3 Mobile Australia has surprisingly created a website to encourage Apple to become partners with them for their 3G iPhone Australia launch on July 11th.

Despite no current agreement between Apple and the 3 Network, the website will allow customers to register their interest in the iPhone, even though you can’t actually get it on 3 yet!

Vodafone and Optus are the two confirmed Australian networks currently able to offer the 3G iPhone at launch, though the 3 Network remain hopeful they will be able to strike a deal with Apple.

3 Mobile’s director of sales and marketing, Noel Hamill, said -

“Ever since Apple’s announcement that a 3G iPhone is coming, we’ve had lots of calls and e-mails from people wanting to get the value that 3 offers with the iPhone. We want Apple to see just how much our customers want the iPhone.”

3 Network customers can SMS the word iPhone to 333000 to receive a form allowing them to enter their comments directly from their mobile. They can also register their interest on this page, where they can also message Apple directly.

> > click here to shop online with 3 Mobile Australia

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

Dell Australia has decided to take the unusual step of distancing themselves from advising customers to upgrade to the Microsoft Vista operating system.

Dell is warning businesses that possible migration challenges lie ahead. Microsoft have suggested that 1GB of RAM is a fine platform to run Vista on, but Dell claim 2GB or larger would be more comfortable.

Dell’s client services business manager Niall O’Callaghan said –

“They need to be looking at the number of images they will be installing and the size of these images. A 2GB image for each user will have a big impact. We are set up to give people all the guidance and support they need for this but we are not here to promote Microsoft and tell people they should buy it. We can show them the advantages of Vista and what they need to put in place to begin to move across.”

In the last month alone Microsoft have sold more than 40 million units of Vista, though most of these sales were made to consumers rather than businesses. With Vista being such a big, complex programme, application migration is the key area that needs thorough testing.

> > click here to shop online with Dell Australia

> > click here to shop online with Dell New Zealand

The latest 3G Apple iPhone Australia is destined to be more profitable than the previous iPhone, despite it being half the price.

With much lower component costs, the profit margins are expected to exceed 50%, which is higher even than Apple’s most popular gadget – the iPod.

Research firm iSuppli Corp. performed a ‘virtual teardown’ to create estimates of iPhone content, suppliers and costs. This research doesn’t include the costs of software development, shipping, distribution and packaging.

Principal analyst for iSuppli, Dr. Jagdish Rebello said -

‘The new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product, despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications’

The hugely anticipated 3G Apple iPhone is released in Australia, and 11 other countries worldwide, on July 11th 2008.

You can pre register your interest in the iPhone here.

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

> > click here to shop online with Apple New Zealand

With the long awaited release of the Apple iPhone Australia imminent, we decided to take a look into some of the phone new features. This little beauty is going to sell by the bucketload, but that could be bad news for the iTouch…The new phone features a plastic back instead of the metal one, which will not only help the GPS system, but also stop the metal from getting scratched. Also, by using plastic it also helps minimise the size of the phone, even if it’s just by a few millimetres.

The phone itself will be available in 8GB and 16GB formats; though don’t be surprised to see a 32GB model available very soon. For some people an iPhone simple doesn’t have the memory to work as an out and out iPod, so I’m sure Apple will deal with this as they did with the iTouch and already have a bigger one in the pipeline.

Ah, the iPod Touch. What exactly will happen to these is slightly unsure as they are almost twice the price of their memory comparative iPhone, without the GPS or phone part. I guess if you’re already happy with your mobile then an iTouch is an option, but I can see a lot of people choosing the iPhone over the iTouch due to it’s ‘all in one’ capacity (I certainly am).

The iPhone’s GPS capabilities allow TomTom-esque turn-by-turn driving directions This is quite a feat for a mobile phone, though the location based social network meaning people can determine EXACTLY where you are, may not go down quite as well…

‘Where are you? Your dinners getting cold.’

‘I’m in the gym’

‘No you’re not, you’re in the pub!’

With the new pricing policy of the 3G iPhone, it looks like it’s going to be a head to head battle with the Blackberry in this summer’s smart phone war. The iPhone has a much bigger screen, multi touch input, and of course the iTunes Store. Plus it’s going to be cheaper than a Blackberry, though the 18 month contract may put off some people.

Another string to Apple’s marketing bow is their latest software – MobileMe. This allows PC users as well as Mac customers to easily sync the iPhones to their desktop computers for keeping their mail and contacts. MobileMe’s web-based applications also look like being the first Apple service that lives up to the high standards of Apple’s traditional desktop software.

The big question is, with the Apple iPhone encompassing so many different Mac products in one package, will the iPhone faze out some of the other Apple gadgets?

> > click here to register interest in the Apple iPhone today

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

> > click here to shop online with Apple New Zealand

The thought of choosing a laptop from the mountains available may fill you with fear and dread. The fear and dread mostly based on buying the wrong machine, on wasting money, of being laughed and pointed at on the street. A bit like buying a suit from Giorgio Armani, then seeing it in Bonza Joe’s Knock Off Superstore round the corner - for half the price.

Decisions, decisions. The memory, the processing speed, the soundcard, the screen size, the endless poetry. It almost makes you want to cellotape a walkman to an abacus with a few sheets of lined paper attached to the top and be done with it. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Clear your mind Grasshopper, and think clearly into what your heart desires. For only with a heart and mind working in perfect symmetry can one call judgement on what a man truly needs …

Right, now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s have a look at what’s the right package for you.

Basic Computing Needs
If your needs are basic, then you don’t have to spend a fortune on getting set up with something nice and functional. Specialist providers such as Dell computers offer low range laptops are available at very reasonable prices (from just $699 at time of writing), and if your main aim is to browse the web, send emails, watch DVD’s and upload photo’s, then breaking the bank seems a little pointless -you wouldn’t buy a Ferrari and drive it at 20km per hour, now would you? The only downside to the cheaper end of the market is processing speed and weight of machine, so as long as you’re not planning on hacking into the CIA central computer system from the top of Mount Everest you’re onto a winner.

Mid-Range Computing Needs
A slightly more expensive machine comes with all the perks you’d expect for paying that little bit extra. A lighter, more portable machine is an obvious plus for people on the go, plus the faster processing speed means, well, your machine works a lot faster. This opens up a world of new software which a cheaper machine would struggle to handle, especially if you’re planning on editing not just photo’s, but music and video. So if your formation dance team think it’s struck gold with its latest routine and it’s time for dance floor domination, this is the type of machine you’ll need to share it with the world.

Top End Users
OK, so you’re the big man on Campus. Then you’re going to need a top of the range, high powered monster machine that’s going to not only iron your shirts, but allow you to use super slick editing facilities at the speed of sound. Plus enough memory to store every full script from the Police Academy series, and so light in weight that it would almost float away if it wasn’t being pinned down by your fingers constantly prodding at it. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, not entirely. You’re going to have to dig deep to afford one of these beauties, as they can be almost double the price of the mid range machines, plus, your new found mug-ability rating will go through the roof! I guess you pay the cost to be the boss. (Please note - notebooks will not actually iron your shirts!). Great high end laptops are available from :

• Dell Australia
• Dell New Zealand
• Apple Australia
• Apple New Zealand
• Alienware Computers - especially built for gaming

Laptop screens come in all shapes and sizes to fit all types of budgets. Over 95% of all laptops come with a widescreen panel fitted as standard. Due to this, most DVD’s and digital TV can be displayed in the actual size they are meant to be viewed in. Laptop screens are not just measured by width and height. As well as physical size, each screen has its own pixel resolution. Pixels are small areas of illumination that combine as a whole to create the compete image. The higher the resolution, the sharper the picture will be on the screen.

The location that you use your laptop should be taken into consideration when assessing a screen choice. Most screen are created using TFT LED (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display), and are great for consumers who will be using their computer away from the house or office.

Standard laptops will be fitted with a matt finish screen, which can prevent reflections from outdoor light but can also reduce colour pick up. Higher spec laptops are be fitted with a “Super TFT” screen, which allows more light to pass through, but can cause greater reflection. This type of screen is preferable for use around the home for people who desire the best possible image quality. I actually have a Dell Vostro 1500 and the screen is great and the picture is really clear but it does suffer badly from shadows and light reflections if I’m out of the office but it suits my purpose as a business desktop replacement.

A computer hard drive is the storage disk needed to enable data to be saved, be it software or folders. Everything that is built into your computer needs to save onto the hard drive so the processor can stream the data for usage.

A hard drives memory is measured in gigabytes. Most standard computers will offer a 40GB drive, though the more you pay the more gigabytes you will have to play, with some top end computers from good value providers such as Dell Australia feature up to 320GB of storage space. It is also possible to buy an external hard drive to save information on.  - though don’t use this as your only source of saving like I did, and lose 7 years of work in one foul swoop!

Most laptop hard drives run at 3 different speeds - 4200rpm, 5400rpm and 7200rpm. RPM stands for Rotations Per Minute and the more rotations you have, the quicker you hard drive will locate the information you require and feed it to the processor.

Hard drives are generally easily replaceable (though slightly more difficult in notebooks / laptops), but the information stored on them is not. So please people, back up your back ups. No human being should ever have to feel the way I did when I realised my whole life had disappeared because of a faulty plug!

All prebuilt laptop computers come fitted with a graphics card. To some users, the graphics card is one of the most important components in a computer; to others it’s not a decisive factor. But what is a graphics card?

A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) creates the images you view on your computer, without this card you wouldn’t be able to visualise anything on your screen. The images created can range from the simple lines used to create a folder, all the way up to 3D gaming programmes. The more powerful (and expensive) your graphics card, the more visual capabilities your computer can perform.

There are two types of graphics card available;

• dedicated
• integrated

A dedicated graphics card is a separate chip containing graphics memory, therefore not drawing any power from the computer’s memory as an integrated card would. For better graphics performance, a dedicated card would be advisable when purchasing. But remember, it’s currently not possible to upgrade a laptop graphics cards after purchase as it will generally be fixed to the motherboard.

Before buying your computer, it would be well worth thinking about the long term graphical requirements for your machine. If your sole intention is to send emails and browse the internet, then an integrated graphics cardshould suffice. But if you’re planning world domination through one of the many visually spectacular online games, to optimize you’re enjoyment a dedicated GPU will enhance you’re gaming pleasure without any of the memory drawbacks. This is also advisable for anyone wanting to handle graphic intensive tasks like video and photo editing.

Nokia launch their latest business-oriented mobile phone Australia, the Nokia E71 which features the world’s thinnest QWERTY keyboard. The GPS-enabled E71 is the latest direct rival to the Apple iPhone and has a height of only 1cm.With Nokia’s revamped email software meaning users only need to enter their email address and password to set up email on their device, this phone is specifically built for messaging with the full keyboard.

The HSDPA-enabled handset will feature Microsoft Exchange, plus the ability to switch to a business home screen during office hours to a personal screen at evenings and weekends. It also features a 3.2 megapixel camera, showing Nokia’s focus on work phones that offer excellent non business capabilities.

Nokia’s Soren Peterson said -

“The product can simply switch personality as you see fit during the day,” said Petersen. “It means you can hide business email and have a normal Saturday without business email clinging to you all the time.”

Nokia handsets are available on the 3 Network Australia and Virgin Mobile Australia.

Dell Australia is launching its first storage expansion unit to help users increase their performance and storage space.

The new Dell PowerVault MD1120 is a 2.5inch drive designed to offer greater density than the 3.5 inch drive whilst also reducing the overall data power consumption. The PowerVault will also use up to 50 per cent less power than the 3.5-inch drive, whilst also provided storage for Dell’s PowerEdge server.

Dell’s Robin Kuepers said

“The PowerVault MD 1120 delivers on Dell’s focus to provide data centre solutions that are effective, versatile and, above all, simple to use.�

You can now shop online from the comfort of your own home in Australia, but also now New Zealand.

> > click here to shop online with Dell Australia

> > click here to shop online with Dell New Zealand