Following up on last month’s Virtualization Benchmarks, MacTech today released a detailed study of gaming under virtualization with Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac. Using 20 of the most popular PC-only games on the market –- including Transformers: War of Cybertron, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, and Batman Arkham Asylum –- MacTech used frames per second measurements to determine playability.
“Of the 20 games we tested, about three quarters of the games played well (meaning a playability score of 7 or more). A quarter of the games played so well you forgot you were in virtualization. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.”
Below are favorable some quotes from MacTech:
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars – “The game played absolutely flawlessly.”
Transformers: War for Cybertron – “Looked perfect. Played impeccably.”
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – “Overall, very solid gameplay. The frame rate was more consistent than on an Xbox 360.”
Empire: Total War – “Worked perfectly.”
For more reviews, check out the full article here.
People who use Apple products tend to be pretty happy with themselves and their choice of purchases. But the media loves us too, often referring to us as “loyal” supporters of “innovative” and “superior” products. Well, duh.
According to a new study by Pew Research, media coverage of Apple is almost always overwhelmingly positive, Apple Insider reported today. Not only is the majority of the coverage positive, the study also found that Apple receives more mainstream media press altogether than other tech companies. What’s up with that? Is it the star-studded, be-turtlenecked events? The aesthetically pleasing products that function beautifully? Or maybe it’s the fact that you can run Windows applications on your Mac via Parallels Desktop? We’re not sure, but we’re staying positive.
The first batch of pre-oreder iPhone 4Gs arrived today and almost immediately reviews of Apple’s newest smart phone started to circulate. After reading through a number of them, we’ve found, not surprisingly, the comments are almost entirely positive.
“Buyers won’t be disappointed. The killer feature is what Apple calls FaceTime video chat. The promise that you and the person you’re talking to on a phone can gaze into each other’s eyes dates back to when LBJ occupied the White House. No one has really nailed video calling through the years, at least not the way Apple has nailed it here, with certain limitations. FaceTime is as simple as making a regular call. To help to accomplish this neat stunt, iPhone 4 adds a front-facing camera that complements the more traditional, and improved, camera on back.”
“On the whole, this iPhone 4 has us more excited than we were last year when the the 3GS was born. The new features, particularly those in the new operating system, are long overdue and we welcome any efforts to improve call quality (remember that it is a phone, after all). There were a few things that we were hoping for that we didn’t get–a 64GB model, among them–but we look forward to reviewing this model.”
“We’re not going to beat around the bush — in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4 out there. But when it comes to the total package — fit and finish in both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the little details that make a device like this what it is — we think it’s the cream of the current crop. We won’t argue that a lot of this is a matter of taste — some people will just prefer the way Android or Symbian works to the iPhone, and others will be on the lookout for a hardware keyboard or a particular asset that the iPhone 4 lacks — but in terms of the total picture, it’s tough to deny that Apple has moved one step past the competition with this phone. Of course, in the hyper-accelerated smartphone market where the Next Big Thing seems to always be just around the corner, it’s anyone’s guess how long they keep that edge.”
There you have it, the iPhone 4G is the best smart phone on the market. Now go out and get your own.
From the same minds that brought you the “soft-stylus,” comes a new concept aimed at allowing you to rotate your screen using an actual knob. With this simple DIY knob project, you’re able to rotate objects and images on the screen of your iPhone. Although it may not be the flashiest of tech breakthroughs, its functionality proves the iPhone knob useful as a gadget.
