Comment: Is Apple in a muddle over the iMac?

Apple has upgraded the entry-level 'Fast' iMac with more powerful graphics and a faster processor, but it leaves the model sitting outside Apple's current marketing strategy. Previously the specification of the entry-level model matched that of the old mid-range model, sharing the Rage 128 Pro graphics card and the same 500MHz processor. The upgraded model has a 128 Ultra graphics card and a souped-up 500MHz processor with 256K of level 2 cache at 500MHz. ...more

CeBIT 2005: ATi launches Radeon Xpress 200 for Intel CPUs

Although it's been available for a few months for AMD processors, ATi has now launched the Radeon Xpress 200 chipset for the Intel platform. The chipset is built to use PCI Express architecture and has integrated DirectX 9 graphics, equivalent to ATi's Radeon X300 add-in PCI Express graphics card. With support for ATi's new Theater 550 Pro chip, which is featured on the TV Wonder Elite card, it makes an ideal platform for Windows Media Centre 2005 where DirectX 9 graphics are needed for the interface, but most users don't need any extra 3D power. ...more

100Mbps broadband opens home to streamed HD-TV

Texas Instruments (TI) claims it has built a new broadband technology that can offer speeds of up to 100Mbps to end users over existing infrastructure. TI is in the process of hawking its Uni-DSL (UDSL) wizardry around the various standards bodies in a bid to drum up support. Assuming the broadband provider can get a fibre connection to the street cabinet, they can use the existing copper line from there to the home and still offer these high speeds. ...more

UK notches up 2 million broadband connections

Oftel has announced that the UK now has 2 million broadband connections, a total which has doubled in just seven months. David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said, 'It took two years to reach one million connections, but only seven months to reach two million, as increased competition and lower prices have boosted connection rates.' Cable companies NTL and Telewest recently announced they had reached the 1 million mark, so the split between DSL and cable connections falls roughly equal, although Oftel does consider BT's monopolistic power to be a powerful factor in taking an increasingly larger percentage of new sign-ups. ...more

Eclipse named Best Consumer Broadband provider in UK industry awards

Eclipse Internet was named Best Consumer Broadband provider at the annual Internet Service Providers Association Awards (ISPAs) last night. The independent ISP pipped ADSL2+ pioneer Be Unlimited as well as Entanet, Namesco and Seriously Internet to the award. 'The judges were impressed with Eclipse's "zero-touch" fully automated order processing service and rapid delivery of its broadband services,' an ISPA spokesperson said. ...more