Alienware M18x - Strong and Powerful !!

Alienware has updated its high-end, 18-inch M18x gaming laptop with some new components, and the result is an incredibly powerful machine. It's been dubbed the Alienware M18x for some time now, but this latest version adds 2nd Generation Intel's Core i7 processor for even more power.

Oddly, the 18-inch wide-screen, which is usually a sight to behold on a gaming laptop, is one of the M18x's weaker points. It weighs 5.41kg and measures Front: 53.00mm (2.09 inches), Rear: 54.20mm (2.13 inches), Depth: 322.00 mm (12.68 inches), Width: 436.00 mm (17.17 inches). So it's really far too big and heavy to move on a frequent basis, except possibly from room to room.

Despite the glossy display, our gaming experience wasn't ruined by annoying reflections, because the M18x's screen is very bright indeed. The M18x will crush your spine with its monumental chassis, and then make your brains dribble out of your nose with its performance.

Even though Alienware found the biggest battery (97Whr) available for the M18x, it couldn't keep up with its battery-guzzling parts, namely the processor and SLI graphics cards. Alienware M18x is the complete package, as its looks can stand in the spotlight with its parts.

Specifications:

CPU	Intel® Core™ i7 2860QM (2.5GHz,3.6GHz with Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
Main Memory	16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
Graphic system	Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 580M – NVIDIA® SLI® Enabled
Display	18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED
Hard Disk	Up to 512GB Solid State Drive SATA hard drive
Web camera	3.0 Megapixel HD Video and Picture Camera with dual digital microphones
Optical Disc Drive	Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Audio	Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with SoundBlaster MB Software
Wireless Type	Intel® Ultimate-N Wi-Fi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
Blue-tooth	Internal Bluetooth® 3.0
Input/Output Port	2 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports, 2 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Port, 1 eSATA 3Gb/s + USB 2.0 Combo port, VGA, HDMI, LAN, Express Card Slot
Card Reader	9-in-1 Media Card Reader
Operating System	Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit
Battery	High Capacity 12-cell Lithium Ion (97whr)
Weight	5.41 kg (11.93 lbs)
Warranty	4 year Advanced Plan
Price	$5,362.00

Buy Alienware M18X

Windows Tricks - 3

Today we are again going to talk about two tricks which you can use on Windows 7.

1. Keyboard Shortcuts for Programs

If you are looking for faster way to access programs then you can create keyboard shortcuts for any program in Windows 7. Right-click the program icon and select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, click in Shortcut key, to set the keyboard shortcut for that program.

Now here 'C' is shortcut key for Calculator and 'P' is for Paint, then you just need to press Ctrl+Alt+C for Calculator and Ctrl+Alt+P for Paint.

2. Add Videos To Your Start Menu

Again this is one of the fatser ways to access programs in Windows 7. Suppose Windows 7 does not place a link to your videos on the Start Menu by default. To add a link to your videos on the Start Menu, right-click Start, select Properties, click on Customize. In the Videos section at the bottom, choose Display as a link.

Windows Tricks - 1

Today we'll talk about two tricks here.

1) Virtual Diary

You want a quick diary on your pc, but dont want to install a separate program for this purpose. And writing notes in a word processor by giving date-time everytime isn’t a good idea.

Try this:

Open ‘NOTEPAD’.

Type .LOG (remember .log or .Log wont work)

Save the file with any desired any name and close the notepad window.

Now everytime you will try to open this notepad file….the current date and time will be already placed there. So, this way it’ll become a virtual diary.

2) Windows Key + Arrows

Just try them out..

Windows key + Left: docks current window to the left side of the screen.

Windows key + Right: docks current window to the right side of the screen.

Windows key + Up: maximizes and/or restores foreground window.

Windows key + Down: minimizes active window.

Make pen drive bootable for Windows 7

Many people generally go for WinToFlash for making bootable pendrive of Windows 7 but I would rather prefer the following few steps because using WinToFlash is very simple but not effective. There are some simple steps to make bootable pen drive which can be used for installing windows 7 in future as well. For this you need a pen drive having minimum space of 4 Gb and a Installation DVD of Windows 7(or ISO). Now just follow this steps:-

1. First off all you need to format the USB drive / Pendrive:-

Run the command prompt as an Administrator

Now to find the drive number of your USB Drive, you need to type this and press enter every time.

diskpart

list disk

Here you can see the disk listed.Note down the disk number of your pendrive for the next step. Generally if we have one hard disk and only one pendrive attached to a system the it comes out to be disk 1. (it can be different). Lets consider disk 1 for this case.

Now type all these words to format the drive:

select disk 1

clean

create partition primary

select partition 1

active

format fs=NTFS

(wait for few seconds)

assign

exit

Now the disk partition program will exit and you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.

2. Now to make the bootable pendrive, follow this steps:-

Now insert the Windows 7 Installation DVD and to your DVD drive.

Now assume that DVD drive is F and Pendrive as H

Now type F:CD BOOT

Now type this command bootsect /nt60 H: to update your USB drive with bootmgr code.

Finally copy all the contents from the Windows 7 DVD to your Pendrive.

Here you have created the bootable pendrive. 

Now what you need is to make your BIOS to boot from USB. So follow this steps:-

Insert your pendrive to the PC and reboot the system.

Now Enter the Bios system accordingly by pressing the key delete.This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.

Now select the USB/ Pendrive as the first boot driver.

Now save the settings in Bios and restart and you will be able to Install Windows 7 using that pendrive.

3. For those who want to use WinToFlash, then its a very simple procedure.

Download WinToFlash.

Install it.

Select Win PE option for Windows 7

Select appropriate locations.

Wait for few seconds and you are done with it.

Now I'll share my case with you people as I was able to make pendrive bootable Windows 7 in both cases and it was working on my PC, but whenever I tried to install using USB to my target laptop, WinToFlash method didn't work. So I would prefer the firist method

Windows 7 Ultimate Cracked and Activated Permanently with OEM SLP Master Product Key (with SLIC 2.1)

Windows 7 Ultimate has been cracked, and can be permanently activated with OEM style instant offline activation which will pass Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation, before even any Windows 7 is officially released according to Windows 7 release schedule. All hell breaks loose when a Windows 7 Ultimate OEM DVD ISO from Lenovo been leaked and posted on Chinese forum. The ISO was quickly grabbed to retrieve boot.wim, which was then used to retrieve the OEM-SLP product key and OEM certificate for Windows 7 Ultimate.

Microsoft has updated the the SLP (system-Locked Preinstallation), a procedure that used to preactivate Windows operating system for mass distribution by major OEM (original equipment manufacturers), to version 2.1 to support Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 while provided backward-compatibility for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 activation. Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 OEM activation is provided by SLP 2.0. SLP 2.1 requires SLIC imprinted in BIOS to be updated to SLIC version 2.1 too, which contains new Windows Marker.

After extracting the OEM certificate and OEM product key, it’s confirmed that Windows 7 uses the same digitally signed OEM certificate (in .xrm-ms extension) that is been used in Windows Vista. Windows Vista OEM cert can be used in Windows 7 has been explained in Windows 7 forum. As OEM certificate is digitally signed by Microsoft with its own Private Key with OEM Public Key and OEMID (part of SLIC table in BIOS). The combination of correct Private Key, Public Key with OEMID will pass SLP validation as valid Microsoft license. Meanwhile, Windows Marker is signed by OEM itself based on OEMID and OEMTableID (both belongs to SLIC) using the private key that matches the public key. Thus, the same OEM cert can be used for many different SLICs, as long as OEMID remains the same, as in the case of SLP 2.0 and SLP 2.1, although Windows Marker has changed due to different OEMTableID.

The trick is to have BIOS modded to include the SLIC 2.1. The SLIC 2.1 can be modded into BIOS physically (hardmod or biosmod) or been emulated or simulated during Windows boots up (softmod). Various SLIC 2.1 BIN has been retrieved from various notebook computer that shipped with new SLIC 2.1 in BIOS to support the free Windows 7 Upgrade Option from Windows Vista. If you just bought a new PC, it’s possible to check if SLIC 2.1 exists in BIOS. The information can be used to mod the BIOS. If you’re not technically know-how, it’s possible to request for BIOS mod assistant, or wait for Windows 7 Loader or WoW7.

Last but not least (which makes no activation crack works properly so far) is OEM-SLP product key for Windows 7. So far no OEM-SLP product key required to activate Windows 7 as OEM offline instant activation been leaked yet as no machine has been officially ship in Windows 7 by OEM, until now.

The extracted Windows 7 Ultimate OEM-SLP product key, 22TKD-F8XX6-YG69F-9M66D-PMJBM, can be used to activate installed Windows 7 Ultimate system, which BIOS has a valid OEM SLIC 2.1, and corresponding OEM cert, even if it’s OEM cert meant for Windows Vista. Best news is that, the product key appears to be a master OEM-SLP product key for Windows 7 Ultimate, which able to activate many OEM brands, such as HP, Dell, MSI and Lenovo. Checkout the discussion at Windows 7 forums.

Tip: It doesn’t matter if you have download and install Windows 7 RTM retail version ISO or Windows 7 RTM OEM version ISO. Just use the following commands to convert to OEM version:

slmgr.vbs -ilc OEM.XRM-MS (where OEM.XRM-MS is a valid OEM cert matching with SLIC 2.1 in BIOS)

slmgr -ipk 22TKD-F8XX6-YG69F-9M66D-PMJBM

Both 32-bit and 64-bit (x86 and x64) Windows 7 Ultimate system should and can be activated immediately. For Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows 7 Starter, the OEM-SLP keys haven’t been leaked, thus can’t be OEM-activated yet. It’s expected that various Windows 7 activators, Windows 7 activation toolkits, Windows 7 Loaders and etc are expected to be released by various hackers soon. However, Microsoft may decide to block and blacklist this leaked master OEM-SLP product key. If true, other OEM-SLP keys from actual machine shipped from OEM has to be retrieved.

Windows 7 already bigger than Snow Leopard and Linux combined

It's only been a couple of weeks since Windows 7 was released, but Microsoft's new OS has already captured a larger percentage of the market than Apple's OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Linux (yes, all of Linux). This doesn't come as a huge surprise, considering how many Windows users were clamoring for Win7 after the flop that is Vista. Microsoft says Windows 7's launch outdid Vista's by 234%. Those brisk sales have already netted Windows a 2% share of the world's OS business, compared to just over 1% for Snow Leopard, and just under 1% for Linux.

Despite the strong sales of Win7, Windows as a whole dropped a quarter of a percentage point in October, with Mac and Linux both making small gains. That quarter of a point hardly matters when you've got 90% of the OS market and your new operating system is being adopted quickly, though.

I expect to see Windows swing back up after Windows 7's been available for a while. I mean, we're talking about an operating system that outsold Harry Potter in the UK. Right now, it's only got a 2% share, compared to 19% for Vista and 70% for XP, but that's after only two weeks. Expect that number to zoom upward by the end of November.

Windows 7 still needs anti-virus, susceptible to 8 out of 10 viruses

During the launch of the new Windows 7, Microsoft had a lot to say about the safety features it offered, and especially protection from viruses and malware. While it was always meant to be taken with a pinch of salt, the guys at security firm Sophos decided to put the operating system to the test. Chester Wisniewski of Sophos writes that they loaded up a machine with a fresh version of Windows 7, and left all the User Account Control options at default. Then, they grabbed the next 10 unique virus samples that arrived in the SophosLabs feed to see how well the newer, more secure version of Windows and UAC held up. “Unfortunately, despite Microsoft's claims, Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier versions of Windows. The good news is that, of the freshest 10 samples that arrived, 2 would not operate correctly under Windows 7,” Wisniewski writes. Lesson learned? You still need to run anti-virus on Windows 7. A viable option could be the new, free Microsoft Security Essentials suite that the company has launched recently. Ars Technica reported a few days ago on an antivirus comparison by AV-Comparative that puts Microsoft Security Essentials as the best free anti-virus solution out there, ahead of names like AVG, Avast and Avira. Windows 7 debut is a hitMeanwhile, market analysis firm NPD has released a report that says Windows 7 has done extremely well since its launch on October 22. According to NPD’s weekly tracking service, Windows 7 software unit sales in the U.S. were 234 per cent higher than Vista’s first few days of sales. “Microsoft’s program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles.”

Linux in 2013: One *Billion* Dollars!

Has the much-anticipated turning point for Linux adoption arrived? Yes, says IDC analyst Al Gillen, who authored a report predicting that global Linux revenues will exceed $1.2 billion by 2013. "The monopoly is failing under its own weight," says blogger Robert Pogson. "If M$ wants to compete on price and features, they cannot continue paying people to use their OS."

It's a rare day on the Linux blogs when comparisons don't get made between Windows and our favorite operating system, but when those comparisons take the form of benchmarks, we can't help but sit up and listen.

Sure enough, following a like comparison earlier this year, the bloggers over at TuxRadar recently put Windows 7, Vista and various versions of Ubuntu through their paces again to see just how they compare.

Bottom line? "There's nothing in Windows 7 that Linux can't do, and in most cases, do it better," the TuxRadar bloggers wrote. "Our machines are quicker and more efficient. Our desktops are more innovative and less static. Our apps are more powerful, cheaper and less partisan, and Linux security has never been better.

"Best of all, we have complete control over the future of Linux, and its success or failure at the hands of Windows 7 is in our hands," they added.


'LINUX = Leave It Now Unless Xpert'

The reaction? Scores of comments on the TuxRadar site, covering all bases between the congratulatory and the outraged.

To wit: "I would have never thought I would read something like this in a Linux publication but you did a great job of comparing Windows 7 to Linux," wrote Anonymous Penguin. "For me I am sticking to XP and Ubuntu, Fedora 11 and AntiX. These run my older hardware the best."

Then again: "LINUX = Leave It Now Unless Xpert," wrote another Anonymous Penguin. "WINDOWS = When IN Doubt Order Windows Seven."

Not to mention: "I've seen more fair and balanced comparisons on Fox News," added Blast Hardcheese.


'No Linux Option Is Suitable on My Laptop'

The fact that "every current Linux distro fails to make 3-D and WiFi work together" makes it tough to take such benchmarks seriously, Dean noted.

"My problem might well be rooted in fglrx, but it's entirely irrelevant since neither replacement of the hardware nor change in my use habits are viable options for me," he said. "The simple fact of the matter is, no Linux option is suitable on my laptop today, and Windows 7 'just works,' including 3-D and WiFi."

Not only that, but "unlike Windows XP or Vista, it does so out of the box," he asserted.




'On the Server'

Linux will almost certainly end up a billion-dollar business "on the SERVER," Slashdot blogger hairyfeet told LinuxInsider.

"On a server you have experienced admins who prefer a text-heavy CLI interface because it saves on resources that could be better used serving clients," he explained. "That is why Windows server 2K8 comes with the ability to just run 'core' and have only that which you need most."

That said, however, "I have found even my most Linux-happy server admin friends keep one or more Windows Domain Controllers on the network," hairyfeet asserted. "Why? Because Linux has yet to come up with a 'top-to-bottom full stack' approach that touches AD+Exchange+Sharepoint+GPO for ease of use."


'It Is More Complex and More Work'

Linux gurus get "paid more for doing the same job because it is more complex and I would argue more work to get the same functionality from Linux that you get from Windows and the 'full stack' approach," added hairyfeet.

"Hell, I could probably teach my 16-year-old in a month or so enough to admin a basic Windows domain setup," he explained. "Everything is, set up in an easy to understand and visualize tree hierarchy, and there is even a nice wizard that will walk you through most of the basic tasks."

The closest approximation in the Linux world is Xandros server, hairyfeet added, and "while it gets a lot of the way towards the Server+Exchange functionality, it isn't nearly as good at GPO as a Winserver is. And I haven't seen a 'Sharepoint killer' or an 'Outlook killer' yet come from the Linux world."


'The Better It Does, the Better I Do'

So, "while I have no doubt that pretty much all the web servers will end up firmly in the Linux domain, everything behind the firewall will most likely stay firmly rooted in Windows," hairyfeet predicted. "Not only because there are still so many mission-critical apps that simply aren't offered in Linux -- from custom apps to CAD and graphics -- but admining a Windows Server is just so much easier than doing the same job in the Linux camp."

Either way, however, there's no denying that increasing success for Linux means the same for those who work with it.

"I certainly hope Linux continues to do well," Montreal consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack told LinuxInsider. "Linux is my bread and butter, so the better it does, the better I do."

For Further Details..

Microsoft launched free security software

After being criticised time and again for the amount of viruses and malware that affect the Windows operating system, Microsoft has decided to finally do something about it. The Redmond giant is set to make available a free suite of security software, and is calling the Security Essentials.

Offering antivirus and anti-malware protection, Security Essentials will be completely free to download either from the Windows Update program or through its official page. And as with all other free antivirus software, it will receive periodic updates to virus definitions via the Internet.

The download is expected to be about 4.7MB in size, and requires the user to have a legitimate copy of Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 (Beta or RC). It’s as yet unclear whether the launch is going to be worldwide or restricted to a few regions, but all indications are that it should be an international release.



The Security Essentials suite is Microsoft’s new iteration of the Windows Live OneCare paid package, and has been in beta testing for a few months now. Several testers have already reviewed the beta version.

PC World has extensively reviewed the software suite, with Nick Mediati writing: “The Microsoft Security Essentials interface is clear-cut and cleanly designed. You'll likely spend most of your time on the Home tab; ‘set it and forget it’ aptly describes Microsoft Security Essentials. The default settings are appropriate for most users...”

The Security Essentials public beta also took fourth place in PC World’s recent roundup of free antivirus software. Microsoft Security Essentials beta detected 97.8 percent of malware in tests conducted by AV-Test.org, which is decent score compared to other, similar free antivirus tools. Malware scans were a bit on the sluggish side, though, taking longer to scan than a number of competing products.

Reviewer Erik Larkin wrote: "If Microsoft can improve the detection rate a bit – and rev up the scan speed more than a bit – before the program's final release, Security Essentials could turn out to be a real contender in the free antivirus arena."

All in all, if you are someone who uses AVG Free, Avira or Avast, then Microsoft Security Essentials might be a very viable alternative.