HP runs Mandrake Linux on new office desktops

In what MandrakeSoft is claiming as the first Linux line of desktops from a major vendor, the HP Compaq Business Desktop d220 range is launched today, running version 9.1 of Mandrake's Linux distro. While HP has worked with competing Linux distributions from SuSE and Red Hat on its server products, the choice of Mandrake on a range of desktops seems driven by Mandrake's own mandate - 'making Linux easier to use for everyone' - as the desktops will be in the hands of those not necessarily as technically savvy or familiar with Linux as sysadmins. ...more

Government restricts RIPA snoopers

The Government has rethought its unpopular addendum to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), adding only five new bodies to the list of those with access to your data. Under the Act, ISPs and network operators are to keep records of data traffic for up to a year that the police, intelligence services, Inland Revenue and customs and excise can make requests to access. In June of last year, the Government proposed adding an Order to this that would add around 600 bodies - including the likes of the Food Standards Agency and the Post Office - to those with access, but backed down after a public outcry. ...more

UK broadband market maturing claims ISP

British broadband consumers are benefiting from a maturing market that provides greater package flexibility, claims Pipex in response to the PC Pro broadband survey. The survey, of over 2,000 readers, revealed that many are unhappy with their current connection speeds, the prices they're paying and the level of customer service they're receiving. PlusNet lead the way as the broadband supplier that most people are joining (followed by BT and Pipex. ...more

Academic studying social impact of the iPod

The world's leading expert on the social impact of personal stereos has turned his attention to the iPod. Dr Michael Bull from Sussex University, the author of Sounding Out the City: Personal Stereos and the Management of Everyday Life, wants to know how iPods are used and what impact they have on their owners' lives. He particularly wants to hear from women with the white earbuds. ...more

Nvidia targets mid-range workstation graphics with Quadro FX 1100

Nvidia has extended its Quadro workstation range with the FX 1100. Dubbed by Nvidia as addressing the 'mid-range professional graphics' market - it is aimed at the traditional workstation space of CAD/CAM, multimedia content creation and scientific visualisation applications. With 128MB of memory and a 128-bit floating-point graphics pipeline, it is manufactured on IBM's 0. ...more