Hewlett Packard are making some pretty big claims with what their ‘Biggest Project’ can achieve.

 

To understand what HP are trying to do you need to know what a Memristor is. Not to bog you down with all the technical stuff, it is one of the technologies predicted to replace flash memory. HP built the first working memristor in 2008.  If you were using memristors and you pulled the plug out of your computer, you could turn it back on and everything would still be the way you left it. It is best explained like a water pipe, it expands as you push water through it, and if the water stops, it stays expanded until the water is put back on.

 

‘The Machine’ is not a concept, it has been in development now for many years and a prototype is set to debut this year. Utilizing most (75%) of their best R & D scientists and highly skilled engineers working round the clock to make ‘The Machine’, HP really are throwing the kitchen sink at this and with such bold claims, its no surprise why.

 

So ‘What is the Machine?’ you might be asking, Well simply put, its throwing 70 years of computer history out the window and redrawing the map to the way HP thinks will make faster and more efficient computers, and that’s putting it mildly.

The Machine is designed to compete with servers that run corporate networks and the services of companies such as Google and Facebook, although 1 day could be incorporated into smaller devices.

Since the 1940’s computers have relied on 2 types of memory, RAM and Hard Drive space. That’s just the way it is, there are no alternatives, until now.

HP claims to be able to join the 2 together and this will be part of what makes the Machine so special.

Instead of moving data back and forth between RAM and HDD, something called Memristors are used.

 

To make this project a reality HP are still working out the kinks. They have released a software called Linux++ that mimics what the Machines hardware and tools will be able to do, so that software experts and developers can start to test and develop their code against the new operating system. HP say later they will release an operating system made from scratch specifically for ‘The Machine’ called Carbon

 

Some of us love to hang on to a computer for years. If you have a Laptop or Desktop that has Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 on it and havn’t upgraded, do it before July 29th, or it will cost you £99 for Home and £130 for the Pro version.

 

Over 300 Million devices are running Windows 10 and GEEX can also happily give the operating system the thumbs up for many reasons.

Windows 10 has some great features, such as Cortana, Microsoft’s version of Siri.

Have you heard about Microsoft’s new web browser called EDGE. you can freeze web pages and save them for offline viewing. Xbox gaming is also heavily integrated.

 

   

Windows has been designed so that everyday use is a breeze. Nothing too gimmicky. Its a very sensible operating system.

 

GEEX suggests if you’ve not already upgraded, do it now. You will have 31 days to roll back to your previous software if you don’t like it.

 

All GEEX PC computers have windows 10 Pro as standard. We also offer windows parallels 11 for those of you using Apple.

If you need any help or have any questions about Windows 10 or what other Windows operating systems GEEX can offer, call us on 0121 285 0098 .

 

 

 

Microsoft have rolled out a Premium version of Outlook as an invite only to select customers while they test it out

 

If you have Office 365 you will get it free, if not, around £3 a month with the first year being free.

What this gets you is 5 free personalised domain names instead of the standard Outlook address.

You also will have an ADD FREE inbox, with NO ADD Banner or popups to annoy you.

 

Microsoft have partnered with GODADDY to arrange this. its still in the pilot phase but within the next few months it should be rolled out worldwide.

 

We can see this becoming a popular service from Microsoft, were even a little surprised it has taken this long for such a thing. Its very innovative and for £3 a month, it wont break the bank (even if some are already calling it a rip-off)

 

If you don’t want to wait for this service, CALL GEEX and we can arrange all of this for you Today

Connection Options

USB A 2.0 – A cable used for transferring data from one device to another. 280MB/s

USB A 3.0 – The new generation of USB cables. 5GB/s, Note USB 3.1 is out now. 10GB/s

USB B – A cable to transfer Data. Usually found on printers.

Mini USB – a smaller head than standard USB

Micro USB – An even smaller head than Mini USB, used of phones and cameras, etc

.

Micro USB 3.0 – The new generation of Micro USB

.

DisplayPort – A cable used for transferring data.

Mini DisplayPort – A smaller version of the Displayport. Found on Thunderbolt 1 & 2

 

HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Transfers audio/video data to monitors, TV’s, projectors and such.

VGA – Video Graphics Array, provides a resolution of 720 by 400 to connect a monitor to a PC. Does not transfer sound.

Firewire – Also known as IEEE 1394, Used to connect different equipment so they can easily and quickly share information. Can connect up to 63 devices in a daisy chain achieving up to 400MB/s.

Thunderbolt – Very Fast Transfer speeds. 10GB/s in bi-directional channel. Mini Displayport

Thunderbolt 2 – Very Fast Transfer Speeds. 20GB/s input or output. Mini Displayport

Thunderbolt 3 – Transfer speeds of 40GB/s. USB type-C

RJ-45 – Used to connect computers onto a LAN, especially Ethernets

Ethernet – LAN technology, Used for Transferring Data between a network , Gigabit Ethernet has transfer speeds of 1GB/s.  A 10Gigabit Ethernet can transfer 10GB/s

PS/2 – a 6-pin connector used for connecting some keyboards and mice to compatible computers

 

 

­­Expansion Slots

Note – Card will have different transfer speeds for high-end and low-end users. Micro & Mini SD cards can fit in Standard SD slot with adapter.

 

 

 

 

SD Card Speed Class

 

 

 

Full SD Card – 32mm x 24mm, Used to add storage to a compatible device. Max 2GB

SDHC Card – 4GB to 32GB

SDXC – 32GB to 2TB

Mini SD Card – 11mm x 15mm, Used to add storage. 2GB/128GB

Micro SD Card – 21.5mm x 20mm

 

 

Storage

 

HDD – Hard Disk Drive, spinning head, cheaper than SSD, Higher storage options.

SSD – Solid State Drive, no moving parts, much faster than HDD, no noise

 

Fusion Drive – Apple’s hybrid drive, very fast, quiet and very reliable. It pairs 128GB flash with either 1 or 3 TB hard drive.

 

Display

HD/720p – High Definition, usually 1280 x 720 resolution  921k Pixels

FHD/1080p – High Definition, 1920 x 1080  2.07M Pixels

WQHD/QHD/1440p – 2560 x 1440  3.68M Pixels

UHD – 3840 x 2160  8.3M Pixels

4K – 4096 x 2160  8.85M Pixels

5K/UHD+ – 5120 x 2880  14.75M Pixels

FUHD/UHD 8K — 7680 x 4320  33.17M Pixels

QUHD – 15,360 x 8640  132.70M Pixels

Retina – The name given by Apple to High resolution screens. Over 163 pixels per inch is Retina

UltraSharp — the name given by Dell to its high resolution screens

 

Hardware

 

4xxx – 4^th Generation Intel chip

5xxx – 5^th Generation Intel Chip

6xxx – 6^th Generation intel chip, Brand New

Intel i3 – All are dual-Core

Intel i5 – All are Quad-Core, better than i3.

Intel i7 – Quad-Core, Supports Hyper-Threading. Vastly superior to i3/i5

Processor – The brains of the computer, used to do all the calculations to make the computer work

CPU – Central Processing Unit – Another term for processor

GHz – Gigahertz, one GHZ represents 1 billion cycles per second. The clockspeed is measured in GHZ. Each computer instruction requires a fixed number of cycles. The faster the number of cycles, the more powerful the processor is.

Clock Speed – The speed of how many cycles a second a processor can complete. Expressed in MHz or GHz

Core – A processor will have a number of cores. The more cores, the more tasks can be served at the same time.

Turbo Boost – Allows a processor to dynamically increase its clock speed whenever the need arises to increase performance.

Cache Size – When a CPU uses the same data over and over it stores that data in its cache for faster access. It’s like RAM, only faster.

Hyper-Threading – Only found on i7 models. Allows a core to do 2 jobs at once. Useful for high end video editing and heavy duty tasks.

RAM – Random Access Memory, the more you have the quicker your computer will be.

Integrated Graphics – Shares memory with the CPU and provides a more economical alternative to a stand-alone graphics card

Architecture – Allows the system to connect easily to devices and programs made by other manufacturers with the same architecture, I.E 32/64bit.

If you run a business you have to promote what you do to attract new customers and to help build your brand.

GEEX recently attended the Birmingham Business Growth show to reach out to business’s who may be interested in leasing new computers, and even those who didn’t know you could even do such a thing.

 

The event was held at the Edgbaston Cricket ground. We arrived prompt at 7.30AM (Thanks Boss). It was raining and moggy. We carried our display equipment and stands inside to a large conference hall.

The staff were still getting things ready, such as hoovering the carpet, connecting extension cords and testing the mic for the sound system.

By 8AM we were set up and ready for business, the same could be said for about 5 or 6 other companies. Most would arrive later on.

By 9AM the show was ready to start but due to a delay and several empty stands we were told doors would open at 9.20.

 

At 9,15 the company with the stand next to us had not arrived so we were told we could have both booths. Happy days, we started to spread across and of course, a nice lady arrived with all her stuff ready to set up her stand. lol. We moved our things back to our stand. It turns out it was a very nice lady who ran a magazine and we had good talks with her and other nearby stands throughout the day who were all very interested in what GEEX were offering.

 

By 10am the hall was bustling with people going round the 100-120 or so stands and the hall had really come to life.

We had many people interested in GEEX. They didn’t know such a service was possible.

We spoke to all sorts of business’s who had asked for a quote and call back.

 

On display we had a 21.5 retina iMac, a Macbook an iPad Pro and a Surface book 3. Everyone turned their heads to see what it was all about. We had our website on the iPad Pro for people to browse and people really liked the size of the screen and how great it looked.

 

At 12pm lunch was served. there was a selection of sandwiches and you could take as many as you wanted. I had 2.

 

What was really popular was our offering of free heroes. People were gobbling them up. Way better than celebrations I might add.

 

As the afternoon went on and speed networking events and key note speakers were progressing, GEEX was busy speaking to business’s and making contacts.

 

All in all it was a great day. We wrapped up at 3pm and money well spent. We met hundreds of people and had well over 100 business’s asking us to give them a call to discuss leasing.

 

After 3pm when all the visitors had cleared the hall we started to pack up. We were very happy with what we had achieved.

We walked in from cold and rainy cloud filled skies, and walked out to sunny skies with a refreshing breeze with a feeling of satisfaction and optimism.

 

We will continue to be going to more events and have no doubt will meet more great people along the way.

 

Apple News Update 26/2/16

 

Apple has been in the news the last week or two for many interesting reasons.

 

     vs     

 

Ding!

 

The iPhone of a terrorist who shot and killed 14 people several weeks ago in America is locked and the FBI want access. The FBI have asked Apple to create an IOS they can put on an iPhone 5’s RAM so that they can try as many passwords without the phone locking. They have also asked for Apple to set up software so they can break the password with brute force. Apple is fighting it tooth and nail and has had support from Google, Facebook and Twitter to name a few.

Apple says this is bad because it could allow for millions of iPhones to be unlocked, The FBI disagrees. Apple is very afraid they would be forced to give up their source code if things heat up. Its ongoing at the moment.

 

 

Apple say they have released an update that fixes the “error 53” code on phones that have been repaired by non-authorised Apple technicians. I guess they have enough going on at the moment without dealing with the class action lawsuit that was recently filled by angry iPhone users left with bricks.

 

The iPad Air 3 should be on the shelves by the end of next month. Apple says it has all the features and great insides of the iPad Pro. They want it to have the keyboard and the pencil. It also should have speakers in each corner like the Pro. Can’t wait to get my hands on one.

 

 

Apple has said its latest IOS will now feature Siri, Fantastic. Siri, Can you explain the ending to Lost please.

 

The iPad pro has a pencil. The latest IOS update took away much of the functionality of the pencil. Apple says the next update will bring it all back. Happy Days

 

Lastly, Apple now want to use dual lense cameras on their new iPhones. It makes for a much better picture, especially up-close. Apple really want people to consider the iPhone to be capable of replacing your Nikon or Canon camera but were not sure if they are quite there yet. Exciting stuff.

 

 

 

We don’t want to bore you with technical what ifs, who’s doing this, who’s doing that. We just want to have a bit of fun and dream of what life would be like if A.I became a reality, and we made it that powerful that it solved a lot of our problems.

 

Every single thing that could affect my health is recorded. An A.I is constantly monitoring my health. It tells me what to eat, how much exercise I should do and tells me when I’m getting sick and what preventative treatment I should seek.

 

The Police now rely on A.I. It scours the cities CCTV and knows who we all are. It knows when crimes are reported and can allocate resources efficiently.

Teachers. They simply ask A.I what to teach the kids. The A.I knows all the kids, knows what they like and don’t, It will create perfect lesson plans.

 

Around the home you’re A.I uses integrated robots to keep your house clean and safe by only letting in people you know. It monitors you and knows what temperature and humidity and such to keep your home. It will order your food for you, even cook it.

 

When all cars are self-driving, A.I will make it all work. People of importance will get priority.

 

A.I will scour all the research in the world and work out solutions to our problems. It will perform its own research and tell us what to do.

 

The implications are endless right? We build robots, we connect them to A.I, we all get enslaved lol. Who knew that would be the undoing of the human race. James Cameron and Steven Hawking, but what do they know right?

 

This will be life if we ever develop A.I and then super boost it so that it has a brain the size of a city. In the same way a calculator or computer does things so fast that a human can never compete. A developed A.I will be able to work things out that a human never could.

 

It’s both very scary and very exciting at the same time.

Bringing you some of the latest news about the one, the only,  The Apple.

First off, those of you who have visited India but couldn’t find an Apple store will be pleased to know that an application has been filled and now Apple wants to share with India the same experience we now have of walking into an Apple store. No major details yet but if its anything like launches in other countries, it will create quite a buzz in the cities Apple does decide to open shop in.

 

Apple has just released an update for both its IOS software for phones, tablets and Ipod Touch devices and also one for the mac range.

The final release for IOS 9.2.1 is mostly security updates and bug fixes but also something else interesting which I will explain in a minute.

The Release of X El Capitan 10.11.3 is mostly security updates and bug fixes.

If you were wondering what happens to your Apple account after you die, its not good. It gets closed down and all the apps, music and films goes with it. Apple did decide to make an exception though for a one Peggy Bush, 72 from Canada. Her husband sadly passed away and when she realised she needed a password, Apple asked for a court order. Happily in this case, they backed down and provided her access to the account. R.I.P David.

Apple CarPlay will now also be a feature in the 2017 models of Kia’s, BMW and Honda to name a few. If you didn’t know what it was, well, it syncs your iPhone and its contacts, maps, music and such to your on-board display, you can even read text’s and such. Still quite rare but 2016 is the year it becomes mainstream.

 

There have been allegations that child labour is being used in the Democratic Republic of Congo to source Cobalt that is used in Apple lithium-ion batteries (also many other companies). Small suppliers use children, then sell on Cobalt to larger Chinese companies who sell it to companies to make batteries.

Apple is a big company and their practices are scrutinised by the world. Apple has tried hard the last few years to make its supply chain transparent and make sure workers are treated fairly. Get this, if a child is found to be working in the supply chain, Apple demands the company pay for that child to return home, pay for the education they request, continue to pay the child’s wages and them offer them a job when they are of legal working age. If a company says no, then well, they are cut out by Apple and for obvious reasons, Apple holds all the cards.

 

LG has ramped up its production capabilities for OLED curved screens giving even more merit to the rumours that Apple is about to shift its screens to OLED in 2016/2017.

 

And the big one I promised you a few paragraphs above, you have probably already heard but here it is again, Apple is rumoured to be getting rid of its 3.5mm jack on the iPhone 7. Its not definite but the code in the new IOS release hints that there will be no jack. You will have to use Bluetooth or a lightning connector pair of headphones. The reason, it will make you iPhone even thinner, YaaaaY! We will have to just wait and see.

 

 

We all new it was coming and finally its here, you can chat with someone in a different language and Skype will translate for you.

 

Any Star Trek fan will know that when 2 different aliens are having a conversation on the show, its the universal translator that allows us viewers to hear it in English and allows them to communicate. It was the stuff of science fiction, now its only a matter of time before we can call that normal life, apart from aliens of course.

 

Over 50 different languages work on instant chat and 7 work on voice calls and we’re sure it will only grow from there.

Voice translator – Chinese mandarin, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish

Microsoft makes no promises that what you say will come out how you want but hey, its cool, were grateful anyway.

Whatsapp and FaceTime now will be sweating, because after all, a worldwide communication service that can’t translate is no match for one that can.

 

Fun Fact – Germany and Ghana is the most used translating corridor.

 

The new year has begun and you might be thinking it’s time to have a look at what computer equipment you have, and what you are going to need for the year going forward. Here at Geexs we understand that you are going to want value for money.

 

If you have been shopping around for the best deal, look no further, we have the best prices. If you want a printer added on, software, installation for our 10 PC user network, give us a call and we can have a no-strings chat.

 

We have a wide range of laptops and desktops available as well as tablets and networking systems but also we can get most things from our suppliers if you have seen something you like on another site.

 

Your email keeps crashing, you can’t install a new piece of software or the new printer you just paid a fortune for won’t connect wirelessly, your screen goes all funny. These are just some of the problems you can have from time to time.

Here at Geex we don’t just rent IT equipment, we provide unlimited remote support to help fix any problems and issues you will face on a day to day/month to month basis.

 

SECURITY— In this day and age most companies have to worry more and more about threats coming from their computers. Just imagine, you’re going about your daily tasks and a message pops up saying, your system has now been taken over and you must pay $500 dollars to have it unfrozen, it happens, you may have seen it in the papers. We like to take pre-emptive measure to make sure your firewalls and anti-virus is all top notch and doing what it is supposed to do, protect you at all times.

Here are some photos from google

 

It is in our interest to keep your business IT running smoothly so you can recommend us to all your clients and friends and hopefully stay with us for the long-haul.

 

What we offer is a multi-angle approach to protecting your business IT in terms of security and reliability and can give advice on what equipment you will need for what you need it for.

 

If you are not sure about what type of IT equipment to pick, here is a few questions you might be asking yourself

Do you want Apple or Windows?

Do you need an SSD or will a normal hard drive be ok?

Do you want a 13”, 15”, 17” laptop?

With your desktop, what sort of monitor do you want, standard screen, or something special and what size?

Do you want an i3, and i5 or an i7 processor?

What software do I want, office, office 365 premium?

    

Here at Geex we like to work with our customers when they are looking for their equipment, that way we can make sure you are getting what will work best for what you are trying to do. We have had some customers who think they can run a high end graphics card on an i3 processor. Some customers who are getting an i7 processor would be more suited to a high end graphics card. Some customers will need an SSD hard drive, some will be able to save money with a normal hard drive. All customers have different needs and we get that and want to get the best value money deal we can.

If you need to lease IT equipment, call the Geex, we will look after you every step of the way.

 

 

HP Labs are making some pretty big claims about their ‘Biggest Project’ (their words) which has 75% of their R & D team dedicated to this.

 

I’m not going to sex up what HP are trying to do, but it is a very very very very very very big deal if they can pull it off.

 

It’s called ‘The Machine’ and HP boast it will be able to handle large companies (Google/Facebook/Amazon) network requirements at a fraction of the cost and space. They say instead of having large equipment filled warehouse sized data centres, you can have a computer the size of a fridge instead.

 

Set to change the future of computer architecture that has been the same for 60 years.

 

This isn’t a concept and HP claim to be able to debut the first prototype this year, and later releasing a dynasty of computers based on this. Last year they released Linux++ which aims to let developers test their code as it mimics the hardware and tools that ‘The Machine’ will deliver when it has its own (from scratch) operating system, called Carbon.

 

The Machine’ works by utilizing memristors, which I will explain in a second, as well as swapping out copper wiring for fibre optic and something called silicon photonics.

A computer has RAM and HDD. Your files are on the HDD and when you want to do something like write a Word Document or play Solitaire, the processor transfers your program from the HDD to the RAM so you have fast efficient access to it.

 A memorister is a nanoscale chip. It consists of  a grid wires with a stack of thin layers of materieals at each intersection. When a current is applied to the wires, the materials’ resistance is alterd, and this state can be held after the current is removed. Hence remembering all the 1’s and 0’s. They can be built memristers with traditional semi conducting equipment.

 

A memrister will be both your RAM and HDD. HP built the first working one in 2008. A Memorister simply put is what makes the whole thing work. Using fibre-optic instead of copper allows for light speed transfer (literally) of 1’s and 0’s.

 

Imagine that your hard drive was pure ram, sat on the motherboard next to the processor for instant access to all your files.

Facebooks Data centre                                          Replaced with ‘The Machine’

        

 

 

‘The Machine’ is a whole new concept of computer and will require a new Operating System to match. Current applications are designed to wait for data, where as this new system, there will be no waiting.

 

It’s going to be a huge effort but since OS for Android are also being worked on we guess this will trickle down to phones and tablets.

 

Experts around the world are all paying close attention to this because they realise this may very well be the biggest leap in computing, since the stone age. Exciting stuff

 

 

 

 

Microsoft Office 365 is an online based service that Microsoft claims will transform your small business allowing you to compete with the big boys. We are putting the key points down so you can see straight away what you get.

 

If you are still thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Office 365 Business or Premium, think no more. We recommend you do it ASAP and here’s why.

 

For one, you can have access to your software (be it Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Etc) anywhere that you have a web connection as Microsoft has based all these tools in the cloud. Don’t worry about security, everything is encrypted and Antivirus signatures are kept up to date.

You can work on your documents and save them on the SkyDrive and access them from any computer connected to the web. You can collaborate and share all your documents with this streamlined service.

Microsoft offers 1TB of online storage and sharing space. That’s a great deal.

With The Premium service you have Business-Class email with 50GB of mailbox storage.

Also with the Premium version you will be able to video conference in HD using Skype.

If you are going to be working on web based system, you want to know there will be minimum downtime. Rest assured, Microsoft Office 365 Business has a 99.9% all systems go record.

A huge selling factor is the maintenance side of things. Microsoft takes care of all that for you. Updates, patches and upgrades happen in the background and you don’t have to give it a second thought. You will always have the most up to date version of Office direct from Microsoft’s servers.

You can use all the excellent applications on your Apple devices and your Android ones too.

If you use the Contacts and the Calendar service, you will be please to know it will sync with your iPhone and Android devices.

One feature we like is that each user can have up to 5 copies of the Office desktop application installed on any device, such as Mac’s Tablets, Phones etc. If you have several machines you want to use, then yippy, you’re on easy street.

You will get 24/7 full phone & Web support from Microsoft, It can be hit and miss on how good the quality will be, but you will have GEEX support to rely on if you think Microsoft is letting you down.

Don’t worry about what system you are using, Microsoft Office 365 will work with pretty much anything you are using at your office and home, even XP.

If your business relies on Office 365 to do government work or have auditing concerns, no problem, all services are compliant with ISO 27001 standards, completed SAS70 Type I and II audits and achieve the EU Safe Harbour seal.

 

All in all, the service is excellent value for money and the affordable price will more than pay for itself with the time you save and the value it adds to your business. We at Geex highly recommend office 365 business to all who are wondering to take the plunge

Call Geex today to talk to us about how to move all you systems across to Microsoft 365 business and Premium.

 

 

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

News from Computex 2015 suggests that Thunderbolt 3 is upon us.

 

The first big change is the cable will not use the Mini DisplayPort as found on T1 and T2 but will now be using the USB type-C plug s it’s new connector.

 

Now supporting USB 3.1 (i.e Gen 2, up to 10GB/s) .

 

The Thunderbolt transport layer sees its max bandwidth doubled from 20GB/s to 40GB/s (bi-directional, full duplex).

 

Thunderbolt 3 also offers an optional 100W of power, in accordance with the USB Power Delivery spec. Without USB PD, Thunderbolt will provide up to 15w.

Thunderbolt 3 is backed by Intel’s new Alpine Ridge controller.

 

There will be 2 versions. 1) that uses four PCIe 3.0 lanes to drive two Thunderbolt ports 2) that uses two PCIe lanes to connect a single Thunderbolt port.

 

With the increase in bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 now supports up to TWO 4K @ 60Hz displays or a single 5K @ 60Hz display running off a single cable.

 

DisplayPort 1.2 will be the native standard for the Thunderbolt 3 .

 

At launch there will be 1 passive cable to support Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 but that will only allow a bandwidth of 20GB/s. This will be a standard cheap USB Type-C cable. There will also be an active cable that allows 40GB/s transfer speeds, but drops DP 1.2 connectivity.

 

We are very excited with the adoption of Type-C connector leading the way to tablet connectivity.

 

With such a fast transfer speed it is only a matter of time before you will only need 1 cable to connect all your devices.

 

Bring on The Future

 

This article is dedicated to normal hard disks, Not solid state drive.

We will upload similar blogs on RAM, Processor’s, Megapixels on phone cameras’, Screen resolution, SSD Hard Drives and SD/Micro SD cards, Wifi and 4g speeds, Battery Life, Connectivity and Old Apple vs New Apple.

When it comes to hard drives, things have moved pretty quick In the last 30 years.

In 1985 the average cost for 1GB of storage was £50,000. If you wanted to burn a blue-ray on to a hard drive in 1985, you’re looking at a million pounds per film. Shocking really.

 

15 years later it was down to £300 for a blue-ray. Today just 30p. If things keep moving at the same pace, in 15 years you could theoretically have 20 blue-rays worth of data for a penny. That’s 2p a TB.

 

The first hard disk drive 60 odd years ago made by IBM at the San Jose California laboratory.

The IBM 305 RAMAC was the first commercial computer that used a moving-head hard disk drive.

RAMAC stood for “Random Access Method of Accounting and Control”

It was a vacuum tube computer and weighed over a ton.

In today’s money it leased for around $30,000 a month. Around $1.5million to buy. It holds 3.75MB.

 

 

Some old time adverts on what people would pay for storage space. When you factor in inflation, its crazy how quickly technology has developed. These are from the 70’s and 80’s

  

 

Here are some graphs on how much a GB cost over the years.

 

1980– £300,000

1985– £60,000

1990– £6,000

1995– £600

2000– £6

2005– 75p

2010– 6p

2013– 3p

2015– 1p

 

Old School Hard Drives

 

 

Once worth hundreds, now worth pennies.

 

 

Timeline of events

 

1956: IBM ships the first hard drive the RAMAC 305 system. It holds 3.75MB

1963: IBM comes up with the 1311. The first removable HD with a wopping 2.6MB.

1970: Western Digital is founded.

1973: IBM announces the 3340, the first modern “Winchester” HD.

1978: The first Raid technology patent is filled.

1979: Seagate is founded.

1980: IBM reveals the first gigabyte HD. The size of a fridge, weighs 550 pounds and costs $40,000

1980: Seagate releases the first 5.25-inch hard disk.

1983: Rodime releases the first 3.5-inch hard drive, the RO352. 10MB.

1984: WD makes the first Winchester HD controller card for IBM and sets an industry standard.

1985: Control Data, Compaq and Western Digital collaborate to develop 40-pin IDE interface.

1986: The official SCSI spec is released and Apple’s Mac Plus is one of the first computers to use it.

1988: Prairie Tek releases the 220. The first 2.5-inch HD for the growing notebook market. 20MB

1988: Connor introduces the first 1-inch high 3.5-inch hard drive, still a common form factor.

1990: Western Digital introduces its first 3.5-inch Caviar IDE hard drive.

1991: IBM reveals the 0663 Corsair. The first disk drive with think magnetoresistive heads. 1GB

1992: Seagate comes out with the first shock-sensing 2.5-inch hard drive.

1992: Seagate markets the Barracuda. The first 7200-revolutions per min HD. 2.1GB.

1994: WD develops Enhanced IDE

1996: IBM stores 1 billion bits per square inch on a platter.

1996: Seagate introduces the Cheetah family, the first 10,000-RPM hard disks.

1997: IBM introduces giant magneto resistive heads, the Deskstar. 16.8GB

1998: IBM announces the Microdrive, the smallest HD to date. 340MB on a single 1” platter.

2000: Maxtor buys Quantum’s HD business. Maxtor now world’s biggest hard drive manufacturer.

2000: Seagate produces the first 15,000-RPM hard drive. The Cheetah X15.

2002: Seagate releases the Barracuda ATA v Serial ATA hard drive

2003: IBM sells its Data Storage Division to Hitachi, thus ending it’s involvement in the HD industry.

2003: Western Digital introduces the first 10,000-RPM SATA hard drive. The raptor 37GB#

2004: The first 0.85-inch hard drive. Toshiba’s MK2001MTN. On a single platter 2GB

2005: Toshiba reveals the MK4007 GAL. The first HD using perpendicular magnetic recording. 40GB

2006: Seagate completes the accusation of Maxtor.

2006: Seagate Momentus 5400.3 notebook HD is the first 2.5” model to use perpendicular magnetic recording which boosts capacity up to 160GB.

2006: Seagate releases the Barracuda 7200.10. The largest HD to date. 750GB

2006: Cornice and Seagate each announce a 1” hard disks. 12GB

2007: First 1TB hard drive

2008: First 1.5TB hard drive

2009: First 2TB hard drive

2010: First 3TB hard drive

2010: First HD manufactured using the Advanced Format of 4,096 bytes a block instead of 512.

2011: First 4.0 TB hard drive.

2011: Floods hit many HD factories. Predictions of a worldwide shortage cause prices to double.

2012: Western Digital announce the first 2.5”, 5mm thick and the first 2.5” 7mm with 2 platters.

2012: TDK demonstrates 2TB on a single 3.5” platter.

2013: Seagate announces it will ship 5TB HD’s using shingled magnetic recording.

2014: Seagate introduces 6TB hard drives that don’t use helium, bring down costs.

2014: Seagate ships the first 8TB hard drive.

2015: in June HGST ships Ultrastar Archive HA SMR HDD. The world’s first 10TB HDD

 

We will let you imagine how much space and cost/TB will be available in the next 30 years.

 

Here at Geex we love computers, so lets not get started about how much we love Super Computers.

In the last few years (and which we mean 5/6) the power of these SC has grown well beyond what was expected.

They are used for everything from Global Warming, Weather, Nuclear warfare, and Fuel Efficiency simulations to name a few.

The first Super Computer was named Colossus and housed in Britain. It was used to read and crack German messages in World War 2, it could read 5,000 characters a second.  Now the Worlds No1. Can read 33,000,000,000,000,000 a second. (that’s a lot of emails)

In 2009 the first Super Computer to top 1 Petaflops/s was called Roadrunner and built by IMB. Now there are  68 systems that can perform over 1 pf/s/

The No.1 spot accounts for 10% of the computing power on the Top 500 list.

In the Top 500 list, HP 179, IBM 110, Cray Inc 71

In fifteen years time it is theorized that the fastest Super Computer will be more powerful than every laptop on the planet today which is a jaw dropping statement.

 

 

 

No. 10 – Stampede – Texas, United States

 

Pflops/s – 5.168, MAX 8.520

Built By –  Dell

Operating System – Linux (CentOS)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2680 (8Core) + Xeon Phi

Cores – 522,080

Nodes – 6400

Total Memory – 270TB RAM

Disk Storage – 14 PB

Power Usage – 4.5 MW

Number of racks – 182

Approx Weight – 500,000 lbs

 

 

No. 9 – Shaheen II – Saudi Arabia Cost $80,000,000

Pflops/s – 5.537, MAX 7.235

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2698v3

Cores – 197,568

Nodes – 6174

Total Memory – 790 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 17 PB

Power Usage – 2.8 MW

 

 

No. 8 – Hazel Hen – Germany

Pflops/s – 5.640, MAX 7.404

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating system – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2680v3

Cores – 185,088

Nodes – 7,712

Total Memory – 965 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 11 PB

Disk Drives – 8,300

Power Usage – 7.4 MW

 

 

No. 7 – Piz Daint – Switzerland

 

Pflops/s – 6.271, MAX 7.779

Built By – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Cray Xc30

Can computer in 1 day what a laptop would take 900 years

Nodes – 5,272

cores – 115,000

System Memory – 169 TB RAM

Disk Storage – 2.5 PB

Power usage – 7.7MW

 

 

No. 6 – Trinity – United States Cost $174,000,000 (due late 15/2016)

 

Pflops/s – 8.101, MAX 11.079

Built by – Cray Inc.

Operating System – Linux (CLE)

Processor Type – Xeon E5-2698v3

Cores – 300,000

Disk Space – 82 PB

Used to simulate the safety, security and effectiveness of U.S nuclear deterrent

 

 

No. 5 – Mira – United States $50,000,000

 

Pflops/s – 8,586, MAX 10.066

Built by – IBM

Operating System – Linux (RHEL and CNK)

Processor Type – PowerPC A2

Cores – 786,000

Weight – 100 Tons

 

 

No. 4 –  K Computer – Japan

   

Pflops/s – 10.510, MAX 11.280

Built by – Fujitsu

Operating System – Linux

Processor Type – SPARC64 vIIIfx

Cores – 705,024

Cabinets – 864

Nodes – 82,944

Power – 12.6 MW

Annual running cost of $10,000,000

 

 

No 3. – Sequoia – United States – Cost $655,000,000

 

Pflops/s – 17.173 Max 20.133

Built by – IBM

Operating system – Linux (RHEL and CNK)

Processor Type – PowerPC A2

Cores –  1,572,864

Racks – 96

Nodes – 98,304

Memory – 1.6 PB RAM

Power Usage – 7.8 MW

Used for Nuclear weapons simulation.

If everyone on earth used hand held calculators to work on a calculation every second of every day for 320 years, it would take Squoia 1 hour.

 

 

No. 2 – Titan – United States – Cost $97,000,000

 

PFlops/s – 17.59 MAX 27.11

Built By – Cray Inc.

Processor – Opteron 6274 + Tesla K20X

Cores – 560,000

Memory – 710 TB RAM

Disk Space – 40 PB

Nodes – 18,688

Power Usage – 8.2 MW

 

 

No. 1 – Tianhe -2 – China Cost $390,000,000 (Available to lease for about $3m a week)

   

Pflops/s – 33.86, MAX 54.90

Built by – China National University of Defence Technology

Operating System – Linux (Kylin)

Processor – Xeon E5-2692 + Xeon Phi 31s1P

Cores – 3,120,00

Disk Storage – 12.4 PB

Memory – 1 .4 PB RAM

Cabinets – 170

Power Usage – 17.6 MW, With cooling 24 MW

 

 

Its worth noting that although this is the no.1 in terms of calculation speed, the ease of use is not good for researchers. It could take a decade to write some of the code needed. The super computers in the US and Japan are far in front of Tianhe-2 in terms of practicality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            

 

——-Please Note all Geex leases come with Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard as standard and Magic Trackpad 2 available on request.

When Apple designs and creates accessories for its product range it doesn’t mess around.

You can count that they will be sleek and sexy, practical and well designed and of course, not cheap.

It’s true you will get what you pay for and when you buy Apple you pay a premium.

 

The 3 products we want to give a quick over-view on are the magic keyboard, magic mouse 2 and Magic TrackPad 2

 

Starting with the Magic Mouse 2

Originally released in 2009, the new model has one main thing that stands out over the previous model, and that is the rechargeable battery.

Just 2 hours of charging and you can be rest assured, you will have a month of use before needing a re-charge.

  

Other upgrades include replacing the runners underneath with improved material that provides smooth movement providing an easy feel glide across your desk.

The Magic Mouse 2 is slightly lighter than the previous version 99g Vs. 109g.

One last thing, the Apple logo underneath has been changed from grey to black.

  Our Verdict – If you like the Magic Mouse 1, then you will probably like the Magic Mouse 2.

 

Moving on to the TrackPad2

 

                

Redesigned to provide a more stress free user experience.
The first change we would like to point out is that the new TrackPad 2 is white with a metallic finish around the edge.
The new TrackPad is 20% wider and has 30% greater surface area than the previous model and its surface feels smoother, making it less taxing on your wrists.
Force Touch, I repeat Force touch is a big upgrade. Four force sensors underneath the TrackPad surface allow you to click anywhere and detect subtle differences in the amount of pressure you apply.
Now rechargeable, 2 hours gives you a month of use. That’s pretty good.
An important change to note is that the TrackPad seems to require less force from your fingers to operate, which means a better experience for the user. It’s easier to click on links and right or left clicking takes less effort. It’s easier to reposition open applications or browser windows because of the new width of the pad.

  Our verdict – a bit expensive but the larger surface area and improved design make it a great buy.

 

Now, the Magic Keyboard

 

  

Apple claims to have completely re-designed the scissor design and boasts it has improved key stability by 33% meaning when you touch a key, it responds with a crisp, consistent motion (their words).

Now rechargeable. 2 hours charge gives you 1 month of full use.

Sleeker and slimmer than the Apple wireless keyboard.

Automatically pairs with your Mac.

The aluminium chassis is barely bigger than the keys it houses, sticking with the bare essential design Apple is known for.

  

Weighing just 231g, 13% smaller than the previous model. Only 10mm thick at its widest point.

The Magic Keyboard now is designed like a wedge, elevating the keys for a better user experience

With full size function buttons and seamless Bluetooth pairing, you will really notice how much improved this keyboard is over the previous generation.

  Our Verdict – Apple fans will have been waiting for this upgrade for years and we think they will be happy.

 

—————Note that if you lease an iMac with Geex you will be receiving the new Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Keyboard as standard and optional Magic TrackPad if required.

SD cards                                                         

Thank yourself that floppy disks are not the main way to add storage to your device.

SD cards can increase your device by up to 512GB but you are most likely going to buy a 32/64/128Gb models. Make sure you check the read and write speeds of your card. They can range from 10mb/s to 100mb/s. Anything over 30mb/s should be fine depending on what you use it for, prices can vary considerably.

Power banks                                            

Running out of battery? Want to keep your screen on max brightness all day? Well why not buy a power bank. Try having a wall socket in your pocket (copyright pending). You can get a lighter sized PB to charge your phone or go for a bigger model (that still fits in your pocket) that can charge your phone many times or keep your tablet going for an extra 20 Hours.

Tablet Cases                                                         

There are many reasons to get a case. You shield it from damage, an extra place to store things like pens and business cards. Your case can open into a stand to make use more practical. The case hides what device you have from thieves. You protect your device from water. You can personalise your device because there are many different cases on the market, both generic universal and device specific. Definitely worth a few quid.

Surge protector                                            

If you are using any computer equipment and there is a surge in power, your device can get damaged. We recommend a good quality extension cable that has not only surge protector, but also a built in battery so your desktop will not shut down, thus losing all the data you failed to back-up.

Screen protector                                               

There are times when you will drop your device and the first thing that enters your head is, “Please don’t let the screen be cracked”. We have all seen people pull out a phone or a tablet and the screen is cracked but they still use their device. We all hope it doesn’t happen to us. Screen protectors are great for tablets and can be bought for not very much and might just save you from some heart break one day.

 

• On January 9, 2007 Apple Computer Inc would become Apple Inc.
• In the first quarter of 2014, Apple earned more than Google, Facebook and Amazon combined.
• If you went back in time to 1991 it would cost you $3,000,000 to build the first iPhone using existing parts. $1.44m just for the RAM.
• If you smoke around your computer you invalidate your Apple warranty-even if you have AppleCare.
• The time on iPhone photos is the time Steve Jobs unveiled the phone 9:41AM
• Apple creates fake projects for new and senior employees to work on. If the project leaks, then they know the source and fire the employee immediately.
• Steve Jobs was awarded the National Medal of Technology from Ronald Reagan.
• The first Apple computer called the Apple-1 was sold for $666.66
• Apple made the first consumer digital cameras, the Apple Quicktake in 1994 and was discontinued 3 years later.
• Steve Jobs created Pixar, later bought by Disney.
• Apple CEO Tim Cook is the first and currently only open gay person in the Fortune 500. This was leaked by accident on live TV.
• The name i-pod comes from the line “Open the pod bay door Hal!” from 2001: a Space Odyssey.
• Jonathan Ive, senior VP of Industrial Design has worn the same G-Star T-Shirt in every Apple product introduction video since 2000.
• Apple was the first company to introduce the mouse and trackpad.
• Apple employees often know when a team is working on something new, because a team of carpenters moves into the office and builds walls around their desk. Walls are quickly erected with security doors and transparent windows are frosted. The employee carries on as before in a secure enclosure.
• Apple’s First iPod had a secret game. Go to the “About” menu and hold down the centre button for roughly 3 seconds and you get a Breakout (Pong) game that you can play while you are listening to your music.

Apple I-Car? One of the most advanced technological cars ever made.

Rumours are running rampant about Apple dipping its toe into the car market ever since taking on some major players in the auto industry, and when we say toe, we mean launching a tsunami inducing cannon ball splashing everyone within a mile radius.

Apple has already changed our world with hand-held gadgets so why stop there? Apple create their products to look sleek, sexy, hip and of course trademark White.

Here are some artist renditions of what the i-Car might actually look like.

  

 

Apart from a fresh design, we would expect Apple to cram the I-Car with the type of gadgets that would make a 22nd century James Bond cream with envy. Siri on hand for voice-activated controls, seamless integration of Apple products with on-board systems, internet connectivity would all be expected, but Apple has always brought things to market that stand out as being a cut above the competition and we see the I-Car as no exception.

So rather than stay grounded, we want to just take a guess at what apple could bring to the table.

Our wish list

• Revolutionary safety features that boast life-saving technology that is well, revolutionary.
• Electric, better than the rest, pollution free technology that delivers speed and distance.
• 500 miles on a 20min charge.
• When appropriate, completely sound proof.
• A car body that changes shape.
• Technologically advance panelling to change colours, even turn your i-Car invisible.
• Technology to overcome the annoyance of pot-holes.
• Some form of bypass system so when your car breaks down, you can still get home.
• Rocket boosters to fly to the moon.

 

We may not get what we wish for but if Apple wants, it can get serious, buy a major car company, and make the Apple car a reality. They have an army of fans who would be willing to trade in their non-Apple cars and probably even upgrade every year. Can you imagine a world with the i-Car?

In 2003, Apple revolutionized the digital music scene with iPod and iTunes. On June 30, 2015 Apple released its new streaming service – Apple Music which has directly locked horns with established streaming services such as Rhapsody, Pandora, Tidal and Spotify. Like all other Apple creations, this new digitized streaming service is all set to take your world by the storm. Here are a few things you should know about Apple Music.

What is Apple Music?
Apple Music is a subscription service available on- demand and it comes as a part of iOS 8.4 and is bundled with iTunes 12.2. It is offered free for a trial period of three months and after that subscription starts at $9.99 for a single user and $14.99 for a family pack of six users. It will be available for Android users and Apple TV within a few months.

Apple Music subscribers can unlock the extensive library of 30 million-songs by paying a fee of $10. When using the service for the first time, subscribers can see a bubble-like interface and they will be prompted to pick their favorite artists and genres.

How is Apple Music Different from the Spotify, Tidal and Every Other Music Subscription Service You Know?
Apple Music is empowered with three additional features that makes it stand apart from its competitors and they are –

•   Beats 1 – A radio service that brings worldwide broadcast of DJs based in London, Los Angeles and New York. It entertains the user through artist interviews, news on pop culture and curated selection of songs.

•   Connect – Is an artist based social media feature that allows fans to follow their favorite artists without stalking them! Artists can announce their upcoming performances, share snippets of their upcoming songs or special photos. There are also genre specific profiles available for you to select. Apple automatically allows you to follow artists when you add their songs to your library; however you can change the selection to suit your tastes.

•   Curated Lists – You will receive music recommendations from DJ’s regarding the type of music you should listen and hit songs of a particular artist you are following. This feature is available for you under “For You” section of the app.

Apart from the three above mentioned features, Apple Music allows subscribers to save their content for offline listening. Users cannot download these files on other devices or even use them for other video projects. The user access to such songs are only available until their subscription lasts.

Who You can Listen to at Apple Music?
You can listen to artists such as Taylor Swift, AC/DC, Siri and several other pop icons, but the Beatles or Prince (he pulled down his music from all streaming devices except Tidal) are unavailable.

Apart from iOS 8.4, Apple Music is currently supported on IOS 8.4 device, Windows , MAC PC and Apple Watch. If you want to enjoy Apple Music, you can lease your Apple, Windows and MAC PC from GEEX – Your Computer Leasing and Support Specialists in the UK.

In our last post, we discussed the benefits of the new MacBook Pro with OS X. Not only is it the most portable device, there is a lot more you can do with the Mac Book Pro than simply surf, type, and compute. Don’t believe us? Here are SEVEN neat tips and tricks to get the best out of your MacBook Pro.

1. For example did you know that you can control your Mac remotely with Google Hangouts, Skype or iCloud? Once your Mac is logged on to one of these platforms, it appears under shared in your sidebar. If you cannot see it, simply hover over Finders. Click Share Screen or Connect As to work on your Mac and copy files to and from your mac.

2. If your Mac has OS X 10.8 it can listen and talk to you! You can dictate stuff to your mac to type into word or other compatible editors. Proof reading works great when you can have your computer read back what you have written. You probably miss the gaming experience that Windows gives but have no fear. Your Mac can easily virtualize Windows for you to play all your favorite games without having to install and pay for Windows!

3. OS X on your Mac has a hoard of special characters, alphabets and much more to help you enhance your documents. The Edit menu of most Mac apps has a Special Characters option that serves up a whole range of characters. You can simply drag these into your document. Click on the cog to get even more characters than those that appear at first.

4. Mac provides the unique capability to video record your screen. You can use these recordings as demos or to indicate a problem that someone can help you solve. You can also control (slow down) the speed of animations and watch your clips carefully while you Ooh and Aah over it. Zoom in to observe a part of your clip closely.

5. Preview in Mac has the power to do a whole lot more than simply crop and tweak your images. You can annotate your pdfs, control scanning and customize which app loads with which device, sign documents, and of course crop and tweak your images better than you can with Windows.

6. Your Mac can empower your keyboard as no other OS can! You can create keyboard shortcuts for almost anything from Menu options to typing certain words or phrases. This feature is hidden in System Preferences > Keyboard > Application Shortcuts and you can configure it for specific apps.

7. If you are not new to Mac, you are probably accustomed to using the Command+Tab to switch between apps. Once you have highlighted an app by holding down the command key and hovering over it, pressing Q will quit the app, H will hide it, and the arrow keys will show you the app in Mission Control.

There are many more little tricks that you can use to customize you MacBook, so go ahead and explore! And if you want to lease one to play and work on, Geex can lease you the best MacBook for your business!

References:  Techradar.india   MyGeex

The new Apple MacBook is the thinnest ever laptop at 13.1mm at the thickest point. It is also light in weight and has a full-scale key board and Retina display. Sounds perfect! However, is this the right business choice for you? Let us find out.

There can be no two opinions about the portability of the new MacBook. The display was never as clear on MacBooks. However, the two features that have made the MacBook desirable are the keyboard and the trackpad. The keys are bigger by 17% as compared to earlier versions of the MacBook. Apple has overcome the problem of rocking when you touch the edge of a key, by developing butterfly keys. The battery life has been increased to 9 hours and the new MacBook is available in Grey, Silver, or Gold colors.

The new MacBook comes with only one port – a USB-C port that replaces the Megasafe connection on the older USB ports. This single port is used to charge the device and connect another device so obviously you can only do one or the other. This sets it back from the earlier iPad Air 2 and the MacBook Pro. The device has an adaptor that supports Display, HDMI, and VGA. Though, it does not support Thunderbolt, two processor speeds are available 1.1GHz or ½ GHz, which makes the new MacBook a powerful device.

The biggest competitor for the new MacBook is the iPad Air 2. Both devices are ultra-light and highly portable. Your choice therefore would depend on your need. If your main concern is portability while staying connected, then the new MacBook Air is the device for you. If on the other hand, your business requires heavy use of media and graphics on the go then the 13/15” MacBook Pro would be a better choice. For those working on administrative tasks such as office, the MacBook is recommended. The iPad Air 2 is cheaper and more portable. However, it is only suitable for occasional surfing and responding to emails. You may consider giving both the iPad Air 2 and the new MacBook a try before you decide.

Says Gareth Beavis of TechRadar, the new MacBook is mostly about style, but backed by power. It gives new meaning to “notebook” and is oh so light!

Portability. Style. Reliability. Long-lasting battery life. Sensitive keyboard. Do you need more reasons to go for the new MacBook?

References: Apple,  Tech Radar

Today, computers have become a necessity at our workplaces and most of us use laptops, desktops and tablets to fulfill business requirements. But most of us don’t require large desktops and weighty laptops to perform, isn’t it?

This is where UltraBooks can make a difference. UltraBooks are Intel powered laptops that offer more convenience and reliability than regular laptops. Here are 5 reasons why you should select them for your business.

An Hybrid of a Notebook and a Tablet
UltraBooks are a hybrid between a notebook and a tablet. This new breed of ultraportable laptop is equipped with touch-centric Windows 8 and touch-sensitive screens. They offer the same feeling of a laptop keyboard and a sleek tablet. It offers mobility and portability of a tablet, but is lighter than a laptop. UltraBooks are 3 pounds lighter and 18mm thinner than regular portable laptops in the 13.3 inch segment.

Powerful Computing Experience
The latest UltraBooks are equipped with Intel’s core processors that allow you to work on multiple projects simultaneously such as graphics, worksheets and word documents. There are 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistors that make UltraBooks more secure and responsive than other laptops in the market.

High-End Data Security
The security of data and machine is a priority for any business. UltraBooks are purely designed for business purposes and they are equipped with built-in security features such as Identity Protection Technology and Anti-Theft Technology. You need to subscribe to these features to avail its fullest benefits. During travel, these security features will safeguard your data from theft or being lost.

Long Battery Life
Many people believe that UltraBooks are Intel’s answer to MacBook Air and there are various articles written about their competitive features and performance. All comparisons apart, UltraBooks are known to last between 5 to 6.5 hours with some models offering 8 hours of non-stop performance.

Fast Responsiveness
With crazy deadlines and work schedules, no one actually wants to wait for their laptop to take more than few seconds to resume back to life from a sleep mode. When you at the work table, your PC should be ready to support you and this is where UltraBooks can serve you better. Many modern versions of UltraBooks combine features of a traditional hard drive with flash memory and several high-end version use solid-state drives that reduces the sleep time to 2 seconds.

The prices of UltraBooks start from just £6.90 per week on our amazing GEEX Lease and premium versions are priced at £12.00 per week. You can pay through fixed monthly repayments and all our leases come with technical support and 3 year warranty included.

Ask this question to ten different people and you will probably get ten different answers! This is because the world of technology has expanded from a single personal desktop computer to tablet pcs and smart phones.

Most people however, are content if their app or program (or whatever!) works on the device they prefer to use. If you are looking at a programming career however, then this difference may be significant.

Even if you are a layman, you will probably need to purchase software at some point. If so, it may be interesting to know the difference between a program and an application.

What is a Program?

A program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do. It is written in a language that a computer (or computing device) understands.

Actually a computer understands nothing but electric pulses – ON and OFF. These signals are represented by 0 and 1. A programmer codes his programs in a programming language and there are other programs that translate this code into machine language – the 0s and 1s.

There are several programming languages from the age old PASCAL and COBOL to the more recent ones like JQuery, DotNet, and PHP.

What is an App?

Simply put, an application is a program written for a specific purpose. For example the app that you may download to logon to Facebook from your mobile phone, is written specifically for the purpose of allowing you to log on to FB and navigate the site.

Apps are short for applications. They are written for specific purposes either at the request of the user or for commercial use.

So What’s the Difference?

Says Warren Tang, “programs and apps are the same thing”. Conventionally however, software like the operating system, which directly talks to the computer, is called a program while software that talks to the user is called an app. For example you would not call Windows an Application nor would you call Whatsapp a program.

Ultimately, the difference between an application and a program is in the perception of the user. A program would require a number of files to be installed whereas an application seems like a single file that gets installed on your device, though in fact it may be a number of files.

An application would have a single icon and can be easily uninstalled whereas uninstalling a program would require another program called the uninstaller which would go and delete all the files you saved while installing the program.

A program may become an app on another device. In the earlier Facebook example, on your computer you do not need to install anything to logon to Facebook whereas on your mobile device you need an app.

This is because of the difference in the way browsers run on mobile devices and computers.

So what do you think? Are apps just another way of calling a program?

If you are a college student, you certainly need a laptop to complete your assignments and access your study notes. Today, many universities in UK have incorporated online components in their curriculum which require students to use laptops more than ever before. Along with study requirements, convenience and affordability, you need to take care of certain things while shopping for a college laptop.

First thing? Avoid heavier laptops as they are not travel- friendly. If you plan to walk to the college or if your routine involves lots of walking between classes or campuses, carrying a five-pound notebook can be difficult. The next important thing is battery life. If you wish to use the laptop for a whole day (which probably is the case!), you cannot afford to run out of power after a couple of hours of usage.

Ideally, you should invest in a laptop that can cope up with your busy schedules and requirements. With so many options, selecting an appropriate laptop can be a daunting task. Apple pro notebooks are one of the most preferred college laptops in the market because they are lightweight, user-friendly and fulfill high performance campus requirements. Here are the three best Apple laptops for college students.

Apple MacBook Air 13 Inch
Apple MacBook Air 13 inch weighs less than 3 pounds and is sleeker than most other laptop models. It offers good performance and battery lasts for 12 hours, when fully charged. This all-purpose laptop has aluminum construction and its new version is equipped with a Thunderbolt port and two USB 3.0 ports.

Apple MacBook Pro 15 Inch with Retina Display
Apple MacBook Prof 15 inch with retina display is a perfect choice for film and animation students. It features Nvidia GeForce GT 750M GPU and quad-core Core i7 processor that contributes to its graphics power. The battery lasts for 9 hours, when fully charged.

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display (2015)
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch with retina display offers an excellent screen performance and endurance. It is equipped with a Force Touch trackpad, 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display, 128GB flash storage drive and 2.7-GHz Intel Core i5 CPU with 8GB RAM and possess 12 hours battery life.

For most students, money is a real problem! You can lease your Apple laptops and iPads from a trusted leasing and supporting specialist such as Geex. You can avail benefits of easy repayments, equipment upgrade, 3 year warranty and support.

Sources: BGR

 

You have probably heard the word before and guessed at its origin. You are right! A Phablet is a cross between a phone and a tablet. The AT&T EO 440 launched in 1993 was the first real Phablet according to the PC Magazine. Phablets became popular as mini computers because of their low price, larger screens as compared to phones, and multimedia capabilities. They are convenient to carry and serve the dual purpose of a phone and a mobile PC. Fox News reports that Dockers changed the size of pockets in pants to accommodate smart phones. Women carry handbags which cannot accommodate tablets but can easily house a large smart phone says Sophie Curtis of Daily Telegraph. The size of phablets is therefore its biggest advantage other than the large screen size.

Tech Spec
All phablets are not the same technically. Depending on the manufacturer, the device may use an android OS or Apples iOS. Nokia offers Windows as the operating system and there are a few others like MicroMax Android KitKat. The difference between these is basically the same as the difference in their operating systems other than screen size, screen resolution and multimedia capability. Depending on your requirement, you may opt for Windows OS for more functionality or Android for a better multimedia experience. Prices range from a hundred to a thousand dollars apiece.

Your Choice
Among the first questions you would ask yourself before purchasing a phone is, “Do I need a smart phone?” There are several considerations when buying a mobile device not the least of which is what you will be using it for.

People who have long hours travelling to and from work prefer to travel light. If you are one of them and also a movie buff, an Android Phablet would be the device of choice for you. If on the other hand you are a workaholic who pecks away at his laptop even when travelling to and from work you may prefer the Apple iOS tablet or may prefer even to carry your laptop along with your phone.

For those with kids at home, particularly Smart Moms, Android smart phones are the ideal choice as they serve both as phones as well as excellent multimedia devices for playing games or watching movies. Price is another big consideration for those with a budget.

It is obviously cheaper to buy one device that serves a dual purpose rather than buying two separate devices. Says Tim Bajarin of TechLand Time, feedback from users of Apple iPhones shows that people prefer single hand use of their devices while using phablets requires both hands. So the decision to buy or not will depend on individual choice and need.

References
Segan, Sasha (February 13, 2012). “Enter the Phablet: A History of Phone-Tablet Hybrids“. PC Magazine.
Epstein, Zach (April 26, 2013), Is that a Phablet in your pocket?, BGR
Sophie Curtis (2014-02-06). “My two months with a ‘Phablet‘”. Daily Telegraph Retrieved 2014-09-22.
TechLand Time