Judith looks like an old DOS adventure game, and it’s only a “game” in the sense that it’s somewhat interactive. The visuals aren’t going to blow you away. The story isn’t literature. But there’s something compelling in the overall package that makes this a worthwhile experience.

Perhaps best of all is the fact that Judith is available for just about every computer under the sun, so operating system is no excuse.

[Judith via 1UP]

The well-reviewed machine is loaded with a powerful Intel Core 2 E8400 CPU, running at 3GHz, with a 6MB cache and 1333MHz front-side bus. Graphics come courtesy of an SLi Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT with 512MB of memory. And while 2GB of high speed RAM is de rigeur these days, you can easily upgrade as much as 8GB if you want to max things out. And there’s a speedy 7200RPM 500GB SATA hard drive to make sure your games and videos run as fast as possible. As for the pre-loaded OS, you’ll get Windows Vista Home Premium, 64-bit Edition to support all that RAM.

The deal is available over at Dell Home, and is only currently set to run for 1 day. So if you want to get your hands on a great higher-end PC without completely breaking the bank, you should check it out.

Of course if you want the smokin’ Red bezel chassis, you’ll have to pony up an extra $20 bucks – pushing the price just north of $1000.

Some of the things contained in the update include – I swear I am not making this up – “Security”, “Reliability, “Performance”, and “Application Compatibility”. So all of those are currently not in Vista. Reliability. Performance. This is like a Zen riddle or something.

[via GadgetReview]

While many of you will ask: why the heck would you want to go and do that? Dunno. Maybe Spec Works (the guy who made it) just wanted to prove it could be done.

The install comes complete with wallpapers, sliders, sound effects and over 90 Vista-themed icons for everything from the computer to the recycle bin, and all of the standard iPhone apps too. There’s even a simulated version of Vista’s Sidebar and familiar Start menu.

If you’re ready and willing to deface your glorious chrome and glass iPhone with Microsoft’s bloatware user interface, head on over to ModMyiFone for the full download and instructions. (Requires a Jailbroken iPhone, SSH access and SummerBoard).

[via Just Another iPhone Blog]

The Averatec All-in-One (AIO) PC looks much like an iMac dressed in black. But under the hood, it’s all about Windows. The system sports a built-in 22-inch LCD monitor and houses all of its brains inside the box, which is only about 2 inches deep.

The AIO is powered by a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 CPU, and comes pre-loaded with Vista Home Premium. The standard config also includes a 320GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR2 RAM and an nVidia GeForce 8400 GPU. There’s also a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam, and the system includes a wireless keyboard, mouse and MCE remote control in the box.

Expect the Averatec All-in-One PC to start showing up at retailers in the next couple of months, with a MSRP of $1299 USD, $100 more than Apple’s bottom-of-the-line 20-inch iMac.

[via Crave]

So if I’m doing my math right, the disk will be completed in 2138, a little over 130 years from now. The good news is, that should be just in time for Vista SP2 to be released.

[via istartedsomething]

Hang this remote-controlled picture on your wall, and you can swap between eight different scenic vistas from the comfort of your Aeron chair. Working sort of like those motorized image-flipping ad displays you see in shopping centers these days, the panorama can change between a variety of tranquil locales with a simple press of the remote. It even can play sounds of nature or new-agey music to help set your mind adrift. The box measures in at about 39″(w) x 3″(d) x 19″(h) and hangs easily on your wall.

Sure, it won’t actually give you a tan, but you can always run to the strip mall for one of those, right? While you’re there, you can grab a Piña Colada flavored slushie from the Orange Julius. You can get your fake vacation started over at Taylor Gifts for just under $100 bucks.

The computer is running a full version of Windows Vista Ultimate. Apparently they started with an MSI Axis 945GM barebones system and rejiggered it to fit into the gaming system’s case. I especially like how they labeled the game cartridge to look like it contains the Windows install. Very clever.

Now what would be really fun would be to boot up a Super Nintendo emulator on this system, so we can play some Donkey Kong Country.

[via Akihabara News]

The platform is based on a low-power 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU and can handle up to 1GB of RAM. A typical configuration will sport a 7-inch high resolution LCD screen and a 30GB hard drive. The spec also includes 802.11g and Bluetooth wireless connectivity as well as a DVI video output for external devices. The NanoBook will be able to run under Windows XP or Vista, although you might have to turn off some of Vista’s visual bells and whistles for it to run smoothly.

The system is slated to hit shelves later this year and is targeted at a retail price point around $600.

[via Engadget]

The centerpiece of the new HP Pavilion HDX is its whopping 20-inch widescreen display, capable of displaying high definition content at up to 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution (plans for a full 1080p display are reportedly in the works.) The fully decked-out system comes with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 CPU, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600XT graphics, a 400GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM. There’s even a digital high definition television tuner on board.

Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth connectivity are built in. Plus, the system comes with pretty much every connection option you’d ever need, including: USB, Firewire, HDMI, VGA, eSATA, 5.1 audio, IR Blaster, antenna, s-video input and output, microphone and dual headphone jacks.

All this power does come at a price however. The HDX weighs in at a hefty 15.5 pounds, almost triple the weight of compact notebooks these days. Priced as configured above, it’ll set you back over $4000, but systems will start around $3k.

[via LAPTOP]

It turns out that the folks over in Redmond might have a sense of humor after all. I was working on getting my new install of Vista Ultimate up and running on my machine this weekend, and stumbled across this awesome easter egg.

It turns out that there’s an entire functional copy of the 1995 Microsoft BOB operating system hidden inside of Windows Vista. BOB was supposed to be an easy-to-use interface for Windows 3.2, complete with fuzzy animated characters (who eventually led to “Clippy” the paper clip in Microsoft Office.)

Here’s how I managed to activate it:

First, you need to make sure you have full administrative permissions on your machine. Then, go to the Start menu and enter “W.0.w.B.0.b.” (note that those are Zeros not Os) while holding down the Alt key. Then, set your system time zone to “Cairo”. The next time you reboot, type in the same phrase backwards and you’ll be in the Windows Bob environment, complete with all of the original features. Once BOB is activated you can set your clock back to your regular time zone.

Surprisingly, the new version of BOB has been updated to include integration with Outlook 2007, so you can actually see your calendar entries and e-mails in the BOB organizer. Post back and let me know which character is your favorite. Personally, I like Scuzz the Rat.

The first system in the series is the TouchSmart IQ770, featuring a fast, dual-core AMD Turion 64-X2 TL-52 CPU, 2GB of DDR RAM, a 320 GB hard drive and a SuperMulti DVD burner with LightScribe capability. The system comes with Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed. Also included are a wireless keyboard and mouse, and built in WiFi and Bluetooth network interfaces.

The TouchSmart’s robust media capabilities include NTSC and ATSC tuners for both standard and high-definition (yay!) over-the-air television broadcasts. But the real unique feature of the show is the touch-sensitive 19-inch widescreen LCD screen (1440 x 900 resolution). This allows many of the features of the TouchSmart to be controlled without a mouse or keyboard. The system also integrates a 1.3 megapixel web cam, microphone, stereo speakers, and an 8-in-1 memory card reader.

The system’s dimensions – 18.88″ (l) x 21.77″ (w) x 11.37″ (h) are pretty comparable to those of the 20″ iMac, and unlike the iMac, the display can be adjusted in both angle and height. Apple still may win on styling and OS elegance, but in terms of on-board hardware, the TouchSmart might actually give the iMac a run for its money, with its powerful processing capabilities and more robust on-board media capabilities than the iMac currently offers.

The only real question is whether or not the TouchSmart will be priced competitively, since pricing has not yet been announced.

The round PC comes loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium edition, and includes a nifty wireless keyboard so you can surf while being a couch potato. The keyboard also features a trackpad, so no mouse is required. The system will launch this March for about $1600.

[via Gizmodo]

Their Windows Vista SideShow Media Center Remote sure looks purty. It’s got a 2.5-inch color LCD with running Vista’s new SideShow remote user interface. The remote will feature both IR and Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity (capable of working from up to 100-meters away). Like all good universal remotes these days, it features both hard keys – providing quick access to things like volume and track control, as well as soft keys – which can be customized.

SideShow technology also lets you run Vista “gadgets,” such as checking your e-mail, news, weather and RSS feeds. The remote isn’t cheap, at $199, and will require that you have a PC running Windows Vista, but if you’ve just gotta have the coolest toys on the block, you might want one of these. (More details on the remote should be available here after January 8, 2007)

[via Engadget]