Toshiba ships HD DVD laptop

Toshiba, the main financial backer for the HD DVD format, has begun shipping the Qosmio G45-AV680 laptop, says TG Daily.

It is the first computer in the US to have a built-in HD DVD burner. The laptop will let users write all forms of blank DVD media, but only HD DVD-R for high-definition discs.

It doesn't support rewritable HD DVD media. Toshiba was slow in introducing an HD DVD-RW drive, and according to PC World, it has just recently been made available to PC manufacturers.

Intel plans to simplify its processor branding strategy by de-emphasising two of its major brands, Viiv and vPro, and consolidating all of its marketing around the Core brand, says ZDNet.co.uk.

Intel representatives said the move will actually allow it to generate more interest in Viiv, a collection of chips and software that was designed for home entertainment PCs, by hooking it up to the more well-known Core brand.

First unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2006, Viiv PCs are supposed to make it easy to use a PC at the centre of a digital home.

The personal computer industry is on track to see 11.2% growth in shipments for the year, with notebook computers driving most of the momentum, according to one research firm, says International Business Times.

Global PC shipments in the second quarter of 2007 were up in the range of 10.5% to 11.5% compared to the same period in 2006, according to iSuppli.

In the second half of the year, worldwide growth is expected to be 13% compared to the second half of 2006.