Toshiba, MS pair DVD, Windows 98???
Toshiba, MS pair DVD, Windows 98???
Toshiba, MS pair DVD, Windows 98???
Microsoft (MSFT) and Toshiba are delivering the hardware and software technology necessary for using DVD players and discs on Windows 98, setting the stage for an expected mass movement to these next-generation storage devices.
The DVD support is now being included in beta 3 of Windows 98,Toshiba Laptop Battery according to the two companies. Microsoft made the latest preliminary release of Windows 98 available to testers this week.
DVD-ROM drives, which are expected to be the catalyst for the "convergence" of consumer electronics and PCs, can play back titles but can not record. DVD-RAM drives, due in 1998, will be able to both play back and record.
DVD drives can hold up to ten times more data than CD-ROM drives and, for example, enable the viewing of high-resolution movies on a PC.
But for all the benefits the technology brings to users, the drives and titles for them have been slow in coming. One reason: PC vendors that ship a system with a DVD drive have to install special software that understands what the DVD drive is playing and knows how to control the underlying system hardware. When the drive is shipped in a different computer, the underlying software often has to be rewritten.
Commercial programs such as games and multimedia encyclopedias also have to be rewritten to ensure compatibility,Toshiba Satellite A10 Series Battery, Toshiba Satellite A100 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A70 Battery, something which quickly becomes an expensive and arduous process for programmers. The result is that programmers have been slow to adopt DVD as the platform of choice for writing new programs.
Windows 98 is expected to alleviate these issues by providing what Microsoft calls an "end-to-end architecture" for DVD.Toshiba Satellite A10 Series Battery, The result should be widespread adoption of both Windows 98 and DVD drives, according to analysts.
"From Microsoft's standpoint, it's [DVD support] a necessity to sell [Windows 98]. They're not going to get far if they don't include it," said Mark Hardie, senior analyst with Forrester Research.
With the weight of Microsoft behind DVD, Forrester predicts an installed base of 53 million DVD drives in PCs by the year 2002, while only 5.2 percent of households in the U.S. will own a standalone (non-PC) DVD-Video player.
DVD support in Windows 98 includes DVD navigation and playback applications, a data streaming architecture, and support in Microsoft's DirectX set of technologies for video playback.
Toshiba says it helped Microsoft build support for DVD navigation and is providing technologies to Microsoft, including DVD playback technology and a player application. Forrester's Hardie notes that other drive manufacturers such as Philips and Matsushita will soon follow suit in getting support for their drives added into the operating system.
In related news, Toshiba announced it is offering a circuit board for playback of DVD titles. The circuit board uses Toshiba's Timpani-I single-chip DVD system processor. This chip was used as a reference design in the Microsoft-Toshiba development process, according to the two companies.
Timpani-I integrates MPEG-2 video technology and hardware-based copy protection processing.
Intel also offers DVD playback technology running off its Pentium II processor. Toshiba Satellite A100 Battery, Unlike Toshiba, Intel's technology does not require an additional circuit board for playback, but it is not yet suited for use with current Pentium systems because it limits overall system performance. Mediamatics too has software for playing back MPEG-2 video information that taps into the main processor, but also allows use of graphics accelerators for improved playback performance.
IBM today announced new aggressively priced models in its ThinkPad 365 and 760 lines of notebook PCs that may push the company into a knock-down, drag-out fight with market leader Toshiba.
The PCI-bus based 365 line will use 100- and 133-MHz Pentium processors for the first time but maintain pricing comparable that of the current, slower 486 DX4-based 365s. The new 365 models, which start as low as $2,000, will carry a Pentium 100- or 120-MHz processor or a Cyrix-designed 5x86 Pentium-class processor.
Moreover, the updated IBM lines boast a number of performance-boosting firsts for the ThinkPad line including a PCI bus and support for 32-bit PC Card technology.
The 365s also include 10.4- or 11.3-inch color LCD screens, integrated quad-speed CD-ROM drives, Toshiba Satellite A10 Series Battery, Toshiba Satellite A100 Battery, Toshiba Satellite A70 Battery,and hard disk drive (HDD) capacities ranging up to 1.08GB.
The refresh of the ThinkPad 760 line uses Intel's fastest 133-MHz Mobile Pentium processor but are priced unusually low for 760s; some models will be tagged at $3,400. These systems also pack a PCI bus.
Where To Get High Rise Repair Repair Active Error - How to Fix Active Error Easily Repair System32DLL Error - How to Fix System32DLL Error Easily Windows XP Blue Screen Of Death - You can fix this Repair Kernel32DLL Error - How to Fix Kernel32DLL Error Easily How to recover Windows 7 password? Better To Get It Repaired Before Use How Laptops can Become Threat – Computer Repair Experts Explains Carpet Repair and Re-Installation, Odor Control, Water Damage Restoration 6 Important Laptop Repair Tips Repair Computer Remotely - Get Your PC Repaired With the Least Trouble! Remove False User32.dll Immediately! How To Repair User32.dll Repair Dll Error - Simple Steps To Solve Common Dll Errors