PCR February 2010 - Issue 77

PCR AWARDS SUPPLEMENT Check out our handy guide to all of the finalists for the PCR Awards 2010 with this issue COMPUTER & IT RESELLERS • RETAILERS • SYSTEM BUILDERS • DISTRIBUTORS • VENDORS

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COMMENT

Issue 77 February 2010 Incorporating

“Love it or hate it, DSGi couldn’t be much more active in adjusting its business to meet the modern market” PCR CONTACTS Editor

Andrew Wooden andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer

Matt Grainger matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer

Nicky Trup nicky.trup@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial Production Manager

Helen French helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk Sub-Editor

Gemma Messina gemma.messina@intentmedia.co.uk Managing Editor

Lisa Foster lisa.foster@intentmedia.co.uk Executive Advertising Manager

Katie Rawlings katie.rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Executive

Carly Bailey carly.bailey@intentmedia.co.uk Production Executive

Rosie McKeown rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk Designer

Kelly Styles kelly.styles@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher

Stuart Dinsey stuart.dinsey@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial: 01992 535646 Advertising: 01992 535647 www.pcr-online.biz

PCR - Total average monthly net circulation for January 1st to December 31st 2008: 12,766.

Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Associations PCR is published 12 times a year by Intent Media - Saxon House, 6a St.Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Fax: +44 (0)1992 535648. © Intent Media 2010 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Pensord.

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK £50 Europe: £60 Rest of World: £90. The international cost applies per subscription and covers airmail dispatch of 12 issues. To order your subscription via Visa, MasterCard, Amex Switch or Delta contact: pcr.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848.

Alternatively visit our website www.pcr-online.biz

SUPERPOWER STATUS IT'S EASY to knock those at the top. A news story about PC World or Currys on the PCR site is almost certain to elicit a few negative comments. Usually they accuse the stores of being box shifters with little product knowledge. It’s an attitude DSGi acknowledges, and it understands that it’s a knock on effect from its business model of old, which to be fair was mainly centred around price promotions. It’s an image the group has been trying to get away from for a long time.

The firm began its revamp strategy around two years ago, a process of restructuring and rebranding its diverse portfolio of 650 sites in the UK. Alongside its advertising campaigns, much of this work is being done in an effort to separate itself from that image and update its business model to the world where service and support is almost as important as the hardware itself.

There are many smaller retailers that will always debase the firm as simply a box-shifter, perhaps understandably on their part. But love it or hate it, DSGi couldn’t be much more active in adjusting its business model to meet modern market head on.

And you've got to say the strategy appears to be working, if the group’s eight per cent Christmas growth is anything to go by. With yet more store overhauls and the possibility of new sites due for 2010, it doesn’t look like it’s letting its foot off the gas, either.

At the moment DSGi enjoys the sort of solo superpower status enjoyed by the British Empire in the 19th century, or the US after the collapse of Soviet Union. But there is a dark cloud over the UK’s biggest PC and technology retailer. There are bound to be clashes in spring when the first three Best Buy megastores supposedly open doors in the UK (it has been delayed since the same time last year).

The US megastore's PR machine has already begun revving its engines with the launch of www.bestbuy.co.uk. Right now it appears to be limited to blogs, reviews and buying guides, and unable to actually sell anything. But it can be considered to represent the first troops on the ground.

The confrontation between the two retail giants has been a long time coming. It’s bound to be a consideration in DSGi’s 2010 planning, but more than that, it could be one of the year’s defining factors for the UK trade. If those smaller retailers we mentioned think the presence of one superpower impacts their businesses, a trade war between two of them is likely to do the same.

Andrew Wooden, Editor andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short, Hannah.Short@intentmedia.co.uk

February PCR 3

incorporating

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PCR Contents News 9 Frontline Retail Focus 22 Indie Profile 24 Mystery Shopper 28

GfK analysis 71

ISSUE 77 FEBRUARY 2010

DSGi Interview Having just posted strong results for the Christmas period, DSGi hardware director Jeremy Fennel and spokesman Mark Webb talk to PCR about the plan for 2010

17

Appointments 86 Brigantia 87 TCA 88 ITACS/NASCR 90

Awards Supplement

Off The Record 108

INSIDE THIS ISSUE With the PCR Awards just around the corner, we present an overview of the awards along with in-depth profiles of each of the finalists

Hardware

Pages 35-64 Hardware A gaming PC is not just a good graphics card. A true enthusiast will look to install the best components, to guarantee the best performance. We present an overview of some of the most gameenhancing PC parts

53

Graphics Cards One of the most important components in any gamingfocused rig is the graphics card, so we’ve rounded up some of the latest cards to hit the market

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Displays

37

WESTERN DIGITAL COMPETITION

62

The introduction of touchscreen is just the latest innovation to hit the everchanging display sector. We take a look at some of the latest devices and talk to some of sector’s key players

47

February PCR 5

Software

Pages 65-74 Gaming Software The end-goal of building a gaming PC is to enjoy games the way they are meant to be played. Therefore it would be remiss to not include some of the titles that are out now, or coming soon, as well as give a round-up of some of the security programmes that have been designed to protect as you play

67

GFK Account manager Tristan Irwin looks at the software market and examines how new distribution models may be its saving grace

71

Games Our monthly sales figures from the games market, plus a sneak peak at some of the latest releases

Consumer Electronics

Pages 75-78

73

MARKETPLACE

Company Profile: Cartridge Expert

93

PCR talks to Cartridge Expert sales manager Andy Gray about some of the green solutions that the vendor has implemented and its new ‘refillable’ partner programme

76

6 PCR February

Peripherals

MP News

Except for ergonomic keyboards, one of the prime motivators for peripherals sales is the gaming sector. We take a look at what might sell

Some of the latest products to hit the market

82

PCR Recommended

107

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NEWS

DSGi powers on with store revamp strategy for 2010 Overhaul of portfolio to continue this year Megastores and ‘hybrid’ stores to be focus Christmas growth figures prove retail group is ‘on the right track’ Group does not fear Best Buy coming to UK

By Andrew Wooden

DSGI, the UK’s biggest PC and technology retailer, will follow its storming set of Christmas financials with a series of further store revamps through 2010, focusing on megastores and ‘hybrid’ sites.

The PC World and Currys parent claims its eight per cent growth is proof that a campaign of store overhauls is working. A third of DGSi’s outlets have already been transformed with new layouts, structures and branding, while the rest are scheduled to be completed

by Christmas.

“We’ve embarked on refitting all our store types,” said the company’s hardware director, Jeremy Fennel.

“The impressive thing is every single format is working. We have confirmed very confidently that we are moving forward with all the formats, to the

www.pcr-online.biz

extent that we had about a third of our store portfolio transformed in time for peak. And we have indicated that, if anything, we will nudge some more focus on the megastores and the two-in-one formats.”

While the firm is confident about its retail operation, it acknowledges that the recession has damaged its B2B division more heavily, following the closure of Equanet’s Surbiton office late last year. But with a new head of the division, DSGi is looking to turn this around.

“The B2B part of the business was more severely impacted by the recession. And that affects both our in-store B2B sales and Equanet sales,” added spokesman Mark Webb. “We have a new managing director of the division, Phil Birbeck (see appointments, page 86). I won’t talk in too much detail about his plans, but

“Every single store format is working. If anything, we will nudge more focus on the megastores and the two-in-ones” Jeremy Fennel, DSGi

it’s clear that the B2B market is important to us and will remain so.”

With the launch of BestBuy.co.uk – the US retail giant’s expeditionary force in Britain, currently featuring mostly product guides and reviews – and the looming presence of its UK megastore rollout in spring, many are expecting a clash between the two retail giants. However, DSGi is stalwart on the face of any potential retail war.

“It’s not here yet. There are competitors out there already,” said Webb. “We’ve got 650 stores with great momentum behind them. We’re focusing on winning and retaining our customer base, and we’re making a really good job of it. The other thing is that we’ve got almost a two-year head start in our transformation programme. We’re quite comfortable with what we’re doing, and we’ll see what comes.”

February PCR 9

NEWS

NewsBytes IT SPENDING TO RISE Worldwide IT spending will rise by 4.6 per cent this year compared to 2009, as the economic climate slowly but speadily improves, research firm Gartner has said.

According to the firm, spending on information technology will reach $3.4 trillion in 2010. While the predicted growth is modest, it marks a significant improvement on last year, when worldwide IT spending declined 4.6 per cent.

STEVE JOBS? WHO’S THAT? A survey has found that 20 per cent of Britons have no idea who Steve Jobs is. The study of 1,000 people

by Lewis PR found that ten per cent believed the Apple CEO was a trade union leader, while five per cent thought he played Division Two football. Although 88 per cent knew Bill Gates founded Microsoft, three per cent thought he was an American comedian and two per cent thought he was one of the Great Train robbers.

HP UNVEILS NEW MUSIC DOWNLOAD TOOL Hewlett-Packard has launched a digital music service that comes pre-loaded on certain PCs in Britain and nine other European countries.

MusicStation, which comes on HP’s new Pavilion, Envy and Compaq Presario machines, is provided by British firm Omnifone. Customers get a 14-day free trial of unlimited access to tracks from most major record labels, after which UK users must pay £8.99 a month to download unlimited tracks. Users can then keep ten songs a month forever in MP3 format.

BULLGUARD HOSTS RESELLER EVENT BullGuard hosted a Full Disclosure Briefing and training day for resellers at its London offices ahead of the launch of the firm’s latest security product, BullGuard Internet Security 9.0. COO George Tennet introduced the company’s plans for 2010, which was followed by a 'Listen and Learn Forum', where resellers had the chance to discuss what they wanted to see from the firm.

10 PCR February

BEST BUY LAUNCHES WEBSITE Best Buy has launched a UK website ahead of its move into the British market. The consumer-focused site includes buying guides, technology advice and other articles. Best Buy is expected to open the first of its UK stores this coming spring, with branches planned for Thurrock, Southampton and Merry Hill in the West Midlands.

Stephen Precious

TOP VENDORS BUY A THIRD OF ALL SEMICONDUCTORS A third of all the semiconductors produced are being bought by the top ten PC vendors and original equipment manufacturers, according to figures released by Gartner.

Although the semiconductor market shrank by 11.4 per cent in 2009, the demand from these companies has continued. HP led in terms of consumption, thanks mainly to its presence in a number of market segments. In second place was Samsung, while Nokia came in third.

INSURER CITYMAIN BUYS BURNETT & ASSOCIATES Specialist tech insurance provider and administrator Citymain has acquired Southampton-based firm Burnett & Associates. Burnett is a leading independent insurance provider to the IT industry. Paul Kelsey, managing director of Citymain Group, said: “The synergies between the two companies are very apparent. As the convergence of cellular and internet technologies continues to drive the innovation of new and expensive portable electronics, the combination of 55 years’ experience will stand us in good stead for the future.”

SIMMS INTERNATIONAL TOASTS 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS Specialist memory distributor Simms International has celebrated its 20th anniversary and undertaken a ‘brand facelift’ as a way of marking the milestone. Established in 1990 above an Italian restaurant in London, Simms originally focused mainly on Apple products.

Today the firm has strong partnerships with a number of major international vendors such as Kingston Technology. In 2004 Simms moved to Lenham, Kent, where the company still operates from today.

Channel Expo gears up for London move PREPARATIONS for Channel Expo 2010 are gaining momentum, as organiser Incisive Media looks to build on the trade show by moving to a new London venue.

The show has previously been held in the Birmingham NEC, but this year’s event will take place at London Olympia on May 12th and 13th. Mark Burton, a publisher at Incisive Media, said the new site better reflects the show's visitor base, and will help increase the number of exhibitors.

“This decision was taken after extensive analysis of both the show’s exhibitor and visitor database and is a

very positive move, which will not only bring the show nearer to the majority of its visitor base, but also opens up wider opportunities for our exhibitors,” he said.

“As ever, Channel Expo is the place for visitors to discover the latest products and services and for our exhibitors it offers a unique opportunity to meet potential customers face to face, to build on existing customer relationships and to make new business contacts. We are delighted to be partnering again with PCR and we hope to see many of PCR’s readers at Channel Expo.”

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NEWS

Is this the end of boxed software as we know it?

In-store software publishing service SoftWide deployed by US Microsoft stores and Tesco in UK Parent firm Tribeka poised for store roll-outs across Europe

By Matt Grainger

TRIBEKA’S SoftWide operation – which provides a massive in-store database of products that can be printed on the spot – looks poised to massively boost its presence and impact on the IT industry, after crucial deals with retail behemoth Tesco and the world’s biggest software publisher, Microsoft.

Tesco will be rolling out the in-store software manufacturing business across the country starting this month, Tribeka having consolidated its presence in the European market with the strong success of its trials with French retail giant Carrefour.

SoftWide will be implemented in Tesco without any UK trials, based purely on the success of the Carrefour operation. “The trials were massively

successful with sales boosted by up to 25 per cent and, thanks to SoftWide, Carrefour now offers one of Europe’s largest software ranges,” Tribeka’s chief

“We planned to establish ourselves in Europe and then think about an American expansion, but Microsoft came to us” Stephen Precious, Tribeka operations officer, Stephen Precious, told PCR. “The trials ended late last year and they’ve now gone on to a rollout throughout Belgium, which is the test bed for Carrefour worldwide. That could be followed by up to 120 stores in France, but we’re also in discussions

about expanding it to Greece, Turkey and Poland.”

Microsoft, which many would assume would be against the system, being heavily invested in boxed products, will now use the SoftWide system in its new retail premises in the US. “It’s interesting because we planned to establish ourselves in Europe and then think about an American expansion, but Microsoft came to us, so it was an ideal opportunity,” added Precious.

“I think we’ve been the UK’s best kept secret. We wanted to quietly build our presence and now the business is rolling forward under its own momentum – and why wouldn’t it? For a small investment, our partners can beat the internet and provide the product to their customers immediately.”

Tablet PC ‘breakout’ could impact other sectors “Most people wouldn’t buy a niche device when they can get something similar that performs more functions” Paul Lee, Deloitte

www.pcr-online.biz

TABLET PCs will have their “breakout year” in 2010, but this popularity could come at the expense of devices such as e-readers and netbooks.

Deloitte’s annual Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions report claimed that tablet or slate devices will be purchased by “tens of millions of people” this year. However, as slates become more popular, they could begin to push similar, less functional devices such as e-readers out of the market.

“Book consumption in this country is, on average, four a year, so most people wouldn’t be willing to buy such a niche device when they can get something similar that performs a wider range of functions,” Deloitte’s director of research for technology, media

and telecoms, Paul Lee, told PCR. “Small laptops or netbooks could also see some of that.”

EntaTech’s commercial group vice president, Jon Atherton, added: “If the likes of Microsoft and other tier one vendors are investing machinery, time and effort to bring a product out under the tablet umbrella then there is obviously going to be a big marketing push to drive sales.”

Those invested in the netbook

market are less convinced. “I don’t think the evolution of touchscreen tablets is the reason why the netbook sector will grow or shrink,” said Bobby Watkins, UK country manager for Acer. "I think it will come down to whether consumers want a device that has the power to produce content or if they just want to do a few small things on the move."

And while Watkins would not comment on whether the vendor was preparing a slate of its own, he did say: “Acer is interested in being the leader in mobile computing. All of the technology and derivatives that make sense in order to position ourselves as the leader, we have to lead in as well.”

February PCR 11

NEWS

Anticipation hots up for PCR Awards Top comedian Bob Mills confirmed as host of prestigious event VIP signs up as Drinks Reception Sponsor "The evening offers the perfect opportunity to show solidarity within the channel and celebrate our achievements and those of our peers” Joanne Meredith, VIP

Drinks Reception Sponsor

By Andrew Wooden

WITH under two months to go until the big night, the industry is gearing up for the PCR Awards 2010, with comedian Bob Mills confirmed as host and VIP Computers joining the list of firms supporting the event as Drinks Reception Sponsor.

Mills is one of the UK’s leading stand-ups, and will provide the entertainment as well as hosting the ceremony, which takes place on Thursday March 25th at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington. He fronted the event in 2008 and proved hugely popular with the crowd.

“It’s great to welcome Bob Mills back to host the PCR

Bob Mills

Awards 2010. After a year off, I’ve no doubt he’ll go down a storm, just as he did in 2008,” said PCR publisher Stuart Dinsey. “He’s one of the best stand-ups on the circuit, and his performance is sure to guarantee a great evening’s entertainment.”

Meanwhile, distributor VIP has signed up as Drinks Reception Sponsor, bolstering the long list of firms supporting the event. “We are pleased to

Component costs squeeze retail prices

announce our involvement in this year’s prestigious PCR Awards ceremony as the proud sponsor of the Drinks Reception,” said Joanne Meredith, marketing manager at VIP. “The evening offers the perfect opportunity to show solidarity within the channel and pull together to celebrate our achievements and those of our peers. VIP would like to wish all finalists the very best of luck.”

Tickets for the awards are selling fast. To book your place, contact Hannah.Short @intentmedia.co.uk.

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Asus’ Iain Bristow

Manufacturers struggle to keep up with renewed demand as industry begins economic recovery A SHORTAGE in components is pushing prices up within the channel, as manufacturers struggle to make enough of the latest products to meet demand.

Statistics from Gartner research consultancy show that although prices steadily declined in the years preceding the recession, the last year has been characterised by a rise in component costs.

“Over the past six months, key components like high-end Radeon HD graphics cards

12 PCR February

have attracted a premium of as much as 30 per cent,” C Kohli, MD of YOYOTech, which manufactures and sells PCs, told PCR. “It’s not only new products that have been affected, even DDR2 memory saw increases of up to 100 per cent in 2009.

As the West comes out of recession, the East has been slow to respond. That delay has led to shortages and, at times, significant price increases,” continued Kohli.

“Distribution could have done more by being more confident

in the UK market – holding more stock and extending more credit – but many disties seemed to be totally confused by the situation and buried their heads in the sand.”

Asus’ technical PR and component product marketing specialist, Iain Bristow, blamed the rises on a number of factors in the wider market: “The rising cost in components can be attributed to numerous things, including rising transport costs and the fluctuation of currency exchange rates."

C Kohli of YOYOTech

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NEWS

Sat navs unthreatened by free rivals Vendors claim customers are ‘willing to pay’ for GPS services despite free alternatives from mobile phone sector

By Nicky Trup

SATELLITE navigation device vendors insist the position of dedicated products is secure, despite Nokia’s incursion into the area with a new and free rival product that will be loaded on its mobile phones.

guidance and updated traffic information.

Google launched a similar free-of-charge product in 2009 and, according to GfK figures, the value of the portable navigation device market dropped by 15 per cent that year.

“In our view, customers have over and over again been willing to pay for the best user experience” TomTom Spokesman Nokia’s Ovi Maps software offers a technically free alternative to dedicated GPS devices, and includes free walk and drive navigation, including turn-by-turn voice

However, TomTom insisted that the presence of free alternatives did not threaten its position. “In our view, customers have over and over again been willing to pay for

the best user experience,” the company said in a statement to PCR. Fellow GPS vendor Garmin seemed equally non-plussed by Nokia’s announcement.

“The main thing for us is that we already have a large amount of competition in our area,” a Garmin spokesperson told us.

Although Nokia sidestepped PCR’s questions on the possible impact on the future of the portable GPS industry, they did inform us that the move had been planned for some time.

Nokia’s Ovi Maps software will be free for users of a Nokia phone

New tech makes BETT ‘a flying success’ “With more than 700 exhibitors showcasing the latest in educational technology, we witnessed some groundbreaking product launches for 2010” Keith Clifford, Emap Connect

This year’s BETT saw over 700 exhibitors gather at London’s Olympia

14 PCR February

THE EDUCATION market took centre stage at London’s Olympia last month, as 700 tech firms converged at BETT, showcasing scores of products signifying new ways for the industry to sell into the lucrative sector.

Emerging technology, such as multi-touch enabled devices and 3D projectors attracted a great deal of attention at the show, which took place from January 13th to the 16th.

Keith Clifford, marketing manager at organiser Emap Connect, said: “Once again, BETT was a flying success in 2010. Despite the adverse weather on the opening day of the show, we are expecting this

year’s visitor numbers to be close to last year’s recordbreaking 30,007.

“With more than 700 exhibitors showcasing the latest in educational technology, we witnessed some ground-breaking product launches for 2010. Microsoft launched its innovative assembly tool, Semblio, and there was plenty of buzz around DLP’s 3D classroom resources, to name but a few.”

Major players in the PC industry used the event to show off their new visions for the modern schoolroom.

Dell’s concept of a ‘connected classroom’ combined devices such as interactive

whiteboards, netbooks and tablet PCs, while Panasonic’s ‘classroom of the future’ included gesture-recognition technology and a new shortthrow projector.

“It was clear to see that despite the recession and caution around school budgets, those involved in the education sector are still willing to invest in the future of education; the news that computer and software supplier RM’s shares have risen 13 per cent since the company’s impressive showing at BETT indicate the importance of trade shows like these in the current economic climate,” Clifford said.

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INTERVIEW DSGI

New World order In the wake of financial results over Christmas which significantly beat expectations, DSGi – encompassing the PC World, Dixons, and Currys stores – is looking towards a difficult 2010 with confidence in its continued strategic revamp of the portfolio and dominant position in the UK market. Andrew Wooden talks to hardware director Jeremy Fennel and spokesman Mark Webb…

“A Christmas sales hike from the consumer is to be expected, even in a recession. But what impressed people was the clear upturn across the board” Mark Webb

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DSGi’s group sales grew eight per cent over the Christmas period, beating analyst expectations by some margin. How significant are these results, and would you attribute them to anything other than a Christmas sales hike?

Mark Webb: In terms of significance, it’s the absolute crucial time of the year. The pre-Christmas selling and post-Christmas sales are huge. We have other peaks in the year, particularly back to school, but these results are absolutely crucial to the group. I think an awful lot of analysts were waiting for this as proof of how our renewal and transformation plan was working,

or indeed not working. We absolutely confirmed to people that what we were doing is putting DSGi very much on the right track, and that we haven’t been sitting still during the recession.

So, certainly the Christmas period had an impact on the figures, but you’d say they were also evidence of your recovery strategy kicking in?

MW: A Christmas sales hike from the consumer is to be expected, even in a recession. But what impressed people was the clear upturn across the board.

The megastores in your portfolio performed particularly well; are

these leading the group in terms of sales, and will you be putting increased focus on these types of stores going forward?

Jeremy Fennel: There are eight megastores in the UK now, and they took more than £1 million each week.

It’s a fine line – all our formats are working, which is fantastic. We’ve embarked on refitting all our store types. We’ve got Dixons Travel in the airports, Currys Digital on the High Street, Currys superstores and megastores, PC World, and the two-in one stores. The impressive thing is every single format is working.

>>>

February PCR 17

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INTERVIEW DSGI

>>>

We have confidently confirmed that we are moving forward with all the formats, to the extent that we had about a third of our store portfolio transformed in time for peak, and that’s in terms of revenue. By next Christmas we will have two thirds of our revenue, in terms of source, transformed. And we have indicated

that if anything, we will nudge some more focus on the megastores and the two-in-one formats. These can be either superstores or megastores.

Can you explain the structure of the two-in-one stores?

MW: They were an experiment initially. The first one was in Weybridge – we put a mezzanine floor

“Work has been done recently on asking people to re-evaluate the brand. We used to be about price and promotion, but there’s more we’re doing for the customer now” Mark Webb

into an existing Currys store to enable us to move domestic appliances upstairs and keep downstairs for consumer electronic and consumer products. What that allowed us to do was drop the PC World format inside the Currys store, which means more PC hardware, more PC peripherals, more software products, a business centre, a PC clinic, and an increased number of computing sales colleagues.

This attracts a broader customer base in store because you get the Currys customer base as well as PC World’s.

This opens up new markets for us, and increases the computing sales tremendously within those stores.

We’ve done a few more as a consequence of that, and it looks like we’ll focus on that going into 2010.

So, 2010 will see more store refits?

MW: A lot more. We’ve done a third of the business already, and two thirds will be done by next Christmas.

Any more store openings?

MW: Where it fits really. Thurrock, which is our biggest megastore to date, was a brand new location. Fulham is two stores knocked into one. It’s where it fits the portfolio – but largely the work will be done from our existing portfolio.

You’ve invested a lot of money in advertising in some prime time TV slots. How much has this affected your results and are you planning to continue the campaign into 2010?

MW: We’ve always been relatively busy advertisers. A lot of work has been done recently on asking people to reevaluate the brand. We used to be about price and promotion, but there’s an awful lot more that we’re doing for the customer now. You’ve got the Currys advertising, for example, which has the strap-line ‘We Can Help’. That very much pushes the message that we’re not just about handing you a box with a TV or a computer in it, we’re there to install it, deliver it, to fix it, whatever you want. Dixons.co.uk had a humorous campaign all about reminding people that it had a great range and great value online.

Jeremy Fennel, hardware director, says more refits are on the way across DSGI’s portfolio

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The retail sector in particular has taken a

>>>

February PCR 19

INTERVIEW DSGI

>>>

battering during the last year. Is there room for optimism in 2010, both in terms of DSGi’s business and the technology sector in general?

JF: At best our outlook is probably cautiously optimistic, particularly about the UK. Any new guys coming in are going to have to address the fiscal imbalances. The confidence we have is in what we’re doing. We have set up the business to continue to be able to transform itself, even in the worst of conditions, and we’ll benefit from any potential upturn. So we’re confident in the business, but not so much in the outlook of the economy.

Best Buy has launched a UK website ahead of the store launches in spring, while Best Buy Europe as an entity has today increased its forecasts following a Q3 like-for-like sales hike of 5.5 per cent. DSGi has made the pertinent point in the past that the business isn’t here yet, but many smaller PC stores have expressed concern over the firm’s presence – do you think the presence will change the market, or is concern even warranted at this stage?

JF: It’s not here yet. There are competitors out there already. We’ve got 650 stores with great momentum behind them. We’re focussing on winning and retaining our customer base, and we’re making a really good job of it. The other thing is that we’ve got almost a two-year head start in our transformation programme, so it’s all eyes on that rather than on what other people are doing or might be doing.

As long as we’re investing in that and a third of the stores are delivering the results we’ve just seen, we’re extremely confident that doing another third of the stores will deliver us even better results. We are quite comfortable with what we are doing, and we will see what comes.

particularly in PC World, who are still shopping for a product that is going to continue in the traditional box and disk package. And then you have gaming, which (certainly for the short term) is going to continue as it is, as a box product bought at retail.

The software market overall, though, is going to go through a huge transformation which is already starting. This is a bit like what the Tribeka products are doing, which enables you to download software.

Now, whether you do that in store or whether you do that at home remains to be seen. It does enable you to carry a wider range for the supermarkets than perhaps they would do traditionally. I think where we would benefit there is by having sales colleagues who can actually deliver the customer service that a consumer is looking for when they’re using a product like that. I’m not sure it would be a very good self-service opportunity in a high footfall environment.

The bigger part is what happens further down the line with software, and the fact that as hardware becomes

more tailored to customers’ usage, we’ll either be downloading or asking someone in a store environment to help tailor the product to the customer’s needs. That’s where our tech guys and PC clinic come into their own. We are seeing a lot more sales and bookings from customers asking our guys to help them out with what the right software is for their machine.

The Equanet office in Surbiton was recently closed, which was described as an ‘ongoing transformation of B2B operations’. Will there be more streamlining of the operation on the cards, or will they be transformed in some other way in 2010?

MW: The B2B part of the business was more severely impacted by the recession. And that impacts both our in-store B2B sales and Equanet sales.

We have a new managing director of the division, Phil Birbeck (see appointments, page 86). I won’t talk in too much detail about his plans, but it is clear that the B2B market is important to us, and will remain so.

“We’ve got a two-year head start in our transformation programme. As long as we’re investing in that and a third of the stores are delivering the results we’ve just seen, we’re extremely confident that doing another third of the stores will deliver us even better results” Jeremy Fennel

In 2009 the Currys superstore in Hemel Hempstead was extended and refitted

We’ve heard this week that Tesco has signed a deal with Tribeka to bring software publishing in store, removing the need for box-product.

Do think this represents a danger for software sales at retail, or is it something retail should embrace?

MW: It depends on the market. We have got a software business that addresses a lot of business customers,

20 PCR February

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RETAIL FOCUS

£40 PC IS NOT SO CHEAP READERS OF last month’s issue will have noticed a piece by ITACS chairman Matthew Woolley touching on the dubious nature of free and ultra-cheap PC offers. Well, this month’s top selling laptop is a prime example of this kind of deal.

HP’s G61-110SA can be found on offer at certain outlets for as little as £39.99, which is an amazing price.

Except that the purchase comes with a tied-in two-year mobile broadband internet contract at £35 per month.

Two years and £875 later, it doesn’t look like such a good deal.

This is by no means a slight against the G61 – it offers a good 15.4-inch screen supported by a respectable 2.1GHz Intel Pentium T4300 with four GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, making it a good entry level machine for the light user.

From low value to high value, PNY’s GeForce GTS 250 is our top selling graphics card this month. For a sub-£100 price point this card has a surprisingly wide range of features. At a basic level this is a 738MHz core clock GPU with 512MB of DDR3 buffer cache. However, the device also features triple SLI bridge support, dual monitor or HD TV support, Blu-ray decoding, and the ability to channel audio via an audio loop cable.

Followers of our security chart will notice that Symantec’s Norton 360 has lost its unchallenged position at the top of the ladder, supplanted by Symantec’s Antivirus 2010. Unlike 360, Antivirus 2010 only offers a single install per purchase and offers a stripped down version of the protection offered by its sibling software. It includes core protection, a basic firewall and system optimisation. matt.grainger@intentmedia.co.uk

22 PCR February

From the Frontline This month, Infinite Field Marketing Solutions has surveyed 250 stores across the UK to gain real ‘grass roots’ feedback and opinion on the best-selling products in-store and issues affecting the industry...

LAPTOPS 1

HP G61 110SA

2

ADVENT ROMA 2000

3

COMPAQ CQ61-360SA

4

COMPAQ CQ61-317SA

5

ACER ASPIRE AS5536

DESKTOPS 1

ADVENT SC9104

2

HP P6206

3

ACER ASPIRE X3812

4

PACKARD BELL IMEDIA A4521

5

COMPAQ PRESARIO CQ5226

GRAPHICS CARDS 1

NVIDIA PNY GTS250

2

NVIDIA PNY GT210

3

NVIDIA PNY GT220

4

SAPPHIRE RADEON 3650

5

SAPPHIRE RADEON 4650

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RETAIL FOCUS Infinite FMS is a specialist field marketing provider delivering bespoke solutions purely for the technology sector. With over ten years experience, we understand how to support manufacturers with the execution of their below-the-line campaigns, ensuring brands are reinforced, product messages are effectively delivered and sales objectives are achieved. Our services include product training, compliance & data capture, promotion & demonstration activity, Mystery Shopping & Roadshows. To learn more about how we can support you, please contact us on 01793 686504 or visit our website at www.infinitefms.com

WAS THIS CHRISTMAS PERIOD MORE PROFITABLE THAN LAST YEAR? Christmas 2008 is the time that many really felt the recession bite and left many consumers and businesses in doubt about the future. So perhaps it is no surprise that Christmas 2009 provided a much better turnover than the previous year. Here’s hoping for a bright 2010...

Yes 55% No 31% Don’t know 14%

KEY COMMENTS During the canvassing of retail store staff, we looked to obtain real honest feedback about key themes running through the IT industry which may give us an insight into the mindset of retailers and their experiences at the coal face of the industry. Below are some of the most frequent (and pertinent) comments that were made: “The most popular selling laptops/PCs depend on which have deals running on them” “Customer decisions are determined more by battery life and memory rather than hard drive size”

MICE 1

“Netbooks were very popular over Christmas and Desktops saw a slight increase with customers buying a family machine”

LOGITECH Pilot Optical

2

LOGITECH WIRELESS M205

3

MICROSOFT WIRELESS 6000

4

MICROSOFT OPTICAL 1000

5

IT WORKS MW01 WIRELESS

“Customers crave value for money when it comes to laptops. Very rarely does the store sell desktop PCs now.”

KEYBOARDS 1

MICROSOFT 2000 Comfort Curve

2

LOGITECH CORDLESS DESKTOP EX100

3

IT WORKS KU-0833

4

LOGITECH EX110

5

MICROSOFT DIGITAL MEDIA 3000

“Customers want it as cheap as possible and they frequently come in with internet quotes.”

ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE 1

NORTON Antivirus 2010

2

NORTON 360 V3.0

3

KASPERSKY 3 USER INTERNET SECURITY 2010

4

MCAFEE 2010

5

AVG INTERNET SECURITY 8.5

www.pcr-online.biz

February PCR 23

RETAIL FOCUS INDIE PROFILE

4MAT

This month sees Roger Humm talking to George Wilkinson of 4Mat Computer Systems...

IN 2001, 4Mat Computer Systems opened for business from prominent retail shop premises in Clitheroe, Lancashire. 4Mat’s founders and owners, George Wilkinson and Jimmy Hunstone, came to Clitheroe with a wealth of experience in computer repairs and maintenance.

Over the years, 4Mat has built up a formidable local business catering for the needs of both the home and SMB sectors. Wilkinson is very clear on the business philosophy it follows: “We offer jargon-free advice to new and experienced users alike. Our custom-built computer systems meet the requirements of new or advanced users for home and business needs. We can supply basic systems or something cutting edge for the most advanced home or business user.”

4Mat’s retail shop stocks a good range of hardware, software, components and peripherals. Wilkinson points out its full range of JetTec remanufactured inkjet cartridges for special praise, stating that the products have never let his customers down and that the support from JetTec through the Brigantia scheme has always been first class, with free delivery and pricing that allow him to maintain excellent margins. 4Mat is proud of its status as official JetTec retailer – a fact which it proudly displays on its website.

He also mentions the innovative product ranges from Antec and Genius.

In the workshop, 4Mat builds upgrades and repair systems. As a business it favours quality components from vendors such as Kingston, Seagate and others. Wilkinson praises Enta Technologies as components distributors and mentions how Mike Barron and the

Brigantia team are always on hand to assist both when things run smoothly and, more importantly, on the very rare occasions when they do not. Onsite visits are undertaken for upgrades and repairs to a host of local businesses in the Ribble Valley.

“One of our great advantages over our competitors is the speed at which we can respond – our customers appreciate how quickly we can get them back up and running,” says Wilkinson. “During the bad weather in January, we were still visiting businesses when roads in and out of the area were under snow and ice.”

FACT BOX Year established: 2001 Number of outlets: 1 Number of staff: 2 Regular vendor lines: AMD, Antec, Genius, Intel, JetTec, Kingston, Microsoft, Netgear, Seagate Contact name and address: George Wilkinson, 4Mat Computer Systems Ltd, 62 Whalley Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1EE Telephone: 01200 429618 Email: shop@4-mat.co.uk Website: www.4-mat.co.uk Roger Humm is Head of Membership Relations at Brigantia Computer Experts – roger.humm@brigantia.com

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2009. Information correct at time of publication E&OE

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iROG

GameFirst

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Extreme Tweaker

EPU (Energy Processing Unit)

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RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER

Liverpool Our Mystery Shopper went to Liverpool this month, eager to improve his online first person shooter statistics. He looked for the best equipment to improve scores on games like Call of Duty. This could be gaming mice and keyboards, headphones or speakers or even special chairs...

PC WORLD AS I wandered around the store looking for PC peripherals I spotted a staff member talking to the Apple rep. When he finished I asked him if he could help me, explaining that I wanted to get a gift for Christmas that would improve gaming experience. We were stood right by the console section with gaming chairs in front of the Xbox 360 and PS3 demo pods – I asked the sales assistant if I could get one for the PC. “These chairs are only for the Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii; you can’t get them for the PC. If you see the techy guys, they’ll be better as I am more a console man myself,” he said, pointing me in the direction of the tech counter.

28 PCR February

Three customers were stood in front of me, all with laptop problems. I waited for ten minutes before I reached the desk. I explained my plight again. “That’s more for the sales guys,” I was told by the assistant. I said that the sales person had sent me there. “Oh, well we do have PC gaming accessories over there,” she said, pointing to three one metre bays.

In front of me were headsets, gaming pads, flight simulation controls, gaming wheels and joysticks. Left to my own devices, I browsed the plethora of gaming accessories. One of the bays was dedicated to Steel Series, where there were five different types of headsets ranging from £29.99 for

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RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER

Turn the page for more Mystery Shopper results

>>>

CURRYS LOCATING the gaming peripherals section proved to be harder than I expected, so I sought help from a friendly sales person. He showed me to the relevant aisle displaying PC headsets, webcams, joysticks, keyboards and mice. I informed him of my quest and he was more than happy to help. “We have Xbox 360 controllers that can be used for PCs through a USB that I can show you.” I asked for advice on headsets and was informed that Logitech was the best. He picked up the Logitech PC Headset

“Compared to PC World, the product range was smaller, yet the overall service was friendlier, with recommendations given”

the Steel Series E3136 to £69.99 for the Full Size USB Headset.

The variety of options available from Logitech to Microsoft began to confuse me, so I asked for help. I found a staff member and told him what I wanted, and that I would appreciate it if he could recommend something for me.

He walked over to the bay with me and went straight for the Steel Series Full Size USB Gaming Headset. “This is the best one we have for the PC. Steel Series creates products just for PC gaming, so the quality is excellent and there is a soundcard which creates a virtual surround sound 7.1.” I asked him if there was any literature I could

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have, but he informed me that it was best to take it from the website.

I thanked him for his time and began to read the box. It said the headset ensured soundscape, specification and comfort for long gaming sessions.

There was a separate microphone for MP3 players that creates virtual surround sound 7.1.

PC World had a great variety of PC gaming peripherals, but the customer service was a letdown. The store prides itself on being an expert, but SCORE without persistence to get an answer, I would have left none the wiser.

6/10

120 priced £9.99, which was half price and the Logitech 980445-0914 Premium Clearchat Notebook Headset priced at £39.99. He then showed me the consoles and pointed out the Xbox 360 official wired controller priced £24.99. “The back of the game will tell you if it’s compatible. Unfortunately, we don’t have Call of Duty on PC so I can’t check for you, but PC World may if you want it today.”

I asked if there was any information I could have and he printed off some online specs. Upon reading them, I realised the expensive handset was designed specifically for notebook users, while the cheaper headset was ideal for multi-player gaming. Both had noise-cancelling microphones and behind the head design.

Compared to PC World, the product range was SCORE smaller, yet the overall service was friendlier, with recommendations given.

7/10

February PCR 29

RETAIL FOCUS MYSTERY SHOPPER This Mystery Shop was conducted by infinite Field Marketing Solutions, a leading provider of field marketing services to the technology sector.

The solutions provided include Training, Market Research, Mystery Shopping, Demonstration Days, Roadshows, Merchandising and Compliance & Data Capture.

Visit our website for details and to request a Case Study.

COMET

COMPUTER PLUS

CURRYS DIGITAL

PC PERIPHERALS were quite easily located in this store. After browsing the range for five minutes I looked for assistance and found two staff members talking about point of sale. I politely interrupted and asked for help. “Give me five minutes, wait until someone is free to help and I will send them right over to you,” came the abrupt answer. Minutes later, the same man approached me. “I’ve asked and the wireless headsets are probably best, but they all pretty much do the same. If it’s for long periods of use, the padded ones might be more comfortable.”

He picked two models: the HP Premium Stereo Headset priced £29.99 and the Deluxe Multi-Media LH-758 priced £6.99. I asked why one was far cheaper than the other. “That’s a good question,” he said, and disappeared. When he returned, he said the more expensive one was better for gaming as it had better volume control and bass, which is ideal for explosions.

I asked for some literature and he told me that it was best to go on the Comet website, before he promptly left me to jot down the ticket information.

The customer service was not what I expected, the store wasn’t busy, and to be told to wait by the same person who eventually served me was very odd. A recommendation was made, SCORE but it required a third party to answer and confidence in the decision was not evident.

THIS STORE was situated on Liverpool docklands on Brunswick Business Park, with a large, free car park for customers.

A big glass cabinet with PC gaming headsets on dummy heads was displayed inside the doorway. A price list detailed the product models: the Trust MC-1200 High Sensitive Desktop Goose-Neck Microphone, £5.69; Dynamode HD-66USB Headset with Microphone priced £14.95 and a Trust USB Headset HS-4200 High Quality with detachable Mic, £24.73.

As I browsed the products, a salesman on the phone shouted across: “I won’t be long.” When he had finished I told him what I was after. “This store caters more for businesses and professionals, but if you can tell me exactly what you want we can order it in for you,” he said.

I asked for some advice on gaming for the PC, but unfortunately I was told that he was not a great gamer and he didn’t know.

He did give me a leaflet with all of the prices of the items they sold from mice, hard drives, keyboards, modems, software, digital cameras and webcams.

This was disappointing as there was nothing geared SCORE towards gaming and not much advice on the topic given either.

AS I APPROACHED the Currys Digital store in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, I was met by a collage of posters in the window, advertising deals. I found the PC peripherals easily and was approached by a staff member within five minutes of beginning my search.

I explained my requirements to the sales assistant and was told that a wired mouse was what I needed.

“You need a quick response when playing games and wireless ones take just a bit longer sometimes.” He also said that I should be aiming for at least 32 dots per square inch for accuracy as he passed me the Microsoft Optical 1000 Mouse, priced at £16.99.

He pointed out more gear and said: “This Logitech 980445-0914 Premium Clearchat Notebook Headset priced £37.99 is the best headset we have for gaming, but the cheaper Logitech Clearchat Comfort may be better depending on whether you want padded ear pieces.”

I asked for some literature to take home with me and was told they had none left in store, but if I visited the website I would be able to find all of the information I needed. I thanked him for his time and left the store.

This was not the largest product range I had seen, but SCORE nontheless, it was the most confident and interesting recommendation I received.

4/10

5/10

4/10

[SUMMARY] IN TERMS of staff knowledge, PC gaming seemed to be lagging behind the more common consoles. New headsets were a preferred choice in many stores, but there seemed to be little reasoning behind

February PCR 30

the recommendations, given the multitude of options available.

I suspect on a different day the results would have differed greatly. The product range in PC World was

unmatched, but the staff input did little to make a convincing sale. In complete contrast, Currys Digital had a smaller range but a much more assured sales person with genuine interest and enthusiasm.

www.pcr–online.biz

The Finalists FRONTLINE

VENDOR

SALES TEAM EntaTech Realtime VIP Computers Gem Avnet Ingram Micro

INDEPENDENT RETAILER Anglian Internet Utopia Computers Imagitec Jennings Computer Services YoYoTech

SOFTWARE PUBLISHER

MARKETING AND PR Gem Creative Computer 2000 EntaTech Koch Media Ingram Micro VIP Computers Interactive Ideas

RETAIL CHAIN Tesco John Lewis Comet Staples PC World

HARDWARE MANUFACTURER

STORE MANAGER Graeme Clarke, Kustom PCs Malcolm Davidson, Jennings Computer Services Neil Stewart, CCL Computers George Nicola, Tiptree Computers Darren Falkner, Falcon Computers

ONLINE RETAILER Amazon Overclockers UK Dabs.com Novatech Play.com Firebox

SPECIALIST DISTRIBUTOR Interactive Ideas Meroncourt CCI Distribution M2M Direct Varlink Target Components

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Hardware PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the hardware market

P 37

GRAPHICS CARDS The graphics card is seen by many as a primary component for a high performance gaming rig

P 42

REALTIME STRATEGY Product manager Mark Holdich tells us about Realtime’s partnership with Xigmatec and what it will bring

P 47

DISPLAYS

Š Copyright VIP Computer Centre Limited. 2010.

Information correct at time of publication E&OE

An analysis of the increasingly diverse display market plus a selection of the latest products

The MS236H also works as a secondary notebook screen

ASUS MS236H 23� Widescreen TFT Monitor p 6MUSB TMJN NN QSPÙMF p 6 OJRVF SJOH TUBOE EFTJHO XJUI "464 FYDMVTJWF &SHP 'JU UFDIOPMPHZ p ' VMM )% Q Y SFTPMVUJPO )%.* DPOOFDUJPO p "464 TNBSU DPOUSBTU SBUJP UFDIOPMPHZ p NT SFTQPOTF UJNF

BU ÙSTU TJHIU

VMUSB TMJN EJHJUBM BSU

VIP Order Code: 102155 Call for Pricing

Sales: 0871 622 7500 www.vip-computers.com/uk

CONTACTS

HARDWARE GRAPHICS CARDS

Bluepoint: 0844 571 8001 EntaTech: 0333 101 1000 Realtime Distribution: 01480 435881

[

Target Components: 01977 739 295

POINT OF VIEW GEFORCE GTS 250 SRP: £104.99

]

Based on a 55nm architecture, this device includes 128 shader cores operating at a clock speed of 738MHz, supported by either 512MB or 1024MB of DDR3 memory. It includes support for CUDA and PhysX, as well as offering Nvidia Hybrid Power, which allows the option of switching to onboard graphics to reduce power consumption

VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500 Westcoast: 0118 912 6260

Distributor: EntaTech

Picture perfect Graphics cards remain one of the most popular and defining components that the PC market has to offer – but are they just for gamers? Matt Grainger looks at a few of the latest products available and talks to some industry figures about who’s buying the devices and what 2010 has in store…

“A good graphics card can easily allow gamers to feel the rush of an exhilarating game and to fully enjoy the gameplay” Iain Bristow, Asus

www.pcr-online.biz

THE LAST six months have seen some interesting developments within the graphics sector. Firstly, the release of Windows 7 along with the DirectX 11 accompaniment has made it significantly easier to program in effects like tessellation and multiple light sources. Meanwhile, the success of the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar has raised speculation that consumers may be more ready to accept 3D display technology than ever before.

The fact that vendors are embracing these new developments shows that graphics cards remain one of the key components for a gaming PC and as a result many consumers are willing to part with a little extra cash as they feel that the performance increase is worth the expense.

“Graphics cards are the soul of gaming PCs, as they are directly related

to the gaming experience,” observes Asus’ technical PR and component product marketing specialist, Iain Bristow. “A good graphics card can easily allow gamers to feel the rush of an exhilarating game and to fully enjoy the gameplay, even at high resolutions and quality settings.”

The importance of good graphics support is not limited to improved resolution and quality, as M2M Direct sales and marketing manager Hitesh Kothary points out: “There is now a whole host of more complex and subtle technologies that are critical to maximising the gaming experience.”

Realtime’s marketing manager, Roland Eva, highlights an additional use for graphics technology – multiple monitor support. “The top graphics cards enable users to expand their games across three screens, giving them

a peripheral view that makes the gameplay more interactive and offers online gamers an edge over the competition,” he says.

The introduction of DirectX 11 is likely to be the new development that is most noticeable to end users. Although at the time of writing there are few compatible devices on the market – ATi’s Radeon HD 5800 and 5900 series, and Nvidia previewing the as-yet unreleased GeForce GF100 at last month’s CES – as Windows 7 becomes more widely used, so will DX11. The next generation is arriving now, and as Kothary says: “It is the single most important development in the graphics card market in the last few years.”

Sapphire’s global PR director, Bill Donnelly, adds: “From DX9 to DX10, there wasn’t a huge difference – there were

>>>

February PCR 37

HARDWARE GRAPHICS CARDS

[

[

EVGA GEFORCE GT 240 SRP: £99.99

]

[

ZOTAC GEFORCE GTX 285 SRP: £280

]

The GT 240 offers relatively good performance for an entry level card, with a 550MHz GPU that features 96 processing cores and 512MB of dedicated 128bit memory. The card can offer resolutions of 2560 x 1600 and is DirectX 10.1 compatible

The GTX 285 offers 240 stream processors with a core clock speed of 702MHz, supported by a gigabyte of dedicated DDR3 RAM and a 512MB memory interface. It supports CUDA, PhysX, Stereoscopic 3D display and includes PureVideo DVD decoders

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributor: Realtime Distribution

POINT OF VIEW GEFORCE GT 220 SRP: £58

]

[

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON HD 5850 SRP: £220

]

[

POWERCOLOR RADEON HD 5870 SRP: £330

]

This entry-level device is built on a 40nm 625MHz processor core, which is supported by a gigabyte of DDR2 or SDDR3 memory. It also supports CUDA, PhysX, DirectX 10.1 and includes PureVideo HD

Part of the highly successful Radeon 5800 series, the 5850 is DirectX 11 compatible, supports DirectCompute, OpenGL and ATI Eyefinity technology, and utilises a gigabyte of advanced GDDR5 memory to support the effective clock speed of 4350MHz

Described by reviewers as ‘blisteringly fast’ this device carries an impressive 1600 processor cores operating at a core clock speed of 850MHz. Like the other 5800 series cards, this device includes DirectX 11 support with DirectCompute

Distributor: EntaTech

Distributor: Bluepoint, Realtime Distribution

Distributor: Target Components

>>>

some programming differences and things like that – but DX11 actually allows programmers to do some things that they’ve never been able to do before.

“You can have interaction between transparent objects, you can do many more light sources, and tessellation is supported as part of the DX11 programming, instead of having to write it especially for the card. What this means is that things like on-screen water, fire, swords, glass and ice look much more convincing and that increases people’s gameplay and immersion.”

38 PCR February

DX11 also provides software support for dividing processing tasks between the CPU and the graphics card. As the technology progresses, the demand for processing power will grow, making the burgeoning general purpose GPU (GPGPU) an important development in PC architecture.

“If the possibilities for parallel processing are not explored, performance could become bottlenecked,” says Target Components’ product manager, Glen Rhodes. “Intel certainly thinks so too, with the new Core i3 and i5 Clarkdale

processors coming with integrated graphics in the CPU.” A surprise development in the mainstream of graphical technology is the reignition of interest in 3D display, which has hovered on the periphery of the market for some years now, but may be seeing a golden opportunity, courtesy of the 3D film Avatar.

EntaTech’s product specialist, Richard Dolman, embraces the new interest in 3D display: “More and more companies are implementing 3D display technology into their everyday marketing and corporate messaging, as well as

introducing 3D display hardware. 3D display technology is continually hitting the market. I believe the next step after photo-realism will be the addition of 3D technologies as standard. These will give a greater sense of being involved, instead of just controlling.”

Donnelly, however, is a little more cautious and feels that the technology must mature a bit before wholesale adoption can take place: “There’s been a couple of fairly convincing demonstrations of it, but we’re not quite ready to make it realistic enough and

>>>

www.pcr-online.biz

HARDWARE GRAPHICS CARDS

[

[

ASUS HD 5670 SRP: £94.99

]

[

EVGA GEFORCE GTX 275 SRP: £280

]

[

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON HD5970 SRP: £540

]

Enabled for DirectX 11, the HD 5670’s 775MHz graphics processing unit is supported by a full gigabyte of DDR5 dedicated RAM. Asus says that its exclusive dust-proof fan extends the lifespan of the device by 25 per cent, while the GPU guard doubles the structural strength and reduces the risk of cracking

Described as coming close to the performance of Nvidia’s flagship graphics card, this device uses a 633MHz GPU with 240 processor cores, supported by up to 896MB of dedicated 448 bit DDR3 RAM. It includes support for CUDA and full GPU acceleration for PhysX technology

With twice the processing power of its predecessor, the HD 5870, this graphics card offers an effective overclocked frequency of 4.04GHz, making it one of the most powerful GPUs on the market today. The Radeon HD 5970 is also one of the only cards on the market to fully support DirectX 11 and DirectCompute shared processing

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Westcoast

Distributor: Realtime Distribution, Bluepoint

PNY NVIDIA QUADRO FX 570 SRP: £149.99

]

[

GIGABYTE SUPER OVER CLOCK GTX 275 SRP: £225

]

[

PNY NVIDIA QUADRO FX 1700 SRP: £349.99

With two dual-link DVI connectors, the FX 570 is capable of offering high quality display at a resolution of up to 2560 x 1600 with a 60Hz refresh rate. The 400MHz processor is supported by a 256MB GDDR2 frame buffer and includes support for OpenGL and DirectX ten applications

Gigabyte says that its super over-clocked version of the GTX 275 offers nine per cent better performance than the generic GTX 275, and three per cent higher performance than generic GTX 285’s as well. The device features 240 stream processors supported by 1792MB GDDR3 integrated memory

Designed for more business-oriented tasks such as CAD and DCC design software, the FX 1700 carries a 460MHz clock speed chip with 512MB of DDR2 dedicated SDRAM. Its support for CUDA parallel processing enables it to offer a balance between price and performance

Distributor: Bluepoint

Distributor: Target Components

Distributor: Bluepoint

>>>

immersive enough, I don’t think. It could come in the future but it’s early days. There are always early adopters of any technology, but we haven’t seen much interest from the hardcore yet,” he says.

A core issue at the heart of graphics technology is the widespread popularity of mobile PCs among end users.

According to analysts, sales of laptops and netbooks have steadily outstripped desktop sales in the last two years, raising the possibility that the future of discrete graphics card may be dependent on a shrinking segment.

40 PCR February

However, these figures do not account for sales of individual components and as such overlook the upgrade market.

“As long as there is a demand for desktop PCs, bespoke systems and the local system integrator then there is a future for discrete graphic cards, as we are a nation that loves to upgrade and tweak,” states Rhodes.

Kothary agrees with this assertion: “Desktop sales may be in decline outside of the enthusiast market, but there will continue to be a thriving upgrade market and also a home entry-level market for households that want a

traditional PC with better graphics. This requirement will need monitoring but the short to medium term should still be positive for discrete graphics.”

Bristow suggests that the GPGPU sector may be the future for graphics cards, as the wider consumer market for PCs has meant that for many people the emphasis is not on gaming.

“Without a doubt there is a bright future for mainstream and value segment graphics cards and the reason is the GPGPU trend,” he says.

“Discrete GPUs can effortlessly outperform IGPs and CPUs in terms

]

of high-resolution playback, transcoding, video editing and many other multimedia-related tasks.

Therefore, despite the fact that desktop sales have decreased, the total available market of discrete graphics cards is actually increasing.”

Donnelly believes the changing use of display technology is key to keeping the sector buoyant: “For the last few years, it has been games that have driven technology because we wanted better graphics and faster frame rates, but I think in future it’ll be other applications that drive the development.”

www.pcr-online.biz

HARDWARE INTERVIEW Realtime product manager Mark Holdich believes the partnership with Xigmatec will prove beneficial for all involved

Realtime strategy Realtime Distribution’s partnership with Xigmatec has seen the firm significantly expand its portfolio.

Matt Grainger talks to product manager Mark Holdich about the alliance and the future of the sector…

“Xigmatec invests heavily in research and development, and always looks at bringing out high quality products at competitive prices” Mark Holdich, Realtime

42 PCR February

UK DISTRIBUTOR Realtime is currently looking to expand its exclusive partnership with Taiwanese vendor Xigmatec, following the success of its consumer-focused coolers and cases.

The partnership was initiated in June and immediately saw the introduction of a number of cooling solutions, such as the Apache and the flagship Thors Hammer, into the UK market. Since then, Realtime has also taken on Xigmatec’s range of PC enthusiast cases, including the Midgard and the acclaimed entry-level Asgard, plus it has just added the power supply unit series.

Realtime’s product manager, Mark Holdich, says: “Unlike some of its rivals, Xigmatec prides itself on developing products that are needed by consumers and working from a marketing perspective, instead of solely wanting to bring out new products. It invests heavily in research and development, and always looks at bringing out high quality products at competitive prices.”

The Asgard PC case is a good example of the type of marketing-led device that Holdich talks about. It offers simple functionality, including tool-less installation for both 5.25 and 3.5-inch hard drive bays, dust filtered intakes, pre-installed fans and a cooler plate access window at a highly competitive price point.

It should come as no surprise then that the Asgard and Midgard have both been in considerable demand from consumers, with a great deal of interest being generated around the Utgard case, which launched at the end of January and can be viewed in our Gaming Hardware feature (see page 53).

Realtime is confident that this new offering will build on the success of its predecessors and help to push the Xigmatec brand further in to the UK market.

“Demand has been very good, especially on the two cases that were launched last year – the Asgard and Midgard,” continues Holdich. “There

is already a lot of interest in the new Utgard case which launched at the end of January and in the PSUs that will be coming into stock shortly.

“The increased brand awareness will increase sales across the whole of its portfolio.”

Realtime is confident that its partnership with Xigmatec will prove to be beneficial for both parties and is committed to bringing its range to the UK consumer. Its marketing-led style of design means that Realtime’s retail partners should find sales much easier.

“Having exclusive distributorship in the UK means that we can focus on the Xigmatec brand, and through cooperation with Xigmatec itself, we aim to increase the awareness and market share of the brand in the UK,” concludes Holdich. “Once the end users become more educated about the brand – what it represents and the quality of its products – we feel that Xigmatec can go from strength to strength.”

www.pcr-online.biz

Smash the competition!

The Logitech速 gaming range enables users to smash the competition thanks to their wide range of high-performance, durable and authentic peripherals.

Available from Gem

The Logitech® gaming range enables users to smash the competition thanks to their wide range of high-performance, durable and authentic peripherals.

Whether it be gaining a tactical advantage using the pixel-precise laser mice and racing wheels, or unleashing your inner rock star with the wireless guitars, drums and microphones, the Logitech gaming range has something for every gamer

WIRELESS DRUM CONTROLLER • Features fully adjustable drum heads and cymbals that can be positioned to suit the user’s style and reach • Ensuring faster and more accurate gameplay • Gamers get a more realistic experience • The quiet and responsive drum heads won’t distract from the music • Available and licensed for the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360

PS3 939-000185 | SRP £179 Wii 939-000243 | SRP £179 Xbox 360 939-000197 | SRP £179

VANTAGE USB MICROPHONE • The Logitech Vantage USB Microphone will maximise your voice power and display your talent • Designed for singing games • This high performance and reliable microphone accurately reproduces the sound of your voice • The 4.5m cable ensures users have the freedom to perform • Available for the Wii and Xbox 360

Wii 981-000066 | SRP £19.99 Xbox 360 981-000065 | SRP £19.99

WIRELESS GUITAR CONTROLLER

G27 RACING WHEEL

• Made from authentic materials, with

• The Logitech G27 Racing Wheel features

solid body, wood neck, metal frets and

simulator-grade force feedback effects,

rosewood fingerboard providing a

six-speed shifter and 900 degree

realistic experience

wheel rotation

• Features a touch sensitive neck slider and

• Users will enjoy a smooth and

star power button

accurate driving experience

• The virtually silent strum bar and fret

• Wrapped in real leather to keep

buttons won’t distract from the music

hands comfortable

• Range of up to 30 ft

• The steel pedals deliver precise throttle, braking and shifting control

PS3 939-000129 | SRP £179

to heighten realism

Wii 939-000153 | SRP £179

• Designed to deliver a definitive racing

Xbox 360 939-000151 | SRP £179

experience for the PC, PS3 and PS2.

941-000047 | SRP £329.00

G19 KEYBOARD • The Logitech G19 keyboard for gaming gives users an arsenal of advanced gaming technology.

• A colour GamePanel™ LCD displays game stats, system information, VOIP communication data, video playback, image slideshows and many other items, without leaving the game.

• Twelve programmable G-keys with three

MX518 OPTICAL GAMING MOUSE • 1800 dpi optical engine for precision gaming • Delivers precision targeting and pinpoint accuracy • Sculpted comfort grip that helps reduce strain • Polytetrafluoroethylene feet glide smoothly across almost any surface • In-game sensitivity switching lets users

G9X LASER MOUSE • The Logitech G9x Laser mouse is built with advanced customisation technology to tune performance • Improves your gaming performance with an incredible 5700dpi gaming-grade laser sensor, full-speed USB and onboard memory profiles • Includes an onboard memory to program up to five ready-to-play profiles • Weight tuning and a dual-mode scroll

macros per key provide space to program

easily control cursor speed and

36 single keypresses or complex macros

responsiveness without ever having to

wheel to give the user personalised

interrupt play

comfort and control.

• Two high-speed, powered USB 2.0 ports give you the ability to transfer data to and from peripherals while providing power to

• Eight programmable buttons provide added control and efficiency

910-001153 | SRP £89.99

charge battery-powered devices.

• Multi-key input allows you to use up to five

910-000616 | SRP £34.99

Interchangeable grips also available

keys at once to perform multiple

Crackle 939-000190 SRP £12.99

complex actions.

Skull 939-000192 SRP £12.99 Swircle 939-000191 SRP £12.99

920-000978 | SRP £149.99

G500 GAMING MOUSE • The Logitech Gaming Mouse G500 delivers game-changing precision at any hand speed • Features a gaming-grade laser engine • On-the-fly adjustable dpi gives gamers the most accurate level of precision • Full speed USB also ensures that the G500 mouse is smooth and responsive • Weight tuning lets the user personalise their feel and control

910-001262 | SRP £59.99

For more information on the products mentioned, and to order today, contact Gem on 01279 822822 or go online at ww.gem.co.uk/logitech

HARDWARE DISPLAYS

CONTACTS CCI Distribution: 01423 704700 Computer 2000: 0871 880 3333 Micro-P: 01282 680060 Midwich: 01379 649200 Misco: 0800 038 8880 Spire Technology: 01202 828444 VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500

[

HannsG HP222DGB Distributor: Misco SRP: £139

]

This 22-inch display is part of HannsG’s recently launched ‘hard glass’ range, designed to withstand more wear and tear. It features a tough acrylic screen surface to shield the underlying sensitive panel, a five-millisecond response time and a 1680 x 1050 resolution

[

Samsung Lapfit LD190G Distributor: Micro-P SRP: £148.05

]

Samsung’s LD displays all feature high-gloss black finishes and work as secondary displays for laptops. The 18.5-inch LD190G has a five-millisecond response time and a 1360 x 768 resolution. Also available in a 21.5-inch version – the LD220

Monitoring progress LCD, LED, multi-touch, 3D – technology in the display sector moves so rapidly and caters to many different markets. Nicky Trup spoke to those in the know about some of the latest trends and the benefits of stocking displays…

“The market for laptops and netbooks will continue to grow, but I do not think it will kill off the display market” Lee Baker, Midwich

www.pcr-online.biz

BACK IN the days of chunky PC monitors that took up half the desk, it was hard to imagine that we would soon be using flat screen displays less than an inch thick. But here we are, with each vendor bringing out new models that are slimmer and slicker than the last.

Naturally, with portable PC ownership becoming more and more widespread, in some respects the market for monitors has shrunk, but a turnaround could be on the horizon.

Mark Lynch, product manager for displays at VIP, says demand is smaller than five to ten years ago, but believes this may not be the case for long.

“I predict that will change in the consumer market in the next couple of years. We are seeing a big trend in the movement to video content from

YouTube to iPlayer, and people don’t want to watch on small screens so monitors are ideal for that,” he claims.

Midwich’s business manager, Lee Baker, adds: “The market for laptops and netbooks will continue to grow, but I do not think it will kill off the display market – most of the displays we sell are for specific applications where a laptop would just not do the job. They are great for surfing the web. but small and basic in terms of resolution and connectivity.”

In some respects, the growing number of notebook owners is an additional customer base for displays.

“Many people connect their laptops to a second monitor for increased productivity,” points out Chris Parker, the marketing manager at Spire. In this sense, displays can be notebook addons like keyboards and other

peripherals, designed to make using portable devices at home more like using a desktop PC. Kelly Coxon, the purchasing manager at Target, offers: “I believe there will still be a demand for monitors, particularly in the business sector. Employees will continue to have a work station, but as I have seen with friends and colleagues, they will be issued with additional laptops or netbooks.”

Gamers are another key market for the display sector, as they are notoriously big spenders on hardware.

“Gamers require larger size monitors with quicker response rates and great contrast ratios,” says Lynch, adding that the natural technological progression for the monitor market – particularly in the gaming world – is towards 3D.

>>>

February PCR 47

HARDWARE DISPLAYS

[

[

Acer T230H Distributor: Micro-P SRP: £306.00

] [

The T230H is Acer’s first touchactivated display, sporting a 23inch widescreen and adjustable height options. The monitor has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and can take VGA, DVI and HDMI input

Xerox XM3 Distributor: Spire Technology SRP: £128

]

AG Neovo E19 Distributor: Midwich SRP: £243

The E19 sports a 19-inch screen and AG Neovo’s hard glass ‘NeoV’ technology. This TFT monitor also features built-in speakers, a headphone jack and DVI input for added connectivity

This 22-inch widescreen TFT features multiple signal input, allowing simultaneous connection of a PC and another source such as a DVD, games console or a second PC. It has integrated speakers and a five-millisecond response time

>>>

The technology was all the rage at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, with all the major vendors showcasing 3Denabled HDTVs and Blue-ray players.

LG also announced its W2363D monitor, which can display 3D images from games and movies.

“The gaming market is leading the demand for 3D screens,” says Cheryl Wheeler, the AV and display product manager at Micro-P. Grant Keenan, Computer 2000’s business manager for monitors and home entertainment, adds that the technology will not just be revolutionary for gamers: “3D will have a big impact on the gaming,

48 PCR February

] [

[

Iiyama ProLite T1730SR-2 Distributor: Computer 2000 SRP: £349 This 17-inch display takes both analogue and digital inputs, with touchscreen connectivity via USB or RS-232. The adjustable stand can tilt to 90 degrees

LG W2286L 22-Inch LCD Monitor Distributor: CCI Distribution SRP: £299.99

] [

This compact display has apparently the world’s slimmest design, with a 20mm depth. Also featuring a glossy black surface and unusual stand, it has two HDMI inputs, and is, according to the vendor, 50 per cent energy saving

entertainment and digital signage markets. It will be a big opportunity, as the first arrivals will carry a high premium

] [

]

This HD 24-inch display features a 1920 x 1080 resolution and HDMI input. Asus Smart Contrast Ratio Technology automatically adjusts the luminance of the backlight for better displays

LG W2261VP 22-Inch LCD Monitor Distributor: CCI Distribution SRP: £168.00

]

The W2261VP has full HD capability with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. According to the vendor it has a two-millisecond response time that removes virtually all traces of ghosting, blurring or tearing.

Input is via D-sub, DVI-D or HDMI

“Touchscreen is certainly a technology to watch in 2010. With built-in support from Windows 7 and

“3D will have a big impact on gaming, entertainment and digital signage markets. It’ll be a big opportunity, as first arrivals will carry a high premium and gadget addicts will simply have to have them” Grant Keenan, Computer 2000 and gadget addicts will simply have to have them as soon as they can.”

Another key trend for the year ahead is touch capability. With the eagerly anticipated launch of Windows 7 last autumn came a renewed demand for compatible touch-enabled machines – be that notebooks, tablets or all-in-ones.

Asus VW246H Distributor: VIP Computers SRP: £234.99

large numbers of users now familiar with this input style, the move to incorporate this in mainstream monitors is a natural progression,” explains Cliff Cheetham, business development manager at CCI. Wheeler describes the touchscreen revolution as ‘the iTouch effect.’ Since

the launch of the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, the technology has undoubtedly infiltrated the majority of consumer electronics sectors. Keenan, however, remains sceptical. He says: “Touch is a major trend, but how much of an impact it has depends on how quickly users take to it, and that may depend on how much apps and games make use of multi-touch capabilities. It will probably grow steadily and become a pretty standard feature in time – for now though, it’s something different to sell and a decent opportunity.”

In line with the general trend towards eco-friendliness, LED is tipped to be the next big thing in the display sector.

www.pcr-online.biz

Cases p CPUs p Displays p Flash Memory p Hard Drives p Networking p Notebooks p Peripherals p Software p Video Cards

Graphics Cards for Gorgeous Graphics & Crisp Photo Editing Palit NVIDIAÂŽ GeForceÂŽ 210 Graphics Card s 0% ''5 PHPRU\ 0+]

s 19,',$Ž 3XUH9LGHRŽ +' WHFKQRORJ\ s :LWK ORZ SURÛOH s 1DWLYH +'0, RQERDUG s *UDSKLFV 3OXV &8'$w

VIP Order Code: 102069

Call for latest pricing

Palit NVIDIAÂŽ GeForceÂŽ GT 220 Graphics Card

Palit NVIDIAÂŽ GeForceÂŽ GT 240 Sonic Graphics Card

s *% ''5 PHPRU\ 0+]

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VIP Order Code: 101837

Call for latest pricing

VIP Order Code: 101913

Call for latest pricing

Sales: 0871 622 7500 www.vip-computers.com/uk Š Copyright VIP Computer Centre Limited. 2010. Information correct at time of publication E&OE

HARDWARE DISPLAYS

[

Xerox XM7 Distributor: Spire Technology SRP: £198

]

The XM7 has a hard glass front to protect the 22-inch, 1680 x 1050 LCD screen.

The display has an integrated power design in order to hide the power supply. Also features inbuilt speakers and DVI input

[

AOC F22S Distributor: Spire Technology SRP: £125

]

AOC’s 22-inch display includes a small folding base with a navigation ring integrated into the frame for easy adjustment.

It has a smooth piano black finish and both DVI with HDCP and analog inputs, meaning it can be hooked up to a PC or video player

dŚĞ ĞŶĞĮƚƐ ŽĨ W /ŶĚŝĞ ͗ ĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ ĨƵůů ƉŽƌƞŽůŝŽ ǀĂŝůĂďůĞ Ϯϰ ŚŽƵƌƐ Ă ĚĂLJ ǁŚĞŶ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ŝƚ

[

Asus VW193D-B Distributor: VIP Computers SRP: £109

]

This 19-inch LCD monitor features hotkey controls for the on-screen display and five video modes designed for scenery, theatre, gaming, night view, and standard images. The display comes with a wallmount included, and the angle can be adjusted to suit the user

&ƌĞĞ ŽĨ ĐŚĂƌŐĞ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ƚŽ LJŽƵ ŝƌĞĐƚ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ƐŚŝƉŵĞŶƚƐ * WŽŝŶƚ ŽĨ ^ĂůĞ ŽǁŶůŽĂĚĂďůĞ ĂƐƐĞƚƐ ĂƐLJ ƚŽ ŶĂǀŝŐĂƚĞ WĂLJŵĞŶƚ ďLJ ĐĂƌĚ Žƌ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ

>>>

Martin Kent, HANNspree UK’s territory manager for the UK and Northern Europe, says: “Environmentally friendly displays are a clear market trend, with low power consumption and less hazardous, recyclable materials. LED technology helps to reduce the overall thickness of a monitor – translating into better looking, slimmer designs.”

According to some distributors, LED displays’ high price point prevented them from being serious competition for LCDs. But, generally, are there margins to be earned in monitors? Cliff Cheetham, business development manager at CCI Distribution, thinks not: “Unless you’re providing a value-add

with the unit, the margin is minimal.

Monitors take up room, are expensive to move around and provide a fairly low margin to square metre equation for all.”

Kent believes there are both positives and negatives to decreasing prices. “This is an issue that not only affects the display industry, but the IT and CE sector too. On the other hand, lowering prices has made hardware more affordable for the consumer and what was deemed a hardcore IT product is now a mass consumer commodity.”

Midwich’s Lee Baker claims it’s not all doom on the margin front: “The size split of the display market shows growth in the share of larger margin-rich formats, while there’s been a cut in the smaller sizes.”

DƵůƟ ƵƐĞƌ >ŝĐĞŶƐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ Ždž ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ

Log onto PC Indie.com or call Veronica on

0870 027 6519 Ƶŝůƚ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵ͘​͘​͘ ƚŚĞ ^ŽŌǁĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚ * a nominal charge of £4 is charged for direct to customer shipments

www.pcr-online.biz

CONTACTS C&J Computers: 020 8838 2568

HARDWARE GAMING

EntaTech: 0333 101 1000 Gem Distribution: 01279 822 822 Ingram Micro: 0871 973 3000 M2M Direct: 020 8676 3030 Meroncourt: 01462 680060 Realtime Distribution: 01480 435881 Spire Technology: 01202 828444 Target Components: 01977 739 295 VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500

Hardcore gamers represent lots of addon sales opportunities in areas such as body kits and flourescent back-lighting

Upping your game Although graphics cards and peripherals are considered vital components for gaming PCs, there is a wide range of other products that can also boost a gamer’s rig. Higher-end products, whether an efficient PSU or a fluorescent case, all hold an appeal for the committed PC gaming enthusiast. Matt Grainger takes a look at what else is available‌

>>>

www.pcr-online.biz

February PCR 53

HARDWARE GAMING

>>> COOLING A good cooling solution is essential for a gaming PC as some of the newer titles can push a system to its limits. Top-end components all produce large volumes of heat at peak capacity. If that system has also been overclocked, cooling is vital to prevent the PC from overheating, which can potentially cause catastrophic damage to components.

[

LOGITECH SPEAKER LAPDESK N700 SRP: £69.99

] [

The N700 is an all-in-one laptop accessory that includes integrated twoinch high-performance stereo speakers, a built-in fan and a padded base. Designed to be used anywhere, the device utilises mounting clips to make sure that the laptop does not obstruct the speakers or airflow, and a heat-shielded design keeps heat away from the user’s lap

THERMALTAKE ISGC-200 CPU COOLER SRP: £39.99

] [

XIGMATEK THORS HAMMER SRP: £41.00

Designed to be used with AMD’s K8 family of processors, the ISGC-200 features two sawblade heatsink stacks with three 6mm copper heatpipes running through. The fan itself sits between the two stacks, pulling air in over one and blowing it out over the other

Designed for the Core i7, Thors Hammer is the world’s first sevenheatpipe cooler, with a double layer HDT heatsink, featuring a primary layer of four 8mm pipes and a secondary layer of three 6mm pipes.

The dual fin combination offers efficient airflow and the entire device is plated in black nickel

Distributor: VIP Computers

Distributor: Realtime Distribution

][

]

COOLIT ECO ALC SRP: £74.99

The Eco Advanced Liquid Cooling system is designed for enthusiasts who want the benefits of liquid cooling without the perils of mixing water and electricity. The sealed system channels heat directly away from the CPU and out through external vents Distributor: Realtime Distribution

Distributor: VIP Computers

CASES AND KIT A useful but often overlooked aspect of a gaming PC is the casing. A good case will provide additional space for customisation and ventilation, as well as adding a certain amount of visual flair to a PC. This can be a subtle addition like mesh filter panels on the side or more bold statements like pulsating neon lights emanating from the fan mounts.

[

THERMALTAKE ELEMENT V SRP: £134.99

]

[

XIGMATEK UTGARD SRP: £TBC

]

This device was the first tower case in the Element series and incorporates a number of different features within its design. It carries six hard drive bays with screwless fastening mechanisms, and unused bays have covers with dust filters. It also features integrated fan speed and fan colour controls for full customisation

This case from Xigmatek features an all mesh design on the front panel, a pre-installed 170mm top fan and a set of pre-installed 120mm front and rear fans, all of which can be adjusted with a dedicated control system. The three 5.25-inch HDD bays can be adapted to house four 3.5-inch hard disks with screwless fixings

Distributor: VIP Computers, EntaTech

Distributor: Realtime Distrtibution

>>> 54 PCR February

www.pcr-online.biz

Dynamic Hybrid Transformer Topology

EPG 500 / 600 AWT

EMG 500 / 600 / 700 / 800 AWT

© Enermax 2010. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Alle Warenzeichen sind Eigentum der jeweiligen Inhaber. Änderungen ohne vorherige Ankündigung vorbehalten.

Unique technological breakthrough topology using a staged dynamic transformer array for extremely high efficiency providing the most durable and stable output at any load.

STRONG. STABLE. SOLID. 3 powerful and massive 12-Volt-rails Effective and true-silent cooling thanks to the Twister fan Under low load the Twister fan runs at just 350rpm ATX12V v2.3 specification

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HeatGuard: PSU fan continues running after shutdown to prolong the life of components Innovation: “Dynamic Hybrid Transformer Topology” for ultra-high efficiency

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HARDWARE GAMING

>>> CASES AND KITS

[

LAMPTRON CCFL KIT SRP: £6.99

]

While fluorescent back-lighting might not be everyone’s cup of tea, those who have spent a lot of money on the internal components of their PC sometimes like to let it show. This fluorescent lighting kit is easy to install, offers a lifetime of 30,000 hours and comes in a variety of colours including blue, red, green, UV, white, yellow or tricolour Distributor: Meroncourt

[

LAMPTRON FC3 FAN CONTROLLER SRP: £24.99

]

Milled from quarter-inch thick solid aluminium, the FC3 is designed to fit a 5.25-inch HDD bay. It features four 3-pin fan connections and an LED brightness controller with a normal output of 30W per channel. The FC3 is available with a plain aluminium or black anodised finish Distributor: Meroncourt

>>> MOTHERBOARDS The motherboard is possibly the most important part of any PC, not just a gaming rig. A motherboard can make or break a computer as its efficiency will dictate the performance of other potentially more expensive components, like the CPU or graphics card. A good motherboard will provide strong communication between the CPU and memory, for example, shortening the overall process time, or it can provide support for multiple graphics cards working in parallel.

[

ASUS RAMPAGE II EXTREME SRP: £259.99

] [

Designed to work with Intel’s Core i7 processor, the Rampage II Extreme includes SLI and CrossFireX support to allow for the installation of multiple graphics cards and features the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Extreme Engine and a multi-phase power management system. It also includes a number of integrated heatsinks to ensure a properly regulated temperature Distributor: VIP Computers, Spire Technology

www.pcr-online.biz

BIOSTAR TH55 XE SRP: £79.99 The TH55 XE has been designed to work with Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors and includes dual channel DDR3 un-buffered memory and four DIMM slots, supporting up to 16GB. This device also includes a seven phase power design

][

ASUS CROSSHAIR III FORMULA SRP: £139.99

][

ASUS P6X58D PREMIUM SRP: £245

]

Built on AMD’s 790FX chipset, the Crosshair III supports up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM in four slots and dual PCI Express slots with CrossFireX. The device features five SATA II ports and one eSATA, with up to six USB ports and one FireWire port available, and SupremeFX X-Fi is included as standard

Designed for use with a USB 3.0 and a 6Gb per second interface, the P6X58D Premium can carry up to six 4GB RAM modules, with support included for the next generation of 32nm six-core processors, and a 16-phase power delivery circuit for energy stability

Distributor: VIP Computers, Spire Technology

Distributor: VIP Computers, Spire Technology

Distributor: Target Components

>>> February PCR 57

HARDWARE GAMING

>>> MEMORY The hard drive has seen a number of improvements in recent years, chiefly due to reduced costs in the manufacture of solidstate memory, which has allowed digital storage to proliferate to a number of devices other than the PC. Additionally, the growth of capacity has meant that while less than ten years ago a gigabyte of storage was unthinkable, people can now hold over a terabyte of data on their PC.

[

WD VELOCIRAPTOR SRP: £199

]

The successor to the Raptor, the VelociRaptor is a 10,000 RPM drive with a SATA 3Gb/s interface and 16MB cache, making it 35 per cent faster than its predecessor. Available with up to 300GB of storage, this 2.5-inch device is encased in a 3.5-inch housing with inbuilt heatsink Distributor: Ingram Micro

[

CORSAIR 64GB EXTREME SSD SRP: £169.99

]

Combining an Indilinx Barefoot controller, Samsung flash memory, and a generous onboard cache, this device can offer up to 220MB/s sequential read and 175MB/s sequential write speeds. Designed for RAID 0 configurations, this solid state drive offers some of the fastest performance on the market Distributor: EntaTech

[

SANDISK MEMORY STICK MICRO (M2) CARD SRP: £139.99

] [

The SanDisk Memory Stick Micro M2 card doubles the amount of storage space available to PSP Go system users.

The card offers a convenient means of storing downloadable games, movies, TV shows and music. In addition, the card can be used with a Memory Stick PRO Duo reader to easily and quickly transfer media between certain Memory Stick Micro M2 mobile enabled devices and a PC via a USB slot Distributor: Gem Distribution

58 PCR February

G-SKILL RIPJAWS 4GB DIMMDUO SRP: £99.99

]

Optimised for gamers and designed to work with an Intel P55 chipset, the 240pin Ripjaws DIMM carries 4GB of RAM in dual 2GB configuration. The Ripjaws gaming series has been developed to offer reliability and consistently good framerate, while the comb-like heat blades provide additional cooling Distributor: M2M Direct

>>> www.pcr-online.biz

Cases p CPUs p Displays p Flash Memory p Hard Drives p Networking p Notebooks p Peripherals p Software p Video Cards

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HARDWARE GAMING

>>> POWER SUPPLY Although one of the least exciting components in a PC, the PSU remains one of the most important to get right. Too little power will mean that the PC offers poor performance, while too much can short out components. The recent emphasis on green energy has seen a drive to make power supplies more efficient and reliable, which is no bad thing.

[

[

TRUST PW-5500 SRP: ÂŁ39.99

]

The Trust PW-5500 is a 570 Watt power supply suitable for 12 volt ATX systems using an Intel or AMD processor. It features two temperature controlled internal fans for optimal cooling that operate with reduced noise levels of less than 33 decibels

ENERMAX PRO87+ SRP: ÂŁ99.90 Thanks to its revolutionary dynamic hybrid transformer technology, the Enermax Pro87+ is capable of offering peak efficiency of up to 93 per cent at 240 volts. It also uses patented cooling technology and fan control to ensure optimal and silent running Distributor: C&J Computers

Distributor: Ingram Micro

www.pcr-online.biz

February PCR 61

]

External Storage | Home Entertainment | Internal Storage | Solid State Storage Gaming Team Profle eam Dignitas Limited was formed in 2003 and we rapidly grew into an internationally acclaimed professional gaming team. Our success can be attributed to our incredibly talented gamers and our policy of showcasing their abilities at a multitude of events across the globe.

We hope that our stability and success can serve to inspire the foundation of more teams in the future.

Greater competition is usually the last thing you want, but we believe professional gaming has such vast untapped potential that a greater number of rivals would speed-up its development and add value to the sector as a whole.

The most financially secure teams are currently found in South Korea, but because of their tight domestic

T

focus they lack the global profile of Western teams.

Fnatic, Mousesports and Team Dignitas have worldwide recognition, but the current ‘leader of the pack’ is SK Gaming. Their website acts as a community page that draws a vast number of hits each month and informs the views of both serious and casual gamers alike.

The support we receive from our sponsors is pivotal to our success and it is a major source of pride that our professionalism and value is now recognised by many different giants of the gaming world. The list includes Western Digital, Intel, Alienware, LG, Creative, Razer, Big Foot networks, Scan and Electronic Arts.

With these ‘heavyweights’ behind us we anticipate even greater accomplishments from our already successful Call of Duty, Counter Strike, Quake Live, Fifa,

Zaccubus

Raz

DAVID ‘ZACCUBUS’ TREACY is one of the finest competitive gamers the UK has produced and has deservedly earned worldwide recognition. His public profile is testament not just to the multitude of titles he has secured over the years in various games and gaming genres, but his very public portrayal of a truly honest and fiercely competitive gamer that is prepared to make sacrifices in pursuit of his dream.

“I’ve been a Western Digital fan for years. The hardware has always been reliable and with my current 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor hard drive I now have the performance ‘to boot’ (forgive the pun). My confidence in the brand stretches to my external storage, where I backup key files on a My Book.”

World of Warcraft, Trackmania, Team Fortress 2 and Xbox squads. We will also continue our tradition of welcoming new squads in games that we believe have an upcoming competitive future.

Our 2010 business model includes innovative new ideas to diversify our sources of revenue. Fresh site content is planned that will include professional gaming lessons and accurate E-sports rankings. We will also progressively expand our consultancy services throughout the year. Clients regularly tell us of the tremendous contribution we make to their projects, even after one-off associations. These business activities are doubly important because they provide a valuable opportunity for our players to earn extra income - outside of competitive events.

CraftyBadger

JONATHAN ‘RAZ’ BAKER is a legendry Call of Duty gamer. He was a lethal presence in the gaming world even before he joined Dignitas in 2006. The Call of Duty 4 team he now captains’ is regarded as one of the great FPS teams.

Raz will shortly take delivery of a new Alienware M17x Laptop, which incorporates two Western Digital 250 GB hard drives.

“I’m accustomed to building and playing with my own gaming systems, but with so many international competitions to attend the Alienware M17x laptop will be an incredible asset to have on my travels as it’ll definitely help maintain my winning standard.”

RICHARD ‘CRAFTYBADGER’ SHARP joined Dignitas to play the innovative and deliciously gory First Person Shooter (FPS) - Left 4 Dead.

CraftyBadger is currently honing his skills on the Heroes of Newerth beta, an upcoming release that is generating a real buzz amongst gamers. CraftyBadger utilises a 750GB WD Caviar Black drive.

“The Western Digital Caviar marked a big step up in speed and capacity and I no longer feel the need to monitor what applications or files I have installed, confident that I always have oodles of spare space.”

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Software PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the software market

p 67

VIDEO GAMES SOFTWARE A look at some of the latest games and the software that protects gamers as they play them

p 71

GFK SOFTWARE ANALYSIS GfK’s Tristan Irwin examines the software market and how new distribution models will help it

p 55

GAMES

© Copyright VIP Computer Centre Limited. 2010.

Information correct at time of publication E&OE

A round up of the best selling titles and those on the radar

Introducing…

www.pcretailmag.com

Windows Home Server helps families with multiple PCs centralise and connect their digital experiences. Your customers can share video clips over the Web and even access their home TFSWFS XIFO UIFZmSF OPU BU IPNF UP SFUSJFWF ÙMFT from almost anywhere with an Internet connection.

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February PCR 65

Norton Internet Security 2010 TM

Stops online identity theft, identified viruses, spyware, bots, and more Blocks attacks before they can infect your PC Delivers clear performance and threat explanations Identifies unsafe web sites right in your search results Uses intelligence-driven technology to increase the scan speed and shorten the time and resources used for scans

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CONTACTS

SOFTWARE GAMING

ESET: 0800 138 0802 Gem Distribution: 01279 822 822 Interactive Ideas: 020 8805 1000

[

Koch Media: 0870 027 0985 VIP Computers: 0871 622 7500

ESET SMART SECURITY SRP: £34.99

]

Built on the ThreatSense engine, which combines multiple layers of detection, Smart Security offers fast and silent file scanning with a lightweight design that requires less memory and CPU power, leaving more room for games and browsing Distributor: Direct

Game, set and match A PC is nothing without the software to run on it, especially if it is a gaming rig. Games have done more than any other segment to push the development of the PC and with more users playing online than ever before, gamers need a discreet and effective security solution too. Matt Grainger takes a look at some of the products available now and those which are coming soon…

[

STALKER: CALL OF PRIPYAT SRP: £29.99

]

Call of Pripyat is the sequel to the award-winning Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, and follows on from the events of its predecessor. The player takes the role of a Russian government agent who must investigate a series of military helicopter crashes in the vicinity of the famous abandoned Soviet-era city of Pripyat Distributor: Koch Media

[

HIDDEN MYSTERIES: TITANIC SRP: £9.99

]

The game takes place aboard the Titanic during her fateful maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Players take the role of Margaret Ashley, one of the fortunate unfortunates who sailed on Titanic and survived. Throughout the game, players must solve puzzles and obstacles to progress the timeline from April 10th, the date Titanic left Southampton Docks, to the 15th, when the ship sank beneath the waves Distributor: Interactive Ideas

www.pcr-online.biz

>>>

February PCR 67

SOFTWARE GAMING

>>>

[

][

BIOSHOCK 2 SRP: £39.99

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2010 SRP: £48.99

] [

Returning to the underwater city of Rapture a decade after the events of the first game, this survival-horror sequel sees the user taking the form of a Big Brother – one of the most deadly enemies from the original Bioshock. Unlike its predecessor, the sequel contains a story-driven multiplayer mode, with players taking on the roles of Rapture’s citizens

This software has been designed to protect gamers from the dangers of leaving ports open during online play. It includes a two-way firewall, suspended alerts, scans and updates, a virtual keyboard to protect against keyloggers and a ‘safe run’ feature that activates untrusted applications securely

Distributor: Gem Distribution

Distributor: Gem Distribution

LUXOR ADVENTURES SRP: £9.99

] [

In this hidden-object adventure game, the player aids archaeologists John and Jane as they travel through time and space to recover a list of misplaced items. Players must restore balance to the universe whilst collecting mystical orbs that will help to close a dangerous portal. Along the way, players meet historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Amelia Earhart and Benjamin Franklin

GREAT BATTLES: MEDIEVAL SRP: £29.99

]

Set against the backdrop of the Hundred Years War, this game sees the player taking command of large armies, with up to 40 different historically correct unit types. The game features 70 medieval battles, including 26 historical encounters such as the siege of Orleans and the Battle of Crecy Distributor: Koch Media

Distributor: Interactive Ideas

[

THE MYSTERY OF THE CRYSTAL PORTAL SRP: £9.99

] [

Players aid journalist Nicole Rankwist on a hidden object adventure as she searches for her missing archaeologist father who has just made a discovery that could ‘change the course of all humanity’ – the Crystal Portal. The game features over 20 different game locations and unlimited gameplay Distributor: Interactive Ideas

BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY 9.0 SRP: £44.99

][

BullGuard’s Internet Security 9 now includes the previously stand-alone BullGuard Gamer’s Edition as standard. The Gamer’s Edition has been specially developed so that more resources are used for games without compromising security. It prevents pop-ups, system scans and autoupdates during play, and includes tailored settings for the 20 most popular games

PRISON BREAK: THE CONSPIRACY SRP: £29.99

] [

Available from March 31st, this game is based on the TV programme, Prison Break, and runs parallel to the first series of the show. The player takes on the role of Tom Paxton, an agent for ‘The Company’, as he unravels the mystery of how Michael Scofield was sent to the same prison as his brother.

Distributor: Koch Media

NORTON INTERNET SECURITY 2010 SRP: £49.99

]

The 2010 version of Norton Internet Security has had the Gamer Edition incorporated as standard. The user can opt to run the software in ‘quiet mode’ and alerts, scans and updates will be suspended, rootkit detection is also included and it requires less than six megabytes for installation Distributor: Gem Distribution, VIP Computers (for System Builders Edition)

Distributor: Gem Distribution

68 PCR February

www.pcr-online.biz

ONE SMALL STEP FOR TECHNOLOGY ONE GIANT LEAP FOR OUR USERS

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WITH YOU ONLINE TM

At BullGuard we want everyone to enjoy the online world with ease and confidence. Our products provide comprehensive protection from online risks and secure your valuable data effectively.

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SOFTWARE ANALYSIS

New software frontiers GfK account manager Tristan Irwin claims that, despite the instability caused by the economy during 2009, the software sector has maintained a steady growth thanks to an adapting distribution structure, and reports that the future looks bright for 2010 with new software releases in sight...

“The pace of growth in the traditional non-internet market has progressed more rapidly than internet sales. Average long-term internet sales across 2009 have been declining after a very strong Q1/2009 online” Tristan Irwin

GfK’s figures show the growth of the software sector over a 13 month period

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FOLLOWING A turbulent year in the retail markets, software continues to be a strong growth sector. Not discounting the impressive impact of the launch of Windows 7 in October, 19.2 per cent volume growth was achieved in 2009 (to date at the time of writing), and 22.5 per cent in value terms. If December meets expectations, this will result in total market boxed software revenues in 2009 amounting to a quarter of a billion pounds.

The driving factor behind this impressive growth has been a vastly

changing distribution framework.

While the boxed software market is dominated by the office and security suites segments, which benefit from strong attached sales to mobile and desktop PCs, it very much appears to be the standalone market which is driving forward the majority of the market’s growth as software begins to penetrate new distribution channels such as the supermarkets. Price-driven promotion in the more traditional market brought comparable price points lower than ever on standalone SKUs.

The mass merchandiser channel has been steadily increasing share in regards to both volume and value terms, while the consumer electronic stores channel has recovered steadily following a massive consolidation of software offered by the larger retailers within the channel.

If anything, the pace of growth in the traditional non-internet market has progressed more rapidly than internet sales. Average long-term internet sales across 2009 have been declining slightly after a very strong Q1/2009 online, but gains are now being made across the market.

The future looks bright as the country begins its eventual and long awaited recovery from the depths of the economic recession. Sweated hardware assets in the hands of businesses and consumers alike will inevitably require replacement, and bring with them further software requirements.

Equally, with the release of a new major office suite scheduled, and the retail market continuing to grow and innovate in the software space, 2010 is looking very promising indeed.

Tristan Irwin can be contacted on 0870 603 8238

February PCR 71

SOFTWARE PC GAMES

Game On PCR looks at the best-selling PC games and those due for release over the coming months...

GAME OF THE MONTH MASS EFFECT 2 Publisher: EA Contact: Centresoft 0121 625 3388 Released: January 29th 2010 Price: £49.99 SET TWO years after the original, this space opera RPG once again follows Commander Shepard, who is faced with another alien threat bent on wiping out humanity. On the fringes of the known universe, a malevolent force is steadily gobbling up human colonies, which the settlers don’t like. In response, Cerberus

– an unscrupulous organisation created to preserve human life at all costs – calls on Shepard and a team of soldiers to take up arms on the most powerful ship in the galaxy and stop it.

Many elements which made the first game so popular return, such as cinematic action scenes, strong character development and epic battles. Developer BioWare has a string of successful titles under its belt, and with publishing giant EA levelling significant marketing behind the title, this one should perform well at retail.

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GENRE

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TELEPHONE

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FPS

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MMORPG

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PlayV

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Star Trek Online Publisher: Atari Contact: 0121 506 9585

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THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES

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Consumer

Electronics PCR’s monthly look at recent developments in the consumer electronic market

P 76

PERIPHERALS As gaming becomes increasingly hightech, so too does the range of peripherals that can be used. We take a look at some of the products available today

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February PCR 75

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PERIPHERALS

CONTACTS Advent Data: 0871 222 3844 CCI Distribution: 01423 704700 EntaTech: 0333 101 1000 Gem Distribution: 01279 822 822 Ingram Micro: 0871 973 3000 Interactive Ideas: 020 8805 1000 The Keyboard Company: 01453 884938 Meroncourt: 01462 680060 Micro-P: 01282 776 776 Realtime Distribution: 01480 435881

[

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Trust GXT10 Gaming Headset Distributors: Ingram Micro, EntaTech, Micro-P, Interactive Ideas SRP: £20.99

Spire Technology: 01202 828444 Target Components: 01977 739 295

The GXT10 has fullsize soft ear pads and a padded headband to give the user comfort, while blocking out unwanted sound. It also features inline volume control and an adjustable microphone with mute switch

Add-on sales With notebooks, netbooks and tablets growing in popularity, it might seem to some that peripherals are a dying breed. But, in fact, these devices create more opportunities for vendors and resellers alike to broaden their ranges. Nicky Trup speaks to some of the industry’s key figures about where the sector is headed...

“Gaming peripherals show excellent growth in the current economic climate – hardcore gamers will not compromise when it comes to their favourite pastime” Steve Walsh, Meroncourt

76 PCR February

WE ARE STILL suffering the aftershocks of a major financial crisis, and the media is always keen to remind us of the economic doom and gloom that surrounds us. But the cloud seems to be lifting, and consumers are starting to spend again – well they are, at least, on technology.

According to research firm Gartner, global PC shipments exceeded 90 million units during the fourth quarter of last year – a 22 per cent increase on the same period in 2008 and the strongest growth in seven years. Each machine sold requires a whole host of peripherals to go with it, from

keyboards and mice to headsets. Even laptops, which claim to offer an all-inone solution, can often benefit from add-on devices.

Gamers are notoriously big spenders on hardware – after all, your machine is only as powerful as its weakest component – and peripherals play a major part. The UK gaming peripherals market (for PCs and consoles) was worth £630 million last year, according to GfK-CharTrack, with total sales of 35.8 million units.

Meroncourt’s sales director, Steve Walsh, is not surprised that the sector is doing so well.

“Gaming mice, keyboards, headsets and pads continue to show excellent growth, even in the current economic climate. Hardcore gamers will not compromise on quality and specification when it comes to purchasing for their favourite pastime.

They may make cuts elsewhere, but not from their gaming budget,” he says.

Yen Tru, a marketing executive at Interactive Ideas, agrees: “Dedicated PC and flight simulator gamers will go all out with peripherals and create entire cockpits in their rooms.”

According to some industry figures, certain games released last year

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CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PERIPHERALS

[ [

Emprex Wireless Media Keyboard With Trackball Distributors: CCI Distribution, Target Components SRP: £29.99

]

Exspect Drop ‘N’ Charge Kit for XBox 360 Distributors: Gem Distribution SRP: £29.99

This kit replaces standard batteries in the console’s controller with an Exspect compatible battery pack, which can then be charged by placing them on the included charging pad – no docking required.

The device holds up to two separate batteries, that can be charged simultaneously or separately

]

This ergonomically designed keyboard allows users to control their PC wirelessly, and also supports Xbox 360 and PS3 with full functionality and wireless connectivity. It has an integrated mouse, remote and 16 hotkeys

[

][

][

][

Logitech Gaming Mouse G500 Distributor: Gem Distribution SRP: £59.99

Hercules XPS 2.1 35 Speakers Distributor: Interactive Ideas SRP: £40.85

Mionix Naos 5000 Distributor: Meroncourt SRP: £65

The G500 has an adjustable DPI to give gamers more accurate precision – ranging from 200 DPI to 5700 DPI. Full speed USB also ensures that the mouse is smooth and responsive, while weight tuning allows the user to customise the feel of the device

These speakers are magnetically shielded, with a headphone jack and secondary line input on the remote control. The set is designed to be compact, taking up minimal space and has a 1.8m cable to connect to the audio source

This 5040 DPI laser mouse is ergonomically designed with weight tuning for optimal weight distribution. It also features adjustable lift-distance, seven programmable buttons, five onboard profiles and customisable LED lights

contributed heavily to the peripherals boom. Glen Rhodes, a product manager for Target Components, says that Modern Warfare 2 sparked a large influx of gaming hardware, from specially customised keyboards to throat communicators and wireless headsets. Realtime product manager Hannah Horne singles out World of Warcraft, which has over 11 million subscribers worldwide, as being particularly influential.

“The speed and precision of movement that is achievable from a gaming mouse is far in excess of what is possible with a laptop trackpad. The

“The speed and precision of movement that’s achievable from a gaming mouse is far in excess of what’s possible with a laptop trackpad. The competitive edge a high-end mouse brings to game play is something gamers will always seek”

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Hannah Horne, Realtime competitive edge that a high-end mouse brings to game play is something that gamers will always seek,” Horne offers.

It’s not just gamers who buy premium peripherals. Chris Elt, sales manager for SteelSeries UK, believes they also appeal to your average

consumer. “Gamers are extremely demanding customers for high-quality, technical features and performance, so naturally all SteelSeries peripherals are becoming attractive to more mainstream customers,” he says.

Rhodes believes that while high-end, non-gaming peripherals are a niche

Early Learning Upper Case Keyboard Distributor: Spire Technology SRP: £24.95

]

This keyboard is for both children and adults, with large white keys – ideal for young kids, and individuals who have difficulties with hand co-ordination

market, they do appeal to a certain section of consumers: “I expect the core customer base will be people who use their computer extensively for work or personal purposes, and want a premium product for ease of use.”

CCI Distribution’s business development manager, Cliff Cheetham, claims branding is key for peripherals with a high price point.

“When it comes to best sellers, if it’s associated with Apple or Nintendo, or has HD in the title, it will invariably draw attention and sell in good quantities,” he says.

Indeed, the ‘iPod white’

>>>

February PCR 77

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PERIPHERALS

[

[

Filco Majestouch N-Key Rollover Keyboard Distributor: The Keyboard Company SRP: £111.63

]

[

Filco’s Majestouch range comes in three variants and features ‘N-key Rollover’, which recognises simultaneous key presses. The Black version of the device, according to the vendor, does not transmit a bump to the user’s fingertip when pressed and does not make any sound. Brown has tactile, but not clicky keys, while Blue is both tactile and clicky

SteelSeries Siberia V2 White Headset Distributors: EntaTech, Interactive Ideas SRP: £79.99

][

According to SteelSeries, the V2 was developed with professional gamers to ensure that the soundscape and design met their needs. The lightweight but thick leather earcups provide outside sound isolation, while the headband is designed to remain comfortable

>>>

look has been adopted by a number of vendors, creating a subconscious link between their products and the Apple super-brand.

John Osborne, general manager of the PC components division at Computer 2000, suggests: “Premium products do sell and most of the time the buyer will be someone who bought a budget product last time. While there are great entrylevel products around, experienced users have a better idea of what they want and an understanding of the benefits.”

By contrast, EntaTech peripherals product manager Howard Barnes says budget peripherals are most popular

78 PCR February

][

Saitek K140 Backlit Slimline Multimedia Keyboard Distributor: EntaTech SRP: £29.99

This slimline keyboard is designed to save space on the user’s desk, and features an integrated wrist rest. It has red and blue backlighting and rotary brightness control to increase key legibility in dark conditions. Easy access buttons include media controls and Windows and Office hot keys

with consumers and resellers: “The volume sales remain with the entry level solutions, and price point is still a number one priority for most resellers, consistently driven by consumer demand. With the credit crunch still biting into the economy and the recent VAT increase, both end users and businesses will continue looking for aggressively priced products to accommodate tighter budgets.”

According to IDC research, portable PCs will see growth of 18.1 per cent this year. But rather than killing off peripherals, the increasing popularity of notebooks and netbooks actually creates

]

AF Game-Clene Plus Distributor: Advent Data SRP: £9.99

This compact gel cleaning kit is designed for sanitising a variety of surfaces, including peripherals. Special buds are included to allow users to clean hard-to-reach areas. Also contained in the pouch is 15ml of the cleaning solution and a micro-fibre cloth

][

Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse Distributor: Realtime Distribution SRP: £71.99

Gigabyte GM-M8000 Laser Gaming Mouse Distributor: Target Components SRP: £55

The Naga has 17 buttons optimised for massively multiplayer online gaming, and the user can program thousands of different commands.

The mouse has 5600 DPI and a maximum tracking speed of 200 inches per second

Gigabyte’s mouse has adjustable sensitivity up to 4000 DPI and supports 15 customisable onboard settings. It also features weight tuning up to 38g and five programmable buttons, while the scroll wheel has 24 individual click positions

new opportunities for vendors to launch relevant products.

“Manufacturers have added to their product ranges for the mobile market.

Most users will still prefer a notebook mouse instead of using the pad, and there have been notebook stands and webcams released dedicated to such use. Obviously, keyboard sales have slightly declined in line with the ownership of notebooks, but most of the business sector uses both,” offers Barnes.

SteelSeries’ Elt adds: “As the laptop market grows, we are finding higher demand for peripherals, especially with our range of headsets. Laptops are more

]

personal devices than PCs, and commonly used for Skype and VoIP that require higher levels of privacy.”

Of course, the key factor in stocking any range or product is whether it will make a good margin. According to Spire’s marketing manager, Chris Parker, this simply is not a problem for mice and keyboards. “Peripherals provide decent margins and are an obvious add-on sale to any system and laptop. Peripherals tend to be relatively inexpensive, therefore having a reasonable range doesn’t require a huge investment. Also, the wider the range, the more customers will find what they want and keep coming back.”

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80 PCR February

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MARKETPLACE NEWS

Casio projects success with two new distributors Casio Electronics has signed two new distributors to carry high brightness projectors in the UK MIDWICH and Micro-P join specialist distie Medium UK in stocking Casio’s recently launched projectors, which contain a hybrid light source that can reach a brightness of 3,000 lumens.

Phil Clark, business development manager at Casio UK, said: “Casio is excited to be expanding its distribution network in the UK. Midwich and Micro-P will help us build on the great work that Medium has already been doing for us in the projector market, and allow us to maximise the opportunities presented by

our fantastic new product range. These new trading relationships are part of our strong commitment to the channel, and we are very much looking forward to developing a healthy Casio projector business for all concerned.”

The new projectors contain a light source that uses a ‘world first’ combination of laser, phosphor and an LED. This means they are mercuryfree and can last up to ten times longer than conventional projector lamps.

Darren Lewitt, divisional director at Midwich, said:

“These new trading relationships are part of our strong commitment to the channel, and we are very much looking forward to developing a healthy Casio projector business for all concerned” Phil Clark, Casio

“We are very excited by this new breakthrough in green projection and the product, without doubt, is very impressive. Clearly this new technology has some very strong environmental and total cost of ownership messages that will appeal to many different sectors."

Micro-P’s vendor and marketing director, Mark Kahr, added: “We are extremely pleased to have been selected as one of a limited line-up of partners for Casio. We see the Casio product as a perfect fit

into education and, of course, any ceiling mount environment where it’s difficult for the user to get access to the unit.”

Casio Projector Hero 300

TCA signs up new member IT systems management specialist Kaseya joins the Technology Channels Association, in what the trade body’s president described as a ‘timely’ move Deal designed to boost professionalism in trade KASEYA will work with TCA members to share best practice and to help encourage development and professionalism in the technology sector. After joining the trade body, the firm also signed up to sponsor the annual TCA conference this month.

“Kaseya’s involvement with the association is very timely.

Services such as this are exactly what resellers need in order to give best possible service levels to their customers, to streamline their own businesses, and to make more margin. And of course having such a well respected company

82 PCR February

“Kaseya is committed to providing resellers and channel partners with the tools they need to run profitable businesses.”

Sean O’Connell, Kaseya on board as a member, joining other notable players, endorses our position in the channel; we’re the organisation that aims to benefit the whole marketplace,” said TCA president Keith Warburton.

Sean O’Connell, director of EMEA marketing at Kaseya, added: “Kaseya is committed

to providing resellers and channel partners with the tools they need to run profitable businesses. By joining the TCA we can work more closely with the channel to not only share best practice, but to better understand their key challenges to help deliver a platform for success.”

As a platinum sponsor of the TCA conference, Kaseya is backing the Reseller Group dinner on the eve of the event itself, which takes place on February 25th at the Walker Stadium in Leicester. Tickets to the conference are free for TCA members, and £99 for non-members.

Keith Warburton

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NEWS MARKETPLACE

NewsBytes EPOS DISTRIBUTOR IMPORTS FUJITSU’S POS PRODUCTS Fujitsu has signed a three-year deal with EPoS Distributor, making the distie the first to bring Fujitsu’s point-of-sale retail hardware products to the UK market. The agreement spans the entire range of products, including the TP-X II terminal and TP-TRIO series, as well as Fujitsu’s new lightweight tablet device, TeamPad 700 and the B-Pad – a lightweight mobile payment terminal.

FREECOM REVEALS NEW NETWORK STORAGE DRIVE Storage vendor Freecom has launched the Network Media Center, a dedicated 3.5-inch network storage drive with a 2TB memory. The device allows multiple users to download, store and stream multimedia files from any PC on the network. It comes complete with a built-in BitTorrent client and connects directly to a network router or switch. Users can control access to specific files by assigning individual usernames and passwords.

Phil Clark

Meroncourt widens its product range MERONCOURT has inked exclusive with a high quality range of products. distribution deals with two vendors to Corepad is a young and exciting bring their products to market in the company focused on PC gaming, UK and Ireland. which fits straight into our portfolio. It The firm is now stocking Corepad offers a great range of gaming mouse gaming peripherals and Lamptron PC pads and replacement Skatez, the modification teflon gliders which “Lamptron extends products. wear out on the Meroncourt’s underside of mice our penetration into sales director, after continual the PC modding Steve Walsh, use.” arena, which has said: “Lamptron Meroncourt has traditionally been a extends our also been snapped fairly specialist penetration into up by Falcon Safety the PC modding Products to stock market” arena, which has its range, including Steve Walsh, traditionally the Dust-Off brand Meroncourt been a fairly of consumer specialist market but is now expanding electronics cleaning accessories, and and shows lots of potential for our the recently launched Gaming Gear air customers to extend their business blasters, cleaning sprays and wipes.

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NEW MOTION CONTROL TECHNOLOGY UNVEILED Hillcrest Labs has developed a technology that combines Bluetooth with motion control, which could be used in devices such as remote controls, mobile phones and PC peripherals. According to Hillcrest, the technology enables more EPSON PROJECTORS MAKE THEIR DEBUT Epson has launched its first range of ultra-short-throw projectors designed for the classroom. The new devices can be used with both interactive and standard whiteboards. As they are ‘ultrashort-throw’, they can be mounted closer to the wall, reducing glare and shadow interference. The range consists of five projectors, two of which have inbuilt interactive capabilities, turning any projection surface into an interactive one.

precise and stable in-air pointing, allowing users to control a cursor from any position and to move around a room while controlling onscreen activities.

BEST BUY IN JOINT PC VENTURE Technology retailer Best Buy has teamed up with Dell, Toshiba and Sony to jointly launch a line of new PCs under the Blue Label 2.0 brand.

The machines are the product of the retailer’s ‘You Spoke, We Listened’ campaign, which canvassed shoppers about what specifications and functions they would want in a new computer.

Sony, Dell and Toshiba then built the PCs to spec, and the results are now available exclusively through Best Buy.

POWERMAT PIONEERS WIRELESS CHARGING A device called Powermat has been launched, which uses wireless power transfer technology to charge any device that is laid on top of it. The system combines an ultra-thin mat, which contains the magnetic induction array that transfers power, and a receiver that attaches to each device. Receivers are available for iPhone, iPod, Nintendo DS and BlackBerry, while other devices can be charged with the standard Powercube receiver.

3D PROJECTOR TURNS HEADS Texas Instruments demonstrated its 3D projector technology at this year’s BETT show in London. The vendor developed its Digital Light Processing devices as an aid to educators to help with the teaching of difficult subjects and students.

The technology has already been trialled extensively in the UK and the company is confident that it can bring subjects to life that previously could only be experienced in 2D. GOOGLE PHONE GETS LAUNCH IN THE US Google finally launched its Nexus One smartphone in the US. The device operates on the Android mobile operating system and its processing is driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset – making it as powerful as some last generation laptops.

The device has a processor speed of 1GHz and an integrated fivemegapixel camera.

February PCR 83

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MARKETPLACE APPOINTMENTS/EVENTS APPOINTMENTS

Let’s hear it for the boys Fab three for PNY DSGi’s Birbeck returns to UK Mayflex signs new manager Integra promotes Wilson director and then business development and strategy director.

In March 2008 he became managing director of PC City Spain. Jorge Benlloch, PC World’s operations director, will return to Spain to take on Birbeck’s former role.

Networks and APC. Both these product ranges are an important part of our networking portfolio and I know that Lee will continue to offer our existing customers the levels of service they have become accustomed to.”

INTEGRA Florian Betz

Peter Butler

PNY TECHNOLOGIES PNY Technologies has made three appointments to its GeForce and Quadro teams across Europe.

Peter Butler has been hired as key account manager for the Quadro team, based in the UK office. He has 13 years’ experience in the tech industry, having worked for firms such as Asus and Elonex.

Florian Betz joins the PNY consumer team as key account distribution manager for Germany. He spent ten years working in the industry for distributors such as Tech Data GmbH in Germany.

Christian Casati

Christian Casati has been appointed as Quadro’s B2B account manager for Spain and Italy. Having previously worked for Kingston Technology, he has six years’ tech experience.

DSGI DSGI has confirmed that Phil Birbeck is returning to the UK to take the permanent role of managing director of DSGi Business, reporting to Sebastian James. Birbeck joined the company in 1989, progressing through roles in Currys before moving to PC World in 2000, where he became operations

MAYFLEX Distributor Mayflex has appointed Lee Allen as vendor manager for Extreme Networks and APC. Prior to joining the Lee Allen company, Lee was a UK sales manager for Zigor UK and Emerson Network Power.

Andrew Percival, managing director at Mayflex, comments: “Lee is a great addition and with his wealth of experience we will be able to build an even stronger relationship with Extreme

Dealer group Integra Office Solutions has appointed Jade Wilson as head of business development. He joined Integra in 2008 as business development manager for Scotland and Ireland, having previously worked at Stat Plus and Corporate Express.

Aidan McDonough, managing director of Integra, said: “I’m delighted Jade has taken up this appointment.

With his impressive background in the industry, I’m sure he’ll further strengthen our support offering to members. As sales specialist, he will also be developing our sales support programmes, particularly key to members as the challenging economic climate continues.”

DIARY DATES 2010 The UK’s channel calendar is full of important events. Here are some upcoming highlights…

FEBRUARY DISTREE XXL FEBRUARY 8TH – 11TH MONTE CARLO

PCR AWARDS

Distree gathers together the top IT and consumer electronics distributors and e-tailers from over 80 countries in the EMEA region to bring high level buyers into productive contact with vendors. The focus for the show is on one-to-one briefings rather than large exhibitions. The organiser, Distree, anticipates over 1000 attendees.

MARCH CEBIT MARCH 2ND – 6TH DEUTSCHE MESSE CONVENTION CENTER, GERMANY

CeBit, one of the world’s largest IT trade fairs, will be showcasing leading technology from around the globe.

With products ranging from telecommunications equipment, IT infrastructure and mobile consumer devices, this year’s event should prove to be as ever.

contact Katie Rawlings on +44 (0) 1992 535 647 or email Katie.Rawlings@intentmedia.co.uk.

PCR AWARDS 2010 MARCH 25TH ROYAL GARDEN HOTEL, LONDON

Building on the success of last year’s show, Channel Expo 2010 will feature in-depth education and discussion areas, as well as exhibition stands from all the leading distributors and vendors operating in the UK channel.

It’s the largest and most influential trade show of its type in the UK. Reduced room rates are also available in the hotel if you are too ‘tired’ to go home at the end of the night.

The third annual PCR Awards is set to be the social event of the year for anyone involved in the PC retail sector, and a well deserved celebration for the nominees. For information, booking details and/or sponsorship opportunities, please

MAY CHANNEL EXPO MAY 12TH – 13TH KENSINGTON OLYMPIA, LONDON

If you would like to promote your event, please contact: andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk CEBIT 86 PCR February

This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with show organisers before making arrangements to attend

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BRIGANTIA OPINION

Opportunities to develop CONTACT IAIN SHAW info@brigantia.com 0870 160 3215 www.brigantia.com Iain invites opinions from PCR readers and will respond though this column

www.pcr-online.biz

Brigantia’s Iain Shaw discusses how important repair, upgrade, maintenance and support businesses are for 2010...

IN MY LAST column I said that this month I would look further at opportunities to develop ongoing recurrent revenue streams in 2010.

In my mail bag I had a number of readers point out to me that signing customers onto monthly support and maintenance agreements was probably one of the most effective ways of building sustainable business around the core activity of repairs, upgrades, maintenance and support. I have to agree with these converts, who were interested in my advice on where to source spare parts for branded hardware. At Brigantia we have developed relationships with a number of specialist distributors who are able to support our members that have built up successful repair, upgrade, maintenance and support businesses.

In addition to this, we encourage our members to use our forum located within our portal to share information about where to source difficult-to-find

parts and components. There, members can also support each other with things such as more specialist notebook repairs and data recovery.

The Brigantia membership community, via the forum, council and

“At Brigantia we have developed relationships with a number of specialist distributors who are able to support our members that have built up successful repair, upgrade, maintenance and support businesses” other meetings, regular account management calls and surveys, tends to steer us as a management towards suitable specialist distributors, vendors

and service providers, who when approached are prepared to support the community by offering account managers, price files, delivery terms and problem resolutions.

We are currently on the lookout for further small distributors, who by coming together as Brigantia associates can provide further depth of spares inventory for our members. Most also have regular ‘Brigantia only’ offers, which are promoted through the private members-only Brigantia portaldriven email system.

Express Group provides spare parts across the full range of Compaq, HP and Toshiba PCs, notebooks and servers. It offers in-house printer repairs as well as Printer Engineer Training Courses on top of an unrivalled stock of printer spare parts.

PSA Parts is an excellent source of batteries, adaptors, printer and other parts. Cables Direct are hard to beat, as its name suggests for cables and all things related to connecting things together. EntaTech and Fairline Distribution are both excellent sources of general OEM components and software. CCI Distribution is hard to beat for optical devices and storage and Westcoast also has an excellent spare parts division.

Brigantia members can find direct contact details for their own specific account manager from each of these distributors within the members-only area of the Brigantia portal, saving valuable time. Furthermore, Brigantia PartFinder also acts as a useful internal tool for members looking to locate specific spare parts quickly.

I am sure my mail bag will receive more questions about repairs, upgrades, support and maintenance and I will happily develop this theme further next month, while also looking an the thorny subject of collecting outstanding debts.

February PCR 87

OPINION TCA

It’s all in the

timing TCA director Robert Peckham contemplates why Apple has left it so long to announce its tablet...

YOU COULDN’T make this stuff up. I have covered the many rumours in previous columns about Apple’s new tablet computers (it’s certain to be launched in more than one formfactor), but how long has the Apple ‘slate’ been in the pipeline? (At the time of writing, Apple’s scheduled ‘mystery product launch’ in San Francisco on January 27th has not yet taken place.)

Various Apple commentators and rumour-watchers will tell you that the tablet project is around a year behind schedule, delayed many times by Steve Jobs making adjustments to the

launched at CES, and no doubt the event organisers have been smarting ever since.

So here we are in 2010, and apparently there was buzz around this year’s CES relating to a forthcoming Apple tablet – or ‘iSlate’ as it’s now being called. However, CES managed to drop a significant bombshell on the Apple community with Microsoft’s presentation of three new ‘slate’ computers running Windows 7 – the most significant one being a very smart machine developed jointly with HP. Even I’m impressed.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talks about Slate PCs at CES in Las Vegas

“Significantly, visitors weren’t able to try out (or even touch) the prototype ‘slate’ PCs and HP was very evasive about revealing an actual launch date for their new computer – something Apple would never do” designs, and waiting for the right time to launch it.

For those of you who don’t know (although PCR will certainly have told you all about it) January is the month of the Consumer Electronics Show, America’s huge annual gathering of the great and the good of the global electronics industry. Held in Las Vegas, the event ominously passes each year without any involvement from America’s most successful and influential global consumer electronics brand – Apple.

Back in January 2007, Apple gloriously upstaged CES by announcing the iPhone at MacWorld in the same week as the show, which totally overshadowed every other new product

Interestingly, and very significantly, visitors to CES weren’t able to try out (or even touch) the prototypes being shown (although all were actually running live during the main presentation) and HP was very evasive about revealing an actual launch date for their new computer – something Apple would never do when revealing a new product.

HP and Microsoft have attempted to steal Apple’s limelight by getting in there first at CES, so January 27th is the date that the world’s IT industry is waiting for (which will have passed by the time you read this) and we’ll soon see if ‘slate computing’ really is going to be the next big thing.

Mike Scott

Robert Peckham is a director of The Technology Channels Association. email: robert.peckham@tcauk.org.

88 PCR February

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TCA OPINION

Stay at home and

save the planet Keith Warburton, president of the Technology Channels Association, discusses the advantages video conferencing poses to resellers and the planet...

“There are countless video conferencing suites in large enterprises where utilisation is less than two per cent, because nobody understands how to use it, or it has been badly commissioned and managed”

Keith Warburton is the president of The Technology Channels Association. email: keith.warburton@tcauk.org.

www.pcr–online.biz

MANY people subscribe to the view that things only happen when the time is right. Speaking broadly, having a solution without there being a need is, by definition, impossible; you can’t solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Well, maybe – some have made their fortunes by forecasting trends, seeing problems in the early stages and creating a solution.

An under-utilised technology that has been around for a couple of decades is video conferencing, but by and large the take up has been very low. The solution has been there but the problem has generally been perceived as too small to outweigh the hassle of the solution.

There are countless video conferencing suites in large enterprises where utilisation is less than two per cent, because nobody understands how to use it, or it has been badly commissioned and managed. But as the problems become bigger and the technology cheaper, more effective and less of a pain to use – bingo! You’ve got yourself an attractive and effective solution.

I recently experienced a video conference demonstration where we could see several participants from all over the world, simultaneously and with crystal clarity, and they were all called to the conference by dialling just one number. Very simple, relatively cheap with an entry level of around £5,000, and with superb margins for the reseller.

As I write this the country is increasingly weather-bound (I hope the problem has cleared by now). Many people are working from home, using their broadband connections and some will even be using the basic Skype

videoconference facility. Meanwhile, other businesspeople have been stuck in airports trying to get into or out of the UK. International air travel is set to become even more frustrating due to the fear of terrorism and yet we are told that we must have more runway space in the south of England to accommodate an increase in international travel.

How many hours of travel frustration, how many millions of gallons of fuel and how many trees would be saved if just one per cent of travel-to meetings were replaced by stay-here ones? And how much money could be made by resellers willing to get behind the technology and provide workable cost-effective solutions?

We will have video conferencing experts at the TCA Conference on February 25th at the Walker Stadium in Leicester. As well as some great ideas for saving money and making money, delegates will receive a goodie bag worth over £300. The focus will be on resellers – there is a dinner for the Premier Reseller Group on the 24th, a reseller breakfast before with the full conference and another dinner following that.

We have a great keynote speaker lined up, and an interview with industry veteran David Atherton, a multimillionaire since he sold Dabs.com to BT. Dave once famously said that the pain of running a large business was no greater than running a small one, so why bother to be small? We’ll see if his views have changed. The ticket price is £99, but TCA Members can attend the conference free of charge, and our sponsors will be inviting resellers as their guests. We hope to see plenty of PCR readers there.

The TCA is the recently renamed, not–for–profit trade body with membership made up of businesses from all parts of the channel.

Visit www.tcauk.org for more information

February PCR 89

OPINION

ITACS

NASCR

INDEPENDENT TRADE ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTING SPECIALISTS YOU CAN CONTACT ITACS ON 08445 763 760 OR VISIT WWW.ITACS.ORG.UK

A breath of

fresh air

Cash in the attic NASCR committee member Geoff Carr examines the space behind you and the benefits of joining a recycling group...

ITACS chairman Matthew Woolley looks at the benefits of selling Windows 7 and the pitfalls of anti-virus software...

IT’S SO NICE to have confidence in the products you sell. A prime example is Windows 7. It’s a dream to install, set up, use and sell. So far it looks like the best OS from Microsoft. A lot of hard lessons have been learnt in the last few years, so let’s hope it can keep up with the good work. However, a problem still exists with the lack of

Elsewhere, the fake anti-virus problems doing the rounds have been good for business. Anyone doing repairs must have noticed the increase in the last few months. It’s a game of cat and mouse. The bad guys seem to be better than the good guys and might be making more money – I understand that millions are being made every

“The domestic market is taking to Windows 7 with more enthusiasm than it did with Vista or XP. This means business will follow – this year we should see a rise in take-up” repair options and product keys wearing out, so there is still a bit to do to make everyone happy.

The domestic market is taking to Windows 7 with more enthusiasm than it did with Vista or XP. This means business will soon follow – this year we should see a rise in take-up, if the necessary applications convert well to the new OS. It all looks good so far and I think we can be happy in the knowledge that we have served the customer well.

Now is the moment to invest time and energy in getting to grips with the operating system. Learn it inside out and become an expert. Do it before the competition. Get an edge.

90 PCR February

month on both sides of the business.

I am sure that while this is good for us, it is not good for the consumer.

We had a bit of publicity highlighting the problem last year, and we have tried again recently, with little success. This is the biggest IT story at the moment and we are trying hard to get the message out that you can get good advice and service from your local independent retailer. If you are that local independent, then join us to help us have a bigger voice, to then help you to have a bigger voice.

This market is ours for the taking.

All we need to do is get together and take it.

“Selling stuff online is the same as selling it in your shop. You still have to work at it and be competitive – so you need to decide where your time is most profitably spent”

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIALIST COMPUTER RETAILERS YOU CAN CONTACT NASCR ON 08456 440715 OR VISIT WWW.NASCR.ORG

FOLLOWING ON FROM my previous column in last month’s PCR about WEEE, I would like to share another recycling resource which could be very useful.

Most dealers have retail stock that never sold and is now out of date, spares for obsolete hardware, uncollected written-off repairs, interesting bits of POS that looked great at the time. Have a look around and I bet you have a lot of space being used up storing stuff like this. That space could be useful for your entrepreneurial masterplan.

Ask most dealers and the answer is usually: ‘You can make more money than a city banker’s annual bonus by selling old junk on eBay.’ Well, maybe. Yet in the real world, selling stuff online is much the same as selling stuff in your shop. You still have to work at it and be competitive – so you need to decide where your time is most profitably spent.

Okay, so you get rid of a handful of goodies and raise a few quid, but you still have to clear out a room to store all your WEEE take backs, or build your 3D total immersive gaming experience. Instead of dumping everything at the local tip and paying the commercial waste fine for the privilege, you could just give it away.

Join your local online recycling group and offer your old junk to people who can make use of it. There are groups across the country and you can find your local one at http://recyclinggroupfinder.com or www.ilovefreegle.org. You will see regular offers for things you might like to sell. However, make sure you read the rules and resist the urge to resell, otherwise your carefully built reputation will quickly be shattered, as it is heavily frowned on and is against the recycling community’s spirit.

www.pcr-online.biz

MARKETPLACE

92 PCR February

www.pcr-online.biz

COMPANY PROFILE MARKETPLACE

Green ink With recycling and general green issues becoming more and more important among the public consciousness, companies offering environmentally friendly products and services look set to become more popular. Andrew Wooden talks to Cartridge Experts’ sales manager, Andy Gray, about his firm's refillable ink system for retailers, and its success so far…

WHEN, where and by whom was Cartridge Expert started?

It was set up in 2004, though the origins of the company can be traced back to 1991 when McCue was involved in other specialist manufacture.

CONTACT Phone: 01489 795 668 Web: www.cartridgeexpert.co.uk

Where are you based and how many staff do you currently employ?

Hedge End, near Southampton (Hampshire). We currently have eight full-time staff as most of our manufacturing is subcontracted.

What were your main achievements in 2009?

We consolidated our UK business with the launch of our Retail Partner Program, thus enabling UK retailers to enter into the refilling market without large up-front capital investment. In addition, we expanded the range of compatible cartridges by 100 per cent and, most importantly we launched into the North American market, which is set to be a key channel to us in the coming years.

Will cartridge refilling become more prevalent, as green issues continue to rise up the political agenda?

Most definitely. While quality, convenience and price are still

www.pcr-online.biz

“We consolidated our UK business with the launch of our Retail Partner Program, thus enabling UK retailers to enter into the refilling market without large up-front capital investment” Andy Gray

As far as inkjet printing is concerned, the technology is already well established and hence we are not expecting any large technological leaps forward with regards to inkjet refilling.

We do, however, expect the OEMs to become smarter in the way they encourage refilling as opposed to the purchase of a new cartridge. Cartridge Expert is in a good position to meet these challenges and customers are now looking increasingly at the environmental issues.

important, given a choice, consumers would like a green solution. Refilling an existing cartridge represents the greenest solution open to them.

What benefits does your equipment bring to retailers?

The Pro-Vac is specifically designed for the retail environment and, through the retail partner program, it gives a turn-key and cost-effective solution without the constraints of a franchise type model. The Pro-Vac machine is designed, built and fully supported in the UK by McCue Cartridge Expert.

What do you think the biggest technological leap forward will be in the sector over the coming years?

February PCR 93

MARKETPLACE

Stone unveils new educationfocused PCs

The Stone All-in-One features a 22-inch monitor with screen options including multitouch and toughened glass ideal for devices used by children

Compact and energy saving models are designed specifically to be used in a classroom setting THE STONE GROUP has launched a range of new PCs aimed at the education market, including an allin-one machine, an energy-saving laptop and two compact desktops.

The Stone All-in-One comes loaded with the Intel Centrino 2 platform and a number of customisable specifications. These include the monitor itself, which is available in sizes up to 22-inch, with screen options ranging from multi-touch to toughened glass, which is often used in devices for younger children.

94 PCR February

The NT200-LV is a new energyefficient laptop, and the firm’s first to include Intel’s Consumer UltraLow Voltage technology. This system also utilises Intel’s Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, which uses less power, giving the device an estimated battery life of 11 hours.

Stone’s Ultra Small Form Factor PC, as the name suggests, is

aimed at schools where space may be at a premium, and is 25 per cent smaller than previous Stone models. It also offers significant energy savings of 86 per cent, and carries a choice of Intel’s Core i3, i5 or i7 processor chips.

“We pride ourselves on using our expertise to provide a comprehensive portfolio of practical and problemsolving solutions to cater for both standard and niche customer requirements,” said Stone’s desktop product manager, Rob Heath.

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MARKETPLACE

Asus boosts Republic of Gamers range Hardware vendor updates gaming product line with new high specification hardware

“The new wave of ROG Matrix series graphics cards come equipped with a ‘Super Hybrid Engine’ for automatic hardware load monitoring and adjustments. The devices also come with the new iTracker2 technology” ASUS has added a host of new laptops, desktops and components to its Republic of Gamers range.

The ROG G73Jh, dubbed ‘The Gamer’s Notebook’, was developed in response to consumer demand for a top spec mobile gaming machine.

It comes loaded with an Intel Core i7 processor, DirectX 11-capable ATI Radeon HD5870 graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 system memory, onthe-fly overclocking, 8-channel HD audio with EAX 4.0 compatibility, ambient lighting, and 1TB of storage space.

On the desktop side is the Essentio CG5275. It has Intel Core i5 and i3 processors, up to 12GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 graphics, 8-channel HD audio, Gigabit LAN and 802.11N wireless

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connectivity, along with 1TB of storage capacity and a highly stylised chassis.

The new wave of ROG Matrix series graphics cards come equipped with a ‘Super Hybrid Engine’ for automatic hardware load monitoring and adjustments. The devices also come with the new iTracker2 technology, which adds exclusive memory timing settings and a VBIOS recovery application.

Asus has also launched the ROG Rampage III Extreme – a motherboard designed specifically for gaming PCs. It is based on the Intel X58 chipset and includes RC Bluetooth, allowing users to review the status of their system’s hardware and tweak parameters wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled PDA phone.

February PCR 95

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SERVICE COMPANIES

sourcebook WWW.INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK/SOURCEBOOK

creative and promotional SErvices 3DI Tel: 0845 4582898 www.threedi.net

Indigo Pearl Tel: +44 (0)20 8964 4545 www.indigopearl.com

The Audio Guys Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1788 565230 www.theaudioguys.co.uk

AN.X Ltd. Tel: 020 7785 7156 www.anxagency.com

JR DESIGN Tel: +44 (0) 7824 506436 www.joeryandesign.co.uk

The Pixel Tel: 0800 043 1040 www.thepixel.com

Ark VFX Ltd. Tel: 0114 268 4999 www.arkvfx.net

Media Safari PR Tel: +44 (0)1225 471 202 www.mediasafari.co.uk

Über Tel: 0114 278 7100 www.uberagency.com

Barrington Harvey Tel: +44 (0)1462 456780 www.bhpress.co.uk

More Creative Tel: 020 7561 6010 www.morecreative.co.uk

uk distribution and logistics

Bastion Tel: +44 (0)20 7421 7600 www.bastion.co.uk

Multiplay Tel: +44 (0)20 7100 1337 www.multiplay.co.uk

Gfk Chart-Track Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 8741 7585 www.chart-track.com

Parker Consulting Ltd Tel: 07771571639 www.parkerconsulting.biz

Dilute Recordings Tel: 01483 306834 www.diluterecordings.com

PMA Marketing Tel: 020 7483 0568 www.pmamarketing.com

Eye-D Creative Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1440 www.eye-dcreative.co.uk

RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS Tel: +44 (0)20 8254 5300 www.rainbowproductions.co.uk

FEREF Tel: +44 (0)207 292 6330 www.feref.com

RealtimeUK Tel: 01772 682 363 www.realtimeuk.com

FINK Creative Ltd Tel: 01480 302350 www.finkcreative.com

Richard Jacques Studios Tel: 07831 756977 www.richardjacques.com

Fluid Tel: +44 (0)121 212 0121 www.fluidesign.co.uk

Shorewood.Blueprint Tel: 020 7183 9666 www.shorewood-blueprint.com

Freeform.London Tel: 020 7183 6664 www.freeformlondon.co.uk

Side Tel: +44 (0) 207 631 4800 www.side.com

Frontroom Tel: 020 7384 5400 www.frontroom.com

SKYSKRAPER® Tel: +44 (0)20 7252 3288 www.skyskraper.net

Game Frontier Ltd Tel: 0870 420 2424 www.gamefrontier.com

Studio CO2 Tel: +44 (0) 1483 414 415 www.studioco2.com

Discstribution Tel: + 44 (0) 845 4308735 www.discstribution.com EntaTech Tel: 0333 101 1000 www.entaonline.com Gem Tel: 01279 822822 www.gem.co.uk Meroncourt Europe Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1462 680060 www.trade.meroncourt.co.uk Trilogy Logistics Ltd Tel: 0845 456 6400 www.trilogy-uk.com

international distribution ComputerLand doo Tel: +381 11 309 95 95 www.computerland.rs CURVEBALL LEISURE Tel: 01792 652521 www.thegamecollection.net Funtastic Tel: +61 3 9419 5444 www.funtastic.com.au GameStreamer, Inc. Tel: 001-813-527-0383 www.gamestreamer.net

LO

TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS

In association with

Tel: +44 1 480 210 621 www.usspeaking.com

LOCALISATION QA AND TESTING

legal services

4-Real Intermedia GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 69809088 - 0 www.4-real.com

Orange Studio Tel: +39 051 588 04 50 www.orangestudio.it

Harbottle & Lewis Tel: +44 (0)207 667 5000 www.harbottle.com

Absolute Quality Tel: +44 (0)141 220 5600 www.absolutequality.com

Partnertrans Tel: +44 1753 247731 www.partnertrans.com

Marriott Harrison Tel: +44 (0)20 7209 2000 www.marriottharrison.co.uk

ANAKAN GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 30531420450 www.anakan.de

PlayableGames Tel: 020 7421 6487 www.playablegames.net

software development

Babel Tel: 01273 764100 www.babelmedia.com

Testronic Laboratories Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1753 653722 www.testroniclabs.com

Cenega Poland Sp.Zo.o Tel: +48 22 574 2578 www.cenega.com

Universally Speaking Tel: +44 1 480 210621 www.usspeaking.com

Enzyme Labs Tel: +1 (450) 229-9999 ext.312 www.enzyme.org

U-TRAX Tel: +31 30 293 2098 www.utrax.com

ChaYoWo Games Tel: +1 917.650.0010 www.chayowogames.com Crytek UK Tel: +44 115 949 0808 www.crytek.com Data Design Interactive Tel: +44 0 1384 44 79 00 www.datadesign.uk.com xaitment GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 6897-600 80-0 www.xaitment.com

manufacturing services Arvato digital services Tel: 0121 502 7800 www.arvatodigitalservices.com

OK Media Tel: +44 (0) 20 7688 6789 www.okmedia.com

DISCHROMATICS LTD Tel: 01495 243222 www.dischromatics.co.uk

Technicolor Tel: 0208 987 7829 www.technicolor.com

MPO UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 8956 2727 www.mpo-international.com

The Producers Limited Tel: 0845 234 2444 www.theproducers.co.uk

Multi Media Replication Ltd Tel: +44(0) 1264 336330 www.replication.com

Total Console Repair Ltd Tel: 08719 181 721 www.totalconsolerepair.co.uk

gaming accessorieS AntiGrav Media Ltd Tel: 01932 454929 www.antigrav-media.co.uk Hubb Accessories Tel: 01642 204343 www.playwithhubb.com I-Globe Accessories Ltd Tel: 01332 756610 www.i-ga.co.uk Logic3 plc Tel: 01923 471000 www.logic3.com

recruitment Aardvark Swift Tel: 01709 876877 www.aswift.com

Game Options Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1382 731909 www.gameops.co.uk

Pebble Entertainment GmbH Tel: +49 (231) – 477 927 0 www.pebble-entertainment.com/en

Amiqus Tel: 01925 252588 www.amiqus.com/games

Specialmove Consultancy Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 141 585 6491 www.specialmove.com

Pinpoint Consumer Elec.

Tel: +44 (0) 1606 558 428 www.pinpointce.co.uk

GUIDE PLEASE CONTACT: ROB.BAKER@INTENTMEDIA.CO.UK OR 01992 535647

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BullGuard Internet Security Suite 9.0 hits the shelves Vendor releases updated version of its software package for 2010 “BullGuard focuses on ease of use, a down-toearth, low-tech style of communication and a support service that is unrivalled in the software industry” Claus Villumsen, BullGuard

SECURITY software vendor BullGuard has introduced its 2010 offering to the channel, Internet Security Suite 9.0.

The software will be familiar to existing BullGuard customers in interface and design. The firm attempts to keep much of the technical aspects of the software behind the scenes, leaving the user-facing controls as simple as possible for the consumer.

However, users can customise profiles and settings if they wish, with adjustable filters and rules to suit various security needs.

The suite consists of many features, including a game mode, easy one-step installation process, anti-virus, antispyware, anti-phishing, spamfilters,

instant message protection, firewall, support and backup.

Claus Villumsen, BullGuard’s CTO, said: “As the online security threat continues to grow, consumers are becoming increasingly aware that being connected to the rest of the world is potentially a risky business. And they realise that online protection is necessary. The problem is that internet security issues have grown so complex and diverse, that consumers have given up on the technical terms used by the security industry. Consequently, locating a security product, installing it and

actually using it effectively is an overwhelming and unwelcome task to a lot of people. That’s why BullGuard focuses on ease of use, a down-to-earth, low-tech style of communication and a support service that is unrivalled in the software industry.”

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February PCR 99

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Lenovo explores new form factors Vendor spearheads 2010 product launches with hybrid two-in-one PC and ‘smartbook’ device “U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity” Liu Jun, Lenovo

100 PCR February

LENOVO has launched a wealth of new consumer-facing products, headed up by the IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook, which it says is essentially two PCs in one.

The clamshell laptop, available in June, has a multi-touch screen, which can be detached and used independently. The component PCs have their own processor cores and can operate independently of each other.

The devices synchronise when connected, with the base component essentially acting as a dock and the tablet screen acting as a mobile device.

Lenovo’s hybrid switch technology enables the processors to be toggled seamlessly, meaning that tasks can be continued uninterrupted if the screen is detached halfway through.

“The IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook is a game-changing technology in the PC industry that lets user switch their PC experience within a single device to match their dynamic lifestyle,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president of Lenovo’s Idea Product Group.

“By fusing the functionality of a notebook with the slate tablet’s rich multi-touch entertainment and mobile internet experience, U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity.”

The vendor also launched the Skylight, which is the firm’s first ‘smartbook’. The category is generally understood to bridge the gap between smartphone and netbook.

“The web has become the window to the world for more and more people, helping them connect with friends and family across

town or thousands of miles away,” said Peter Gaucher, Lenovo’s executive director of mobile internet product management. “Skylight combines the long battery life and connectivity of a smartphone with the full web browsing and multimedia experience of a netbook to create one of the first devices in this developing smartbook category.”

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February PCR 101

MARKETPLACE

Sony updates Vaio range Laptop portfolio gets a revamp with brand new S, Y, W and F product segments SONY has bolstered its Vaio laptop series with a slew of models launched under new brand ranges, each addressing a particular market segment.

The new F and S models are high performance ranges, emphasising processing and graphical power. The F series is skewed towards multimedia uses, with a features including a 16.4inch HD display powered by a quad-core i7 CPU and an Nvidia graphics chipset that utilises GDDR3 VRAM, and comes with a Blu-ray drive as standard.

The S series comes with some heavyweight specifications too. It is powered by the Intel Core i7, has 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and also

includes an Nvidia GeForce 310M graphics chipset.

The Y series has a slightly smaller screen and is geared less towards high performance use. Models in the range have a 13.3-inch display and a battery life of around nine hours. It features a multi-touch trackpad, and includes one-touch access to the Vaio Care troubleshooting service.

Finally, the W series is Sony’s nod to the environmentally aware customer. It’s made from recycled CDs, contains no mercury, and was awarded Energy Star 5.0 certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The specs are somewhat lower than the other ranges.

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Trust bolsters its notebook accessory lines Firm brings fashion to the IT market, with bags, mouse pads and speakers all set to turn heads

“The Trust London Notebook Bag and Mouse Bundle is aimed at women who enjoy fashion in their IT products. The laptop bag can double up as a handbag”

Small and colourful, with a more powerful sound than notebooks can deliver

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TRUST has brought three new products to the notebook accessory market this month, skewed towards the fashion conscious user.

The Trust London Notebook Bag and Mouse Bundle is aimed at women who enjoy fashion in their IT products. The laptop bag can double up as a handbag and has a stylised chequered design. It can hold a computer of up to 15.4 inches, and the bundled mouse has a matching design. The set retails for £29.99.

The Trust London Mouse Pad with 4 Port UBS Hub is ergonomically designed, can charge or connect four devices simultaneously through the computer, and retails for £11.99.

Elsewhere, the Trust CUBE Portable Notebook Speakers come in blue, pink or white for playing music or video on the go. The speakers have blue LED illumination, and at 5cm wide are small enough to be transported around easily.

The devices promise a 200 per cent increase in volume compared to integrated notebook loudspeakers, and retail for £14.99.

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HP introduces new touch-enabled PCs Hardware giant expands mobile product range with adaptable laptop and selection of colourful netbooks “The TM2 convertible notebook includes a fingerprint reader, as well as an advanced thermal design for optimal cooling”

104 PCR February

THE HP TOUCHSMART TM2 is the update to the TX2, and is the firm’s first consumer-focused convertible notebook PC loaded with multi-touch technology. The TM2 can be used as a standard touch-enabled laptop, as a slate for more mobility, or with the digital pen as a graphics tablet.

The device comes with Intel Core 2 Duo processors and optional high multimedia performance ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics upgrades. It also provides up to nine hours of battery life via the standard six-cell battery and includes a fingerprint reader, as well as an advanced thermal design for optimal cooling.

The HP Mini 5102 comes as either a standard netbook or touch-enabled. It has the latest Intel

Atom N450 processor, multiple connectivity options including mobile broadband, and a 10.1inch diagonal LED display, available in either WSVGA or HD resolutions.

The firm has also launched the HP Mini 210 and HP Mini 2102, two models with an emphasis on portability.

Measuring less than one-inch thin, the HP Mini 210 is available in a choice of Black Crystal, Silver Crystal, Pacific Blue or Sonoma Red HP Imprint finishes. The devices support up to 1GB of memory and hard drive options up to 320GB, and have an Intel Atom processor N450 with 1.66 GHz.

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February PCR 105

MARKETPLACE

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106 PCR February

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MARKETPLACE RECOMMENDED

RIM BLACKBERRY BOLD 9700 WITH EVERY smartphone manufacturer under the sun scrambling to produce touchscreen devices, it’s almost shocking to see a smartphone arrive without one. What most BlackBerry devotees demand, however, is seamless email integration and a decent hardware keyboard, and in the Bold 9700 that’s exactly what RIM has delivered.

In line with previous Bold and Curve handsets, the 9700 boasts a hardware qwerty keyboard that stretches the full width of the 60.5mmwide chassis and curves gently along its length. As with the original Bold, the keys are all subtly shaped, sloping up to a point, making them easier to type on. And the rows of keys still have those attractive silver ‘frets’ between them to space each one out a little.

The new touchpad makes a big difference to the overall feel of the Bold 9700, but it isn’t the only contributing factor. The phone’s incredibly fast performance has just as

big an impact. Nipping around from application to application, email to instant messenger, and web browser to contact list instigates barely a pause.

Gmail contacts synchronisation has recently been added to BlackBerry Internet Server (BIS), which should increase its consumer appeal. Add good battery life, a lovely screen, excellent build quality and a no-stoneunturned feature set, and you have one excellent smartphone.

Better still, over 18 months you’ll pay considerably less for one of these than you will for an iPhone 3GS. Not everyone will be swayed by its nontouchscreen display, but the Bold 9700 certainly has us convinced.

[

URL: www.rim.com SRP: £385 inc. vat

]

ACER ASPIRE Z5600

TOUCHSCREEN PCs always felt awkward when they were underpinned

by Windows Vista, but now that Windows 7 has arrived, we’ve begun to see these devices come into their own.

First out of the blocks was the Sony VAIO VPC-L11S1W/S, which wowed us with one of the best screens we’d ever seen, and now Acer has unveiled its own premium touch screen model, the Aspire Z5600.

While Sony’s touchscreen design was a graduate of the minimalist school of design, the Acer is a little more domineering. Two chrome struts support the weight of the 23-inch screen, and liberally scattered around the Aspire’s glossy bulk are strips of deep maroon plastic.

Acer has crammed the Z5600 with a surprisingly good specification too.

The Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor returned a superb 1.47 in our applications-based benchmarks – marginally quicker than

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the Sony, which scored 1.44 – and the plentiful 4GB of RAM is complemented by a massive 1TB hard disk. Elsewhere, you get a hybrid DVBT/analogue TV tuner, 803.11n wireless, and a decent pair of speakers.

At £782 excluding VAT, it’s £450 cheaper than the Sony, a differential that makes up for its few weaknesses. If you can’t afford to splash out on the extravagant VAIO, the Aspire Z5600 should be next on your list.

“Acer has crammed the Z5600 with good specification. The Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor returned a superb 1.47 in our applications-based benchmarks – quicker than Sony, which scored 1.44 – and the 4GB of RAM is complemented by a massive 1TB hard disk”

[

]

URL: www.acer.co.uk SRP: £1057.49 inc. vat

February PCR 107

OUT OF OFFICE

THE IT CROWD

THIS MONTH: Kaspersky explores the Antarctic and Enta heads to Vegas...

KASPERSKY LAB REACHES POLE POSITION A group of explorers from security vendor Kaspersky Lab has arrived at the South Pole after skiing around 900km to get there.

The Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition was met by the firm’s CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, and other senior members of staff, who helped plant a flag to mark the team’s arrival at the pole.

The team was made up of seven women from six Commonwealth countries – Brunei, Cyprus, India, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. “The history of the world is made by humans and it is really great to be one of those history-makers,” Eugene Kaspersky said.

Kaspersky Lab’s all-female international team skied 900km across the Antarctic

Top to bott om prize by Chr : Spa Computers’ Parm is Heath from inder Singh Bi Maxwells re ceives his ne Channel Advantage on rdi is presented with his tbook from behalf of M SI; Paul Cla Channel Ad rke of vantage’s Ia n Wilson

MSI’S NETBOOK GIVEAWAY Hardware vendor MSI has given away four of its Wind U100 netbooks to stores across the UK as part of its campaigning to engage with independent resellers.

The winners of MSI’s award-winning device were: Maxwells of Northallerton, Yorkshire; Spa Computers of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire; SP Computers of Swindon, Wiltshire, and PC Help of Peacehaven, Sussex.

The giveaway followed a survey conducted by MSI of over 200 dealers, who were asked to comment on their successes over the year and their opinions on MSI products.

108 PCR February

www.pcr-online.biz

OUT OF OFFICE

Send your pictures to: andrew.wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

A day in thge life arketin Roland Eva, M e Distribution tim al Re Manager,

ENTATECH HITS CES EntaTech’s commercial group vice president, Jon Atherton, headed to Las Vegas last month for the Consumer Electronics Show, where he met up with security vendor Swann.

The firm was showing its new All-in-One DVR Security System, along with other video surveillance and IT solutions.

Elsewhere at the expo, Atherton said, “The three big things I could see were in-car entertainment, 3D and tablets.”

“The fact that we can all work hard and have a laugh at the same time makes Realtime a great place to work”

EntaTech’s Jon Atherton (centre) meets Swann owners Keith Oldridge (left) and Ian Barton

from Clockwise lle left: Miche , Neve (July) child Renée Roth Lewis (January), d Marie Daniels an ust) Devlin (Aug

A YEAR TO REMEMBER

Xx

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Ingram Micro has created a 2010 calendar featuring some of the faces of its marketing department.

Priced at £5.99, £2.75 from each calendar sold goes to cancer charity Everyman. Email sales@symbianprint.co.uk to get your copy.

I STARTED working for Realtime Distribution in October 2009 as its marketing manager. This is a fantastic position as I have been given the creative freedom to make the role my own and I’ve received full support from the team to turn my ideas into reality.

60 per cent of my job is to design marketing material that will engage and excite enthusiast PC gamers at a consumer level. These are the people who spend the most, the most often. Realtime has a unique role, viewing stock as our own until it has been sold by our customers. Creating end user demand for our components, peripherals and games ensures that our customers are not sitting on stock that they cannot sell.

Product demand is created through a variety of mediums to ensure that we reach the full spectrum of computer users.

I recently organised a PC World e-sports competition sponsored by AMD with a £500 cash prize. This was a huge success, with 128 teams of five entering within 24 hours.

The rest of my time is spent communicating with customers. This has many facets depending on the message.

One of those is the newsletter, Realtime Speaks, which give our account customers a monthly spotlight on our manufacturers. This has interviews with manufacturers, product managers and features on new products.

It is the variety that makes this job so interesting. The help and feedback that I receive from product managers, the sales team and most of our customers are invaluable.

The fact that we can all work hard and have a laugh at the same time makes Realtime a great place to work.

February PCR 109

OUT OF OFFICE

PCR Editorial Planner

In the

HOT SEAT This month VIP’s account manager Neil Reid tells us a little bit about himself...

MARCH 2010 Advertising deadline: February 17th Security software Home security Networking PCR Awards preview EVENTS: PCR AWARDS, CEBIT, EDUCATION SHOW 2010 To advertise call Carly Bailey on +44 (0) 1992 535647 or email Carly.Bailey@intentmedia.co.uk For editorial contact Andrew Wooden on +44 (0) 1992 535646 or email him at Andrew.Wooden@intentmedia.co.uk

APRIL 2010 Advertising deadline: March 24th PCR Award winners/Channel Expo preview Photography Self improvement and creative software Motherboards and processors

MAY 2010 Advertising deadline: April 19th Channel Expo issue Margin makers Printers EVENT: CHANNEL EXPO, RETAIL VISION

Describe yourself in three words: Geeky, grumpy, funny.

How do you relax away from work?

Video Games, Cooking and Football.

What is your favourite: Book: Fire Under the Snow – Palden Gyatso Film: Goodfellas Album: Morrison Hotel – The Doors

JUNE 2010 Advertising deadline: May 19th Channel Expo review Cooling and cases Distribution focus Memory GPS devices EVENT: COMPUTEX

JULY 2010 Advertising deadline: June 16th Mac special Mac peripherals Business software EVENTS: TCA GOLF DAY

AUGUST 2010 Advertising deadline: July 21st Back to school issue Back to school hardware and software

SEPTEMBER 2010 Advertising deadline: August 18th Gaming issue Graphics cards Peripherals Displays Games hardware 110 PCR February

What’s your best memory from working in the industry?

Having worked in the gases industry for over 11 years, I wonder why I did not come into this field before now. The people and customers I work with at VIP are great and offer new challenges daily to make sure we do the deal.

What did you want to do when you were younger?

I really wanted to be a footballer. However, two left feet, a deceptively slow turn of pace and being 5’ 7” put paid to that particular dream.

When were the 'good old days'?

The good old days were when Wagon Wheels were massive, Mark and Lard were on Radio 1 and DFS actually ended their sale.

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Discover the Acer Aspire Z5610 at acer.co.uk Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Copyright 2010 Acer. All rights reserved. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the properties of their respective owners. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures are intended simply to illustrate the product.

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