Computer Trade Shopper articles from September 2004

Computer Trade Shopper archives from September 2004

Replacing content with process.(Editorial)
September 8, 2004... Technologists often forget that automated processes can be slower than manual ones. A few weeks ago, I dug out my chequebook to pay a couple of telephone bills. No, I hadn't been overcome by nostalgia for a pre-digital age. It was just quicker...

Hewlett-Packard shows grey market grit.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Hewlett-Packard is baring its teeth and getting tough on resellers suspected of grey marketing on both sides of the Atlantic after filing a suit in the US and issuing a writ at the High Court in the UK. There has been a lot of tough talk by...

Court date is set for Connections+ showdown with HP.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... The ex-financial director at Skipton and Burnley-based reseller Connections+ is set to appear in Bradford Crown Court later this month charged with six counts of theft. When Andrew John Slater attended Skipton Magistrates Court on 6 August...

Microsoft admits that SP2 may have compatibility issues.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Resellers have been warned to check hardware compatibility before upgrading customers to Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2. Microsoft has created a page on its Web site listing Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Dell among the PC manufacturers...

PC-Ware to boost UK presence with acquisition.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... German-based software reseller PC-Ware has unveiled its intention to acquire UK-based Softcat with a view to boosting its UK presence. PC-Ware is a pan-European Microsoft large account reseller (LAR) with a presence in ten countries,...

Users confused by vendor's branding.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Notebook vendors have called on Intel to heavily market the changes made to the way its mobile CPUs are branded after users complained the new method was confusing, particularly in regard to Celeron. Earlier this year, the chip giant moved...

Cisco OIP will reward resellers with increased margin.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Cisco is set to roll out its opportunity incentive programme (OIP) throughout EMEA following a trial of the SMB market rebate scheme in the UK and four other European countries. Resellers that register leads with Cisco which fall under its...

Veritas acquisition could give access to worldwide market.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Reading-based e-mail archiving software vendor KVS has been snapped up by US giant Veritas for $225m (125m [pounds sterling]) in cash, with the channel claiming the move can open up both vendors to new markets. The acquisition comes just...

Losses for acquisitive Morse.(Reseller News)
September 8, 2004... Morse can finally put the protracted saga of its purchase of Diagonal behind it after turning over 390m [pounds sterling] for the year ended 30 June, but its acquisitive nature over the past 12 months resulted in pre-tax losses of 12.4m [pounds...

Calling all tweak addicts.
September 8, 2004... Just before I sat down to write these pearls of wisdom my wife asked me what I was doing holding a box with a gold alien on it and the word 'toxic' emblazoned on the side. Little does she know about the magical world of graphic cards. In...

This funky player is MP3 heaven.
September 8, 2004... The MP3 player is bound to be one of the big stocking fillers this year with some of the largest names in the business pushing solutions at customers. Hewlett-Packard is making its version of Apple's iPod one of the centrepieces of its...

No gimmicks just innovation.
September 8, 2004... When it comes to thinking about monitors there are many things to consider and it goes well beyond just resolution, contrast and brightness. As an industry expert recently said, there are different questions for differing users and one of...

Ingram delivers BYO laptops.
September 8, 2004... The demand for build-your-own (BYO) has never been stronger and the principle of component choice has been extended to the laptop and taken up by some of the largest distributors in the business. More and more of the major players in the...

In at the top of the MP3 ranks.
September 8, 2004... The rise and rise of MP3s is the sort of story that would once have graced a special edition of Tomorrow's World, highlighting a technology that would find itself a role in the life of almost every 'teched up' teenager in the western world. ...

Feel free to pump up the volume.
September 8, 2004... If you don't want to lose the patience of your neighbours, alienate the goodwill of your family or face the sacrifice of playing a game with the sound so low you can't even hear the bullets coming at you, then you are close to being the average...

The state of the market.(Round-up)
September 8, 2004... Relisys recently invited partners to attend a one day event showcasing its latest products and outlining the state of the market as the vendor starts the run up to an expected busy end of the year. Adrian Mills, marketing communications...

Most people forget to think about where the power will come from as they stride off into the wireless horizon but Trust can prevent them running out of juice with its 250NCP Notebook power Adapter.(Shorts)
September 8, 2004... Most people forget to think about where the power will come from as they stride off into the wireless horizon but Trust can prevent them running out of juice with its 250NCP Notebook power Adapter, which can work in a car and plane and comes...

Eager to get its voice heard in the MP3 rush Sony has started releasing its Walkman HDD, a 20GB audio player, to stockists with a retail price just a penny shy of 300 [pounds sterling].(Shorts)
September 8, 2004... Eager to get its voice heard in the MP3 rush Sony has started releasing its Walkman HDD, a 20GB audio player, to stockists with a retail price just a penny shy of 300 [pounds sterling]. The daddy of the personal stereo is aiming to take market...

Waitec is on the brink of telling the world about its Action 16, a double dual layer-dual format 16x DVD burner.(Shorts)
September 8, 2004... Waitec is on the brink of telling the world about its Action 16, a double dual layer-dual format 16x DVD burner. The key feature of the product is the ability to use double layers to increase the capacity and cram more films and music onto a...

VIP Computers appears willing to share the Christmas spirit of goodwill earlier than most by offering free delivery for any on-line orders placed between now and the 25 December on all orders over 750 [pounds sterling] with a 50 per cent discount.(Shorts)
September 8, 2004... VIP Computers appears willing to share the Christmas spirit of goodwill earlier than most by offering free delivery for any on-line orders placed between now and the 25 December on all orders over 750 [pounds sterling] with a 50 per cent...

Early to bed, early to rise ...(Talking Shop)
September 8, 2004... LizTeale, managing director of STTrading What are your main responsibilities at the company? Being the managing director I am responsible for the overall management of the company. This includes a lot of one-to-one contact with our...

Beating Moore's Law.(Market Overview--Chipsets)
September 8, 2004... Intel CEO Craig Barrett is not a happy man these days. Senior management and other staff have not been pulling their weight, leading to some embarrassing product problems for the company. Back in July, Barrett issued a memo to employees...

The tender spot.(Tender Invitations)
September 8, 2004... This is a list of public authorities that are inviting bids from potential suppliers. Further information is available from Tenders Direct--contact details at the bottom of the page. These notices are from the Official Journal of the European...

Manufacturers.
September 8, 2004... MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATIONS PC Association 01763 262987 DATA STORAGE CD-ROM/DVD STORAGE 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 Amacom Technologies Ltd 020 8993 7373 Apple Computer...

Distributors.
September 8, 2004... DISTRIBUTORS 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 01827 66666 3d Micro Limited 020 7384 1174 020 7736 6033 4Front Network 01635 567299 01923 210910 a A One...

The shrinking world of margin.(Editorial)
September 22, 2004... With computer prices dropping at a rate of knots, Billy MacInnes wonders whether consumables will follow the downward trend and what is to become of those of us making a living from the market. The fall in PC prices (and notebooks) has been...

What's the real cost to services business?(Resellers News)
September 22, 2004... The UK IT industry has called on the Government to recognise the overall value of IT solutions rather than focusing on finding the cheapest supplier in the market. Resellers selling into the public sector have been hit by reverse auctions...

Printer vendor faces E-series power issue.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... Lexmark has moved quickly to defend the quality of its products and conducted a voluntary recall of all E-series mono laser printers after discovering a potential problem. The US printer vendor is recalling the E230, E232, E232t, E330,...

IBM launches Why Wait scheme.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... In a move that echoes similar initiatives launched by rival vendors, IBM is looking to boost refresh numbers on its hardware products throughout Europe with a channel-focused payment deferral programme under the 'Why Wait' banner. ...

SMEs have yet to grasp wireless mobility opportunity.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... The majority of SMEs have yet to seize wireless mobility with both hands, but the head of Intel UK believes access has become less complex and is cheaper for the SME community than for corporate users. Talking at the Be Mobile seminar last...

Vendors still fighting it out for ISV share.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... The war for ISV hearts and minds continued to be waged at Oracle's OpenWorld event last week as the vender launched the latest salvo against rivals Microsoft and IBM. ISVs have found themselves at the sharp end of revamped partner...

Wick Hill given SME role by Check Point.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... Check Point has sets its sights on the SME market after signing up small business specialist distributor Wick Hill and outlining plans to roll out a programme to support resellers operating in that arena. The vendor has attempted to grow...

Juniper's NetScreen will provide SMEs with 'cost-effective' VPN.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... Juniper Networks is set to target the SME market for SSL VPN with its NetScreen Remote Access 500 series of products, which the networking giant believes will create new markets for its resellers. Based on its enterprise-level instant...

Printer price war intensifies as Dell launches into UK.(Reseller News)
September 22, 2004... The price war being waged in the colour laser market will intensify later this year when Dell launches into the UK with three network-ready products that will undercut most rivals' total cost of ownership by over a quarter, according to...

Bringing music to your ears.
September 22, 2004... A great deal of attention has been given over to the rise of surround sound systems in the home because of the impact they have on the user's entertainment experience. The ability to enjoy speakers that offer depth to the home cinematic...

Label with high street cred.
September 22, 2004... When you start talking about the importance of brand the first thing someone not used to thinking beyond price asks is what you get for your money. But it is not about price with motherboards. There are a select few vendors able to lead this...

Genius: the one-stop-shop solution.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 22, 2004... Genius remains committed to offering a high-quality, cost-effective "one-stop-shop solution" with models ranging from best value system builder products to high specification retail models across their main product categories of mice,...

The latest in graphics cards from Xpertvision.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
September 22, 2004... Xpertvision is an official Nvidia partner. Xpertvision's Nvidia GeForce 6800 128MB (VIP Order Cede: 6473) graphics processing unit (GPU) delivers powerful elegant graphics for the ultimate gaming experience. The GeForce 6800 has a graphics...

Everything a box can offer.
September 22, 2004... It is easy to spot when a technology has started to become mainstream because it crops up in more and more conversations with late entrant vendors inventing their own names for the kit to pretend they invented it first. We are at that...

Seeing is believing with Radeon.
September 22, 2004... You know computer games are getting more realistic when the calls to ban them because of the impact they might have on children get louder and the Government agrees to back an inquiry into the issue. Part of the reason games have become...

Feeling hot under the collar?
September 22, 2004... With the weather turning and the first feeling of chilly autumn breezes beginning to blow through the trees, more people are starting to think about putting on their coats and getting home before the sun goes down. Those people feeling...

Semiconsolidation.(Computer Trade Shopper round-up)
September 22, 2004... Expectations of consolidation in the IT industry have resounded across the channel in the last few months, with the latest spotlight shining on the semiconductor industry. With a mixed economic climate, as well as a large number of...

In a move that is bound to ensure it gets more first-hand reaction from the coalface, Elitegroup Computer Systems has announced a merger with its UK distributor Protac International with effect from 1 October.(Shorts)
September 22, 2004... In a move that is bound to ensure it gets more first-hand reaction from the coalface, Elitegroup Computer Systems has announced a merger with its UK distributor Protac International with effect from 1 October. ECS customers will get the chance...

Thin and portable is the order of the day at LaCie with its 16X d2 DVD+RW double layer drives.(Shorts)
September 22, 2004... Thin and portable is the order of the day at LaCie with its 16X d2 DVD+RW double layer drives. With burning times of six minutes and connection to both Mac and PC, the product should prove to be a popular choice with anyone wanting to burn...

Big is beautiful, so the saying goes, and ViewSonic is out to prove it with the launch of its N3000x LCDTV, a 30in LCD television which should appeal to those looking for a large flat-screen TV.(Shorts)
September 22, 2004... Big is beautiful, so the saying goes, and ViewSonic is out to prove it with the launch of its N3000x LCDTV, a 30in LCD television which should appeal to those looking for a large flat-screen TV. The screen has the added advantage of being...

Western Digital has expanded its external hard drive product line with the launch of a USB 2.0 model which offers a 7,200rpm spin speed and capacities of 80, 120, 160, 200 and 250GB.(Shorts)
September 22, 2004... Western Digital has expanded its external hard drive product line with the launch of a USB 2.0 model which offers a 7,200rpm spin speed and capacities of 80, 120, 160, 200 and 250GB. The vendor's dual-option USB 2.0 model gives a further option...

Missing a sense of adventure.(Talking shop)
September 22, 2004... Jason Koffler, UK distribution channel manager, MGE UPS systems What are your main responsibilities at the company? As UK distribution channel manager, I look after every aspect of running distribution for MGE UPS Systems. A typical day...

Beating Moore's law (part 2).(Market Overivew--Chipsets)
September 22, 2004... With AMD and Intel still locking horns in the established desktop market and fighting for the server space, Transmeta is still a company to watch. Originally attacking the market for low-power mobile devices with its Crusoe chip, the...

The tender spot.(Tender Invitations)
September 22, 2004... This is a list of public authorities that are inviting bids from potential suppliers. Further information is available from Tenders Direct--contact details at the bottom of the page. These notitices are from the Official Journal of the European...

Manufacturers.
September 22, 2004... MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATIONS PC Association 01763 262987 DATA STORAGE CD-ROM/DVD STORAGE 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 Amacom Technologies Ltd 020 8993 7373 Apple Computer...

Distributors.
September 22, 2004... DISTRIBUTORS 1st Computer Traders Ltd 01827 55555 01827 66666 3d Micro Limited 020 7384 1174 020 7736 6033 4Front Network 01635 567299 01923 210910 a A One...