC side.”

Solid state control

Wave of PC Advances Solid State Drives (SSDs) are increasing in size while decreasing in price. The secret to their speed is the “drive controller,” the best of which is made by SandForce. They sell controllers and “SSD Toolbox” firmware kits to manufacturers who then supply SSDs to computer makers like HP and Dell. SSDs are mainstream enough now that CRE could install them in a variety of computer rentals depending on customer need. One day all drives will be solid state (but don’t hold your breath, we’re talking years not months).

USB is up to 3

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) debuted in the mid-1990s and quickly lived up to the first letter in its acronym, connecting computers to everything from printers to external drives. About seven times faster than USB 2.0, USB 3.0 is fast, but is not as fast as the Thunderbolt technology on the new MacBook Pro rentals. Apple is not planning to add USB 3.0 to its models any time soon, and even Intel is favoring other technologies.

DDR4 memory chips

Everything from laptop rentals to Mac Pros pumping out video will work faster now. Developed by Samsung Electronics with a 30nm class process, the new DDR4 memory draws lower voltage (1.2v) than existing DDR3 chips (1.35v and 1.5v). Like new car engines that get more power with less gas, the lower-power DDR4 memory will run at up to 3.2Gbps, versus 1.6Gbps for DDR3.

New brainpower, too

“Bulldozer” is the code name for the new CPUs coming soon from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The chips will have 8 cores, and are said to be as much as 50 percent faster than the top-of-the-line Core i7 4-core CPU from Intel. Folks who can get their work done on tablet PC rentals don’t need this much power, but post-production pros using potent Mac Pro rentals and doing sample-accurate work (you know who you are) need all they can get.

Staying abreast of all the changes in technology is tough. At CRE, we specialize in technology so you don’t have to – and we can make it all understandable for you if that’s what you need. A simple call or e-mail is all it takes to connect with an experienced Account Executive whose sole focus will be solving your problems and giving you options. If you know what you need already, save time with our handy Quick Rental Quote form.

Linux OS: Ready or Not?

June 7th, 2011

Linux OS In 1991, Linus Torvalds created Linux, a Unix-based operating system that is freely distributed and evolves via the contributions of users. After the dot-com bust, Linux was hailed as a possible “savior of computing,” and there were predictions the OS would take over corporate America (and home users, too). Needless to say, that never happened.

Specialty vs. commodity PCs

Instead, Linux has come to occupy a special niche or two, with a strong presence on Web servers and in engineering environments.

Generally speaking, however, you can get most office work done quite nicely on Windows PCs, CRE iMac rentals or “Linux boxes,” as they are sometimes called. All offer MS-Office-compatible software suites, access the Internet easily and connect to zillions of peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.). Generic, low-cost “commodity PCs” could run any Linux OS and handle basic business tasks.

Linux Operating System advantage?

Linux’s early adopters called the grueling installation one of Linux’s “life lessons,” but the OS now comes with slick installers. Many firms put their names on “distributions” of the OS (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.) and CRE can install one on your computer rentals if you so desire.

If you are considering replacing a general-purpose Mac or PC with a Linux box, here are five solid pluses of Linux OS:

It’s free – You can download Linux free or pay a small price for a boxed version with all the programs you would otherwise have to download. On the Internet you can get free software for almost any purpose.

It’s stable – Complaints about Linux instability were valid early on, as device drivers didn’t always work, but Linux has gotten dramatically more stable.

It’s efficient – On older (slower) computers, Windows 7 is a challenge. Any Linux OS will run faster on aging systems than any current Windows version. Linux also runs fine on all makes and models of laptop rentals.

It’s secure – Neither Macs nor Linux PCs are immune to malware, but they are less susceptible than Windows PCs. Unix-based operating systems are designed from the ground up to be secure.

It’s simple – Frankly, Linux is easy to use. You have a choice of user interfaces and can customize things to your liking. For general computing and office tasks, Linux computers are grown up and ready for work. If you can use a Mac and/or a PC, you can use Linux.

CRE has the expertise to help you with everything from Mac Pro rentals for a new FX project or a slew of iPad rentals for your upcoming conference. Our experienced Account Executives will help you find a solution with a call or an e-mail, while our Quick Rental Quote form makes helping yourself fast and easy. We are always ready to help!

Mac OS X Lion: King of the OS Jungle? (Preview)

May 26th, 2011

Apple is due to release the latest version of Mac OS X this summer, numbered 10.7 and code-named Lion. Let’s look at the broadest, most basic changes coming to the OS X Lion.

Mac OS X Lion

Centralized control panel

Mission Control replaces the old Exposé and Spaces control panel and adds other new ones that help you “take control” of your desktop. With the increased power in every Mac, from the awesome new iMac models to our workhorse MacBook Pro rentals, multiple Spaces (virtual desktops) help you multitask with the best of them. You can now add, remove and edit Spaces on the Mission Control screen without even opening the control panel.

Finder revisions

Finder windows now feature a drop-down menu for quickly applying the “Arrange by” commands. Arranging icons in a particular folder or accessing additional Finder options is also possible with a simple right-click, which brings up a contextual menu. This is especially handy when navigating through hundreds (thousands?) of files on one of our Etherhet disk RAID rentals.

Stylish new wallpapers

The Lion Developer Preview 3 (aka DP3) release added some new wallpapers, but did away with some old favorites. You can take a gander at these Lion-worthy wallpapers at the Cult of Mac site.

iCal upgrades

Here’s proof that the iOS “style” is coming to the Mac. The “look and feel” of the iCal application on the Mac is quite reminiscent of the Calendar app on our iPad rentals. In addition, the to-do feature of iCal now refers to items on your list as Reminders.

Safari “Reading List”

This new Safari feature is front and center in DP3 – available in the toolbar, contextual menus, dialog boxes – as opposed to being tucked away in previous versions. Like the Web and iOS app Read It Later, you use Reading List to save (bookmark) Web pages “in the cloud” for later reading. No doubt this feature will find its way to iOS, letting you sync your Reading List among home-bound and mobile devices. Of course, Safari runs in Windows, too, meaning this cool feature could run on all computer rentals from CRE.

Bottom line

Among Mac fans, there is no doubt that Mac OS X Lion will be the best Mac OS ever. That’s what we think about every Mac OS upgrade. And at CRE we know that the latest Mac computers are always the best ever, too – but if you need a potent PC, we can do that, as well! PC or Mac, convention rentals or post-production gear, we’ve got you covered. Call or e-mail (or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form) and we’ll equip you to succeed, whatever the challenge!

Net (and OS) Neutrality Is Already Here

April 14th, 2011

There’s been a ton of talk lately about “net neutrality,” but one of the major problems in the discussion is the lack of an accepted definition. Google has been explaining for a few years where they stand on the subject: “Network neutrality,” Google says, “is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet.”

This issue, hopefully, will be worked out in the marketplace and not in the halls of Congress. But you don’t have to wait to establish your own kind of net and computer neutrality. Mac OS-Neutrality With Mac computer rentals, you can run both Windows (XP, Vista or 7) and Mac OS X, and “be in control” of what applications you use, whatever OS they run on.

Third party saviors

Back in Spring 2009, one of our first blog posts concerned Steve Jobs’ decision to begin using Intel processors in Macs in 2006-2007. By 2008 the transition was complete, from the Mac mini to the potent Mac Pro rentals. What “changed everything,” as Jobs remarked, was an Apple utility, Boot Camp, that let users install and run Windows.

By May 2009, a few “virtualization” utilities from Parallels Computing and VMware had brought a new dimension to multi-OS computing. With them, you can run Windows and the Mac OS simultaneously, even cutting and pasting between programs on the different platforms. These applications now run swiftly on the entire Mac line, from the latest iMac rentals to the powerful Mac towers.

A clear advantage of an OS-neutral Mac

The advantages of the “OS-neutral Macintosh” to regular users are clear. You don’t have to be a “code head” to understand how efficient it is to use a single computer to run both Windows and Mac OS X. Many artists and engineers that work with AJA Io HD rentals and massive video files settled on Macs long ago – as did graphic artists, writers, musicians, publishers and other “creatives.” Now, they can avail themselves of important Windows applications and be right at home in the firm’s Windows-based network environment, too.

Our Account Executives know the hardware and software, and understand what you need to accomplish your project. They’ll converse in fluent “computerese” if you want, but can translate for you too either by e-mail or over the phone. Know what you need? Complete the Quick Rental Quote and be on your way to “OS-neutrality”.

The Web Wars: Google vs. Microsoft

March 22nd, 2011

We’ve been hearing about “the cloud” now for almost four years, but Jeffrey Schwartz of RedmondMag.com (“the independent voice of the Microsoft IT community”) was saying about a month that “the battle for supremacy in cloud computing is just beginning. And Microsoft’s chief enemy, Google Inc., is armed and ready to shoot down its old-school rival.” At CRE Rentals, we keep an eye on what Microsoft is doing, especially since it is one of the major players in the technology industry (we recently reviewed Office 365 and the amazing Surface Table).

Web wars on products & services

In the growing conflict – Google vs. Microsoft, or “The Web Wars” – the cloud is not the only battlefield. Google is also attacking the products and services that made Microsoft the powerhouse firm it is. That means the operating system (OS) and server markets, the huge, corporate-sized versions of CRE Rentals’ Xserve rentals. As more consumers and crucial corporate decision-makers buy into Google’s cloud model – Web apps, distributed operations, online storage – could the Microsoft-dominated “desktop model” begin to wane?

Microsoft makes lots of money from selling copies of the Windows OS and its Office suite, the unchallenged leader in business productivity software. Google wants to displace both of these products with Web-based alternatives, namely with its Chrome OS and Google Apps for Business. This “pure-cloud” model, says Schwartz, means that “Exchange and SharePoint are at risk”. “Redmond’s approach involves more of a hybrid model,” Schwartz continues, “with on-premises and cloud services working together.”

Microsoft fights back

Microsoft execs and engineers haven’t been asleep at the wheel, by any means. The company’s sales of Windows 7 and the latest version of Office have been impressive. The new Office 365 Web apps, indicative of the firm’s “hybrid” approach, are a smart move – whether you’ve got a low-power netbook or one of CRE’s powerful computer rentals, you can get your work done online. For its part, Google intends to go much farther down the road in devising the “network computer” (NC) of the future, a project that the company’s CEO/founder, Eric Schmidt, started while at Sun Microsystems in the mid-1990s. One day, digital media pros may be able to edit film, video or audio on a Web app – but it won’t be 2011. Probably not 2012, either. One day, though!

While technology keeps tumbling into the future, your work still needs to get done in the present. We’ll keep an eye on the tech landscape and let you know what’s going on, and in the meantime our experienced Account Executives can equip you with whatever you need. Whether it’s the sheer brains-and-brawn of CRE’s Mac Pro rentals for post-production, or a new department that needs to get up and running with some office equipment rentals, we’ve got you covered. A phone call or e-mail, or a couple of minutes with the Quick Rental Quote form, is all it takes. We’re ready when you are.

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