KUALA LUMPUR, WED:

Screen blackout? This is software giant Microsofts latest strategic measure in its war against piracy campaign dubbed as Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA).

For the next five weeks beginning today, users of pirated versions of the Windows operating system will encounter a plain black background with pop-up window alert, said Microsoft Malaysias director of client business group, K.T.Ng.

The users will be able to reset the background to the original setting but every 60 minutes the computer will be reset to the plain black background and the persistent notice will remain until a genuine copy of Windows is installed and validated.

“It is also about giving genuine users an assurance and protecting them,” Ng said.

In 2005 when Microsoft started WGA, for every 10 personal computers that went for validation, only 3.5 passed, but now after almost two years, 70 percent of the personal computers that went for validation passed, he told Bernama in an interview.

“We are aiming for very high passing rates in the future,” he said.

Hence, WGA has played a greater role educating the people on genuine software as well as helping to reduce the software piracy rate in Malaysia, according to Ng.

So far, he said, the Malaysian government in collaborating with the industry has managed to bring down the piracy rate to 59 percent from 70 percent 10 years ago.

“The education process is very important and once they start using genuine software and see the benefits for themselves, they will appreciate it,” he added.

Asked if price was a factor in users choosing pirated software, Ng said that Microsoft on its part has come up with affordable rates.

For instance, he said, users can purchase a Window Vista Basic at RM250 and the company has also worked together with various parties to come up with ultra low-cost personal computers with Windows XP installed at less than RM80.

Ng said users were mostly unaware that using pirated software made their computers vulnerable to virus attacks, which could result in the loss of all data stored in the computers.

“That kind of cost (of losing the data) is a lot more rather than the initial savings of RM50 or RM60. So that is very important,” he said.

Ng said software purchases were critical decisions for any business and many users did not know that they were the victims of piracy.

Microsofts anti-piracy programmes are designed to help ensure that people receive the high quality, legal product they thought they paid for and when people discovered they have been the victims of piracy, Microsoft offered a number of get genuine programmes to help them out, he said.

Multimedia Development Corporation’s general manager, global profiling and portfolio management, Rizatuddin Ramli, said it is supportive of measures that stimulate and promote an intellectual property (IP) culture in Malaysia.

“Microsofts WGA initiative is one method that bodes well towards realising this behaviour among Malaysians,” he said.

Rizatuddin said IP rights in software and services provided local software houses the intellectual assets for economic value of their work in creating solutions for the marketplace.

“We would like to see acts of piracy and disregard for others IP eventually diminished as MSC Malaysia promotes respect for innovation and creation of IP,” he said.

International Association of Software Architects president Hasan Ganny Hanif said a reduction in the piracy rate will promote the development of Malaysia into a full-fledged knowledge economy, acknowledging the contribution of IP.

“At the same time, this also provides assurance to local software providers that their ‘Made-in-Malaysia’ innovations will be protected and that they are able to the reap the rewards of their development and ideas that go into such innovations,” he said.

The association is also confident that Microsoft’s WGA programme will go some way towards reducing the country’s piracy rate and helping to shape a culture that respects IP, he added.

New Straits Times

SINGAPORE : Admit now, how many PCs do you have in the home, including laptops? At last count was it three, maybe five perhaps?

As technology grows and becomes entwined with the fabric of our lives, it’s rare to find a home without a PC and more common to find each member of a household having one PC or laptop of their own. In addition, there will also be one other, most likely a desktop PC, which everyone will fight over to use and then simulatenously ignore.

Wouldn’t it be nice to to get just one PC that everyone will like and use, even when they are not computing?

The answer to that has come from HP with its latest desktop, the TouchSmart IQ500.

This is one baby you are not going to take anywhere with you, try hiking it up a walkup flat if you need convincing.

The justification for weighing a ton (after carrying it a few hundred metres it starts to feel that way) is the fact that this HP has everything but the kitchen sink built into it.

The good part is, after huffing and puffing to get the HP to its ideal location and out of the box, all you really have to do is plug one end of the cable into the wall and the other into the PC. And Voila! It is as easy as that.

Pop out the super-slim keyboard from the box and see it slip neatly under the PC for the times when it’s not in use, then turn on the matching wireless mouse and start discovering the HP.

There is a thick, glossy manual but keep that for bedtime reading just to confirm for yourself what you should have already discovered when playing around on the new TouchSmart.

It is much slimmer than its predecessor and way prettier in glossy black with mocca trim, and all the extra ports and extensions well hidden but still accessible.

The fact that the desktop runs on Windows Vista (home edition) is only part of the reason why you will find it is so user-friendly.

The real reason why you will be surfing and doing a dozen things at the same time on this desktop comes from the way it has been designed with the user in mind, drawing on what the user is most likely to want and do.

This makes the TouchSmart an ideal device for families as both the very youing and the seniors will be drawn to the PC without being intimidated, except maybe by its size.

The TouchSmart which is a 22 inch screen machine can seem overpowering in presence. But touch it gently and it will wake a smile.

Children will enjoy using the large virtual palette to draw, while older folks who will find things on the larger screen much easier on the eye, have to only use their fingers to touch an icon to get the programme up and running or maybe scribble a note.

As for young singles, the HP TouchSmart which is priced at S$2499 can be an attractive asset since it can sit in a small apartment and take care of everything .

Sleek and bold, the good-looker beckons the eye from whichever corner of the room it sits. It’ll be a definite source of envy to those who drop by to find this well-defined stunner is a great entertainer, takes messages and helps with the office work such as process the email and documents. Now, remember we are talking about a PC, not a personal assistant.

As a TV, which requires an optional card to be inserted, this is as good as the LCD in the shop.

In fact, sitting in the middle of your home, it would probably be mistaken for the TV as it’s capable of running High Definition shows as well record them.

There is a DVD player/burner which you can also use to store your favourite CDs onto the hard drive for endless playback.

To call up your music, just touch the screen, flip through the album covers, add up the tunes to a playlist and enjoy.

The seamless user experience requiring just the touch of your hand, comes from HP’s own special software placed in the TouchSmart which can be launched from the desktop icon or the Home button on the front of the panel.

As you use your finger (or fingers) to scroll, flip and slide through programmes effortlessly, you will find that you won’t want to use the lovely keyboard and mouse that have been included.

When installed in the office with instructions for anyone and everyone to touch the TouchSmart, there was no lack of interactivity by users even though the mouse and keyboard were noticeably (and purposely) missing.

Even writing a Word document doesn’t require a keyboard as one could either use a stylus or a fingertip to write, or call up a virtual keyboard to tap away.

You’ll also find that even though it is called the TouchSmart, users don’t really have to poke and prod the screen. Just hover close over the screen and the application reacts.

The only drawback to the TouchSmart could be the proximity to a huge screen when computing.

Staring at a large screen just centimetres away was a strain on the eye.

The arm can also get a little tired when held up to write a long note.

It was much better sitting a distance away with the wireless keyboard tucked on the lap to type.

The TouchSmart is just the right thing though for a quick note, as you could just scribble with your finger or use the web camera discreetly sitting above the screen, to record a hard-to-miss message.

Although its size had me both attracted and averted at the same time, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the TouchSmart.

As a PC it was so intuitive and fun to use. To top it off, it was also complete - I didn’t need four essential devices in the home - a PC, TV, DVD player and music system - all I needed was one.

Even better, this device is an energy saver - not just from the fewer devices tapping on electricity, but from the fact that it draws as much power as three light bulbs in the home. Now, that’s a smart touch!

Channel News Asia

Lenovo unveils netbooks

Bangalore, Aug. 6

Lenovo has announced it is entering the ultra-portable
notebook PC, or netbook market with the IdeaPad S9
and S10 netbook. The netbooks allow users to do simple
activities such as connect to the Internet, check and write
e-mails, listen to music and perform basic applications.
About one-inch thin with models weighing just over two
pounds, IdeaPad netbooks are equipped with either
Microsoft Windows XP or Linux. IDC forecasts
worldwide shipments of ultra-low cost notebooks rising
from just 430,000 units in 2007 to 9.2 million in 2012.
For easy connection to the Internet, the netbooks feature
WiFi and optional Bluetooth connectivity and also have
an Express Card slot for optional high speed mobile
broadband connectivity. They have a built-in Web
camera for video messaging, and its two USB ports and a
4-in-1 multi-card reader make connecting other devices
and transferring photos, music and videos simple.
Ideapad netbooks are equipped with either Microsoft
Windows XP or Linux. - Our Bureau

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