Are the days of people looking like they are philosophically pondering over life matters in front of laptops in coffee shops over? If they are, it’s probably because they are making way for coffee-lovers with tablet computers, looking equally smart and deep in thought.

While on the tube, I noticed that there is a deteriorating number of people with laptops trying to do work, play, read, write or whatever else. In addition, almost everyone has a smartphone these days. But what particularly grabbed my attention was the increasing number of my fellow commuters with their eyes glued to the screens of their fancy tablet computers.

The iPad, the Galaxy Tab, BlackBerry’s Playbook, I’ve seen them all accompanying their owners on their journeys like faithful hounds. Does this mean that the tablet computer has started taking the limelight away from its predecessor, the humble laptop?

Hold your horses. Lest we forget that for now tablets can’t do everything laptops may be able to. I mean, you can’t cut away and professionally paste a moustache onto the faces of people you don’t like using Photoshop on your tablet, can you? You probably can get away with some sort caricature but to achieve the same precision with a tablet as with a laptop will require a keyboard and a mouse… And a bigger screen.

Speaking of which – surely you can’t play the same sophisticated online video games on your iPad that you would be shooting away on your MacBook. Put it simply – virtually killing your enemies or saving the princess is easier by clicking or hitting the enter key rather than tapping.

Oh, and have you noticed a backwards trend? Tech giants such as Asus are rolling out tablets which come with detachable physical keyboards – doesn’t this signal that consumers may well be hungry for laptop-tablet hybrids, something they could touch all over: tap on the screen and hit the keyboard.

It might be worth adding that a tablet computer loses its sparkle as soon as it gets disconnected from the World Wide Web, as most applications are fed through mobile internet.

While it might easy to forget that your laptop is still functioning during a broadband blackout, it can be used for an array of other tasks. How about updating that Excel sheet for work? Ok, I admit, bad example. But you could always catalogue your digital photo albums or files, because, let’s face it, some things are just better kept on physical memory rather than in the cloud. May I remind you that tablets have small hard drives which can only squeak when compared to those of laptops.

Is there a winner in the laptop vs tablet battle? Not just yet. But there’s definitely a loser. Me. I lost my tablet computer a few days ago. But that’s an entirely different story.

Guest Post by Edita:
Edita is the content editor of SimplifyDigital.co.uk – the website which helps thousands of customers find their perfect broadband, home phone and digital TV deals.

We asked you to write a blog post describing your Ultimate PC Gaming Rig and share it with us here, or on Twitter or Facebook. Our PC Gaming judges then had a good read of all of the entries and we’re delighted to say they have now chosen the winner!

Here’s what Phill Cameron, PC Gamer, Freelance Journalist and Ultimate Rig Judge had to say about the winning entry:

‘Rewarding creativity and thought as well as the hard specs it’s clear that they’ve put a bit more thought into theming the machine, rather than just figuring out the best min-max approach to things. With that in mind, I really like this one. It’s a good mix of the two approaches, getting a straight idea and running with it, while at the same time tying into the idea of creating the most efficient machine possible. And, with your ideal gaming rig, you’re going to be tying into quite a few deadly sins, with you lusting over the parts, getting greedy about quite how much it all costs, and tying into slothful nature as the machine does more and more for you, making your life considerably easier.’

Rich Sweeting, PC Gamer, Managing Editor at Gamersathome and Ultimate Rig Judge agreed:

“I like this Ultimate PC build due to the creativeness that has gone into the case, and also the machine rocks some pretty awesome specs including 7 solid state drives which are the way forward in the hard drive world. This machine also has a beast of a cooling system.”

Ok we’re sure the suspense is killing you by now so here is the blog post Phill and Rich are talking about:

Ultimate Gaming Rig: The Seven Deadly Sins

Big congratulations to Tom Langley, author of ‘Ultimate Gaming Rig: The Seven Deadly Sins’ you are the winner of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580!

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is the fastest, DirectX 11 single GPU in the NVIDIA stable, optimized for outstanding performance and an innovative thermal design, GeForce GTX 580 delivers awesome DirectX 11 tessellation performance so you can experience mind-blowing realism with all your favourite games.
GTX 580 supports 3D Vision, allowing you to surpass the boundaries of your screen into a new dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision technology.

We’d also like to thank everyone for your excellent entries- there were some really brilliant ideas and clearly a great deal of time and effort into concocting the formula for your Ultimate Rig. We hope you enjoyed getting involved? We certainly enjoyed reading them, and big thank yous to Phill and Rich for reading through all of the entries (there were lots!) and judging the competition for us.

The latest Antec case

With the arrival of the Antec Eleven Hundred gaming case in December, Ebuyer spoke to Dan Reeves, Antec’s Country Manager for UK and Ireland, to find out the lowdown on the case and discover why it has been touted by some as the best gaming case to be launched for a long time.

Dan, welcome to the Ebuyer blog and thanks for taking the time to talk to us. The Eleven Hundred case is seen as the new flagship in Antec’s Gaming series. Can you tell us why it stands out for you?

The Eleven Hundred is a product forged from years of experience in the performance chassis market.  It includes most of the great ideas from lots of classic Antec designs and adds a few new ones, too.  The design of this product means that you can house a lot of the latest high performance components, keep them cool and do this with relative low noise.

You’ve classed the Eleven Hundred as a ‘super mid-tower’ so obviously it is built slightly bigger than the Nine Hundred, but how else does it differ, and how is it different to the Twelve Hundred case?

Both the Nine-Hundred and Twelve Hundred are classic designs now, but they go up to ATX and do not support XL-ATX motherboards.  We have seen many more vendors starting to offer XL-ATX motherboards, and there weren’t many solutions in the market.  The Eleven Hundred is a high performance case, capable of housing XL-ATX mobos, Quad-SLI/Crossfire, 11 drives and can hold up to 8 x 120mm fans and 1 x 200mm fan, making the cooling opportunities very customisable.

The interior

The Eleven Hundred boasts nine expansion slots, three fans, eight hard drive bays and two USB3.0 ports, to name just a few of its impressive features. What would you say is its best feature?

That is a hard question to answer because really all of the features coming together in 1 case IS its best feature.  However, if I had to choose one I would personally go for the cable management features.  When you are building a system into a case like this, the chances are you have a lot of components to house, which means lots of cables.  The Eleven Hundred is our best case yet in terms of cable management.

We’ve taken a look at the pictures and spec and the cable routing management facilities impress us. Was this an essential aspect of the design?

Yes, as I say the cable management is one of its best features and one we definitely strived for.  There are more cut-out ports for running cables and they are more strategically placed, and we have allowed much more room around the back of the motherboard for running cables (36mm of space).  The grommet-lined cable routing holes are the cherry on the cake and round the case off with close to perfect cable routing capabilities.

We love the convenience of being able to take out the PSU intake and front air filters without taking off the side panel or tipping the case – perfect for cleaning! What would you recommend for cleaning the filters?

To clean the filters either use compressed air, or just do as I do and rinse them under a running tap… just make sure to let them dry 100% before putting them back in.

You were one of the first manufacturers to put 200mm fans in your cases and many companies have followed suit. What do you think made this such a significant step in case development?

The 200mm fan was actually put in because it was capable of removing a lot of hot air from inside the case, making the cases that used it some of the best cases for keeping the components cool.  It was also a lot quieter to have a 200mm fan moving at a lower RPM than 120mm at high RPM, and  move more air at the same time.  Plus, it looks awesome, especially back then as it was a first.

Was this case designed for the mainstream market or gamers, or do you think it satisfies both?

I think it satisfies both, at £109.00inc VAT  it is easily the least expensive quality chassis on the market that supports XL-ATX motherboards.  Whether you are using XL-ATX, ATX or M-ATX the case packs a lot of features into a product that has been built off of the back of 26 years in the industry.

And finally, are you able to give us any exclusives into the next case from Antec?!

No lol…We have a few exciting new things coming this year but I am not at liberty to talk about them just yet.

Thank you Dan for your time today. We can’t wait to try out the Eleven Hundred!

Thank you!

What's in the box?!

Here at Ebuyer HQ, we are excited to announce an exclusive new tablet launch, coming soon to your favourite online retailer – yes us!

Due out this Spring, and available from Ebuyer.com only for one month after launch, we can’t wait for the brand new Scroll tablet PC. The 9.7 inch tablet promises to be stylish, slim and the perfect portable computing companion.

While we can’t give away too much at this stage, we can tell you that this will be a touchscreen Android 4.0 tablet for web browsing, games and videos, with a whole host of extra applications available.

In fact multimedia will be a big deal, and with powerful performance to match, this tablet promises to become your entertainment hub, without costing the Earth!

To celebrate the arrival of this latest tablet on the block, we’re going to give one of these fantastic new 9.7″ devices to one lucky winner as soon as it becomes available.

To be entered into the free prize draw, simply email us at Scrolltablet@ebuyer.com with what you think will be the new tablet PC’s model name*. Entries must be received by 29th February 2012.

*If no one guesses the correct name, then a winner will be drawn at random.

Terms and conditions
1.    By entering into the promotion, all participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by these Terms and Conditions. All entry instructions form part of these Terms and Conditions.
2.    This promotion is open to all UK residents, except for employees of Storage Options or Ebuyer (UK) Limited, their families, agencies or any other company directly connected with the administration of this promotion.
3.    No purchase is necessary.
4.    The Prize is one new Scroll tablet PC 9.7”.
5.    Only one entry per person is permitted.
6.    The promotion starts on Friday 16 February 2012 and lasts until Wednesday 29th February 2012.
7.    All entries must be received by 23.59 on Wednesday 29th February 2012 to be eligible.
8.    The winner will be drawn at random by an independent judge from all valid entries received.
9.    The prize draw will take place within 7 days of the closing date and the winner will be notified by e-mail within 7 days of the closing date. Should this e-mail be returned as undeliverable for any reason including but not restricted to an invalid email address, Ebuyer (UK) Limited reserves the right to disqualify that entry and select an alternative winner.
10.    Ebuyer (UK) Limited accepts no liability for any loss of entries caused by a technical fault.
11.    The Prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.
12.    The Prize will be sent to the winner within 6 weeks of the UK release date of the Scroll tablet. (Should the Scroll tablet, for any reason, not become available within the given time, Ebuyer (UK) Limited reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.)
13.    By entering this promotion you give permission for Ebuyer (UK) Limited to post your first name initial, surname and home town on our site should you win the promotion.
14.    By entering this prize draw you are opting in to receive email newsletters from Ebuyer (UK) Limited informing you of offers, products or promotions we think you’ll be interested in. You may unsubscribe to this email newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in the emails.
15.    Ebuyer (UK) Limited does not cover any warranty claims for prizes.
16.    Entrants must be over the age of 18 to enter this promotion.
17.    Ebuyer (UK) Limited’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
18.    This promotion is governed by English law. If any provision of these Terms shall be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.
19.    Any personal data relating to entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the individual’s prior consent.
20.    Ebuyer (UK) Limited reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time.

Grown up computing

Have you ever described a computing case as elegant? No? Well this beauty from Antec may change that!

One of Antec’s award winning Performance One series of cases, the P280 is more classy than flashy. What’s more its elegant exterior houses a spacious interior with plenty of options for expansion, while quiet computing considerations ensure this is certainly a case for sophisticated gamers!

For a start, I just love the subtle matte black finish and anodised aluminium front door, which opens at a handy 270 degrees. For those that want a flashy LED-ridden case, this is not for you – there’s no option for windowed side panels for example, but who want’s that when you’ve got this stylish number?

The high-end P280 is billed as a

super mid-tower

and it certainly is a giant, both inside and out. The case dimensions measure 526mm by 231mm by 562mm and it weighs a hefty 10kg, but these whopping dimensions serve a purpose however, as the case supports XL-ATX motherboards. It also offers nine expansion slots – plenty I’d say – and these support up to four 330mm (13″) graphics cards.

This roomy case giant’s thoughtful design also ensures simplified cable routing. Four large rubber grommet-lined cable routing holes allow for ample space behind the motherboard tray. This extra space continues between the motherboard tray and side panel – great for all your extra cabling.

If you’re looking for a system that has great cooling then this is for you. The advanced cooling options include three pre-installed fans with an option to add four more. These comprise the two upward facing front 120mm fans and one 120mm rear fan, all of which are controlled by a hub, so you can choose what speeds you want the fans to run at.

The Antec P280′s front and bottom PSU intake air filters allow for easy access. In addition you’ll find six 3.5/2.5″ hard drive bays as well as two 2.5″ mounts for your SSDs. The case also features three useful tool-less optical bays, two front panel USB 3.0 ports and two standard USB2.0 ports. In fact, pretty much everything has been considered.

To match your elegant gaming, you’ll want a system that exudes quiet sophistication and this case doesn’t disappoint. It delivers Quiet Computing™ panels and rubber feet to reduce vibrations, while the P280′s side panels come coated in noise dampening polycarbonate and the front door is lined with foam. Perfect for maximum gaming concentration and headache reduction!

For me, the Antec P280 is a great addition to the brand’s Performance One series and I can’t wait to get my hands on one and indulge in a little elegant gaming. I’d love to hear what you think about it. Let me know below.

Motion sensing computing

Since its November 2010 launch, Microsoft’s Kinect has proven a highly sought-after gadget among Xbox 360 gamers, setting a Guinness World Record for being the fastest-selling consumer electronic product of all time.

With the motion-control device allowing people to play simply by moving their body – as opposed to the traditional console controller – the technology giant reveals that people will now be able to purchase a version of the system that is compatible with PCs.

Kinect for Windows hardware began shipping to the US, the UK and several other countries on February 1st, following the completion of several beta trials and adjustments from the current Kinect system Xbox users can play on.

According to Craig Eisler, general manager of Kinect for Windows, the system’s camera will track objects and movement as close as 40 cm away, while speech recognition has been made more accurate.

He adds the USB cable has been made shorter

to ensure reliability across a broad range of computers

while the inclusion of a dongle will help boost

coexistence with other USB peripherals.

So what exactly will it allow people to do? Once installed, users can switch between Internet Explorer tabs and apps simply by swiping their hand through the air – something, which has only really been done before in films like Minority Report and Iron Man.

It could also possible to control a music playlist without having to touch the keyboard and perform a range of functions by speaking out loud.

Details of how much it will cost British users are yet to be revealed, although the recommended retail price in the US is $249 (£157).

For now, those keen to utilise Kinect on their computer will have to buy the hardware separate to the machine and install it.

However, The Daily recently looked at some prototype laptops that came with Kinect integrated into the build – with a number of small sensors situated at the top of the screen where the webcam normally is.

The publication notes that while gaming would be the most obvious use for the motion-sensor system, it

could offer a new way for disabled individuals to interact with their devices.

Although it claims these built-in models won’t be released any time soon, it looks like Kinect for Windows will allow PC users to interact with their device in ways they could previously only be imagined!

What will you be playing this year?

This year looks set to be a massive one for gaming, so whether you prefer handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS or like to play on your PC or PlayStation 3 at home, you can be sure of finding some fantastic titles to choose from.

PC gamers with a passion for pop music are sure to be keen to pick up the forthcoming The Sims 3 Showtime expansion pack featuring Katy Perry. Due for release in March, the I Kissed A Girl singer will appear in the special edition title with gamers able to play as her and download special content.

Those keen for something altogether grittier may be interested in the numerous Resident Evil games due to be released.

The long-running horror/action franchise will put out a number of titles this year, including Resident Evil Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6, which is set to come out in Europe on November 20th.

While this game will initially be available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a Windows PC version will come out at a later date.

Other highly anticipated games include mixed-martial arts titles UFC: Undisputed 3 and Final Fantasy XIII-2, the sequel to 2010 smash Final Fantasy XIII.

MVC’s Dominic Sacco suggests that if it is able to replicate the success of the original, Final Fantasy XIII-2 will not only be the first big RPG game of 2012 but also

should be the first top-seller of the year.

Of course, many games that came out in 2011 will continue to sell by the bucketload as 2012 progresses. FIFA 12 was the biggest-selling title in the week ending January 13th, according to GfK, with the football game being at the top of the charts for four successive weeks.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could also be a strong performer in 2012. Not only did the Entertainment Retailers Association recently report that it sold more than 2.4 million copies in 2011, but according to the latest GfK figures it was the fifth most bought title last week.

Whether you prefer the Xbox 360 or PlayStation, like platformers or puzzles, you can be confident of getting your hands on some amazing games this year!

a review of CES

For many people Las Vegas is all about gambling and big stage shows, but in a four-day period this month it became the hub of the technological universe as it hosted the 2012 International CES event.

Some 3,100 exhibitors displayed their wares during the expo – with everything from new Blu-ray players and smartphones to 3D TVs and digital cameras on show – making it the best place to see which new products we’ll be going wow over during the next 12 months.

One product that certainly looks set to take off in a major way is the LG 55EM9800.

This 3D TV is the first in the world to have a 55-inch OLED screen and comes with nifty features such as 3D depth control and voice recognition all encased within a super-thin panel.

Due to be shipped in the third-quarter of this year, the TV was certainly one of the most popular devices on display at the show, as it was awarded the ‘Best of Show’ prize by a panel of CNET editors.

The CNET team also waxed lyrical about HP’s Envy 14 Spectre. Noting that the laptop featured an all-glass lid and palm rest area, the experts suggested it could

be the most stylish of the bunch.

However, not only does the laptop look good but it also performs, with Beats Audio, Wireless Audio and NFC support all included.

Other gadgets singled out by the team include the D-Link Amplifi HD 3000 DIR-857 router, while the Asus Memo 370T was noted as being the best tablet on show.

According to CNET, the computer

proves that premium performance doesn’t require a premium price,

and it runs on Android 4.0 technology, has an eight-megapixel camera and 16 GB storage all for a recommended retail price of $250 (£159).

Another tablet to be singled out for praise was Sony Tablet S.

The winner in the tablet, e-reader and netbook category of the CES Best of Innovations 2012 award, the product was noted by event organisers as

ergonomically designed and balanced to feel light and comfortable in the hand.

Smartphone fans, meanwhile, may be excited about the HTC Amaze 4G which was on display. Featuring a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and a 4.3-inch HD LCD screen, it won the Innovations 2012 prize for the best handset.

Unfortunately – and despite high anticipation that it would – CES 2012 didn’t see Sony or Microsoft unveil the successors to their respective PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It is thought, however, details of these will be released later in 2012 and they could even be available to purchase before the year comes to an end.

Regardless of whether this happens or not, the products that were unveiled at the CES show means 2012 will be an exciting year for technology.

Could it be perfect?

Following on from Wednesday’s blog post, the main discussion taking place amongst techies this month has been about all the new products to come out of CES – the technology industry’s biggest show of the year. There has been a lot of exciting tech touted, such as the 50″ OLED TV from LG, but the one thing that excites me the most is ultrabooks.

Okay, ultrabooks were actually launched last year so they are technically not a product of CES 2012, but the concept is still relatively new and promises to be big this year.

So what is it that excites me so much about this latest form of laptop?

Well, for a start you finally get a balance between performance and portability. Powered by the Intel Core i family of processors, you can’t really complain, and for a weed like me, to have the power in a device that weighs around the same as a bag of sugar…no more shoulder ache guaranteed!

Added to this is the thickness of the ultrabook. Take the Asus Zenbook. At its end point, it measures 3mm. Yes, 3mm! I had to actually get a ruler out and double check that measurement – it’s a pretty incredible statistic.

The design of the ultrabook – a unibodied chassis with integrated SSD and graphics – allows for such a slim design, and a larger battery.

And that’s not all. I want my PC to start up as soon as I press a key. I don’t want to have to wait for ages, make a cup of tea, send a couple of texts, oh and then we have start-up, or internet even. The Acer Aspire S3 ultrabook promises a start-up from sleep mode in less than 2 seconds and internet in 2.5. Now that’s quick!

Acer Aspire S3

If you’re a tablet convert like me, then you’ll love the thought that touchscreen technology could be reaching ultrabooks in the very near future. Imagine that, a tablet PC with a keyboard, that’s lighter than a laptop yet as powerful as a desktop PC – surely we’ve discovered the ultimate computing device?

Okay, maybe I’m slightly biased because I think they’re a great addition to the personal computer collection. But you can’t deny the final reason I think ultrabooks are great…they look good. This is an object of serious style, no matter which brand. With sleek lines and stylish colours you would just want to show this PC off wherever you go!

Ebuyer.com currently stocks the Asus Zenbook ultrabook and you can read the Ebuyer guide to ultrabooks here.

Skylanders

In a similar way to how Formula One racing leads to innovations for everyday cars, videogames often see new technology ideas before they hit more generic devices. Whether it is the touch screen on the original DS, the augmented reality of EyeToy and PlayStation Eye or the 3D screen of the 3DS, games are often sold on their ground breaking innovations.

However, there is another way to look at technology where the real ground breaking devices are those we don’t even realise we are using. The humble pen, door handle and tap fall into this category and, in my opinion, could teach us a thing or two about not over complicating things.

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure is a videogame where a portion of the interactions are made simple again. Like holding a pen, give a player a set of Skylanders figures (and the Portal peripheral) and they naturally know what to do – place the figures they want to play with on the Portal to access them instantly. Within minutes gamers of all ages are jumping in and out of different characters as they work through the action adventure world of Skylanders.

Like most simple technology (the pen included) there is more going on here than meets the eye. To make this work the game not only identifies which figure you have placed on the portal but is also constantly saving your progress back to the toy ready for the moment you decide to switch.

This means that Skylanders doesn’t need to ask you if you want to save your progress before you remove a character from the Portal. Instead, you can switch at will between any of the 32 (or so) characters you can have in your collection.

The simplicity is taken a step further by the fact that you can take your figure, regardless of whether it was originally bought for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii or even 3DS, and use it on any of those systems. In a world where consoles are often region coded, it’s great to see a videogame with toys that are not only region free but are also console free.

If videogames are setting the trends for tomorrow’s mass-market consumer devices, I hope it is this simplicity rather than their high tech aspects that is really taken into account.

Andy Robertson (@GeekDadGamer) runs the GeekDad blog for Wired.co.uk and writes videogame reviews for families.