Withdrawn

Hmm, this was unexpected – I just got an email from some people representing HP requesting we take down the picture and info sent to us by reader Mike W this morning. I’ve done just that in good faith, so until some official announcement of HP’s goodies…

However, there is this PDF file on HP’s website that mentions a 2560p and 2760p with multi-touch

HP updates and prices 2011 Mini 110 with Intel Atom N550 and N570

HP Mini 110 with new Intel Atom N550 and N570

HP has quietly slipped in a processor update for the Mini 110 netbook, giving you a choice between the 1.5 GHz dual core Intel Atom N550 or 1.66 GHz dual core Intel Atom N570 processors. The netbook is equipped with 1 GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM in its single RAM slot (which is overkill in speed, seeing Intel says the processor will only take advantage of DDR3 RAM up to 667 MHz), a 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit display, Windows 7 Starter, choice of 250 GB or 320 GB hard disk drive (both 7200 RPM), 3 USB ports and VGA port, 6 cell battery; all your standard netbook affair. The Mini 110 will be available in three colors: black, pink or white.

HP’s Malaysia website says the HP Mini 110 with Intel’s brand new dual core Atom N550/N570 processors has a starting price of RM 1099, which is around $360. It seems like the maxed-out configuration (though there’s not much to ‘max out’ really) of the HP Mini 110 will be available in the US soon, seeing this page is already online on HP’s USA website.

Apple’s iPad 2, hot or not? And versus the HP Touchpad?

The Apple iPad 2

Well, after the disappointment with Find Makarov and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 NOT being announced this morning, could the newly announced Apple iPad 2 be disappointment of the day number two? The new features on the iPad 2 are:

• Dual core 1 GHz processor (versus the iPad 1′s single core 1 GHz processor)
• Better graphics and more RAM (likely, since the specifications for these are not out yet)
• New front and rear cameras
• CDMA support so Verizon can have the iPad 2 too
• Thinner and lighter design
• New white design (in addition to traditional black)

And no, operating system doesn’t count since the it’s purely software and the iPad 1 is likely to get iOS 4.3 too, along with the iPad 2.

So the iPad 2 is essentially a “catchup” model to all other tablets that are already announced, or already in the market. The iPad 2′s closest competitor is… you’ve guessed it, the HP Touchpad! Both have the same form factor, 10 inch screen with 4:3 aspect ratio and 1024 x 768 resolution.

In favor of the HP Touchpad is a slightly faster 1.2 GHz dual core processor, real background multi-tasking of Web OS, ability to ‘partner’ and throw things back and forth (like web page links or photos) with a compatible HP Pre phone. In favor of the iPad 2 is the availability of a rear camera (HP Touchpad only has a front-facing camera), thinner and slightly lighter and that’s pretty much it.

New apps are being developed for Web OS, and no doubt Web OS has less available apps than Apple’s iOS App Store, but the important thing is many “big name”, core apps and games are available for Web OS. Let’s look at an example: Who cares if the Apple App Store has 100 event management apps and the Web OS store only has five (which Apple also has), but those five apps are the “big and famous” apps of the category and the other 95 are just wannabe apps?

So I guess if you’re a big fan of the shiny fruit logo or if you want something more practical and potentially slightly faster. I don’t think anyone could go wrong with either the Apple iPad 2 or HP TouchPad, but the bottom line is, the iPad 2 is certainly barely an evolutionary update over the original iPad (and certainly not a ‘revolutionary’ or ‘magical’ update at all!)

Don’t want to Find Makarov, what to expect in the real Modern Warfare 3 game

As an avid PC gamer, I have played many game titles, almost too many to count. I played the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare back in 2007, then I revisited it in Full HD, at all the highest settings, on the HP EliteBook 8730w in 2008 (ah, the good times we had). Well, I didn’t expect a sequel, but nevertheless Activision spawned a sequel to the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare… two years later in 2009, we saw Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

In Modern Warfare 2, Activision/Infinity Ward decided they’d end the single player campaign with a cliffhanger… just what happened to Makarov after he betrayed you earlier on in the game at the controversial “airport scene”. There was little mention of Makarov after that, but we all knew the subsequent events in the game were tied in as a result of his actions, didn’t we?

Yes I’m very disappointed after all that hype, the Find Makarov countdown led to a trailer for a fan-made trailer for an unofficial Modern Warfare movie. I see mixed reactions all over the net: people excited at the quality level of an independently produced trailer for a potential upcoming independently film… and the group of people who are completely underwhelmed with the Find Makarov hype and that Modern Warfare 3, the REAL deal, an actual game, did not end up getting announced. I think it’s apparent I’m in the latter group.

I do not think that Modern Warfare 3 will be a prequel about the Modern Warfare 2 character “Ghost”. It would just not make sense because they’ve already got a whole comic book dedicated to the origins of Ghost, and it would also not be a wise marketing move on Activision’s behalf, in my opinion, since after that cliffhanger at the end of the previous games, most fans want to see Modern Warfare 3 as a sequel, not a prequel or spinoff. There is no doubt Modern Warfare 3 will be a sequel for sure, but it is likely to feature several flashbacks from Ghost’s perspective, so do expect some parts of the comic book to be revitalized in video game form.

The famous (or infamous, to some gamers) Robert Bowling from Infinity Ward has already implied there will not be a totally new gaming engine built from the ground up for Modern Warfare 3. So expect the same style and level of graphics as the previous two Modern Warfares (and likely some features from the recent Call of Duty: Black Ops such as slow motion and bullet time, and true night-time scenes).

What I think Modern Warfare 3 definitely NEEDS to do is reinvent the wheel with multiplayer. The last couple of Call of Duty titles after Call of Duty 4 (for the record, Modern Warfare 3 will essentially be “Call of Duty 8″) have been based around roughly the same multiplayer system, with Modern Warfare 2 mixing things up a bit with “more achievements and unlockables” and Black Ops adding a “purchase what you want with multiplayer points” system. That or risk going stale and going the route of Activision’s recently killed-off Guitar Hero series. The multiplayer aspect of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 needs to be more than just “go after the other team, rack up points, unlock stuff, level up, rinse and repeat”.

Activision has mentioned and confirmed earlier this year there will be a new Call of Duty title ready for the holiday season of 2011 (November), but now the question remains… when will be announced? I hope Modern Warfare 3 gets announced soon, for real this time, and the next teaser about it had better not be another “hyped up for disappointment” trailer for a live action movie! So let’s hear it from you, what would YOU like to see in the next Call of Duty game title?

‘Find Makarov’ website is NOT Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Find Makarov did NOT result in the revelation of Modern Warfare 3

What a disappointment, huh? And I thought Activision set up the website “Find Makarov” as a teaser to the announcement of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 today. Yes, there had been speculations that it was a fake, but I still had the slightest, smallest hope inside. But turns out the website pointed to a trailer for a fan-made Call of Duty Modern Warfare live action film. Arrggh!!! I hope we hear at least some real and official titbits of Modern Warfare 3 at the Game Developers Conference ongoing this week though, otherwise we’ll just have to make do with Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3 coming out this year!

UPDATE: Check out my write up about what to expect in the REAL Modern Warfare 3 game.

UPDATE 2: HP Fansite is about to launch an “offspring” website covering games. And we’re gonna be different from all those other guys out there. Stay tuned and find out why this Friday, March 5th!