TechRoar

Following months of ever increasing excitement and buzz, and close on the heels of an electrifying international launch, Microsoft Sri Lanka today announced the local launch of the highly anticipated Windows 7, the latest version of its flagship desktop operating system. The local launch event was presided over by Mr. Ken Wye Saw, Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Asia Pacific Microsoft and Mr. Akther Ahmed, President, New Emerging Markets Microsoft South East Asia.

Windows 7 has already enjoyed worldwide success following its international launch last week, as the operating system received rave reviews across the globe from industry experts, media and consumers alike. Hailed as the operating system users have been waiting for, Windows 7 works on a simple premise: making it easier for people to do the things they want on a PC.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr. Ken Wye Saw, Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Asia Pacific Microsoft enthused about the new operating system saying “I am honored to be a part of the Windows 7 launch in Sri Lanka. Building Windows 7 has been a collaborative process from the beginning, with Microsoft’s engineers and designers working with customers and partners to build an Operating System that delivers on the vision ’Your PC, simplified’. The new OS provides users with an experience that is above and beyond anything they have used before. The product is a result of bridging customers and technology. We believe that customers will reap a range of benefits, be it an individual consumer or a business”.

Media at the launch event were taken through a dynamic product tour by Imran Vilcassim, Enterprise Accounts Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka, which provided an insight into the unique capabilities of Windows 7. Commenting on the benefits Windows 7 offers customers, Mr. Akther Ahmed, President, New Emerging Markets Microsoft South East Asia, “The additional features and benefits of Windows 7 is a major development on existing software, allowing users to explore features such as simplified task bars and connectivity options that were previously too complicated for the average user. Overall it is a smoother experience, built to make working on a PC an easier and more rewarding for users”.

In his opening address Mr. Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka, emphasized the impact the new operating system would have on the local business community. “Our country will be able to experience Windows 7, which combines a great degree of functionality, features and simplicity. Windows 7 steering way ahead of its previous versions, is fully compatible with more applications and hardware that users will already have installed on their PCs. The upgrade is both simple and cost effective making things easier, not only for our businesses to seamlessly adopt this latest technology, but also for every individual in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka can now enjoy an innovation that simplifies the PC, with more choices and more options, delivering better value than ever before”.

The event featured the ceremonial presentation of the first seven copies of the Windows 7 Ultimate software packs to 7 of Sri Lanka’s key personalities representing a cross section of Seven state as well as private sector leaders, namely, Mr. M.M.N.D Bandara - Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. D.W.R. Wijeweera, Chief Information Technology Officer, Sri Lanka Telecom, Mr. Suren Amarasekera – CEO, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd , Dr. Chathura De Silva – Senior Lecturer , Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Mr. Indaka Raigama – CEO, Navantis IT (Pvt) Ltd, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne - Executive Director, Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya and Mr. Faiq Faaiz - Executive Vice President, Millennium Information Technologies Ltd.

Through its island wide network of reputed resellers, Microsoft Sri Lanka has ensured that Windows 7 will be easily available to all who seek it, ensuring that more people will be able to enjoy the convenience of the new operating system, as quickly as possible. Microsoft Sri Lanka has also updated the skills of its partner eco system on Windows 7 product capabilities and features through trainings and information sharing sessions. Business customers across all segments were provided with the opportunity to experience the product first hand, with their users taken through technical sessions to familiarize themselves with the product. Microsoft Sri Lanka will also introduce a series of special offers during the introductory period, focusing on the early adopters who have been eagerly awaiting the general availability of Windows 7 in Sri Lanka.

The world of gaming is expanding to include all aspects of the realm of technology, conquering first desktop computers, arcade game machines and televisions to name a few, and now proving its edurance as an entertainment phenomenon with laptops as well. Gaming laptops or notebooks are now the most convenient way for an avid gamer to win intergalactic wars on Starcraft or build empires, wherever they may be! No more is gaming constricted to the house and the arcade – gaming laptops allow us to take it out into the streets at our convenience. Now isn’t that a novel idea.

For first-time gaming laptop buyers, there are a few factors that are essential in making the product truly worthwhile. These are a good graphics chip, processor speed and type and the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) available for users to make the most of their interfaces. These can all determine the standard of one’s gaming experience. The first of these ensures that the display does not freeze or get interrupted in any other way during the game, while the second allows the laptop to deal with the high power that is needed to facilitate the game. Intel core 2 Duo is a good pick for a high-quality dual processor. The last is also needed for the program to run smoothly on your computer, as the amount of memory available for running tasks is very important, though the use of higher values can often be limited by the operating system in use. At least a 2GB RAM should be used to avoid glitches.

Besides the laptop there is a number of gaming accessories that will make your gaming experience more worthwhile. These include gadgets such as a steering wheel, special gaming keyboards and other devices. Besides hardware, there are also several software packages that will improve your gaming laptop and increase its performance. Game accelerators, for example, are game optimization tools that allow your laptop to run smoothly by eliminating processes that hamper the progress and speed of your game. These can often be downloaded online, and several versions are available. VGA cards are also useful for enhancing your display; the Anno 1404 VGA graphics card is a good choice for this reason.

Below are details of some of the best gaming laptops out there:

	Alienware m17x Reviewed by many to be the fastest gaming laptop in the world, this model comes with a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad QX9300, a whopping 8GB RAM; two 500GB drives and a 17-inch display. It has a Dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M (2GB) graphics chip and works with Windows Vista Home Premium. The price is almost equally mind-blowing at just below $4500.
	Alienware Area-51 m15x Again one of the fastest in the world, this laptop has a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000, a 4GB RAM, two hard drives worth 200GB and 320GB, and a 15.4-inch display. A Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX (512MB) is present; as well as Windows Vista Home Premium.
	Sony VAIO NW180JS This model has a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, 4GB RAM, 400GB hard drive and 15.5-inch display. It also has ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 (512MB). It has a great display and has Blu-ray playback capabilities, and comes at the reasonable price of about $800.
	HP Pavilion zd8000 This comes with an Intel Pentium 4 540 (3.20GHz) processor, 2 GB RAM, 100GB hard drive and 17-inch display. It also has an ATI Mobility Radeon X600 graphics card and is known for its great sound and graphics, though it has a relatively short battery life.