A64 Comparo, an FX 5700 & Who The Heck is Emma?

Good afternoon HH fans!  It's your friendly neighborhood Italian checking in with a mid-day sampling of tasty hardware goodness!  The news is flowing freely today, so there's quite a bit of stuff to get to.  I'm also working on a review of our own which should be posted shortly.  Check back later for that review, and for now sit back and check out what our comrades have been up to...

 AMD's Emma: Internet Access For Under $200:

"AMD has revealed they are working on a product code named Emma.  CEO Hector Ruiz reports it could allow for an internet access device for under $200 the size of a pack of cigarettes. Memories of the Iopener spring to mind."

 Removing XP SP2 Disabling IE's downloads @ IANAG:

"In the ref log I'm finding a surprising number of search phrases regarding the uninstallation of Service Pack 2. It's not on the add/remove programs list unless you check the box labled Show updates. After you check this box it'll be under Windows XP - Software Updates."

"Disable IE'S Downloading Capability.  This is available to admins because most people out there really shouldn't be able to download things!"

 Athlon64: WindowXP 64-bit vs 32-bit Performance:

"On the applications side, since the Athlon64 is completely backward compatible, you should have no problems running any 32-bit applications on a 32-bit Operating System. The problem comes when you try to run 32-bit applications on a 64-bit O/S and although Microsoft supports a "32-bit" compatibility mode in its Windows XP 64-bit Edition, you will run into problems with certain applications like the Adobe Acrobat 5.0 which is a part of the Sysmark 2004 benchmarking suite. Similarly, Windows Media Encoder 9 also refused to install while Aquamark 3 installed but refused to run."

 Deploying a Windows 2003 based network for small business - Part I @ ARS:

"The first installment will cover basic hardware requirements, network configuration, hardware requirements, and initial set-up. Later installments will go over IIS, e-mail, messaging services, load balance, and more. In addition, Ars Premier Subscribers will be able to download virtual machines with trial (90-day) copies of the software to have a reference platform to evaluate and experiment with. In addition, reference copies of the series will be available from our PDF Technical Library to Premier Subscribers. Here's your chance to get up to speed on Windows 2003."

 Vantec NexStar 2.5" HDD External Enclosure Video Review @ 3DGameMan:

"The Vantec NexStar is designed to fit the very small 2.5" notebook Hard Drive which means it's a very portable storage device. Installation of a Hard Drive in this unit is very quick and easy. It's USB 2 compatible which results in fast transfer of data. It even comes with a padded carry pouch for added security when transporting. Watch the Video to find out more."

 Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Pro2-W Motherboard Review @ PCStats:

"If you're a frequent reader of PCStats you probably noticed that we reviewed the original Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Pro 2 a while back. This time around Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Pro2-W has an added USB 802.11b wireless adapter bundled into the onboard package, hence the "W" moniker in the name. Perhaps one of the most important compelling features is that the Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Pro2-W is already Prescott ready. Many original i865PE/i875P motherboards on the market are not set up to work with the increased power demands of Prescott.... or they may be, you really don't know for certain. That mystery doesn't surround the rather well equipped GA-8IPE1000 Pro2-W motherboard. The GA-8IPE1000 Pro2-W supports all current Socket 478 Pentium 4 processors (400MHz, 533MHz and 800MHZ FSB) and with its four DIMM slots, up to 4GB of PC3200 DDR RAM."

 Albatron GeForce FX5700P Turbo Video Card Review @ 3DX:

"I think the numbers pretty much speak for themselves. I received this video card not really expecting stellar performance and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Albatron has come through with a strong performing video card based on an older GPU. This card is targeted more at the budget minded consumer and at ~$100-$120 this card certainly is an attractive deal. With its counterparts still sitting in the $150-$200 price range this is a definite winner for the low end solution."

 External Disk Roundup @ Hexus.net:

"There's something for everyone in the four disks on test, I'm just more tempted to add other disk to an ATX chassis, rather than hang it externally. Like everything, you'll know instantly if external disk storage is for you. I guess the whole point is that it's doable without breaking the bank these days.

As for a winner? For me, it's the Freecom for the reasons I outlined above. It was genuinely useful, I loved it, despite the snail's pace. I think I might even pick one up, USB bus power is godlike."

 Thrustmaster FireStorm Wireless Gamepad @ TheCrucible.ca:

"For as long as games have been around, there have been game controllers. In fact the first ever "console" game was a controller. You have all heard of Pong? Controllers have come a long way since the days of Pong. Now game pads shake and rumble, you have force feed back, digital controls and more buttons than a keyboard."

That's all I have for you right now, folks!  I have to get back to work!  See you soon...