Earlier this month DigiTimes reported that Gigabyte was hot on Asus' tail in motherboard shipments. Analysts estimated Gigabyte to have sold 3.1 to 3.3 million units during the first two months of 2010, while Asus moved 3.2 to 3.3 million. To maintain its lead, it was predicted that Asus would cut prices -- and that's now happened in China. The motherboard-maker has slashed prices on its mid-range and entry-level products by a minimum of 10%.
For example, Asus' G31-based products have dropped from 330 yuan (about $48.34) to 299 yuan ($43.80). G41, AMD 770, and H55-based motherboards have also been lowered. As predicted, this has triggered a price war, and MSI has already responded while Gigabyte is still "monitoring the development." ASRock, ECS and other budget board makers will reportedly feel the most pressure as higher-end products will become more affordable.
DigiTimes notes that some firms believe Asus' reductions are mostly intended to digest its inventory, and expect the price war to end shortly. In the meantime, folks overseas should enjoy the cheaper hardware.
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Microsoft partnered with PrimeSense for Project Natal
Microsoft has disclosed a few particulars about its Project Natal technology prior to its world premiere event. Redmond says it teamed up with PrimeSense to work on the peripheral's 3D-sensing capability.
"PrimeSense has delivered an important component to the technology," said executive Ian Spllinger. To meet its specific needs, Microsoft's Xbox 360 hardware engineering teams reportedly modified PrimeSensor's reference design. Unfortunately, that's all Microsoft shared, but tidings will continue to trickle out of the company's Redmond stronghold as E3 approaches.
Microsoft recently distributed invitations to Project Natal's debut event, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 13 (E3 is scheduled from June 15 to 17). The device is supposed to hit stores by this holiday season, and it's expected to cost around $80 alone, but various other packages will also be available.
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Microsoft extends free Windows 7 Enterprise trial
In September of last year, just prior to the operating system's official debut, Microsoft launched a limited-time offer allowing customers to try Windows 7 Enterprise for free. Citing popular demand, the company has extended that program until the end of 2010. Customers now have until December 31 of this year to download and evaluate the OS.
Being an Enterprise edition, Microsoft suggests that only IT professionals should sign up, but it seems anyone is eligible. No product key is required to install the trial copy as it's embedded in the download, and both 32 and 64-bit builds are available. Upon installation, you'll have 10 days to activate the product, or the system will shut down once every hour until activated.
The system will also power down every hour after the 90-day trial period expires, at which point you'll need to purchase a license and perform a clean install of Windows 7 -- drivers and applications included. Head over to the TechNet Evaluation Center for more information.
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