Sunny Computers: 2007

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Games N Software (Rapid Share Link's)

Software Serial's

Roxio Easy Media Creator Deluxe Suite v9.06:-

SERIAL: 10-7BVSW-XCCS8-11SM4

Mercury Interactive LoadRunner v8:Permanent license key:-

AEABEXFR-YTIEKEKJJMFKEKEKWBRAUNQJU-KBYGB.

3ds max 6 crack:-

Product: 3ds max 6Serial number: 999-99999999
Request code: 0318 6113 5082 8161 1124
Authorization code: 62119033563525339864.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Serial's

Power iso:-

Name: TEAM EXPLOSiON

Serial: GLZYY-983YI-IE5U8-EWFKX-3IQYZ.

DSL SPEED:-

User Name : TEAM TBE
Serial : PDDI33L6JTW6.

HIDE XP SETUP:-

A912D4-C83CB5-D922AD-A6BDCE

FOLDER LOCK 5.5.7:-

FolderLock User ID: NewSoft15805

FolderLock Registration Key: 221281703

imtoomp3wav convertor2.1.65:-

ali
pass:2935-0381-9952-2329-F452-D276-F5FD-8CF6

sunnykumar
pass:5029-7191-9922-4666-26DD-48A2-943C-18FF
lovecry
pass:1340-0878-7108-1511-1C18-5A9A-BC0A-A7E9
menme
pass:1299-3423-6429-2279-EA14-EF4C-0C60-CC28

loveislife
pass:6710-6461-4170-7461-DA0D-3D63-64D7-A4B9

NORTON GHOST:-

08-9803-3515-402172
02-9800-2476-099287
03-9804-4431-792396
03-9806-4717-733613
01-9800-9535-786182

Flv2Videoconvertor:-

User : H3X4
Code : 4C7FA313

totalvideoconvertorserial:-

Your license name is: MARIANNE WORKMAN-NESSE

Your license code is: 0ab52023-ba00347e-9fa86acd-fdc330a9-68578b7e-264b81e1-30bdfeef-cea403fa-20457e4a-39c03409-f69a9aba-388e8a94-677044c7-643fe9ac-66523c91-18a61801

Sunday, October 21, 2007

AREA-51

Whip Out Both Barrels:

Today’s games demand maximum horsepower; the Area-51 m9750 delivers. NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology and up to 1GB of graphics memory make it more powerful than most desktops, and all other notebooks.

Core Competency:

With two processing cores, powered by the Intel® Core™2 Duo processor, the Area-51 m9750 delivers a one-two punch of power to your games, applications, and multimedia. Your dreams of encoding video while gaming, or recording TV while crunching spreadsheets, have now come true.

Fill ’er up:

The Area-51 m9750 RAID options enable you to configure your hard drives for speed, or security.

Go with RAID 0 for insane read speeds and max storage, or
RAID 1 for bullet-proof security and backup and redundancy. Either way, you can’t lose.

Your Own Portable DVR:

You can record all the television programming you want directly to the Area-51 m9750’s cavernous hard driv

es. Then take it with you to a friend’s house. Try that with your fancy set-top DVR.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

ALLIEN WARE LAPTOP

Area-51 m9750

CUT:

The Area-51 m9750 has all the hardcore hardware you need to enter the world of enthusiast DV editing. Its Intel Core 2 Duo processors, ferociously fast dual 7,200RPM hard drives and array of input/output connections enable you to capture, encode and edit in real-time. If you don’t have time to finish your masterpiece, just take your new DV editing notebook with you; try doing that with your typical workstation.

Never Miss A Beat:

Mix and blend future chart-topping smashes at off-the-charts speed with powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Then preserve hi-def, uncompressed mixes close at hand with up to 640GB of hard drive capacity. The music never ends.

Work of Art:

Michelangelo had his favorite chisel when creating David, You have the Area-51 m9750. Mold, modify and move your 3D models with no wait time using the power of Intel Core 2 Duo processors and NVIDIA SLI technology.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

About Microsoft Surface Computing

Microsoft Surface Computing brings to life a whole new way to interact with information that engages the senses, improves collaboration and empowers consumers. By utilizing the best combination of connected software, services and hardware, Microsoft is at the forefront of developing surface computing products that push computing boundaries, deliver new experiences that break down barriers between users and technology, and provide new opportunities for companies to engage with people.

Microsoft Surface

First commercially available surface computer from Microsoft breaks down barriers and provides effortless interaction with information using touch, natural gestures and physical objects:

The Human Touch

Microsoft Surface puts people in control of their experiences with technology, making everyday tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient. Imagine ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger. Imagine quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen. Imagine creating and sending a personal postcard of vacation pictures instantly to friends and family, while still wearing flip-flops.

Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become completely immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table.

Surface computing at Microsoft is an outgrowth of a collaborative effort between the Microsoft Hardware and Microsoft Research teams, which were struck by the opportunity to create technology that would bridge the physical and virtual worlds. What started as a high-level concept grew into a prototype and evolved to today’s market-ready product that will transform the way people shop, dine, entertain and live. It’s a major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user interface to a more natural way of interacting with information. Surface computing, which Microsoft has been working on for a number of years, features four key attributes:

•	Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands, interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
•	Multi-touch. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger like a typical touch-screen, but up to dozens of items at once.
•	Multi-user. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
•	Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Microsoft Windows Xp Sp2 Black Edition

Description:
This version of Windows XP is designed for your convenience.
It requires less memory from your system and it doesn’t need a serial number as this is the unattended version.
It includes the following programs:

Acrobat 8.0
WindowBlind 5.04 Enhanced plus many new themes
TuneUp Utilities 2007 English
Microsoft Java VM Build 3809
Sun Java 2 Version5.0.6 W/SP2
IE 7 Final Activated
Firefox 2
Thunderbird 1.5.0.9
Klite Codec Pack 2.80
WM player 11
ZoneAlarm 6.5.737.2006 Pro
Blindwrite 6.0.1.19 By eXperience
Nero 7.59 Lite
Poweriso 3.5
UltrIso 8.6.0.1936
Fraunhofer IIs MP3 Code
Quicktime Alternative
Acrobat Reader
WinRAR
Windows Vista RTM sidebar plus extra gadgets

History of updates and fixes;
- Added Segoe Print and Segoe ****** Fonts (Fixes Notes Gadget)
- Added more cool Gadgets (Black Jack, Tetris, Bricks, Pong, Command Launcher, Internet Search)
- Fixed Version Number in Add-Remove Programs (from 5477 to 5744)
- Minor RegDLL Changes
- Now uses ProfileItems for QuickLaunch Shortcut
- Improved Installation process (No more RunOnceEx Box)
- Fixed VAIO Shell Extension not registering
- Added Vista Calculator and Drive Info Gadgets
- Changed skin to Glass
- Quick Launch shortcut moved to UserProfile
- Systray Icon issue FIXED! (Had to go from RTM 6.0.6000 down to RC2 6.0.5744, I will go back to RTM when the new VAIO Build is released)
- Added Calibri fonts (Fixes CPU Meeter)
- Changed the Sidebar Skin to a much nicer one as you can see in the screenshot (Fade Skin)
- Changed Shortcut placement from All Programs to All Programs -> Accesories

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Microsoft Surface

OPtic Mouse

Alien Ware

VisTa Pic

Saturday, August 18, 2007

License and Media Types

There are three main types of Windows XP licenses: Retail, "VLK", and OEM.
Retail is the type bought from a store, of which there are two sub-types: "Upgrade" and "Full Purchase Product", often abbreviated by Microsoft as FPP. FPP licenses are transferable from one computer to another, so long as the previous installation is removed from the old computer. Although upgrade licenses are also transferable, a user must have a previous version of Windows even on the new computer to which they are moving the installation.
"VLK", or "Volume License Key" is the nickname given to the versions sold to businesses under a Volume License Agreement with Microsoft, and are sold as upgrade licenses only, meaning that a previous license must be available for each new VLK license. The name "Volume License Key" refers to the ability to use one product key for multiple systems, depending on the type of agreement. Until recently, Microsoft had not required that every VLK license be activated. This led to leaked copies of VLK media and product keys from businesses for the use of piracy and quickly spread across the internet upon early release. Beginning with Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft's active attempts to search out and blacklist known pirated VLK product keys became well known due to the inability to install the service pack on a system with one of said keys. Later, this led into to the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program.
OEM is the copy that is pre-installed on computers (these have a Windows license sticker on the side of the case). There are two types of OEM product types: those used for "Direct OEMs" (major name brands that buy through a direct contract with Microsoft and produce and brand their own media from a Microsoft "Gold Master Copy" by using an Authorized Microsoft Duplication Partner), and those used for "System Builders" (local computer shops that buy generic, unbranded kits through Authorized Microsoft Distributors). Direct OEM product keys will often not activate with System Builder installation media because Direct OEMs are now required by Microsoft to pre-activate their copies in the factory using their own internal mechanism before delivery to the customer. It is recommended that System Builders also pre-activate their systems before delivery, but not required at this time. OEM installations can be customized using the Microsoft OEM Preinstallation Kit with branding, logos, additional applications, optional services, alternate applications for certain Windows components, Internet Explorer links, and various other customizations. All OEM customers must include support and contact information for the initial installation of Windows because it is the responsibility for the OEM to support the Windows installation, and is not provided by Microsoft to the end-user. Direct OEMs must create their own media, but have the option of creating their own custom recovery solution, which may or may not be similar to a generic installation. Although they can create their own recovery solution, they can do so as a recovery partition on the hard drive without providing CDs. Some customers have found this to be a troublesome option, because in the event of an out-of-warranty hard drive failure, they may not have access to reinstall Windows on a new hard drive. System Builders are not allowed the option to create a custom recovery solution. The only deliverable media available for a System Builder to give to the end-user is the unbranded OEM CD. Because of this, when an end-user reformats their hard drive and reinstalls from the installation media, they lose all of the custom branding and support information that the System Builder would have included. OEM licenses are not transferable from one computer to another, so users seeking to resell a system that has an OEM license must include all of the original media, documentation, Certificate of Authenticity, and product key sticker with the sale.

Protection 'Cracking'

"Crack" programs exist to randomly generate Windows XP product keys (thus, there are no longer any commonly used keys to block) and then activate Windows without contacting Microsoft. These may or may not allow the user to receive security updates. These are currently put to illegal and arguably unethical software piracy uses.
In addition a range of cracks and cracked versions of WGA exist, enabling a computer running non-genuine Windows to be detected as a genuine Windows system and access all appropriate Microsoft updates and enhancements

Product Key Testing

In addition to activation, Windows XP service packs will refuse to install on Windows XP systems with product keys known to be widely used in unauthorized installations. These product keys are intended to be unique to each boxed (or bundled) copy of Windows XP and are included with the product documentation, but a number of product keys were posted on the Internet and were then used for a large number of unauthorized installations. The service packs contain a list of these keys and will not update copies of Windows XP that use them.
Microsoft developed a new key verification engine for Windows XP Service Pack 2 that could detect illicit keys, even those that had never been used before. After an outcry from security consultants who feared that denying security updates to illegal installations of Windows XP would have wide-ranging consequences even for legal owners, Microsoft elected to disable the new key verification engine. Service Pack 2 only checks for the same small list of commonly used keys as Service Pack 1. This means that while Service Pack 2 will not install on copies of Windows XP which use the older set of copied keys, those who use keys which have been posted more recently may be able to update their systems

Product Activation and Verification

Windows Genuine Advantage

While product activation and licensing servers are common for business and industrial software (especially software sold on a per-user basis for large sums of money), Windows XP gave many casual computer users their first introduction to it, under the name "Windows Genuine Advantage" (WGA). The system was introduced by Microsoft to curb unauthorized distribution of Windows XP.Activation requires the computer or the user to activate with Microsoft within a certain amount of time in order to continue using the operating system. If the user's computer system ever changes — for example, if two or more relevant components of the computer itself are upgraded — Windows may refuse to run until the user reactivates with Microsoft.
WGA comprises two parts, an activation/verification system based in part upon the computer's hardware, and a user notification system. WGA for Windows was followed by verification systems for Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, and Microsoft Office 2007.
If the license key is judged not genuine, it displays a nag screen at regular intervals asking the user to buy a license from Microsoft. In addition, the user's access to Microsoft Update is restricted to critical security updates, and as such, new versions of enhancements and other Microsoft products will no longer be able to be downloaded or installed.
Common criticisms of WGA have included its description as a "Critical Security Update", causing Automatic Updates to download it without user intervention, its behavior compared to spyware of "phoning home" to Microsoft every time the computer is connected to the Internet, the failure to inform end users what exactly WGA would do once installed (rectified by a 2006 update), the failure to provide a proper uninstallation method during beta testing (users were given manual removal instructions that did not work with the final build), and its sensitivity to hardware changes which cause repeated need for reactivation in the hands of some developers.
Strictly speaking, neither the download nor the install of the Notifications is mandatory; the user can change their Automatic Update settings to allow them to choose what updates may be downloaded for installation. If the update is already downloaded, the user can choose not to accept the supplemental EULA provided for the Notifications. In both cases, the user can also request that the update is not presented again, but in any case, all newer Critical Security Updates will not install either. However this setting will only have effect on the existing version of Notifications, so it can appear again as a new version.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Security Issues

Windows XP has been criticized for its susceptibility to malware, viruses, trojan horses, and worms. Security issues are compounded by the fact that users of the Home edition, by default, receive an administrator account that provides unrestricted access to the underpinnings of the system. If the administrator's account is broken into, there is no limit to the control that can be asserted over the compromised PC.
Windows, with its large market share, has historically been a tempting target for virus creators. Security holes are often invisible until they are exploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft has stated that the release of patches to fix security holes is often what causes the spread of exploits against those very same holes, as crackers figured out what problems the patches fixed, and then launch attacks against unpatched systems.

Crippled Functionality

In an effort to slow down the rate at which malicious programs can spread to uninfected computers, Service Pack 2 lowered the limit on outgoing TCP/IP connection attempts from 65,535 to 10.There can be no more than this many incomplete outgoing connections being attempted at any one time; additional connection attempts will be queued. This limit can adversely affect legitimate software such as peer-to-peer applications. The "tcpip.sys" system file can be patched to raise the limit to its former value.

User Interface and Performance

Critics have claimed that the default Windows XP user interface (Luna) adds visual clutter and wastes screen space while offering no new functionality and running more slowly – with some even calling it 'the Fisher-Price interface'. Users who do not like the new interface can easily switch back to the Windows Classic theme.

Backward Compatibility

Some users switching from Windows 9x to XP disliked its lack of DOS support. Although XP comes with the ability to run programs in Program Compatibility Mode, as well as a command program which is more like a 9x "Dos Box" than CMD, XP still has trouble running many old DOS programs. This is largely due to the fact that it is NT-based and does not use DOS as a base OS. There are open source solutions such as DOSBox and FreeDOS, though in a few cases an MS-DOS environment may still be required in order to run such legacy applications.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Windows XP RTM

Service Pack 1

Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. Its most notable new features were USB 2.0 support and a Set Program Access and Defaults utility. For the first time, users could control the default application for activities such as web browsing and instant messaging, as well as hide access to some of Microsoft's bundled programs. This utility was also brought into the older Windows 2000 operating system with its Service Pack 3. Service Pack 1a was later released to remove Microsoft's Java virtual machine as a result of a lawsuit with Sun Microsystems.
LBA-48, which allowed the OS to view and use HDD space above 137 GB, was enabled by default.

Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 (SP2) (codenamed "Springboard") was released on August 6, 2004 after several delays, with a special emphasis on security. Unlike the previous service packs, SP2 adds new functionality to Windows XP, including an enhanced firewall, improved Wi-Fi support with a wizard utility, a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer, and Bluetooth support. Security enhancements include a major revision to the included firewall which was renamed to Windows Firewall and is enabled by default, advanced memory protection that takes advantage of the NX bit that is incorporated into newer processors to stop some forms of buffer overflow attacks, and removal of raw socket support (which supposedly limits the damage done by "zombie" machines: infected computers that can be used remotely to launch denial of service attacks). Additionally, security-related improvements were made to e-mail and web browsing. Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes the Windows Security Center, which provides a general overview of security on the system, including the state of anti-virus software, Windows Update, and the new Windows Firewall. Third-party anti-virus and firewall applications can interface with the new Security Center. Also, Windows XP Service Pack 2 adds native support for Bluetooth.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Service packs and support

Service Pack 1:

Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. Its most notable new features were USB 2.0 support and a Set Program Access and Defaults utility. For the first time, users could control the default application for activities such as web browsing and instant messaging, as well as hide access to some of Microsoft's bundled programs. This utility was also brought into the older Windows 2000 operating system with its Service Pack 3. Service Pack 1a was later released to remove Microsoft's Java virtual machine as a result of a lawsuit with Sun Microsystems.
LBA-48, which allowed the OS to view and use HDD space above 137 GB, was enabled by default.

Service Pack 2:

Service Pack 2 (SP2) (codenamed "Springboard") was released on August 6, 2004 after several delays, with a special emphasis on security. Unlike the previous service packs, SP2 adds new functionality to Windows XP, including an enhanced firewall, improved Wi-Fi support with a wizard utility, a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer, and Bluetooth support. Security enhancements include a major revision to the included firewall which was renamed to Windows Firewall and is enabled by default, advanced memory protection that takes advantage of the NX bit that is incorporated into newer processors to stop some forms of buffer overflow attacks, and removal of raw socket support (which supposedly limits the damage done by "zombie" machines: infected computers that can be used remotely to launch denial of service attacks). Additionally, security-related improvements were made to e-mail and web browsing. Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes the Windows Security Center, which provides a general overview of security on the system, including the state of anti-virus software, Windows Update, and the new Windows Firewall. Third-party anti-virus and firewall applications can interface with the new Security Center. Also, Windows XP Service Pack 2 adds native support for Bluetooth.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

System Requirements

System requirements for Windows XP Home and Professional editions as follows:
Minimum
Recommended
Processor
233 MHz
300 MHz or higher
Memory
64 MB RAM (may limit performance and some features)
128 MB RAM or higher
Video adapter and monitor
Super VGA (800 x 600)
Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution
Hard drive disk free space
1.5 GB
1.5 GB or higher
Drives
CD-ROM
CD-ROM or higher
Devices
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse
Others
Sound card, speakers, and headphones
Sound card, speakers, and headphones
In addition to the Windows XP system requirements, Service Pack 2 requires an additional 1.8 GB of free hard disk space during installation

User interface

Windows XP features a new task-based graphical user interface. The Start menu and search capability were redesigned and many visual effects were added, including:
A translucent blue selection rectangle in Explorer
Drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
Task-based sidebars in Explorer windows ("common tasks")
The ability to group the taskbar buttons of the windows of one application into one button
The ability to lock the taskbar and other toolbars to prevent accidental changes
The highlighting of recently added programs on the Start menu
Shadows under menus (Windows 2000 had shadows under mouse pointers, but not menus)
Windows XP analyzes the performance impact of visual effects and uses this to determine whether to enable them, so as to prevent the new functionality from consuming excessive additional processing overhead. Users can further customize these settings. Some effects, such as alpha blending (transparency and fading), are handled entirely by many newer video cards. However, if the video card is not capable of hardware alpha blending, performance can be substantially hurt and Microsoft recommends the feature should be turned off manually.Windows XP adds the ability for Windows to use "Visual Styles" to change the user interface. However, visual styles must be cryptographically signed by Microsoft to run. Luna is the name of the new visual style that ships with Windows XP, and is enabled by default for machines with more than 64 MB of RAM. Luna refers only to one particular visual style, not to all of the new user interface features of Windows XP as a whole. In order to use unsigned visual styles, many users turn to software such as TGTSoft's StyleXP or Stardock's WindowBlinds. Some users "patch" the uxtheme.dll file that restricts the ability to use visual styles, created by the general public or the user, on Windows XP.

The new start menu design in the "Royale" theme.
The default wallpaper, Bliss, is a BMP photograph of a landscape in the Napa Valley outside Napa, California, with rolling green hills and a blue sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds.
The Windows 2000 "classic" interface can be used instead if preferred. Several third party utilities exist that provide hundreds of different visual styles. In addition, another Microsoft-created theme, called "Royale", was included with Windows XP Media Center Edition, and was also released for other versions of Windows XP, but has since been removed from the original Microsoft New Zealand package. The Luna theme uses 4 more megabytes of RAM than the "Classic" Windows theme, so Classic can possibly improve performance on lower-end systems. A matching black theme by Zune can also be downloaded for free from the Zune website (see Energy Blue).

New and updated features

Windows XP introduced several new features to the Windows line, including:

Faster start-up and hibernation sequences
The ability to discard a newer device driver in favor of the previous one (known as driver rollback), should a driver upgrade not produce desirable results
A new, arguably more user-friendly interface, including the framework for developing themes for the desktop environment
Fast user switching, which allows a user to save the current state and open applications of their desktop and allow another user to log on without losing that information
The ClearType font rendering mechanism, which is designed to improve text readability on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and similar monitors
Remote Desktop functionality, which allows users to connect to a computer running Windows XP from across a network or the Internet and access their applications, files, printers, and devices
Support for most DSL modems and wireless network connections, as well as networking over FireWire

Friday, August 3, 2007

Windows XP Edition N

In March 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft €497 million ($603 million USD) and ordered the company to provide a version of Windows without Windows Media Player. The Commission concluded that Microsoft "broke European Union competition law by leveraging its near monopoly in the market for PC operating systems onto the markets for work group server operating systems and for media players". Microsoft is currently appealing the ruling. In the meantime, a court-compliant version has been released. This version does not include the company's Windows Media Player but instead encourages users to pick and download their own media player. Microsoft wanted to call this version Reduced Media Edition, but EU regulators objected and suggested the Edition N name, with the N signifying "not with Media Player" for both Home and Professional editions of Windows XP. Due to the fact that it is sold at the same price as the version with Windows Media Player included, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Fujitsu Siemens have chosen not to stock the product. However, Dell did offer the operating system for a short time. Consumer interest has been low, with roughly 1,500 units shipped to OEMs, and no reported sales to consumers

Windows XP Starter Edition

Windows XP Starter Edition is a lower-cost version of Windows XP available in Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, India, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is similar to Windows XP Home, but is limited to low-end hardware, can only run 3 programs at a time, and has some other features either removed or disabled by default.
According to a Microsoft press release, Windows XP Starter Edition is "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries." It is seen as an effort to fight unauthorized copying of Windows XP and possibly the spread of GNU/Linux-based systems in Asia and South America.

Specializations
The Starter Edition includes some special features for certain markets where consumers may not be computer literate. Not found in the Home Edition, these include localized help features for those who may not speak English, a country-specific computer wallpaper and screensavers, and other default settings designed for easier use than typical Windows XP installations.
In addition, the Starter Edition also has some unique limitations to prevent it from displacing more expensive versions of Windows XP. Only three applications can be run at once on the Starter Edition, and each application may only open three windows. The maximum screen resolution is limited to 1024×768, and there is no support for workgroup networking or domains. In addition, the Starter Edition is licensed only for low-end processors like Intel's Celeron or AMD's Duron. There is also a 512 MB limit on main memory and a 120 GB disk size limit (Microsoft has not made it clear, however, if this is for total disk space, per partition, or per disk). There are also fewer options for customizing the themes, desktop, and taskbar.

Market adoption
On October 9, 2006, Microsoft announced that they reached a milestone of 1,000,000 units of Windows XP Starter Edition sold. In the mass market, however, the Starter Edition has not had much success. Many markets where it is available have seen the uptake of illegally cracked or pirated versions of the software instead.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

conti...

Windows XP Media Center Edition
This edition is designed for media center PCs. Originally, it was only available bundled with one of these computers, and could not be purchased separately. In 2003 the Media Center Edition was updated as "Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003", which added additional features such as FM radio tuning. Another update was released in 2004, and again in 2005, which was the first edition available for System Builders.

Internet Explorer 6 running in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Intended for specially designed notebook/laptop computers called tablet PCs, the Tablet PC Edition is compatible with a pen-sensitive screen, supporting handwritten notes and portrait-oriented screens. It cannot be purchased separately from a Tablet PC without an MSDN (Microsoft Developers Network) subscription.
Windows XP Embedded
An edition for specific consumer electronics, set-top boxes, kiosks/ATMs, medical devices, arcade video games, point-of-sale terminals, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) components.
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
In July 2006, Microsoft introduced a "thin-client" version of Windows XP called Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which targets older machines (as early as the original Pentium). It will only be available to Software Assurance customers, who would like to upgrade to Windows XP to take advantage of its security and management capabilities, but can't afford to purchase new hardware. Applications will typically be run on a remote server using Remote Desktop.

Windows XP For Specialized Hardware

Microsoft has also customized Windows XP to suit different markets. Five different versions of XP for specific hardware were designed, two of them specifically for 64-bit processors.
Windows XP 64-bit Edition
This edition was designed specifically for Itanium-based workstations. This edition was discontinued in early 2005, after HP, the last distributor of Itanium-based workstations, stopped selling Itanium systems marketed as 'workstations'. However, Itanium support continues in the server editions of Windows.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Not to be confused with the previous 64-bit Itanium edition of Windows XP, this edition is based on Windows Server 2003 and supports x86-64 extension of the Intel IA-32 architecture. x86-64 is implemented by AMD as "AMD64", found in AMD's Opteron and Athlon 64 chips, and implemented by Intel as "Intel64" (formerly known as IA-32e and EM64T), found in Intel's Pentium 4 and later chips.
Microsoft had previously supported other microprocessors with earlier versions of the Windows NT operating system line (including two 64-bit lines, the DEC Alpha and the MIPS R4000, although Windows NT used them as 32-bit processors). The files necessary for all of the architectures were included on the same installation CD and did not require the purchase of separate versions.

Professions and organizations

As the use of computers has spread throughout society, there are an increasing number of careers involving computers. Following the theme of hardware, software and firmware, the brains of people who work in the industry are sometimes known irreverently as wetware or "meatware".
Computer-related professions
Hardware-related
Electrical engineering, Electronics engineering, Computer engineering, Telecommunications engineering, Optical engineering, Nanoscale engineering
Software-related
Human-computer interaction, Information technology, Software engineering, Scientific computing, Web design, Desktop publishing, Sound recording and reproduction
The need for computers to work well together and to be able to exchange information has spawned the need for many standards organizations, clubs and societies of both a formal and informal nature.
Organizations
Standards groups
ANSI, IEC, IEEE, IETF, ISO, W3C
Professional Societies
ACM, ACM Special Interest Groups, IET, IFIP
Free/Open source software groups
Free Software Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Apache Software Foundation

Programming languages

Programming languages provide various ways of specifying programs for computers to run. Unlike natural languages, programming languages are designed to permit no ambiguity and to be concise. They are purely written languages and are often difficult to read aloud. They are generally either translated into machine language by a compiler or an assembler before being run, or translated directly at run time by an interpreter. Sometimes programs are executed by a hybrid method of the two techniques. There are thousands of different programming languages—some intended to be general purpose, others useful only for highly specialized applications.
Programming Languages
Lists of programming languages
Timeline of programming languages, Categorical list of programming languages, Generational list of programming languages, Alphabetical list of programming languages, Non-English-based programming languages
Commonly used Assembly languages
ARM, MIPS, x86
Commonly used High level languages
BASIC, C, C++, C#, COBOL, Fortran, Java, Lisp, Pascal
Commonly used Scripting languages
JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, ASP, JSP

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Software

Software refers to parts of the computer which do not have a material form, such as programs, data, protocols, etc. When software is stored in hardware that cannot easily be modified (such as BIOS ROM in an IBM PC compatible), it is sometimes called "firmware" to indicate that it falls into an uncertain area somewhere between hardware and software.
Computer software
Operating system
Unix/BSD
UNIX System , AIX, HP-UX, Solaris (SunOS), FreeBSD, NetBSD, IRIX
GNU/Linux
List of Linux distributions, Comparison of Linux distributions
Microsoft Windows
Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows CE
DOS
86-DOS (QDOS), PC-DOS, MS-DOS, FreeDOS
Mac OS
Mac OS classic, Mac OS X
Embedded and real-time
List of embedded operating systems
Experimental
Amoeba, Oberon/Bluebottle, Plan 9 from Bell Labs
Library
Multimedia
DirectX, OpenGL, OpenAL
Programming library
C standard library, Standard template library
Data
Protocol
TCP/IP, Kermit, FTP, HTTP, SMTP
File format
HTML, XML, JPEG, MPEG, PNG
User interface
Graphical user interface (WIMP)
Microsoft Windows, GNOME, QNX Photon, CDE, GEM
Text user interface
Command line interface, shells
Other
Application
Office suite
Word processing, Desktop publishing, Presentation program, Database management system, Scheduling & Time management, Spreadsheet, Accounting software
Internet Access
Browser, E-mail client, Web server, Mail transfer agent, Instant messaging
Design and manufacturing
Computer-aided design, Computer-aided manufacturing, Plant management, Robotic manufacturing, Supply chain management
Graphics
Raster graphics editor, Vector graphics editor, 3D modeler, Animation editor, 3D computer graphics, Video editing, Image processing
Audio
Digital audio editor, Audio playback, Mixing, Audio synthesis, Computer music
Software Engineering
Compiler, Assembler, Interpreter, Debugger, Text Editor, Integrated development environment, Performance analysis, Revision control, Software configuration management
Educational
Edutainment, Educational game, Serious game, Flight simulator
Games
Strategy, Arcade, Puzzle, Simulation, First-person shooter, Platform, Massively multiplayer, Interactive fiction
Misc
Artificial intelligence, Antivirus software, Malware scanner, Installer/Package managemen systems, File manager

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Hardware

The term hardware covers all of those parts of a computer that are tangible objects. Circuits, displays, power supplies, cables, keyboards, printers and mice are all hardware.
History of computing hardware
First Generation (Mechanical/Electromechanical)
Calculators
Antikythera mechanism, Difference Engine, Norden bombsight
Programmable Devices
Jacquard loom, Analytical Engine, Harvard Mark I, Z3
Second Generation (Vacuum Tubes)
Calculators
Atanasoff-Berry Computer
Programmable Devices
ENIAC, EDSAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC I
Third Generation (Discrete transistors and SSI, MSI, LSI Integrated circuits)
Mainframes
System/360, BUNCH
Minicomputer
PDP-8, PDP-11, System/32, System/36
Fourth Generation (VLSI integrated circuits)
Minicomputer
VAX, AS/400
4-bit microcomputer
Intel 4004, Intel 4040
8-bit microcomputer
Intel 8008, Intel 8080, Motorola 6800, Motorola 6809, MOS Technology 6502, Zilog Z80
16-bit microcomputer
8088, Zilog Z8000, WDC 65816/65802
32-bit microcomputer
80386, Pentium, 68000, ARM architecture
64-bit microcomputer
x86-64, PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC
Embedded computer
8048, 8051
Personal computer
Desktop computer, Home computer, Laptop computer, Personal digital assistant (PDA), Portable computer, Tablet computer, Wearable computer
Server class computer
Theoretical/experimental
Quantum computer
Chemical computer
DNA computing
Optical computer
Other Hardware Topics
Peripheral device (Input/output)
Input
Mouse, Keyboard, Joystick, Image scanner
Output
Monitor, Printer
Both
Floppy disk drive, Hard disk, Optical disc drive, Teleprinter
Computer busses
Short range
RS-232, SCSI, PCI, USB
Long range (Computer networking)
Ethernet, ATM, FDDI

Friday, July 27, 2007

Networking and the Internet

Computers have been used to coordinate information in multiple locations since the 1950s, with the US military's SAGE system the first large-scale example of such a system, which led to a number of special-purpose commercial systems like Sabre.
In the 1970s, computer engineers at research institutions throughout the US began to link their computers together using telecommunications technology. This effort was funded by ARPA (now DARPA), and the computer network that it produced was called the ARPANET. The technologies that made the Arpanet possible spread and evolved. In time, the network spread beyond academic and military institutions and became known as the Internet. The emergence of networking involved a redefinition of the nature and boundaries of the computer. Computer operating systems and applications were modified to include the ability to define and access the resources of other computers on the network, such as peripheral devices, stored information, and the like, as extensions of the resources of an individual computer. Initially these facilities were available primarily to people working in high-tech environments, but in the 1990s the spread of applications like e-mail and the World Wide Web, combined with the development of cheap, fast networking technologies like Ethernet and ADSL saw computer networking become almost ubiquitous. In fact, the number of computers that are networked is growing phenomenally. A very large proportion of personal computers regularly connect to the Internet to communicate and receive information. "Wireless" networking, often utilizing mobilephonenetworks, has meant networking is becoming increasingly ubiquitous even in mobile computing environments.

Multiprocessing

Some computers may divide their work between one or more separate CPUs, creating a multiprocessing configuration. Traditionally, this technique was utilized only in large and powerful computers such as supercomputers, mainframe computers and servers. However, multiprocessor and multi-core (multiple CPUs on a single integrated circuit) personal and laptop computers have become widely available and are beginning to see increased usage in lower-end markets as a result.
Supercomputers in particular often have highly unique architectures that differ significantly from the basic stored-program architecture and from general purpose computers.They often feature thousands of CPUs, customized high-speed interconnects, and specialized computing hardware. Such designs tend to be useful only for specialized tasks due to the large scale of program organization required to successfully utilize most of a the available resources at once. Supercomputers usually see usage in large-scale simulation, graphics rendering, and cryptography applications, as well as with other so-called "embarrassingly parallel" tasks.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Memory

A computer's memory can be viewed as a list of cells into which numbers can be placed or read. Each cell has a numbered "address" and can store a single number. The computer can be instructed to "put the number 123 into the cell numbered 1357" or to "add the number that is in cell 1357 to the number that is in cell 2468 and put the answer into cell 1595". The information stored in memory may represent practically anything. Letters, numbers, even computer instructions can be placed into memory with equal ease. Since the CPU does not differentiate between different types of information, it is up to the software to give significance to what the memory sees as nothing but a series of numbers.
In almost all modern computers, each memory cell is set up to store binary numbers in groups of eight bits (called a byte). Each byte is able to represent 256 different numbers; either from 0 to 255 or -128 to +127. To store larger numbers, several consecutive bytes may be used (typically, two, four or eight). When negative numbers are required, they are usually stored in two's complement notation. Other arrangements are possible, but are usually not seen outside of specialized applications or historical contexts. A computer can store any kind of information in memory as long as it can be somehow represented in numerical form. Modern computers have billions or even trillions of bytes of memory.
The CPU contains a special set of memory cells called registers that can be read and written to much more rapidly than the main memory area. There are typically between two and one hundred registers depending on the type of CPU. Registers are used for the most frequently needed data items to avoid having to access main memory every time data is needed. Since data is constantly being worked on, reducing the need to access main memory (which is often slow compared to the ALU and control units) greatly increases the computer's speed.
Computer main memory comes in two principal varieties: random access memory or RAM and read-only memory or ROM. RAM can be read and written to anytime the CPU commands it, but ROM is pre-loaded with data and software that never changes, so the CPU can only read from it. ROM is typically used to store the computer's initial start-up instructions. In general, the contents of RAM is erased when the power to the computer is turned off while ROM retains its data indefinitely. In a PC, the ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the computer's operating system from the hard disk drive into RAM whenever the computer is turned on or reset. In embedded computers, which frequently do not have disk drives, all of the software required to perform the task may be stored in ROM. Software that is stored in ROM is often called firmware because it is notionally more like hardware than software. Flash memory blurs the distinction between ROM and RAM by retaining data when turned off but being rewritable like RAM. However, flash memory is typically much slower than conventional ROM and RAM so its use is restricted to applications where high speeds are not required.
In more sophisticated computers there may be one or more RAM cache memories which are slower than registers but faster than main memory. Generally computers with this sort of cache are designed to move frequently needed data into the cache automatically, often without the need for any intervention on the programmer's part.

Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)

The ALU is capable of performing two classes of operations: arithmetic and logic.
The set of arithmetic operations that a particular ALU supports may be limited to adding and subtracting or might include multiplying or dividing, trigonometry functions (sine, cosine, etc) and square roots. Some can only operate on whole numbers (integers) whilst others use floating point to represent real numbers—albeit with limited precision. However, any computer that is capable of performing just the simplest operations can be programmed to break down the more complex operations into simple steps that it can perform. Therefore, any computer can be programmed to perform any arithmetic operation—although it will take more time to do so if its ALU does not directly support the operation. An ALU may also compare numbers and return boolean truth values (true or false) depending on whether one is equal to, greater than or less than the other ("is 64 greater than 65?").
Logic operations involve boolean logic: AND, OR, XOR and NOT. These can be useful both for creating complicated conditional statements and processing boolean logic.
Superscalar computers contain multiple ALUs so that they can process several instructions at the same time. Graphics processors and computers with SIMD and MIMD features often provide ALUs that can perform arithmetic on vectors and matrices.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

How computers work

A general purpose computer has four main sections: the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), the control unit, the memory, and the input and output devices (collectively termed I/O). These parts are interconnected by busses, often made of groups of wires.
The control unit, ALU, registers, and basic I/O (and often other hardware closely linked with these) are collectively known as a central processing unit (CPU). Early CPUs were comprised of many separate components but since the mid-1970s CPUs have typically been constructed on a single integrated circuit called a microprocessor.

CONTROL UNIT:

The control unit (often called a control system or central controller) directs the various components of a computer. It reads and interprets (decodes) instructions in the program one by one. The control system decodes each instruction and turns it into a series of control signals that operate the other parts of the computer.Control systems in advanced computers may change the order of some instructions so as to improve performance.
A key component common to all CPUs is the program counter, a special memory cell (a register) that keeps track of which location in memory the next instruction is to be read from.

Diagram showing how a particular MIPS architecture instruction would be decoded by the control system.

The control system's function is as follows—note that this is a simplified description and some of these steps may be performed concurrently or in a different order depending on the type of CPU:
Read the code for the next instruction from the cell indicated by the program counter.
Decode the numerical code for the instruction into a set of commands or signals for each of the other systems.

Increment the program counter so it points to the next instruction.
Read whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory (or perhaps from an input device). The location of this required data is typically stored within the instruction code.
Provide the necessary data to an ALU or register.
If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hardware to complete, instruct the hardware to perform the requested operation.
Write the result from the ALU back to a memory location or to a register or perhaps an output device.
Jump back to step (1).
Since the program counter is (conceptually) just another set of memory cells, it can be changed by calculations done in the ALU. Adding 100 to the program counter would cause the next instruction to be read from a place 100 locations further down the program. Instructions that modify the program counter are often known as "jumps" and allow for loops (instructions that are repeated by the computer) and often conditional instruction execution (both examples of control flow).

It is noticeable that the sequence of operations that the control unit goes through to process an instruction is in itself like a short computer program - and indeed, in some more complex CPU designs, there is another yet smaller computer called a microsequencer that runs a microcode program that causes all of these events to happen.

COMPUTER...A Boon

A computer is a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions.
Computers take many physical forms. Early electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers. Today, computers can be made small enough to fit into a wrist watch and be powered from a watc battery. Society has come to recognize personal computers and their portable equivalent, the laptop computer, as icons of the information age; they are what most people think of as "a computer". However, the most common form of computer in use today is by far the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are often used to control other devices—for example, they may be found in machines ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and even children's toys.

The ability to store and execute programs makes computers extremely versatile and distinguishes them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical statement of this versatility: Any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform. Therefore, computers with capability and complexity ranging from that of a personal digital assistant to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks as long as time and storage capacity are not considerations