If Microsoft’s Surface PC has you dreaming about the future of computing, but the $12,000 price tag has brought you back to reality, then check out Maximum PC’s build of a multitouch surface computer that uses just $350 in parts and a bit of creative hacking.
The whole thing achieves the Surface like interface through the use of some infrared LEDs, a PS3 Eye camera, a projector, and some acrylic, and the wood cabinet gives it some class, though that would be purely optional if you wanted to keep it geek-tastic.
The computer itself is just a common Core 2 Duo, 2 gig RAM machine, and the software is all open source, so you could technically build one of your own if you were so inclined.
Just don’t let on to the price when your friends wonder where the spare Clevelands came from.
Like the looks of Apple’s new OS, but still trying to stay loyal to Windows?
Then check out Lifehacker’s Hackintosh guide for information on how to build a high-end computer that’s confused about its identity using OSx86.
The build consists of a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a total of 4GB of RAM (four sticks at 1GB each), an ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard, a GeForce 7300GT (the same basic video card that comes installed in the default Mac Pro configuration), a 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and an Antec Sonata case.
So what’s all of this going to cost you?
$800, plus the cost of the OS.
Not bad for a system whose closest competitor is the $600 Mac Mini with half the specs.
Apple has finally completed the MacBook Core 2 Duo transformation, giving the MacBook a new processor and a 25% speed boost. It’s not ground breaking stuff by any means, but if you’ve been holding out for that new processor before you jump on the MacBook wagon, now’s the time.
Apple has finally jumped on the Core 2 Duo (redundancy anyone?) bandwagon by upgrading their MacBook Pros, giving them a looks good on paper 39% speed increase. Besides the jump in processing, all models now include a FireWire 800 port (which should have been included from the beginning but Apple does strange things sometimes), support for up to 3GB of memory (nice), storage capacities of up to 200GB (very nice), and all Pros now come standard with a double-layer SuperDrive (double nice). Plus, if you’re not one of those people who have to have the latest and greatest, you can save 22%-37% on yesterday’s top of the line. Apple Certified Refurbished Systems come with free shipping and the same warranty as a brand new piece of hardware, plus, at least one bug has already been worked out of the system, so you’ll hopefully have a few less problems with your new wonder machine. If you’ve been holding out on that upgrade, now may be the time to jump in Apple’s wagon.
