You say iMac, I say eMac

Apple has announced a new eMac line, offering up to a 1GHz PowerPC G4 processor, a faster 4x SuperDrive, ATI Radeon 7500 graphics card, up to 80GB hard drives and internal support for AirPort Extreme (802.11g, and also 802.11b-compatible) wireless networking.

Featuring a 17-inch flat CRT and a compact design that is "less deep than the original iMac", this PowerPC G4 system has a lower entry price point, Apple announces.

Available in three standard configurations, eMac comes with either a CD-ROM drive; a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive for watching DVD movies and burning CDs that can record CD-R discs "twice as fast as with previous models"; or Apple`s SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW), which records DVD, CD-R and CD-RW discs "twice as fast as previous models".

The eMac will start selling at R8 299 (including VAT).

Consumers shouldn`t be worried that Microsoft`s new security technology will wrest control of their PCs and give it to media companies, Bill Gates said yesterday, according to USA Today. They can always choose not to use it, he said.

Gates expects consumers, governments and businesses to embrace the system, which hard-wires security into silicon chips rather than just software. It is designed to offer "unprecedented levels of protection" against hacking and eavesdropping.

The technology has raised eyebrows not only for the absolute control it would grant such creators of digital content as music and movie companies but also because it is being driven by Microsoft, which has a reputation for strong-arming the computer industry, the paper reports.

Despite the initial rush of Centrino-based notebooks into the market, Intel`s Centrino platform isn`t just about laptops, reports PC World.

Built around Intel`s Pentium M processor, announced earlier this month, and an Intel wireless LAN chip set, Centrino is also finding its way into Tablet PCs. But Tablet PCs based on the Centrino platform are hitting the market at a slower pace than notebooks.

However, there is good news for users who are looking for a Tablet PC that includes Centrino with the Pentium M, which Intel says offers longer battery life and higher performance, albeit at lower clock speeds, than the company`s other mobile processors. The first devices will be based on the 900MHz ultra-low-voltage model of the Pentium M, according to vendors.