Blog Ilmuwan Dunia

pengertian casing

2009-11-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

Casing

Casing merupakan bagian komputer yang berfungsi sebagai pakaian atau pelindung dari CPU. Bentuk yang umum adalah kotak persegi, namun bisa dengan modifikasi bagi mereka yang senang mengotak-atik casing ini.
Selain sebagai pelindung CPU, casing juga bisa berfungsi sebagai pendingin tambahan. Karena biasanya, casing modern saat ini dilengkapi dengan kipas pendingin yang jumlah nya bisa lebih dari satu buah.
Fungsi lainnya yang utama adalah sebagai pondasi untuk menempatkan berbagai bagian komputer lainnya, terutama CPU, seperti motherboard, vga card, soundcard dan lain-lain.
Sebagai pelindung, casing bermanfaat melindungi bagian dalamnya dari kotoran atau debu, dari benturan dengan benda lain, sehingga bagian-bagian yang vital akan aman dan tidak cepat rusak.
Selain fungsi primernya tersebut, casing juga dapat tampil dengan berbagai macam warna dan bentuk yang sesuai dengan keinginan kita. Tentu saja casing hasil modifikasi ini harganya lebih mahal.
Yang terpenting dalam pemilihan casing adalah fungsi utamanya. Sehingga komputer kita berada dalam keadaan yang aman dan terlindungi.

VGA CARD

2009-11-23T20:41:00.001-08:00

VGA CARD

VGA CARD

VGA (Video Graphic Adapter) Card
Fungsi VGA Card adalah mengubah sinyal digital dri komputer menjadi
tampilan grafik di layar monitor.
VGA Card sering juga disebut Card display, kartu VGA atau kartu grafis.
Tempat melekatnya kartu grafis disebut slot expansi.
Cara memperbaiki kerusakan VGA Card:
- Cek hubungan / konektor
- Coba pasang pada slot expansi yang lain
- Ganti baru VGA Card
Kartu VGA (Video Graphic Adapter) berguna untuk menerjemahkan output (keluaran) komputer ke monitor. Untuk menggambar / design graphic ataupun untuk bermain game.
Kartu VGA menggunakan beberapa macam memori seperti:
DRAM (Dynamic RAM)
berkecepatan 80 ns atau 70 ns, ada juga MD-RAM (Multiple Dynamic RAM) yang menggunakan DRAM berlapis. DRAM digunakan pada banyak kartu grafik 8, 16, atau 32 bit. Penggunaan DRAM ditujukan untuk komputer tingkat entry level, yang tidak memerlukan kecepatan tinggi dan warna yang banyak.
EDO RAM
berkecepatan 60 ns sampai 35 ns, EDO RAM banyak ditemui pada kartu grafik 64 bit. EDO RAM yang umum dipakai mempunyai speed 60 MHz 60/40ns. Contoh kartu VGA yang menggunakan memori EDO adalah WinFast S280/S600 3D, Diamond Stealth 2000 3D, ATi Mach 64, dsb.
VRAM (Video RAM)
berkecepatan 20 atau 10 ns, VRAM lebih mahal dibandingkan DRAM karena VRAM lebih cepat dari DRAM. Penggunaan VRAM pada kartu VGA ditujukan untuk komputer kelas atas. VRAM biasa dipasang pada VGA yang dikonsentrasikan untuk desain grafis. Contoh kartu VGA yang menggunakan VRAM adalah Diamond Fire GL, Diamond Stealth 3000 3D, Diamond Stealth 64, dsb.
SGRAM (Synchronous Graphic RAM)
berkecepatan kurang dari 10 ns, SGRAM pada kartu VGA juga berdasarkan pada teknologi SDRAM pada memori utama komputer. SGRAM banyak digunakan pada kartu grafik kelas tinggi yang mempunyai kemampuan 3D accelerator. Contoh dari kartu VGA yang menggunakan SGRAM adalah Matrox MGA Millenium, Matrox Mystique 3D, Diamond Stealth II S220, Diamond Viper, ASUS 3D Explorer, ATI Rage II 3D Pro, dsb.
RAMBUS
penggunaan RAMBUS pada VGA card komputer masih sedikit (RAMBUS adalah memori yang digunakan pada mesin-mesin game Nintendo, Sega, sejauh ini hanya kartu grafik produksi Creative Labs (MA-302, MA-332 Graphic Blaster 3D dan Graphic Blaster xXtreme) yang menggunakannya.
Chipset/prosesor pada kartu VGA, banyak sekali macamnya karena tiap-tiap pabrik kartu VGA memiliki Chipset andalannya. Ada banyak produsen Chipset kartu VGA seperti NVidia, 3DFX, S3, ATi, Matrox, SiS, Cirrus Logic, Number Nine (#9), Trident, Tseng, 3D Labs, STB, OTi, dan sebagainya.
Graphic Accelerator
Chipset-chipset masa kini sudah memasukkan kemampuan akselerasi 3D built in pada kartu VGA. Selain kartu VGA, sekarang ada pheriperal komputer pendukung yang dinamakan 3D accelerator. 3D accelerator berfungsi untuk mengolah/menterjemahkan data/gambar 3D secara lebih sempurna. Akselerator 3D yang keberadaannya tidak memerlukan IRQ lagi mampu melakukan manipulasi-manipulasi grafik 3D yang kompleks. Contohnya pada game-game 3D bisa ditampilkan citra yang jauh lebih realistis. Sebab banyak fungsi pengolahan grafik 3D yang dulunya dilakukan oleh prosesor pada motherboard, kini dikerjakan oleh prosesor grafik 3D pada 3D accelerator tersebut. Dengan pembagian kerja ini maka prosesor dapat lebih banyak melakukan kerja pemrosesan yang lain. Selain itu programmer tidak perlu membuat fungsi grafik 3D, karena fungsi tersebut sudah disediakan oleh akselerator 3D. Chipset 3D pada kartu VGA tidak sebaik jika menggunakan 3D accelerator sebagai pendukungnya (3D accelerator dipasang secara terpisah bersama dengan kartu VGA). Meskipun begitu Chipset 3D pada kartu VGA juga mendukung ‘beberapa’ fasilitas akselerasi 3D pada 3D accelerator.
Sebagai catatan penting bahwa, fungsi 3D accelerator akan optimal jika Software/game yang dijalankan memanfaatkan fungsi-fungsi khusus pada 3D accelerator tersebut. Software/game yang mendukung fasilitas ini mulai berkembang, yang sudah terkenal adalah dukungan terhadap 3D accelerator yang memiliki chipset VooDoo 3D FX, Rendition Verite, dan Permedia 3D Labs.

Hard Disk

2009-11-23T20:39:00.001-08:00

Apa Sich Fungsi Hard Disk??

Ketika Anda menyimpan data pada komputer, pasti salah satu media penyimpanan yang paling populer adalah di hardisk. Hardisk sendiri juga memiliki singkatan yaitu HDD. Hardisk disini mempunyai peranan yang cukup penting dalam komputer. Karena merupakan media penyimpanan dari Operating System dari komputer. Seperti Windows maupun Linux. Cobalah Anda bayangkan kalau seandainya tidak ada Hardisk??? Pasti komputer Anda tidak dapat bekerja bukan...
Fungsi utamanya sebagai media penyimpanan atau storage data secara permanen.
Hard disk menyimpan bermacam-macam informasi, salah satunya informasi mengenai hardware yang ada di dalam PC tersebut, lalu OS itu sendiri. Hard disk merupakan salah satu komponen yang menentukan kinerja PC. Semakin cepat hard disk bekerja, semakin cepat pula transfer yang dihasilkan. Hard disk IDE mempunyai 4 tingkatan kelas, masing-masing Ultra DMA/33, Ultra DMA/66, Ultra/100, dan Ultra DMA/133. DMA singkatan dari Direct Memory Access yang berfungsi untuk meningkatkan transfer data. Maksud Ultra DMA/33 adalah daya transfer rata-ratanya 33 MBps. Jadi,Ultra DMA/133 sama dengan transfer datanya 133 MBps. IDE yang terbaru menggunakan SATA {serial ATA} yang sebelumnya menggunakan paralel ATA. Penggunaan hard disk jenis SATA masih sedikit dan mahal, tetapi kecepatan transfernya lebih cepat daripada paralel ATA.
Hard disk lambat laun mengalami peningkatan dalam hal kapasitas penyimpanan data. Pada masa Windows 3.1, penggunaan hard disk dengan ukuran 300 MB sudah cukup. Pada Windows 98,hard disk dengan ukuran 8.3 GB sudah lebih dari cukup. Untuk pemakaian hard disk yang intensif, ukuran tersebut sangat kurang, apalagi menggunakan OS yang baru dan program yang baru pula. Mungkin untuk ukuran standar, hard disk yang dipakai sekarang adalah 20 GB atau lebih tergantung kebutuhan anda.
Kecepatan putar hard disk bermacam-macam, antara lain 5400 RPM, 7200 RPM, atau lebih. Putaran yang dihasilkan hard disk yang memiliki RPM 7200 lebih bising daripada 5400 RPM, akibatnya hard disk menjadi lebih cepat panas. Anda memerlukan kipas pendingin untuk mendinginkan dan menjaga peranti ini dapat hidup bertahan lama.
Demikianlah penjelasan dari saya tentang Hardisk. Semoga menjadi sesuatu yang dapat bermanfaat untuk Anda. Terima kasih.

Power Supply

2009-11-23T20:33:00.001-08:00

Power Supply

Power supply sering dianggap menjadi bagian yang remeh dalam pemilihan kimponen PC. Buktinya bisa ditanyakan langsung kepada penjual rakitan. Tidak jarang seseorang menginginkan PC yang hebat, dengan pilihan processor terkini, motherboard terhebat, dual video card, RAM gigabyte, dengan hard disk kapasitas extra tercepat. Semua dari merk ternama. Namun, untuk pembelian power supply, hanya sekadar mengandalkan yang tersedia dari PC case. Atau mengetahui beban maksimal yang dapat ditangani.
Semua mungkin berubah, setelah membaca pembahasan kali ini.

Apakah Power Supply itu?
Pada dasarnya power supply termasuk dari bagian power conversion. Power conversion terdiri dari tiga macam :
a. AC/DC power supply
b. DC/DC converter
c. DC/AC inverter
Power supply untuk PC sering juga disebut PSU (Power Supply Unit)
PSU termasuk power conversion AC/DC. Fungsi utamanya mengubah listrik arus bolak balik (AC) yang tersedia dari aliran listrik ( di Indonesia, PLN) menjadi arus listrik searah (DC)yang dibutuhkan oleh komponen pada PC.
Power supply diharapkan dapat melakukan fungsi berikut ini :
* Rectification : konversi input listrik AC menjadi DC
* Voltage Transformation : memberikan keluaran tegangan / voltage DC yang sesuai dengan yang dibutuhkan
* Filtering : menghasilkan arus listrik DC yang lebih "bersih", bebas dari ripple ataupun noise listrik yang lain
* Regulation : mengendalikan tegangan keluaran agar tetap terjaga, tergantung pada tingkatan yang diinginkan, beban daya, dan perubahan kenaikan temperatur kerja juga toleransi perubahan tegangan daya input
* Isolation : memisahkan secara elektrik output yang dihasilkan dari sumber input
* Protection : mencegah lonjakan tegangan listrik (jika terjadi), sehingga tidak terjadi pada output, biasanya dengan tersedianya sekering untuk auto shutdown jika hal terjadi.

Idealnya, sebuah power supply dapat menghasilkan output yang bersih, dengan tegangan output yang konstan terjaga dengan tingkat toleransi dari tegangan input, beban daya, juga suhu kerja, dengan tingkat konversi efisiensi 100%.

Konversi AC ke DC
Untuk konversi listrik AC ke DC, ada dua metode yang mungkin digunakan. Pertama dengan linear power supply. Ini adalah rangkaian AC ke DC yang sangat sederhana.
Setlah Listrik AC dari line input di-step-down oleh transformer, kemudian dijadikan DC secara sederhana dengan rangkaian empat diode penyearah. Komponen tambahan lain adalah kapasitor untuk meratakan tegangan. Tambahan komponen yang mungkin disertakan adalah linear regulation, yang bertugas menjaga tegangan sesuai yang diinginkan, meski daya output yang dibutuhkan bertambah.
Linear supply dapat anda temukan pada DC power adapter sederhana. Ia memungkinkan untuk diproduksi dengan ongkos yang minimum. Kelemahan utamanya pada tingkat power conversion dengan efisiensi yang rendah. Berikutnya adalah dibutuhkannya ukuran transformer yang besar, untuk daya ampere yang besar. Tingkat efisiensi konfersi yang rendah (sekitar 50%) juga menyebabkannnya mengeluarkan panas yang besar saat beroperasi.

Switching Power Supply
Power supply untuk PC membutuhkan daya besar, dengan tingkat panas yang minim dan tegangan yang lebih terjaga. Linear power supply tidak cocok untuk hal ini. Maka digunakan metode switching power supply. Jauh lebih kompleks, tapi menawarkan tingkat efisiensi dan daya lebih besar. Kelebihan utama pada kemampuan mengendalikan tegangan output agar tetap terjaga. Pulse Width Modulation (PMW) adalah sinyal utama yang memberikan perintah, untukmengendalikan tegangan, sekiranya terjadi perubahan beban pada output. Ia dapat bekerja dalam selang waktu singkat, hanya dalam hitungan microsecond.
Secara sederhana, apa yang terjadi pada power supply adalah sebagai berikut : Input listrik AC 220V via rectifier (diubah ke DC),filter (membersihkan dari noise sumber listrik AC). DImungkinkan juga ditambah dengan rangkaian PFC (Power factor correction). Sejumlah kapasitor berkapasitas besar juga digunakan untuk lebih meratakan tegangan. Rangkaian kapasitor ini juga dihubungkan dengan field-effect transistor (biasanya oleh MOSFET)

Pengertian Dan Fungsi Motherboard

2009-11-23T20:30:00.001-08:00

Pengertian Dan Fungsi Motherboard

FUNGSI MOTHERBOARD

Pusat pengendali yang mengatur kerja dari semua komponen yang terpasang padanya.
Mengatur pemberian daya listrik pada setiap komponen PC.
Lalu lintas data semuanya diatur oleh motherboard, mulai dari peranti peyimpanan (harddisk, CD-ROM), peranti masukan data (keyboard, mouse, scanner), atau printer untuk mencetak.

Perkembangan Motherboard

Pada akhir tahun 1980-an dan selama dekade 1990-an, pasar prosesor untuk PC didominasi oleh Intel. Ada beberapa perusahaan prosesor untuk PC, tetapi pengaruh mereka kalah jauh dibanding Intel. Lagi pula rata-rata prosesor buatan mereka masih mengambil desain x86 buatan Intel juga.
Mulai akhir tahun 90-an dan awal tahun 2000, kondisi tersebut berubah. Pasar prosesor tidak lagi terlalu tergantung pada Intel, karena pesaing mereka, AMD, mengeluarkan prosesor K6-2 dan Athlon yang ternyata mampu bersaing dengan prosesor buatan Intel.
Dan di tahun itu pula sebuah industri penghasil chipset asal Taiwan, VIA Technologies, juga telah mampu membuat chipset yang berkualitas dan berharga murah. Para produsen motherboard tidak lagi tergantung pada Intel untuk merancang dan membuat motherboard mereka, sehingga perkembangan teknologi dan desain motherboard mengalami peningkatan yang sangat pesat.
Selain itu, demam overclocking juga turut menyumbangkan peranan dalam perkembangan dunia motherboard. Para produsen motherboard berlomba-lomba mengeluarkan motherboard yang dirancang mampu memberikan tingkat overclock yang tinggi, tapi tetap mampu menjaga kestabilan sistem. Pokoknya, kalau ada motherboard yang tidak bisa digunakan untuk meng-overclock prosesor dan memori, maka hampir dapat dipastikan motherboard tersebut kurang laku di pasaran.

Berikut ini daftar produsen Motherboard :
ASUS
ABIT
ECS
GIGABYTE
MSI

ISTILAH-ISTILAH PADA MOTHERBOARD

1. BIOS

Singkatan dari Basic Input/Output System. Merupakan kumpulan informasi motherboard dan juga merupakan software berisi perintah-perintah dasar. Fungsi utamanya adalah sebagai sarana komunikasi antara sistem operasi dengan hardware yang terpasang pada motherboard.

2. Bus

Istilah yang menyatakan sistem aliran data yang digunakan hardware yang terpasang pada motherboard untuk berkomunikasi dengan prosesor. Satuan yang digunakan biasanya adalah frekuensi (Hertz) atau lebar bit data.

3. Clock Speed

Istilah ini digunakan untuk menyatakan kecepatan dari sebuah prosesor atau komponen lainnya. Angka clock speed didapat dari perkalian multiplier terhadap FSB. Semakin tinggi clock speed, maka semakin tinggi kinerja yang dihasilkan oleh prosesor atau komponen hardware tersebut. Satuan yang digunakan biasanya adalah megahertz (MHz) atau gigahertz (GHz). Biasanya disebut juga sebagai kecepatan eksternal dari sebuah prosesor.

4. FSB

Singkatan dari Front Side Bus, yaitu bus utama yang menghubungkan antara prosesor dengan chipset motherboard. Satuan yang digunakan adalah megahertz (MHz).

5. Heatsink

Komponen yang diletakkan di atas prosesor. Fungsinya adalah menyerap panas yang dihasilkan saat prosesor bekerja. Biasanya sebuah heatsink dilengkapi sebuah kipas untuk menjaga agar suhu prosesor tetap stabil.

6. Overclocking

Suatu teknik yang dilakukan untuk meningkatkan kinerja prosesor, memori, atau kartu grafis, dengan cara meningkatkan FSB atau clock speed komponen tersebut. Teknik ini memerlukan sebuah system pendingin khusus pada komponen, karena menghasilkan panas berlebih, di mana panas berlebih ini dapat merusak sistem. PC

KABEL DATA

2009-11-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

KABEL DATA

Data Cable atau yang lazim disebut dengan kabel data adalah perangkat keras yang merupakan sarana sebagai penghubung antara ponsel dengan computer agar bisa berkomunikasi lewat port COM. Seperti halnya kabel printer, penghubung printer dengan computer sebagai sarana komunikasi antar dua perangkat keras. Dengan kata lain, apa yang bisa dilakukan oleh data cable tergantung dari softwarenya.

Umumnya,kabel data digunakan untuk menservice ponsel seperti buka

Phonelock,ganti nomor IMEI, upgrade software ponsel, dan lain-lain. Sementara pada ponsel cerdas, kabel data digunakan untuk keperluan akses mobile internet seperti koneksi dari notebook ke Internet, hingga kirim fax. Para pemakai yang gemar otak-atik ponsel malah sering kirim SMS lewat computer, tune up hingga menjejali ponsel dengan aplikasi lewat pemanfaatan kabel data. Fungsi kabel data ini, tidak terbatas karena kemampuan serta kinerjanya selalu berhubungan dengan perangkat lunak (software). Data cable juga bisa dijelaskan sebagai penerjemah antara ponsel dan computer. Mulai dari koneksi Internet, fax hingga melakukan organisasi isi dari SIM Card anda, ataupun fitur ponsel. Salah satu fungsinya antara lain pengisian nada dering pada ponsel yang memiliki fitur tersebut, upgrade versi, ganti bahasa, dan banyak lagi yang lainnya. Bisa disimpulkan bahwa kemampuan kabel data juga sangat tergantung pada softwarenya.

Pada ponsel pemakaian perangkat keras berupa IC berkaki laba-laba atau yang lazim disebut sebagai EEPROM adalah sebuah penyimpanan data ponsel. Dengan adanya data inilah ponsel dapat berfungsi. Era Jadul, para tekhnisi melakukan flashing pada EEPROM dengan cara membongkar atau mengangkat IC, namun dengan adanya kabel data dan berkembangnya kemampuan ponsel yang makin cerdas,maka kita tidak perlu lagi membongkar kaki IC hanya untuk melakukan flashing. Jika IC EEPROM dilepaskan dari board/PCB ponsel, maka nomor IMEI ponsel akan berubah secara otomatis untuk menandakan bahwa ponsel sudah pernah diservice.Artinya berbagai kerusakan data seperti program kacau, phonelock, security code, contact service, wrong software, wrong card, upgrade software, nomor IMEI berubah dan lain-lain dapat dibetulkan dengan menggunakan data cable dan perangkat lunak (software) yang sesuai Dengan kabel data semua kekurangan tersebut dapat dibatasi. Pengaksesan data EEPROM dapat dilakukan tanpa membuka ponsel. Kabel data hanya ditancapkan lewat bawah seperti ketika akan men-charge baterai, tanpa merubah nomor IMEI.

Saat mengoprasikan aplikasi diponsel, kita hanya membutuhkan 1atau

2 bus, yakni MBUS dan FBUS. Sementar fungsi M2BUS adalah sama dengan kemampuan MBUS yang dapat dipakai untuk mengoprasikan software semacam “ Wintesia “ (software asli yang dipakai Nokia Service Centre di seluruh dunia).

Aluminum CD-ROM Enclosure - Enclosure Plus Heatsink

2009-11-23T20:26:00.001-08:00

CHIP kembali kedatangan produk enclosure. Kali ini adalah 5.25" Aluminum CD-ROM Enclosure. Bagi Anda yang kekurangan tempat untuk CD-ROM pada PC Anda, enclosure ini bisa menjadi salah satu solusi bagi Anda. Enclosure ini mempunyai fungsi mengubah CD-ROM internal Anda menjadi CD-ROM eksternal.

Enclosure ini dikeluarkan oleh produsennya dalam tiga tipe, yaitu Premium Series, Deluxe Series, dan Platinum Series. Namun, yang dikirim ke CHIP Test Center adalah tipe Platinum Series. Bodi enclosure ini terbuat dari alumunium yang cukup kuat dan dapat berfungsi juga sebagai heatsink bagi CD-ROM/RW ataupun DVD-ROM Anda. Enclosure ini hanya menggunakan interface USB 2.0 sebagai koneksi ke PC. Enclosure ini sudah bisa mendukung fasilitas hot-swap dan wake-up. Yang dimaksud hot-swap adalah proses penggantian suatu komponen pada PC dengan komponen baru tanpa harus mematikan PC. Yang dimaksud dengan wake-up adalah melanjutkan kembali proses eksekusi yang ditunda.

Cara pemasangan enclosure ini cukup mudah. Pertama, Anda buka panel belakang dari enclosure ini. Kemudian, Anda harus menghubungkan kabel data dan kabel power yang terdapat pada panel belakang enclosure, dengan CD-ROM. Lalu, pasangkan bodi enclosure pada CD-ROM Anda yang sudah terhubung dengan panel belakang enclosure ini. Setelah itu, Anda harus menghubungkan kabel USB 2.0 dan adaptor yang sudah disertakan dalam paket penjualannya dengan panel belakang dari enclosure ini. Langkah pemasangan terakhir adalah Anda harus menghubungkan kabel USB 2.0 yang sudah terhubung dengan panel belakang dari enclosure dengan slot USB 2.0 yang terdapat pada komputer Anda. Anda juga harus menghubungkan adapter yang sudah terhubung dengan panel belakang enclosure dengan sumber listrik. Setelah selesai, enclosure ini siap digunakan. Enclosure ini dapat langsung dikenali dan bekerja pada komputer Anda (Plug and Play).

Ketika diuji oleh CHIP, enclosure ini memberikan hasil yang cukup baik untuk kecepatan membaca data dari DVD, yaitu 5297.6 Kb/s. Enclosure ini cukup mudah dalam pemasangannya dan sudah mendukung hampir semua sistem operasi (OS) yang ada saat ini, kecuali Windows 95. Buku petunjuk yang disertakan dalam paket penjualannya cukup membantu dalam pemasangan. Selain itu, produk ini juga menyediakan CD driver yang berisi banyak utility.

Casing Memory Card Multi Fungsi

2009-11-23T20:19:00.001-08:00

Casing Memory Card Multi Fungsi
Game udah jadi bagian hidup sehari-hari yang susah dilepaskan ke mana pun kita pergi. Tampaknya begitulah keyakinan Hori, Jepang. Tanggal 24 Juni ini mereka menghadirkan Memory Card (MC) 8 MB dengan casing desain khusus. Cocok buat berbagai kalangan, apakah kamu anak muda yang aktif, ekskutif/karyawan yang sibuk, atau si manis yang suka tampil feminim. Dengan pelindung yang mantap ini, kamu nggak usah ragu lagi membawa-bawa MC kamu ke mana-mana. Selain lebih aman, keren juga. Harga jual di negeri asalnya masing-masing 2.625 Yen (sekitar Rp.220 ribu). (irma)

HOTBREAK! *Penjualan konsol GameCube di Eropa baru-baru ini meningkat, dari 16% menjadi 32%. Hal ini didorong oleh rilisnya Pokemon Colloseum pada 14 Mei 2004. Game ini merupakan software yang paling bikin heboh penjualan GameCube selama tahun 2004 di Eropa. Tahun lalu, Pokemon Ruby dan Pokemon Sapphire (GBA) yang merajai pasar handheld di benua ini.

*Mario Pinball ganti nama! Menurut situs resminya, game GBA yang direncanakan rilis pada Oktober nanti ini kini berjudul Mario Pinball Land.

*Peluncuran next-generation consoles Sony (PS3) dan Nintendo (berkode "Revolution") belum resmi diumumkan. Yang jelas akhir 2005 atau awal 2006. Microsoft menargetkan konsol penerus Xbox akan dirilis pada pertengahan 2005. Jika benar dan ketika rilisnya nanti didukung oleh banyak game (kayaq waktu Sony meluncurkan PS2 dulu), Xbox 2 diprediksi akan menguasai market share sebesar lebih dari 30%.

*Jack-5, Julia Chang, dan Craig Marduk dipastikan tampil dalam Tekken 5. Electronic Arts menandatangani perjanjian dengan Oddworld Inhabitants, sepakat untuk menerbitkan game Oddworld berikut buat Ps2 dan Xbox tahun 2005.

*Square Enix bakal merilis Dragon Quest VIII: Sky, Sea, Earth & the Cursed Princess (PS2) di Jepang musim dingin ini. Sementara jadwal Final Fantasy XII tetap musim semi 2005.

*Game Spiderman 2 bakal dirilis tepat mendahului filmnya. Jadwal buat game adalah 28 Juni, sementara filmnya bakal tayang di bioskop-bioskop Amrik mulai 30 Juni.

*Film Doom nggak jadi dibuat oleh Warner Bros, walaupun naskahnya telah dirampung-kan. Menurut perjanjian dengan pengembang gamenya, id Software, lisensi film itu memang bakal kembali ke id bila tidak ada kemajuan dalam 15 bulan. Dikabarkan Universal Studios telah mendekati id, tapi belum ada keputusan.

*Game arkade Virtua Striker 4 akan mulai diujicobakan di Jepang pada 20 Juni ini. Game ini mendukung iMode dan VS Net.

*Super Robot Taisen MX (PS2) dari Banpresto menduduki posisi nomor satu dalam penjualan minggu pertama Juni di Jepang, dengan total penjualan sebanyak 384,862 kopi.

*True Fantasy Live Online buat Xbox telah dibatalkan oleh Microsoft. Menurut presiden Level 5, studio Sega yang mengembangkan game tersebut, waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk menyelesaikan game tersebut ternyata lebih panjgan dari pada yang diharapkan semula sehingga penghasilannya nanti nggak bakal menutup ongkos alias rugi jadi mending dibatalkan aja.

*Xbox bakal mendapat MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology 3,begitu pengumuman dari THQ selaku penerbit Amrik bagi game buatan Climax tersebut.

About floppy disk.

2009-11-23T20:12:00.001-08:00

The floppy disk is a portable computer storage devices that saw its heyday in the 1990s. The ability to transport files from computer to computer is a new concept for consumers and therefore proved popular. In recent years, however, the floppy disk that has caused shortages must be replaced by more advanced technology, and the floppy disk is on its way to becoming a relic.
Function
The function of a floppy disk to store relatively small amounts of computer data, not more than 1. 44MB, on a small, portable drives. The portable nature allows users to save files from one computer to the floppy drive and then access the same files on different computers, along with the benefits of being able to update and change them if necessary. For this reason, they are very useful when it comes to school and workplace presentations, for example.
History
The first floppy disk invented by IBM in 1967 and is 8 inches. With this proves too great, 5. 25-inch disk that replaced, and the nature of the flexible packaging gave its name diskette. Not until the mid-'80s that the floppy disk as we know it came into being, when 3. 5-inch floppy disk was created. Although the launch of other floppy disk formats, in various sizes and with greater storage capacity, 3. 5-inch floppy disk continues to control the market throughout the '90s, until it began to fall out of favor.
Identification
Floppy disk is 3. 5 inches, with a shell made of hard plastic, most often black or gray, but also come in different colors. The front disc has a label and a rectangular piece of thin metal, which is used to read and write data, appears in the top center. The back of the disk is also plastic and contain a small metal circle in the center contains two small holes, allowing it to be well understood by the floppy disk drive. Floppy disks often come with hard plastic box to protect it from the elements.
Use
Ease of use is a major benefit from a floppy disk. Users insert the disk into the floppy drive, with the first entry with metal parts. Once installed, the computer reads the disk as "removable disk," usually drive E or F. Files can be saved directly to a floppy disk by using the "Save As" and select the function floppy drive or by dragging and dropping files onto the drive from other drives and folders. Users can both add and remove data from disk and save the update file on a floppy disk.
Significance
Floppy drive everywhere in the 1990s, with a floppy drive is almost never appear on a computer made. Due to lack, however - have limited file space and be easily damaged, for example - the floppy disk has fallen from public assistance. It has been replaced by CDs and USB drives, with USB drives that appear almost like a floppy disk with the ability to add and delete files. Floppy disks are often not a standard feature on new computers again; often, in fact, users will have to pay extra for a computer with a floppy drive.

Sistem Pendingin Komputer

2009-11-16T22:17:00.001-08:00

Sistem Pendingin Komputer

Saat anda menyalakan komputer dan menggunakannya untuk beberapa waktu lamanya, maka komputer tersebut akan menimbulkan panas pada beberapa bagian komponennya. Untuk mendinginkan komponen tersebut serta untuk menghindari panas yang berlebih maka digunakan kipas dalam komputer. Komponen pendingin yang utama dalam komputer adalah kipas pendingin pada CPU (Prosesor). Jika panas yang dihasilkan tidak dapat diatasi maka dapat menyebabkan kerusakan yang serius pada beberapa komponen komputer. Meskipun komputer telah dirancang sedemikian rupa, namun kipas pendingin tetaplah diperlukan untuk menangkis panas yang dihasilkan oleh komponen-komponen komputer.

Fungsi utama dari sebuah kipas komputer adalah mengeluarkan panas dan menggantinya dengan udara segar ke dalam sistem. Kipas pendingin ini telah dirancang agar sesuai ditempatkan pada motherboard atau hard disk drive. Ada sekitar 3 atau 4 baling-baling kipas pada CPU. Ada juga komputer yang telah dirancang khusus sudah mempunyai kipas extra yang ditempelkan pada casing komputer yang terbuat dari alumunium, namun demikian kipas tersebut tidaklah cukup untuk meredam panas yang dihasilkan oleh CPU sehingga tetap harus dipasang kipas pendingin CPU, apalagi untuk komputer yang digunakan antara antara 12 hingga 15 jam sehari sehingga kipas tersebut tidak akan cukup untuk memberikan ventilasi udara yang memadai. Oleh karena itu kipas pendingin untuk CPU didesain dan telah terbukti mampu meredam panas yang dihasilkan oleh CPU walaupun komputer dioperasikan dalam jangka waktu yang lama.
Funghsi utama dari pendingin CPU adalah menjaga agar CPU tetap dalam suhu yang masih dapat ditolerir oleh CPU tersebut. Tetapi fungsi itu dapat terganggu oleh debu yang menempel pada baling-baling kipas pendingin CPU. Debu tersebut sedikit demi sedikit akan mengurangi kinerja kipas pendingin tersebut karena semakin banyak debu yang menempel maka akan semakin berat putaran pada kipas pendingin. Oleh karena itu diperlukan perawatan secara rutin untuk membersihkan debu yang menempel pada kipas pendingin CPU.

Sebagian besar pengguna komputer tidak menyadari pentingnya kipas pendingin CPU ini. Hal ini disebabkan kurangnya pengetahuan atau bahkan ketidak pedulian pengguna kepada pentingnya komponen ini. Jadi sangatlah penting untuk mengetahui fungsi kipas pendingin pada CPU karena komponen ini adalah otak dari komputer kita. Apabila kita melakukan pembersihan secara rutin pada kipas ini maka hal itu akan menghindarkan kita dari kerusakan yang disebabkan oleh panas pada CPU yang terlalu berlebihan.

Bahkan laptop juga mengahsilkan panas yang tidak kalah bila dibandingkan dengan desktop walaupun laptop juga telah dilengkapi dengan sistem pendingin pada CPU. Panas yang berlebih juga dapat mengakibatkan kerusakan pada sistem atau bahkan menyebabkan tidak berfungsinya sama sekali komputer. Oleh karena itu laptop juga sering ditambahkan pendingin extra yang diletakkan dibawah sebagai dudukan laptop.

There are number of fans that are available in the market, so you could have an option of selecting any one depending upon their magnitude of the work that it would do to your machine. Before you get one, you need to consult anyone who would know about it or do some researches.
Terdapat banyak jenis serta ukuran kipas pendingin yang ada di pasaran saat ini, sehingga anda dapat memilih yang paling sesuai dengan kebutuhan anda. Jumlah serta ukuran kipas pendingin tergantung dari kinerja yang harus dilakukan oleh sebuah komputer agar optimal dalam memberikan pendinginan pada komponen komputer.

Pengertian Dan Fungsi Motherboard

2009-11-16T21:00:00.001-08:00

Pengertian Dan Fungsi Motherboard

FUNGSI MOTHERBOARD

Perkembangan Motherboard

ISTILAH-ISTILAH PADA MOTHERBOARD

1. BIOS

2. Bus

3. Clock Speed

4. FSB

Singkatan dari Front Side Bus, yaitu bus utama yang menghubungkan antara prosesor dengan chipset motherboard. Satuan yang digunakan adalah megahertz (MHz).

5. Heatsink

6. Overclocking

fungsi & penjelasan Tentang Processor

2009-11-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Penjelasan Tentang Processor

Nah, melanjutkan pembahasan sebelumnya, sekarang akan kita bahas mengenai komponen komputer yang penting banget yaitu PROCESSOR. Tak terasa sudah masuk bagian ke-5 pembahasan mengenai komponen komputer. Penjelasan kali ini mungkin akan sedikit panjang, dan akan disambung pada penjelasan berikutnya, karena membahas processor sama saja dengan membaca buku setebal 500 halaman. Namun saya akan menjelaskan secara simpel dan mudah dimengerti bagi orang awam, tentunya tidak terlalu mendetail penjelasan tentang processor ini.
Processor atau yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan CPU (Central Processing Unit), merupakan bagian dari komputer yang berfungsi sebagai pusat untuk memproses segala sesuatu yang akan dilakukan oleh komputer. Boleh dikatakan bahwa processor merupakan otak dari sebuah komputer. Bayangkan saja jika manusia tidak memiliki otak, maka tentunya manusia tersebut tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa, dan bisa dikatakan sebagai mayat hidup (kaya zombie donk). Apapun aktivitas yang dilakukan oleh komputer, yang memprosesnya adalah processor.
Silahkan lihat gambar processor dibawah ini !

Merunut sejarah, processor telah banyak mengalami revolusi/perubahan, baik dari segi bentuk/arsitektur, fungsi dan juga kecepatan. Dari jaman processor keluaran Intel yaitu processor Intel 4004 (Generasi awal tapi bukan yang pertama) hingga saat ini yaitu Intel Core 2 Processor. Perbedaannya tentu sangat-sangat jauh baik dari segi bentuk, fungsi dan kecepatan. Intel 4004 memiliki clock speed sebesar 108KHz, jumlah transistor 2300, belum terdapat cache, bus speed 108 KHz, dan berfungsi untuk manipulasi aritmatika dasar. Processor Intel Core 2 Processor memiliki clock speed sebesar 3,2 GHz, jumlah transistor sebanyak 820 juta, cache sebesar 12 MB, bus speed 1600 MHz, dan memiliki fungsi yang sangat kompleks untuk multimedia, komputasi dan sebagainya (fungsi komputer saat ini).
Lihat gambar dibawah ini !
Intel 4004

Intel Core 2 Processor

Fungsi sebuah processor dalam komputer sangatlah penting, karena processor merupakan pusat untuk mengontrol dan memproses kerja sebuah komputer. Sebagai contoh fungsi dari processor adalah ketika Anda hendak menjalankan sebuah aplikasi seperti memutar lagu pada sebuah player seperti Winamp. Pertama-tama tentunya Anda akan mengklik icon Winamp untuk memainkan lagu yang Anda inginkan. Ketika Anda klik

Istilah & fungsi pada jaringan LAN

2009-11-16T20:32:00.003-08:00

Istilah & fungsi pada jaringan LAN

a) Server

Server adalah komputer yang biasanya dikhususkan untuk penyimpanan data atau system operasi berbasis network (Network Operating System), berisikan daftar user yang diperbolehkanmasuk ke server tersebut. Jadi apabila komputer server mengalami kerusakan atau gangguan secara otomatis seluruh jaringan tidak berfungsi karena server merupakan pintu masuk dan sebagai pusat jaringan tersebut. Jadi apabila seluruh jaringan tidak dapat berfungsi berarti terjadi gangguan atau kerusakan pada server.

b) Workstation

Workstation adalah komputer yang memanfaatkan jaringan untuk menghubungkan komputer tersebut dengan komputer lain atau komputer tersebut dengan server. Pemanfaatan jaringan tersebut dapat berupa sharing data, sharing printer dan sebagainya. Apabila terjadi kerusakan pada komputer workstation berarti komputer yang digunakan tidak dapat masuk dalam jaringan sehingga tidak dapat berkomunikasi dengan komputer server maupun komputer lain dalam jaringan tersebut.

c) Hub/switch

Hub/switch merupakan terminal atau pembagi signal data bagi kartu jaringan (Network Card). Jika Hub mengalami kerusakan berarti seluruh jaringan juga tidak dapat berfungsi untuk berkomunikasi antar workstation atau komputer workstation dengan server. Apabila terjadi kerusakan pada Hub dapat dilihat pada lampu indikator power dan lampu indikator untuk masing masing workstation. Apabila lampu indikator power Hub/switch mati berarti kemungkinan besar Hub tersebut rusak. Jika ada lampu indikator workstation yang tidak menyala menyatakan bahwa komputer workstation sedang tidak aktif (tidak hidup) atau ada gangguan pada komputer workstation tersebut.

d) Network Interface Card (Kartu jaringan)

Sebuah kartu jaringan (LAN Card) yang terpasang pada sebuah komputer server maupun workstation sehingga komputer dapat dihubungkan ke dalam sistem jaringan. Apabila terjadi gangguan atau kerusakan pada kartu jaringan berakibat pada komputer tersebut tidak dapat masuk dalam sistem jaringan. Indikator yang dapat dilihat dalam kerusakan kartu jaringan adalah matinya lampu indikator yang terdapat pada kartu jaringan dan lampu indikator di Hub/switch saat komputer telah hidup dan konektifitas kabel dari kartu jaringan dan hub/switch telah baik.

e) Kabel dan konektor

Kabel dan konektor merupakan media penghubung antara komputer dengan komputer lain atau dengan peralatan lain yang digunakan untuk membentuk jaringan.

Kabel dan konektor untuk membuat jaringan LAN yang banyak digunakan ada 3 jenis yaitu:

(1) Jenis kabel serat optik menggunakan konektor SC dan ST.Gangguan atau kerusakan pada kabel dan konektor jenis seratoptik sangat jarang, tetapi memerlukan penanganan secarakhusus untuk perawatan jaringan.

(2) Jenis Kabel UTP dengan konekor RJ45. Gangguan ataukerusakan pada kabel jenis ini adalah konektor yang tidakterpasang dengan baik (longgar), susunan pengkabelan yangsalah dan kabel putus. Indikasi yang dapat dilihat adalah lampuindikator yang tidak hidup pada kartu jaringan atau padaHub/switch. Jaringan menggunakan kabel UTP kesalahan yangmuncul relatif sedikit, karena jaringan terpasang menggunakantopologi star, workstation terpasang secara paralel denganmenggunakan swicth/hub. Sehingga yang terjadi gangguanhanya pada workstation yang kabelnya mengalami gangguan saja.

(3) Jenis kabel Coaxial dengan konektor BNC. Kabel jenis coaxialmemiliki akses yang cukup lambat bila dibandingkan jenis kabellainnya dan sering terjadi gangguan karena konektor yanglonggar (tidak konek), kabel short dan kabel terbuka resistorpada terminating conector. Short pada pemasangan kabeldengan plug konektor ini menyebabkan system jaringan akandown dan komunikasi antar komputer berhenti.

Terjemahan Al-Qur'an Bahasa Ibrani Siap Digarap

2009-11-04T00:17:00.001-08:00

Terjemahan Al-Qur'an Bahasa Ibrani Siap Digarap

Dewan Raja Fahad untuk Percetakan Mushaf Al-Qur'an (Majma' al-Malik Fahd li Thiba'ah al-Mushaf as-Syarif) yang berpusat di kota Madinah Munawwarah, KSA, saat ini tengah mempersiapkan penggarapan rencana proyek yerjemah Al-Qur'an ke dalam bahasa Ibrani, bahasa suci umat Yahudi.
Dalam proses penggarapannya nanti, Majma' akan bekerjasama dengan Universitas Al-Azhar Mesir, khususnya jurusan bahasa Ibrani pada Fakultas Bahasa dan Terjemah, yang juga melibatkan para penerjemah profesional-tersumpah bahasa Arab-Ibrani.
Sekretaris Jenderal Majma' Dr. Muhammad al-'Aufi dalam wawancaranya dengan harian berbahasa Arab yang terbit di London, as-Syarq al-Awsath (16/10), menyatakan jika pihaknya tengah berinisiatif untuk menggarap proyek terjemah makna Al-Qur'an dalam bahasa Ibrani.
"Lepas 17 tahun sejak masa berdirinya, Majma' telah mencetak lebih dari 165 juta eksemplar Al-Qur'an, 145 juta di antaranya telah disebarkan ke seluruh pelosok dunia," terang al-'Aufi.
Inisiatif Majma' untuk menerjemahkan Al-Qur'an ke dalam bahasa resmi negara Israel itu terinspirasi oleh Dewan Tinggi untuk Urusan Keislaman (al-Majlis al-A'la li as-Syu'un al-Islamiyyah) Mesir yang pada bulan Juni lalu telah mulai menggarap terjemah Al-Qur'an dalam bahasa Ibrani.
Tujuan Majlis A'la dalam upaya menerjemahkan Al-Qur'an dalam bahasa Ibrani sendiri adalah untuk mengenalkan Al-Qur'an dan ajaran Islam kepada publik Yahudi dan siapa saja yang menggunakan bahasa itu.
Diperkirakan, proyek ini akan rampung dalam rentang waktu 2 tahun. Selain telah mencetak Al-Qur'an dalam jumlah ratusan juta eksemplar, Majma' juga telah menerjemahkan Al-Qur'an ke dalam lebih dari 50 bahasa dunia.
Bahasa Ibrani sendiri merupakan salah satu turunan bahasa Semit, yang juga masih saudara serumpun dari bahasa Arab. Bahasa Ibrani lebih tua dan purba daripada bahasa Arab selama ribuan tahun lamanya. Pada kenyataannya, banyak sekali kesamaan yang ditemukan dalam bahasa Arab dan Ibrani, baik dari segi phonography, ejaan huruf, bentuk sighat (derifasi), hingga kosa kata. (L2/iol)

Israel Akan Hapus Seluruh Tanda Berbahasa Arab

2009-11-04T00:16:00.001-08:00

Israel Akan Hapus Seluruh Tanda Berbahasa Arab

Papan tanda bertuliskan bahasa Inggris dan Arab yang ada di kota serta di jalan-jalan yang ada di Israel akan dihapuskan dan diganti dengan bahasa Ibrani, kata kementrian transportasi Israel, Senin kemarin.
Dalam upaya menampilkan karakter Yahudi di negara Zionis Israel tersebut, pemerintahan sayap kanan Israel akan menghapus semua papan-papan tanda publik yang berbahasa Arab dan Inggris dari seluruh Israel.
"Menteri Yisrael Katz yang mengambil keputusan ini dan akan segera diterapkan," kata juru bicara kementerian kepada AFP.
Di Israel saat ini tanda-tanda jalan ditulis dengan tiga bahasa, Ibrani, Arab dan Inggris, serta nama-nama kota dengan masing-masing bahasa. Jadi nama Yerusalem diidentifikasikan sebagai Yerushalaim dalam bahasa Ibrani, Jerusalem dalam bahasa Inggris dan Al-Quds dalam bahasa Arab (penulisan Yerushalaim ditulis juga dalam bahasa Arab)
Di bawah kebijakan baru, kota suci Yerusalem hanya akan dikenal sebagai Yerushalaim dalam ketiga bahasa tersebut. Nazareth (Al-Nasra dalam bahasa Arab) akan di kenal dengan Natzrat dan Jaffa (Jaffa dalam bahasa Arab) hanya akan tertulis sebagai Jaffa.
Menteri Yisrael Katz mengatakan kepada surat kabar Yediot Aharonot bahwa tindakan tersebut dilakukan sebagai jawaban terhadap penolakan warga Palestina untuk menggunakan nama-nama Ibrani untuk beberapa kota yang ada di Israel.
"Pada peta Palestina, kota-kota yang ada di Israel masih sering dipakai dengan nama-nama Arab yang dulu digunakan sebelum pendudukan Israel di wilayah tersebut pada tahun 1948", ketika negara Israel belum terbentuk," katanya.
Zionis Israel memberikan nama-nama dengan bahasa Ibrani untuk beberapa desa, kota dan wilayah setelah mereka berhasil 'menjajah' wilayah itu setelah perang tahun 1948.
Pemilu awal tahun ini membawa koalisi kelompok sayap kanan untuk berkuasa termasuk partai ultra nasionalis Yisrael Beitenu, yang menuntut minoritas warga Arab yang berada di wilayah Israel untuk setia terhadap negara Yahudi tersebut.(fq/aby)

Oase Iman

2009-11-04T00:14:00.003-08:00

Oase Iman

Minggu, 18/10/2009 11:25 WIB Ternyata, Tak Sesholihah Yang Kukira oleh Meralda Nindyasti Kupikir aku termasuk muslimah yang mampu menjaga niatan dalam hati. Tapi ternyata, aku bangga menjadi wanita populer yang sering menampakkan diri di depan umum. Aku memang bukan sedang mengikuti ajang puteri indonesia yang intinya pamer kecantikan dan kepintaran.
Sabtu, 17/10/2009 07:55 WIB Kemana Rasa Syukur Mereka? oleh Nurudin Kalau sekedar tidak selera, masih masih bisa ia maklumi. Ahmad sendiri sama sekali tidak berselera dengan masakan jengkol, meskipun banyak orang bilang kelezatannya sebanding dengan daging, paling tidak begitu pendapat mereka yang menyukai jenkol. Tapi ini bukan masalah selera, mereka benar-benar tak memandang sebelah matapun pada makanan itu.
Jumat, 16/10/2009 08:13 WIB Bukan Sembarang Istri oleh Meti Herawati Begitulah hidup penuh dengan pilihan. Setiap pilihan yang kita ambil menghadirkan konsekwensi yang harus kita hadapi. Hanya orang-orang bijak yang menentukan pilihan yang arif dan maslahat bukan hanya untuk dirinya tapi juga untuk orang disekitarnya. Dan saya bertemu dengan orang-orang bijak ini ketika merantau bersama suami ke negeri jiran.
Kamis, 15/10/2009 13:54 WIB Miyabi dan ”Kekerasan” Akhlaakul Kariimah oleh Abdul Mutaqin Namun kenyataannya, orang yang berusaha teguh atas keyakinan dan masih menyimpan banyak energi rasa malu terhadap masalah ini, sering dianggap munafik dan sok suci. Dianggap munafik karena mereka dinilai menyalahi kodrat bahwa dirinya juga diam-diam menyukai segala hal yang berbau aktivitas porno dan keindahan tubuh telanjang wanita.
Kamis, 15/10/2009 08:01 WIB Kucing dan Aib Kita oleh Syaifoel Hardy Menyimpan atau merahasiakan aib, apakah itu diri kita sendiri, keluarga, sanak famili, teman hingga orang lain, adalah perbuatan yang tidak gampang. Apalagi jika didasari rasa benci, dendam dan dengki. Ada pepatah yang mengatakan, jangan harap akan bertambah jika yang namanya uang atau keuntungan.
Rabu, 14/10/2009 14:58 WIB Indahnya Ber-ukhuwah oleh M. Arif As-Salman Saya sudah cukup lama mengenal Fajri. Sejak 2 tahun yang lalu. Perkenalan yang tentunya banyak memberi kesan tersendri bagi saya, terutama dari segi menghafal al-Qur`an. Ia adalah seorang hafizh al-Qur`an. Dan suaranya tak kalah indah dengan para qurra` yang lain. Sehingga pada bulan ramadhan ia selalu diminta untuk jadi imam shalat tarawih.
Rabu, 14/10/2009 07:57 WIB Tiadakah Maaf Bagiku? oleh Nurudin Lelaki ini pula yang selalu berpesan agar sang kakak memilih jalan yang lembut dan perlahan untuk mengingatkan suaminya agar kembali menyadari kekhilafannya, menyudahi sikap kerasnya, menghilangkan ucapan-ucapan kasarnya, kembali seperti semula, seorang lelaki yang penuh kasih sayang dan perhatian kepada keluarga juga kepada kakak dan adik-adiknya
Selasa, 13/10/2009 08:10 WIB Sebuah Ide Murahan oleh Nurudin Namanya sebuah film, tentu saja pemainnya tidaklah hanya satu, ada banyak pemain film lainnya, termasuk adalah pemain dari Indonesia. Dan diantara pemain itu, kemungkinan ada pemain film yang ‘mengaku’ seorang muslim. Lalu kemanakah akhlak mereka selama ini? Atau mereka sendiri telah kehilangan akal sehatnya terkena virus yang dengan angkuhnya mengatakan ‘ini sebuah seni!’
Senin, 12/10/2009 14:09 WIB Belajar dari Sa'ad oleh Abdul Mutaqin Di mata Allah, manusia tetaplah khalifah meskipun menyandang berbagai perbedaan sebutan dan profesi. Kagungan status khalifah seseorang tidak lebih tinggi hanya karena kebetulan ia adalah direktur, sementara di sampingnya pegawai rendahan. Atau anjlok ke tanah hanya karena kebetulan miskin papa, sementara di sampingnya berkacak pinggang saudagar kaya. Tidak. Bukan itu.
Senin, 12/10/2009 07:50 WIB Miyabi dan Otak Nakal Lelaki oleh Fiyan Arjun Entah apakah dalam hal ini kita patut bersuka atau malah (tambah) berduka. Belum habis airmata ini kering, menangisi Ranah Minang dilanda gempa dan sebagainya kini kita disuguhkan oleh berita yang sangat mengejutkan. Mungkin bagi mereka yang kontra tentang kedatangan gadis kelahiran Hokaido itu sangat menentang bahkan menolak kehadirannya di tanah air ini.
Minggu, 11/10/2009 09:42 WIB Yang Penting Niatnya oleh Ary Nur Azizah Perkenalan saya dengan tetangga saya, orang Pakistan, terjadi di parkir depan flat. Saat itu, saya baru saja pulang dari tugas rutin, mengambil wadah kue, di kedai tempat saya menitipkan barang dagangan. Tiba-tiba, perempuan cantik dengan pakaian khas Pakistan, memanggil saya.
Sabtu, 10/10/2009 05:25 WIB Apabila Bumi Bergoncang Dahsyat oleh M. Arif As-Salman Apa yang lagi bisa dibanggakan, rumah mewah yang telah dibangun sekian tahun, kini telah roboh, anak-anak yang menawan hati, telah mati dihimpit reruntuhan, suami dan istri yang selama ini menjadi tempat bergantung dan mengadu, kini telah pergi untuk selamanya, sanak saudara, karib kerabat, dan semuanya tak lagi ada, semua sudah musnah.
Jumat, 09/10/2009 08:05 WIB Menengok Keserakahan Indonesia dari Bumi India oleh Syaifoel Hardy Saya sering mendeng ar atau membaca di Koran tentang keburukan politisi India. Tapi rasanya tidak sebanding dengan di negeri kita utamanya dalam soal pemeliharaan lingkungan hidup. Saya pernah melihat sungai kotor di Delhi. Tapi pemandangan yang sama tidak saya temukan di kota-kota lainnya.
Kamis, 08/10/2009 13:56 WIB Masihkah Harapan Itu Ada oleh Ambe Mardiah Mertuanya ini, secara lahir saja terlihat keras pada wajahnya, memang ini terlihat karena wajah adalah cerminan hati. Apalagi bila kita bergaul padanya, maka terlihat lah betapa susahnya kita menasehatinya. Setiap nasehat kita, memang di tanggapi dengan positif, tapi jangan kaget hanya dengan bilangan detik, dia akan tetap berpendapat kurang baik pada seseorang yang dianggapnya bersalah padanya, walau pun itu adalah tetangga dekatnya.
Kamis, 08/10/2009 08:11 WIB Merah Saga, Palestina dan Gempa oleh Sucipto Mungkinkah rentetan kejadian bencana di Indonesia untuk mengingatkan muslim Indonesia sebagai komunitas muslim terbesar dunia? Karena Allah mengkaruniakan pada bangsa ini anugerah yang besar: tanah subur, kekayaan alam berlimpah, gemah lipah lohjinawi. Dakwah dengan mudah masuk ke negeri ini tanpa ada pertumpahan darah.Tapi apa yang bisa dibanggakan dari predikat ini, kita belum bisa berbuat apa-apa.
Rabu, 07/10/2009 15:07 WIB Semua Untukmu oleh Ayu_shafiyah Hari ini angin rindu datang berhembus, menggugurkan daun-daun yang sudah menguning. Titik air di ujung daunnya pun akhirnya terjatuh setelah sekuat tenaga ia bertahan untuk tidak pecah. Tapi ternyata semua ada batasnya. Tak ada yang abadi. Begitu juga dengan rindu ini. Tak akan lama bertahan sembunyi dalam gua hati.
Rabu, 07/10/2009 07:51 WIB Mama...maafkan Aku Mama oleh Icha Putri Pengorbananmu membawa beban berat selama 9 bulan, pertaruhkan nyawa ketika melahirkan aku, merawat aku menyayangi aku, hingga aku bisa seperti ini. Ya Allah sayangi mama seperti sayangnya kepadaku ketika aku kecil, jaga kesehatannya selalu, sampe aku bisa membalas kebaikannya sebanyak mungkin, walapun, tidak mungkin aku bisa membalas jasanya itu.
Selasa, 06/10/2009 14:10 WIB Cukup, Usah Tambah Derita oleh Dwi Eka Alangkah indahnya, saat masyarakat tengah dirundung derita, kita pun hadir membawa kesejukan bagi mereka, menghibur mereka dengan ungkapan penuh hikmah, memotivasi agar bersabar menghadapi cobaan, segera memberikan dengan sesuatu atau harta terbaik yang kita miliki untuk membantu mereka agar lekas pulih dan bangkit kembali. Karena sejatinya setiap peristiwa telah berada dalam ketentuan Allah SWT yang sudah digariskan.
Selasa, 06/10/2009 07:39 WIB Syair Untuk Negeriku Yang Berduka oleh Fiyan Arjun Hingga saya bertanya-tanya adakah yang salah pada negeri ini? Atau, Tuhan memang sedang menyayangi umatNya? Mungkin! Agar umatNya sadar dan memahami musibah yang sudah terjadi di negeri ini. Bahkan saya masih teringat dengan dialog saya kepada kawan saya saat tragedi musibah gempa di Tasikmalaya—dengan rasa keingintahuan saya terhadap kawan saya itu akhirnya saya pun menelepon dirinya.
Senin, 05/10/2009 14:00 WIB Senantiasa Berlidunglah Kita Pada Allah SWT oleh Wibowo Tidak sedikit juga orang yang sekarang sudah tidak bisa merasakan nikmatnya berjalan, nikmatnya makan dengan mengunakan tangannya, atap rumah yang dulunya bersahabat melindungi tubuhnya dari sengatan teriknya Matahari dan derasnya guyuran air Hujan. Akhirnya atap rumah itu pun runtuh menimpa organ tubuh si pemilik rumah.

Descripsi Bus (transportasi)

2009-11-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

Bus (transportasi)

Bus di Helsinki, Finlandia

Bus adalah kendaraan besar beroda, digunakan untuk membawa penumpang dalam jumlah besar. Istilah bus ini berasal dari bahasa Latin, omnibus, yang berarti "(kendaraan yang berhenti) di semua (perhentian)".

Jenis

Coach / Motorcoach

Bus Antar Kota

Coach atau motorcoach biasanya adalah kendaraan yang dirancang untuk bepergian jarak jauh dari bus biasa. Sebagai hasilnya dia dilengkapi dengan kursi yang lebih nyaman, sebuah ruangan untuk tempat bagasi, dan mesin yang lebih besar. Kendaraan ini biasanya lebih tinggi dari bus biasa, dan dilengkapi dengan a.c., toilet, dan sistem audio/video.
Coaches / motorcoach adalah kendaraan yang fleksibel yang dapat digunakan untuk pariwisata, perjalanan liburan atau perjalanan antar-kota.

Bus tingkat

Bus wisata adalah sebuah atraksi wisatawan yang umum di kota-kota besar.

Bus tingkat dirancang dengan dua lantai agar dapat memuat lebih banyak penumpang. Dikenal sebagai bagian dari transportasi publik di Jakarta dan juga di beberapa kota besar lain seperti London, Bombay, Hong Kong, Singapura, Dublin, Berlin, Davis, California, dan Victoria, British Columbia.

Bus sekolah

Bus Sekolah Laidlaw

Bus sekolah digunakan untuk mengangkut anak-anak sekolah antara rumah mereka ke sekolah apabila tempat tinggal mereka terlalu jauh untuk ditempuh dengan berjalan kaki. Di AS bus sekolah biasanya memiliki warna khusus yaitu kuning dan dilengkapi dengan lampu peringatan lalu lintas serta perlengkapan pengaman lainnya yang digunakan ketika para penumpang naik atau turun dari bus. Bus sekolah biasanya dioperasikan oleh distrik sekolah atau oleh penyedia jaas bus sekolah yang dikontrak.
First Student memperkenalkan bus-bus kuning di Britania Raya. Namun kebanyakan pelayanan bus sekolah dilakukan dengan menggunakan bus-bus biasa.
Di negara-negara lain, bus sekolah tidak selalu berwarna kuning. Buenos Aires, dan kemungkinan juga bus-bus sekolah lainnya di Argentina diberi warna oranye dan ditulisi "escolares."
Di Jakarta pernah dicoba diperkenalkan bus sekolah oleh pemerintah Jakarta, namun proyek ini tidak berhasil karena seringkali penumpang yang bukan murid sekolah juga ikut menggunakannya. Beberapa sekolah swasta di beberapa tempat di Indonesia memberikan pelayanan bus sekolah bagi siswa-siswanya.

Bus belajar

Bus belajar adalah sebuah bus khusus yang digunakan oleh perusahaan bus untuk melatih ketrampilan mengemudi para pengemudi busnya. Bus ini juga digunakan untuk mendidik orang yang ingin menjadi pengemudi bus. Latihan mengemudi bus di jalan adalah bagian penting dari pendidikan ini, seperti halnya juga pendidikan mengemudi mobil biasa.

Descripsi Coach / Motorcoach

2009-11-04T00:04:00.002-08:00

Coach / Motorcoach

Bus Antar Kota

Descripsi Bus Tingkat

2009-11-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

Bus tingkat

Bus wisata adalah sebuah atraksi wisatawan yang umum di kota-kota besar.

Descripsi Bus Belajar

2009-11-04T00:03:00.001-08:00

Bus belajar

Bus belajar adalah sebuah bus khusus yang digunakan oleh perusahaan bus untuk melatih ketrampilan mengemudi para pengemudi busnya. Bus ini juga digunakan untuk mendidik orang yang ingin menjadi pengemudi bus. Latihan mengemudi bus di jalan adalah bagian penting dari pendidikan ini, seperti halnya juga pendidikan mengemudi mobil biasa.

Descripsi Bus Sekolah

2009-11-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Bus sekolah

Bus Sekolah Laidlaw

Gambar Pesawat Tempur Iran Saeqeh

2009-11-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Gambar Pesawat Tempur Iran Saeqeh

“Dan siapkanlah untuk menghadapi mereka kekuatan apa saja yang kamu sanggupi dan dari kuda-kuda yang ditambat untuk berperang (yang dengan persiapan itu) kamu menggentarkan musuh Allah dan musuhmu dan orang orang selain mereka yang kamu tidak mengetahuinya; sedang Allah mengetahuinya. Apa saja yang kamu nafkahkan pada jalan Allah niscaya akan dibalasi dengan cukup kepadamu dan kamu tidak akan dianiaya (dirugikan).” [Al Anfaal:60]

Allah mengingatkan ummat Islam untuk bersiap-siaga agar tidak diserang dan dijajah oleh ummat lainnya. Si vis pacem Para Bellum, kata orang Barat. Jika ingin damai, siapkan perang (bersiaga).

Alhamdulillah Republik Islam Iran yang dari awal berdirinya sudah diserang oleh Saddam Hussein, Iraq yang didukung negara-negara Arab (Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi, dsb) serta AS dan Eropa mampu bertahan meski jatuh 2 juta korban tewas di kedua belah pihak. Justru belakangan negara-negara penyerangnya berkelahi satu sama lain sementara Saddam dan puteranya mati di tangan mantan sekutunya: AS.

Meski diembargo oleh AS, ternyata Republik Islam Iran mampu membuat berbagai senjata seperti pesawat tempur Azarakhs yang mengacu pada pesawat F-5 AS, Saeqeh (Petir) yang mengacu pada pesawat F-18, rudal Shahab yang mampu menjangkau Israel dan pangkalan militer AS di Arab Saudi, tank, serta senapan mesin yang mampu menembus baju anti peluru dari jarak 2,5 km.

Semoga negara-negara Islam lain seperti Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Arab, dsb mampu membuat senjata sendiri. Tidak perlu beli dari negara-negara non Muslim. Dan semoga semua negara-negara Islam bersatu dan tidak berkelahi satu sama lain.

Silahkan lihat gambar-gambar pesawat tempur Iran.

Pesawat Tempur Saeqeh tengah mengudara

Saeqeh menembakkan roketnya

Saeqeh terbang berdua

http://aerospaceusr.ir/aeros/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=1

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=23885&sectionid=351020101

Iran test flies ‘Saeqeh’ fighter
Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:33:46

Defense Ministry successfully test flies locally-manufactured ‘Saeqeh’ fighter jet in what is seen as the growing Iranian military power.

Saeqeh is a new generation of ‘Azarakhsh’ class which had already been tested successfully.
The modern fighter has been developed by the Air Force and Aeronautics Industry.
Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Army Commander Ataollah Salehi, Air Force Commander Ahmad Miqani, and a number of other commanders were present in the flight ceremony at Mehrabad airport.

The Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi and Reza Talaei-Nik, a commission member, were also present.

The fighter jets were flown by Iranian Air Force pilots.

The fighter jets are planned to join the Air Force squadron officially on the military march on Sep. 22, the first day of the holy defense week.

BGA/PA

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=24357&sectionid=351020101

Iran defense aviation ’self-sufficient’

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:18:46

The commander of the Iranian Air Force says the Islamic Republic is self-sufficient in producing the aircraft equipment it needs.

The difference between the armed forces’ last parade (on Saturday) with the previous ones is that all the military machinery had been manufactured on Iran’s soil, Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani said.

Miqani added that the military’s use of domestically-manufactured equipment to such extent illustrates the determination of Iran’s armed forces in achieving self-sufficiency in all areas.
The commander enumerated the production of radar systems, automatic cannons, anti-aircraft weapons and fighter planes as the army’s achievements, adding that the armed forces are reviewing the most recent developments in the world and will implement other projects in the near future.
Miqani also called the domestically-produced fighter jet Saeqeh an advanced piece of technology with excellent missile and radar capabilities.

Saeqeh is a new generation of ‘Azarakhsh’ fighters.

The modern fighter has been developed by the Air Force and aeronautics industry.

AR/AA/BGH

http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1594

Associated Press

TEHRAN – Iran has begun production of a heavy machine-gun with armour-piercing bullets, state television reported Tuesday.

Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said the 12.7-millimetre gun has a range of 2.5 kilometres and is suitable for snipers.

“The United States had protested to a European country about selling the gun (to Iran), while we have already produced it,” Shamkhani said. “Today the first consignment of the weapon was delivered.”

Television footage showed several guns being tested, one by the minister.

“Now our snipers could target the enemy in their armoured personnel carriers and concrete bunkers,” Shamkhani told TV.

The gun weighs 13 kilograms and can be mounted on a vehicle.

Iran has a developing arms industry. It produces the Shahab-3 missile, whose range is capable of reaching Israel and U.S. forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. It also produces its own brand of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane.

March 31st, 2008 | Category: Jihad

MetroMini

2009-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

MetroMini

Metro Mini

MetroMini adalah nama sebuah perusahaan yang menyediakan jasa angkutan kendaraan umum di Jakarta, Indonesia. Bus-busnya berukuran kecil dengan warna khas merah-oranye dan biru dengan garis putih di tengahnya. Memiliki kapasitas sekitar 20-30 tempat duduk. MetroMini melayani trayek-trayek dalam kota Jakarta yang setiap rutenya ditandai dengan suatu nomor khusus, misalnya MetroMini 92, S69, dll. Awalan S, T, B, U, P di depan nomor menandakan wilayah layanan operasi: Jakarta Selatan, Timur, Barat, Utara, atau Pusat. MetroMini yang melayani lintas wilayah tidak mendapat awalan huruf pada nomornya.

Ciri khas

MetroMini sangat terkenal di kawasan Jakarta. Hampir tidak ada orang yang tidak tahu MetroMini, ini dikarenakan MetroMini merupakan salah satu angkutan murah di Jakarta yang tarif per orang hanya Rp 2000,00 dan pelajar Rp 1000,00. MetroMini juga terkenal akan kebrutalan supirnya, kaca yang biasanya ditempeli stiker dan juga armada yang sudah tidak layak untuk mengangkut penumpang. Ini dibuktikan dengan tidak berfungsinya beberapa instrumen bis, seperti speedometer dan juga salah satu pembuat polusi di Jakarta dengan sistem pembuangan karbon di knalpot yang sudah tidak sempurna. Meskipun begitu, MetroMini tetap merupakan salah satu jenis angkutan terpopuler di Jakarta.

Rute

001 >> Senen - RS Islam Cempaka Putih - Taman Solo
003 >> Senen - Cempaka Putih - Rawamangun
005 >> Senen - Johar Baru - Mardani
007 >> Senen - Cempaka Mas - Semper
010 >> Senen - Kemayoran - Sunter
011 >> Senen - Kemayoran - Bendungan Jago
015 >> Senen - Sabang - Setiabudi
017 >> Senen - Cikini - Manggarai
023 >> Tanjung Priok - Cilincing
024 >> Tanjung Priok - Sunter - Senen
029 >> Kota - Pademangan - Sunter
030 >> Kota - Pluit - Muara Angke
041 >> Pulo Gadung - Tugu - Tanjung Priok
042 >> Pulo Gadung - Penggilingan - Perumnas Klender
043 >> Pulo Gadung - Pondok Ungu - Seroja
044 >> Pulo Gadung - Penggilingan - Pulo Gebang
045 >> Pulo Gadung - Jatiwaringin - Pondok Gede
046 >> Pulo Gadung - Utan Kayu - Kampung Melayu
047 >> Senen - Cempaka Putih - Pondok Kopi
049 >> Pulo Gadung - Rawamangun Muka - Utan Kayu - Pramuka - Tambak - Manggarai
050 >> Kampung Melayu - Duren Sawit - Perumnas Klender
052 >> Kampung Melayu - Buaran - Stasiun Cakung
053 >> Kampung Melayu - Otista - Dewi Sartika - Condet - Kampung Rambutan
054 >> Kampung Melayu - Kalimalang - Pondok Kelapa
058 >> Cililitan - Pondok Bambu - Perumnas Klender
060 >> Manggarai - Tebet - Kampung Melayu
061 >> Manggarai - Bukit Duri - Kampung Melayu
062 >> Manggarai - Pancoran - Pasar Minggu
064 >> Pasar Minggu - Kalibata - Cililitan
069 >> Blok M - Kyai Maja - Kreo - Ciledug
070 >> Blok M - Pos Pengumben - Joglo
071 >> Blok M - Tanah Kusir - Kodam Bintaro
072 >> Blok M - Pasar Mayestik - Radio Dalam - Pondok Indah – Lebak Bulus
074 >> Blok M - Tanah Kusir - Rempoa
075 >> Blok M - Kemang - Pasar Minggu
076 >> Blok M - Cilandak - Kampung Rambutan
077 >> Blok M - Mampang - Ragunan
078 >> Blok M - Mayestik - Kebayoran Lama - Cidodol
079 >> Blok M - Fatmawati - Lebak Bulus
082 >> Kalideres - Kamal - Kapuk - Grogol
084 >> Kalideres - Pluit - Kota
085 >> Kalideres - Permata Hijau - Lebak Bulus
091 >> Batusari - Tanjung Duren - Citraland - Grogol - Roxy Mas - Tanah Abang
092 >> Joglo - Kedoya - Jalan Panjang - Daan Mogot - Grogol
506 >> Kampung Melayu - Klender - Pondok Kopi
610 >> Blok M - Cipete - RS Fatmawati - Pondok Labu
611 >> Blok M - Pondok Pinang - Pasar Jumat - Lebak Bulus
619 >> Blok M - Pangeran Antasari - TB Simatupang - RS Fatmawati - Pondok Labu - Cinere
640 >> Pasar Minggu - Pancoran - Tosari - Tanah Abang
719 >> Lebak Bulus - Pondok Gede - Jatiasih
733 >> Blok M - Bintara - Kranji
783 >> Kampung Melayu - Kalimalang - Cibubur - Cileungsi
789 >> Perumnas Klender - Pulo Gadung - Harapan Indah
792 >> Perumnas Klender - Pondok Kelapa - Bekasi
811 >> Blok M - Lebak Bulus - Rempoa - Bintaro

2009-11-02T03:52:00.000-08:00

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http://www.baju-murah.com/
http://www.baju-wanita.com/
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http://www.ven-goz.co.cc/
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Description of PlayStation 2

2009-11-02T03:42:00.000-08:00

PlayStation 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PlayStation 2

Original model design and logo of the PS2.
Manufacturer	Sony Computer Entertainment
Product family	PlayStation
Type	Video game console
Generation	Sixth generation era (128-bit era), (seventh generation)
Retail availability	^JP March 4, 2000 ^NA October 26, 2000 ^EU November 24, 2000 ^AUS November 30, 2000 ^[1]
Units shipped	138 million (as of September 1st, 2009)^[2]
Media	DVD, CD
CPU	64-bit^[3]^[4] "Emotion Engine" clocked at 294.912 MHz (launch), 299 MHz (newer models)
Storage capacity	40 GB Hard Drive , Playstation and Playstation 2 Memory cards
Graphics	"Graphics Synthesizer" clocked at 147.456 MHz
Controller input	DualShock 2
Connectivity	100 Mbit Ethernet/modem adapter
Online services	Dynamic Network Authentication System
Best-selling game	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: 17.33 million sold (as of February, 2009)^[5]
Backward compatibility	PlayStation
Predecessor	PlayStation
Successor	PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 2 (often shortened to PS2) is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game consoles. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was released a year later in Japan. Its primary competitors were Sega's Dreamcast, Microsoft's Xbox, and Nintendo's GameCube.
The PS2 is the best-selling console to date, having reached over 138 million units sold as of August 18, 2009^[2] and a software library projected to exceed 1,900 games in 2009.^[6] Twenty games are scheduled to be released in 2010, giving the PS2 a marketable life of over 10 years, thus continuing the sixth generation.

History

Only a few million people had obtained consoles by the end of 2000 due to manufacturing delays.^[7] Directly after its release, it was difficult to find PS2 units on retailer shelves.^[8] Another option was purchasing the console online through auction websites such as eBay, where people paid over one thousand dollars for a PS2.^[9] The PS2 initially sold well partly on the basis of the strength of the PlayStation brand and the console's backward compatibility, selling over 980,000 units in Japan by March 5, 2000, one day after launch.^[10] This allowed the PS2 to tap the large install base established by the PlayStation — another major selling point over the competition. Later, Sony added new development kits for game developers and more PS2 units for consumers.
A notable piece of advertising for the PS2 launch was accompanied by the popular "PS9" television commercial. It was to be the epitome of development, toward which the PS2 was the next step. The ad also presaged the development of the PlayStation Portable^{[citation needed]} (first released in Japan on December 12, 2004).
Many analysts predicted a close three-way matchup between the PS2 and competitors Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube (GameCube being the cheapest of the three consoles and had an open market of games); however, the release of several blockbuster games during the 2001 holiday season maintained sales momentum and held off the PS2's rivals.^[11]
Although Sony, unlike Sega with its Dreamcast, placed little emphasis on online gaming during its first years^{[citation needed]}, that changed upon the launch of the online-capable Xbox. Sony released the PlayStation Network Adaptor in late 2002 to compete with Microsoft, with several online first–party titles released alongside it, such as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs to demonstrate its active support for Internet play. Sony also advertised heavily, and its online model had the support of Electronic Arts. Although Sony and Nintendo both started out late, and although both followed a decentralized model of online gaming where the responsibility is up to the developer to provide the servers, Sony's attempt made online gaming a major selling point of the PS2.
In September 2004, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Sony revealed a new, slimmer PS2 (see Hardware revisions). In preparation for the launch of the new model (SCPH-70000), Sony stopped making the older model (SCPH-5000x) to let the distribution channel empty its stock of the units.After an apparent manufacturing issue—Sony reportedly underestimated demand—caused some initial slowdown in producing the new unit caused in part by shortages between the time the old units were cleared out and the new units were ready. The issue was compounded in Britain when a Russian oil tanker became stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking a ship from China carrying PS2s bound for the UK. During one week in November, British sales totalled 6,000 units — compared to 70,000 units a few weeks prior.^[12] There were shortages in more than 1700 stores in North America on the day before Christmas.^[13]
Sony has announced that starting April 1, 2009 the PS2 would be retailing at the new price of $99.99.^[14]

Hardware and software compatibility

OEM PlayStation 2 8 MB Memory Card.

In addition to PS2 software, the PS2 can read both CDs and DVDs and is backward compatible with PlayStation games. The PS2 also supports PlayStation memory cards (for PlayStation game saves only) and controllers, although the memory cards only work with PS1 games and the controllers may not support all functions (such as analog buttons) for PS2 games.

The PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller is cosmetically similar to the original DualShock.

The PS2's DualShock 2 controller is essentially an upgraded PlayStation DualShock; analog face, shoulder and D-pad buttons replaced the digital buttons of the original. Like its predecessor, the DualShock 2 controller has force feedback, which is commonly called the "vibration" function. The standard PlayStation 2 memory card has an 8MB capacity and uses Sony's MagicGate encryption. This requirement prevented the production of memory cards by third parties who did not purchase a license for the MagicGate encryption. Memory cards without encryption can be used to store PlayStation game saves, but PlayStation games would be unable to read from or write to the card - such a card could only be used as a backup.
The console also features USB and IEEE 1394 expansion ports. Compatibility with USB and IEEE 1394 devices is dependent on the software supporting the device. For example, the PS2 BIOS will not boot an ISO image from a USB flash drive or operate a USB printer, as the machine's operating system does not include this functionality. By contrast, Gran Turismo 4 is programmed to save screenshots to a USB mass storage device and print images on certain USB printers. A PlayStation 2 HDD can be installed in an expansion bay on the back of the console, with some exceptions (see Hardware revisions below).

PlayStation 2 infrared remote control

Online

With the purchase of a separate unit called the Network Adapter (which is built into the slimline model), some PS2 games support online multiplayer. Instead of having a unified, subscription-based online service like Xbox Live, online multiplayer on the PS2 is split between publishers and run on third-party servers. Most recent PS2 online games have been developed to exclusively support broadband Internet access. Xbox Live similarly requires a broadband Internet connection.
All online PS2 games released in and after 2003 are protected by the Dynamic Network Authentication System (DNAS). The purpose of this system is to prevent piracy and online cheating. DNAS will prevent games from being played online if they are determined to be pirated copies or if they have been modified. However, methods have been developed to get around this protection by modifying key files in the modified game.
Also, some unofficial modifications have been made on the PS2 software allowing it to be used as a fully-functional web browser or messenger when connecting to a certain network. The PS2 can also run Linux.

Hardware revisions

The PS2 has undergone many revisions, some only of internal construction and others involving substantial external changes. These are colloquially known among PS2 hardware hackers as V0, V1, V2, etc., up to V15b (as of 2008).
The PS2 is primarily differentiated between models featuring the original case design and "slimline" models, which were introduced at the end of 2004.

Original case design

The original PlayStation 2 design.

Three of the original PS2 launch models (SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000, and SCPH-18000) were only sold in Japan, and lacked the expansion bay (Dev9) of current PS2 models. These models included a PCMCIA slot instead of the Dev9 port of newer models. A PCMCIA-to-Dev9 adapter was later made available for these models. SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 did not have a built-in DVD movie playback and instead relied on encrypted playback software that was copied to a memory card from an included CD-ROM. (Normally, the PS2 will only execute encrypted software from its memory card, but see PS2 Independence Exploit.) V3 had a substantially different internal structure from the subsequent revisions, featuring several interconnected printed circuit boards. As of V4 everything was unified into one board, except the power supply. V5 introduced minor internal changes, and the only difference between V6 (sometimes called V5.1) and V5 is the orientation of the Power/Reset switch board connector, which was reversed to prevent the use of no-solder modchips. V7 and V8 included only minor revisions to V6. Assembly of the PS2 moved to the People's Republic of China during the development of V9 (model numbers SCPH-50000 and SCPH-50001). The upgraded console added an infrared port for the optional DVD remote control, removed the IEEE 1394 port, added the capability to read DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs, added progressive-scan output of DVD movies, and added a quieter fan. V10 and V11 were only minor revisions to V9.
The PS2 standard color is matte black. Several different variations in color have been produced in different quantities and regions, including ceramic white, light yellow, metallic blue (aqua), metallic silver, navy (star blue), opaque blue (astral blue), opaque black (midnight black), pearl white, Sakura purple, satin gold, satin silver, snow white, super red, and transparent blue (ocean blue).
The small PlayStation logo on the front of the disc tray could be rotated ninety degrees, in order for the logo to be the right way up in both vertical and horizontal console orientations.

Slimline

The redesigned slimline PlayStation 2.

In September 2004, Sony unveiled its third major hardware revision (V12, model number SCPH-70000). Available in late October 2004, it is smaller, thinner, and quieter than the older versions and includes a built-in Ethernet port (in some markets it also has an integrated modem). Due to its thinner profile, it does not contain the 3.5" expansion bay and therefore does not support the internal hard disk drive. It also lacks an internal power supply, similar to the GameCube, and has a modified Multitap expansion. The removal of the expansion bay has been criticized as a limitation due to the existence of titles such as Final Fantasy XI, which require the use of the HDD. The official PS2 Linux also requires an expansion bay to function. Currently only the modified Multitap is sold in stores, meaning that owners of older PS2s must find a used or non-Sony Multitap in order to have 4 or 8 players during a single game. Third-party connectors can be soldered into the unit giving hard drive support, however IDE connections were completely removed in the V14 revision, thereby eliminating this option. Certain mod chips enable the use of a USB hard drive or other mass storage device.

Comparison of the slimline PlayStation 2 design with the PlayStation 2, with an Eye Toy on top.

There are some disputes on the numbering for this PS2 version,^{[citation needed]} since there are actually two sub-versions of the SCPH-70000.^[20] One of them includes the old EE and GS chips, and the other contains the newer unified EE+GS chip, but otherwise they are identical. Since the V12 version had already been established for this model, there were some disputes regarding these sub-versions. Two propositions were to name the old model (with separate EE and GS chips) V11.5 and the newer model V12, and to name the old model V12 and the newer model V13. Currently, most people use V12 for both models, or V12 for the old model and V13 for the newer one.
The V12 model was first released in black, but a silver edition is available in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, United Arab Emirates and other GCC Countries, France, Italy, South Africa, and most recently, North America. It is unknown whether or not this will follow the color schemes of the older model, although a limited edition console that is pink in colour has become available since March 2007.
V12 (or V13) was succeeded by V14 (SCPH-75001 and SCPH-75002), which contains integrated EE and GS chips, and different ASICs compared to previous revisions, with some chips having a copyright date of 2005, compared to 2000 or 2001 for earlier models. It also has a different lens and some compatibility issues with a different number of PlayStation games and even some PS2 games.
In the beginning of 2005 it was found that some black slimline console power transformers bought between November and December 2004 were faulty and could overheat. The units were recalled by Sony, with the company supplying a replacement model made in 2005.
Later hardware revisions had better compatibility with PlayStation games (Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions operates on most silver models); however, the new Japanese slim models have more issues with playing PlayStation games than the first PS2 revisions.^{[citation needed]}
In 2006, Sony released new hardware revisions (V15, model numbers SCPH-77001a and SCPH-77001b). It was first released in Japan on September 15, 2006, including the Silver edition. After its release in Japan, it was then released in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world. The new revision uses an integrated, unified EE+GS chip, a redesigned ASIC, a different laser lens, an updated BIOS, and updated drivers.
In July 2007, Sony started shipping a revision of the slimline PlayStation 2 (SCPH-79000) featuring a reduced weight of 600 grams compared to 900 grams of the SCPH-77001, achieved through a reduction in parts. The unit also uses a smaller motherboard as well as a custom ASIC which houses the Emotion Engine, Graphics Synthesizer, and the RDRAM. The AC adaptor's weight was also reduced to 250 grams from the 350 grams in the previous revision.^[21]
Another refinement of the slimline PlayStation 2 (SCPH-90000) was released in Japan on November 22, 2007^[22], and in the US and EU in late 2008^{[citation needed]}, with an overhauled internal design that incorporates the power supply into the console itself, with a further reduced total weight of 720 grams. SCPH-90000 series consoles manufactured after March 2008 incorporate a revised BIOS, which disables an exploit present in all older models that allowed homebrew applications to be launched from a memory card.

PSX

Main article: PSX (DVR)

Sony also manufactured a consumer device called the PSX that can be used as a digital video recorder and DVD burner in addition to playing PS2 games. The device was released in Japan on December 13, 2003 and though it was never released anywhere else, it can be found for sale in some of the Sony Style shops located in a number of countries. The PSX was poorly received in both areas, some major features were absent from the first revisions of the hardware and experienced very weak sales in spite of major price drops. The system is considered a rarity and is now selling for around $500 on eBay. The PSX (DVR) was also the first Sony product to include the XrossMediaBar interface.^[23]

Sales

Region	Units sold	First available
Japan	21 million (as of October 1, 2008)^[24]	March 4, 2000
North America	50 million (as of December 2008)^[25]	October 26, 2000
Europe	48 million (as of May 6, 2008)^[26]	November 24, 2000
Worldwide	138 million (as of August 18, 2009)^[2]

On November 29, 2005, the PlayStation 2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch. This achievement occurred faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation, which took 9 years and 6 months to reach the same benchmark.^[27]
The PS2 has sold 138 million sell-in units worldwide as of August 18, 2009, according to Sony.^[2] In Europe, the PS2 has sold 48 million units as of May 6, 2008, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.^[26] In North America, the PS2 has sold 50 million units as of December 2008.^[25] In Japan, the PS2 has sold 21,454,325 units as of October 1, 2008, according to Famitsu/Enterbrain.^[24]
In Europe, the PS2 sold 6 million units in 2006 and 3.8 million in 2007, according to estimates by Electronic Arts. In 2007, the PS2 sold 3.97 million units in the US according to the NPD Group^[30]^[31] and 816,419 units in Japan according to Enterbrain.^[32] In 2008, the PS2 sold 480,664 units in Japan, according to Enterbrain.

Accessories

Main articles: DualShock, PlayStation 2 HDD, EyeToy, PlayStation 2 Headset, and Logitech

The PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller is largely identical to the PlayStation's DualShock, with the same basic functionality; however, it includes analog pressure sensitivity on the face, shoulder and D-pad buttons, is lighter and includes two more levels of vibration. The L2 and R2 buttons are also significantly larger. The fact that the design did not change pleased some consumers who were already used to the DualShock controller.^{[citation needed]}

The EyeToy.

Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller compatible with the PlayStation 2.

Optional hardware includes DualShock or DualShock 2 controllers, a PS2 DVD remote control, an internal or external HDD, a network adapter, horizontal and vertical stands, PlayStation or PS2 memory cards, light guns (GunCon), fishing rod and reel controllers. Also available are various cables and interconnects, including the Multitap for PlayStation or PS2, S-Video, RGB, SCART, VGA (for progressive scan games and PS2 Linux only), component and composite video cables, an RF modulator, a USB camera (EyeToy), dance pads for Dance Dance Revolution, In the Groove, and Pump It Up titles, Konami microphones for use with the Karaoke Revolution games, dual microphones (sold with and used exclusively for SingStar games), various "guitar" controllers (for the Guitar Freaks series and Guitar Hero series), the drum set controller (sold in a box set (or by itself) with a "guitar" controller and a USB microphone for use with Rock Band), Onimusha 3 katana controller, Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller, a USB keyboard and mouse, and a headset. Unlike the PlayStation, which required the use of an official Sony PlayStation mouse to play mouse-compatible games, the few PS2 games with mouse support work with standard PC-compatible USB mice. Early versions of the PS2 could be networked via an iLink port, though this had little game support and was dropped. The original PS2 multitap cannot be plugged into the newer slim models (as the multitap connects to the memory card slot as well as the controller slot and the memory card slot on the slimline is shallower). New slim-design multitaps are manufactured for these models, however third-party adapters also exist to permit original multitaps to be used. Some third party manufacturers have created devices that allow disabled people to access the PS2 through ordinary switches etc. One such device is the PS2-SAP from LEPMIS, another is for example the JPemulator.

Homebrew development

Technical specifications

The specifications of the PlayStation 2 console are as follows, with hardware revisions:

Emotion Engine CPU

Graphics Synthesizer GPU

Graphics Synthesizer as on SCPH39000.

Older EE+GS that does not incorporate system memory (Found in Older Charcoal Black Slim PS2s. (SCPH-70001).

ASIC that incorporates the EE, GS, and system memory (found in silver slim PS2s. Model SCPH-79000).

The I/O Processor, containing a MIPS R3000-based CPU used in the PlayStation 1 and I/O logic

CPU: 64-bit^[3]^[4] "Emotion Engine" clocked at 294.912 MHz (299 MHz on newer versions), 10.5 million transistors
- System Memory: 32 MB(32 × 2²⁰ bytes) Direct Rambus or RDRAM
- Memory bus Bandwidth: 3.2 gigabytes per second
- Main processor: MIPS R5900 CPU core, 64 bit, little endian (mipsel).
- Coprocessor: FPU (Floating Point Multiply Accumulator × 1, Floating Point Divider × 1)
- Vector Units: VU0 and VU1 (Floating Point Multiply Accumulator × 9, Floating Point Divider × 1), 32-bit, at 150 MHz.
  - VU0 typically used for polygon transformations optionally (under parallel or serial connection), physics and other gameplay based things
    - Parallel performs transformations in parallel in the same moment
    - Serial (series) performs transformations in a series of steps or stages coherent to the design of each VU
      - Stage 1: VU0 does perspective and cam, boning, animations and movement laws per triangle
      - Stage 2: VU1 does colors, lights and effects per triangle)
  - VU1 typically used for polygon transformations, lighting and other visual based calculations
    - Texture matrix able for 2 units (UV/ST)^[36]
- Floating Point Performance: 6.2 gigaFLOPS (single precision 32-bit floating point)
  - FPU 0.64 gigaFLOPS
  - VU0 2.44 gigaFLOPS
  - VU1 3.08 gigaFLOPS (with Internal 0.64 gigaFLOP EFU)
- 3D CG Geometric transformation(VU0+VU1 parallel): 66 million polygons per second
  - 3D CG Geometric transformations under curved surfaces: 16 million polygons per second
  - 3D CG Geometric transformations at peak bones/movements/effects(textures)/lights(VU0+VU1): 15-20 million polygons per second (dependent on if series or parallel T&L)
  - Actual real-world polygons (per frame):500-650k at 30fps, 250-325k at 60fps
- Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG-2
- I/O Processor interconnection: Remote Procedure Call over a serial link, DMA controller for bulk transfer
- Cache memory: Instruction: 16 KB(16 × 2¹⁰ bytes), Data: 8 KB + 16 KB (ScrP)

Graphics processing unit: "Graphics Synthesizer" clocked at 147 MHz
- Pixel pipelines: 16
- Video output resolution: variable from 256x224 to 1280x1024 pixels
- 4 MB (4 × 2²⁰ bytes) Embedded DRAM video memory bandwidth at 48 gigabytes per second (main system 32 MB can be dedicated into VRAM for off-screen materials)
  - Texture buffer bandwidth: 9.6 GB/s
  - Frame buffer bandwidth: 38.4 GB/s
- DRAM Bus width: 2560-bit (composed of three independent buses: 1024-bit write, 1024-bit read, 512-bit read/write)
- Pixel Configuration: RGB: Alpha:Z Buffer (24:8, 15:1 for RGB, 16, 24, or 32-bit Z buffer)
- Dedicated connection to: Main CPU and VU1
- Overall Pixel fillrate: 16x147 = 2.352 Gpixel/s (rounded to 2.4 Gpixel/s)
  - Pixel fillrate: with no texture, flat shaded 2.4(75,000,000 32pixel raster triangles)
  - Pixel fillrate: with 1 full texture(Diffuse Map), Gouraud shaded 1.2 (37,750,000 32-bit pixel raster triangles)
  - Pixel fillrate: with 2 full textures(Diffuse map + specular or alpha or other), Gouraud shaded 0.6 (18,750,000 32-bit pixel raster triangles)
- GS effects: AAx2 (poly sorting required)^[37], Bilinear, Trilinear, Multi-pass, Palletizing (4-bit = 6:1 ratio, 8-bit = 4:1)
- Multi-pass rendering ability
  - Four passes = 300 Mpixel/s (300 Mpixels/s divided by 32 pixels = 9,375,000 triangles/s lost every four passes)^[38]
Audio: "SPU1+SPU2" (SPU1 is actually the CPU clocked at 8 MHz)
- Number of voices: 48 hardware channels of ADPCM on SPU2 plus software-mixed channels
- Sampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz (selectable)
- Output: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, DTS (Full motion video only), later games achieved analog 5.1 surround during gameplay through Dolby Pro Logic II
I/O Processor
- CPU Core: Original PlayStation CPU (MIPS R3000A clocked at 33.8688 MHz or 37.5 MHz)
- Automatically underclocked to 33.8688 MHz to achieve hardware backwards compatibility with original Playstation format games.
- Sub Bus: 32-bit
- Connection to: SPU and CD/DVD controller.

Interfaces:
- 2 proprietary PlayStation controller ports (250 kHz clock for PS1 and 500 kHz for PS2 controllers)
- 2 proprietary Memory Card slots using MagicGate encryption (250 kHz for PS1 cards, up to 2 MHz for PS2 cards)
- Expansion Bay (PCMCIA on early models for PCMCIA Network Adaptor and External Hard Disk Drive) DEV9 port for Network Adaptor
- Modem, Ethernet and Internal Hard Disk Drive (single IDE/ATA channel, possible to hook 2 devices to.)
- FireWire (only in SCPH 10xxx – 3xxxx)
- Infrared remote control port (SCPH 5000x and newer) — IEEE 1394 port removed and Infrared port added in SCPH-50000 and later hardware versions.
- 2 USB 1.1 ports with an OHCI-compatible controller.

Disc Drive type: proprietary interface through a custom micro-controller + DSP chip. 24x speed (PlayStation 2 format CD-ROM, PlayStation format CD-ROM), 4x (Supported DVD formats) — Region-locked with anti-copy protection. Can't read "Gold Discs" i.e., normal CD-ROMs.

Supported Disc Media: PlayStation 2 format CD-ROM, PlayStation format CD-ROM, Compact Disc Audio, PlayStation 2 format DVD-ROM (4.7 GB)(some games on DVD9 8.5 GB), DVD Video (4.7 GB), DVD-9 (8.5 GB Double-Layer). Later models (starting with SCPH-50000) are DVD+RW, and DVD-RW compatible.

Disk Read Error (DRE) Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit was filed against Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. on July 16, 2002, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo. The lawsuit addresses consumer reports of inappropriate "no disc error" (disc read error) messages and other problems associated with playing DVDs and CDs on the Sony PlayStation 2.
Sony settled its “disc read error” lawsuit by compensating the affected gamers with USD $25, a free game from a specified list, and the reduced cost repair or replacement (at SCEA’s discretion) of the damaged system. This settlement was subject to the courts’ approval, and hearings began in the US and Canada on April 28, 2006, and May 11, 2006, respectively.

Peluang Bisnis Baru: Beternak Kucing "Maine Coon"

2009-09-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

Peluang Bisnis Baru: Beternak Kucing "Maine Coon"

Yuri Alfrin Aladdin

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Bila Anda mau berwiraswasta namun punya modal pas-pasan sekitar Rp20 juta, bidang bisnis apa yang kira-kira punya prospek cerah untuk digeluti? Mungkin ini salah satu alternatif terbaik: beternak kucing ras jenis Maine Coon (baca: main kun).

Ajang kontes kucing (Cat Festival) yang diselenggarakan di Depok Town Square (Detos), Kota Depok, Bogor, Jabar, Minggu (12/8) mungkin bisa jadi indikator betapa minat masyarakat penggemar kucing ras kini tengah bergeser, dari kucing Persia ke jenis Maine Coon.

Kendati hampir 90 persen peserta kontes kucing tersebut terdiri atas kucing ras Persia, namun ternyata ras Maine Coon juga mendapat perhatian besar dari para penggemar kucing ras, terbukti beberapa stan cattery (peternak kucing bersertifikat dan anggota resmi asosiasi penyayang kucing) yang menampilkan kucing berpostur besar ini dikerubungi para peminatnya.

"Investasi untuk bisnis kucing Maine Coon ini bagus kok prospeknya. Breeder spesialis Maine Coon masih sedikit sekali di Indonesia, sementara peminatnya makin hari makin banyak," kata Cacang Effendi, pemilik Candra Cattery, di sela-sela kontes kucing itu.

Dikatakan bahwa berbeda dengan pasar penggemar kucing Persia yang sangat besar di Indonesia, pasar kucing Maine Coon sedang tumbuh. Anak kucing Maine Coon usia 3-4 bulan dijual Rp8-10 juta.

Dengan harga jual sebesar itu bisa ditebak, pasarnya adalah kalangan menengah ke atas, serta kelompok pekerja profesional berpenghasilan dan berpendidikan tinggi.

Memiliki kucing Maine Coon bahkan juga bisa dianggap menunjukkan derajat prestise pemiliknya yang tinggi.

Kendati pasarnya mulai membesar dan jumlah peminatnya bertambah, namun peternak kucing berbulu tebal berwajah mirip harimau dengan bulu berbentuk surai di bagian dada ini ternyata masih sedikit sekali di Indonesia.

Cacang Effendi bahkan mengklaim bahwa dialah satu-satunya importir kucing ras jenis ini di Indonesia.

"Karena itu, saya tahu jumlah breeder (peternak.red)-nya memang masih sedikit di Indonesia, sebab mereka membeli dari saya," kata Cacang.

Perihal larisnya dagangan kucing jenis Maine Coon, dibuktikan Cacang dengan menunjukkan album foto-foto anakan (istilah untuk anak kucing berusia di bawah empat bulan) kucing Maine Coon.

Ditunjukkan bahwa dari delapan ekor anakan Maine Coon miliknya, empat ekor telah dipesan oleh para pembeli dari Malaysia.

Sementara itu, Suyanto Alimprabowo, pemilik "Linda Cattery" pada kesempatan yang sama mengatakan mengenai cerahnya prospek bisnis kucing ras jenis Maine Coon.

Pada awalnya ia membeli kucing betina Maine Coon dari "Candra Cattery" milik Cacang karena tertarik dengan keunikannya.

Lama-kelamaan, karena banyaknya permintaan anakan kucing, Suyanto pun lalu membeli pejantan impor, juga dari Cacang, seharga Rp40 juta dan mendirikan "Linda Cattery".

Berapa harga yang dipatok oleh para penjual kucing Maine Coon ini?

Ternyata baik Suyanto maupun Cacang mematok harga yang sama, untuk anakan kucing betina seharga Rp8 juta, sementara anakan kucing jantan seharga Rp10 juta.

Kucing jantan Maine Coon dihargai lebih mahal karena pada usia dua tahun panjang badannya rata-rata mencapai satu meter, dari kepala hingga ekor.

Sementara yang betina rata-rata mencapai 80 centimeter. Bandingkan dengan kucing domestik (kucing kampung) yang rata-rata panjang badannya cuma 40-50 centimeter, sementara ras Persia antara 50-60 cm.

Biaya Investasi

Menurut informasi dari situs http://kucingkita.blogspot.com, Maine Coon adalah salah satu ras kucing yang terbentuk secara alamiah, berasal dari negara bagian Maine, AS.

Berbagai mitos dan legenda menyelubungi cerita mengenai asal-muasal ras kucing ini, seperti halnya mitos bahwa Maine Coon dihasilkan dari perkawinan kucing setengah liar dengan raccoon (hewan mirip tupai).

Mitos ini muncul karena bentuk dan warna ekor kucing Maine Coon banyak yang menyerupai ekor racoon. Karena itu, nama racoon juga kemudian diadopsi membentuk nama ras kucing ini, Maine - berasal dari nama negara bagian di AS dan coon - kependekan dari racoon.

Kebanyakan pembiak kucing berpendapat ras ini dihasilkan dari perkawinan kucing domestik Amerika dengan kucing-kucing berbulu panjang dari negara lain.

Dua ras kucing yang diduga menjadi nenek moyang Maine Coon adalah kucing "Angora" (diduga dibawa dari Turki oleh para pedagang Inggris) dan kucing jenis "Norwegian Forest Cat" (dibawa ke Amerika oleh bangsa Viking).

Maine Coon mempunyai badan tinggi, berotot dan bertulang besar.

Kucing jantan dewasa biasanya mempunyai berat badan 6- 9 Kg dengan panjang badan satu meter, sedangkan betina biasanya lebih kecil dengan berat badan 4-6 kg.

Dengan tambahan bulu musim dingin yang bisa mencapai panjang 7 cm, Maine Coon terlihat sangat besar. Kucing Maine Coon terbesar yang pernah tercatat mempunyai panjang badan (dari kepala sampai ekor) 121 cm.

Ciri utama fisik Maine Coon terdapat di kepala, bentuk badan, tekstur bulu dan bulu di sekitar leher yang menyerupai surai singa. Badan besar, panjang hampir berbentuk segi empat, pertulangan dan perototan kuat.

Kepala berukuran sedang dan lebar, dahi sedikit melengkung, tulang pipi menonjol dengan perototan yang jelas. Hidung lebar dan sedikit melengkung pada bagian ujung dengan dagu yang tajam.

Apa kelebihan kucing Maine Coon dibanding kucing Persia, terkait masalah pemeliharaan?

"Kucing Maine Coon daya tahan tubuhnya lebih kuat dibanding kucing Persia. Hidungnya mancung jadi jarang pilek, tidak seperti ras Persia yang pesek sehingga rawan pilek. Maine Coon juga jauh lebih jinak dibanding Persia," kata Cacang.

Berapa biaya investasi yang dibutuhkan jika kita berminat serius untuk mengembangbiakkan kucing Maine Coon?

Ratna, seorang peternak kucing ras di Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, menjelaskan bahwa umumnya komponen biaya terbesar berasal dari harga pembelian kucing dan pakannya.

Untuk tempat, bisa digunakan di halaman rumah atau belakang rumah tidak jadi masalah , asalkan ada atap, terlindung dari panas dan hujan.

"Kemudian kita harus membeli kandang kucing kelas standar antara Rp400-500 ribu per kandang. Untuk kucingnya sendiri, kita dapat membeli seekor anakan betina Maine Coon (usia 3-4 bulan) seharga Rp8 juta," katanya.

Setelah kucing berusia sekitar setahun, kucing betina tersebut dapat dikawinkan dengan kucing jantan ras yang sama (Maine Coon), dengan biaya jasa pemacakan (untuk mengawinkan) di cattery yang menjual jasa tersebut, antara Rp1-1,5 juta.

Biaya pakan kucing, untuk kelas menengah, harganya sekitar Rp100-150 ribu sebanyak satu kantong (1,5 kilogram).

Dengan asumsi standar satu kucing usia empat bulan ke atas mendapat makanan dua hingga tiga kali sehari sebanyak satu genggam pakan kering, maka pakan ini cukup untuk jangka waktu selama 10 hari.

Hal itu berarti selama sebulan untuk satu kucing diperlukan anggaran pakan sebesar Rp150 ribu X 3 = Rp450 ribu per bulan.

Jika diasumsikan kita membeli kucing anakan betina usia empat bulan, maka diperlukan waktu delapan bulan sebelum dapat dikawinkan, dua bulan untuk mengandung, serta empat bulan lagi untuk membesarkan anaknya sebelum siap dijual. Jadi total diperlukan 14 bulan bagi induk kucing sebelum anaknya siap dijual. Biaya pakan bagi seekor induk berarti Rp450 ribu X 14 = Rp6,3 juta.

Kucing mengandung anaknya sekitar dua bulan, dan mampu melahirkan hingga empat anak sekaligus.

Dari empat anak kucing ini, terdapat risiko satu anak mati karena sakit, sehingga tersisa tiga anak kucing.

Sebelum siap dijual, tiga anak kucing tersebut harus mendapatkan suntik vaksin kekebalan tubuh serta pengurusan sertifikat silsilah dengan biaya sekitar Rp200 ribu per anak kucing atau berarti Rp600 ribu untuk tiga anak kucing.

Sementara biaya pakan per bulan untuk anak kucing, umumnya setengah dibanding dewasa atau Rp225 ribu per bulan, selama empat bulan untuk tiga kucing berarti Rp2,7 juta.

Jadi jika ditotal biaya kasar yang diperlukan mulai dari penyiapan kandang hingga anak-anak kucing siap dijual, secara relatif sekitar Rp19,6 juta.

Sementara, jika diasumsikan ketiga anak kucing berkelamin betina maka harga jualnya per ekor Rp8 juta atau tiga ekor berarti Rp8 juta X 3 = Rp 24 juta.

Hitungan sederhana ini menunjukkan bahwa dengan beberapa asumsi tertentu, seorang peternak kucing Maine Coon bisa kemungkinan mendapatkan keuntungan atas penjualan anakan kucing (untuk periode pasca kehamilan pertama) sebesar Rp24 juta-Rp19,6 juta=Rp4,4 juta.

Setelah beristirahat dua bulan, induk kucing dapat kembali dikawinkan.

Untuk penjualan anakan periode kehamilan kedua dan seterusnya, keuntungan yang diperoleh seorang breeder sudah pasti lebih besar, karena dapat menghilangkan komponen biaya pembelian kandang(Rp500 ribu) serta pembelian induk kucing(Rp8 juta). (*)

Zune HD 32 GB

2009-09-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum)

Zune is the digital experience that gives you access to premium entertainment and the latest technologies, allowing you to enjoy, connect, and discover content in a whole new way--the way you like it. Browse, stream, buy, and play all you want, including music, HD video, podcasts, games, and much more. Gain the freedom to enjoy your entertainment; Zune is everywhere you are--on your PC, Zune portable player, and Xbox 360 through Xbox LIVE. Zune brings your content up front, so you're always in control.

Instant entertainment that you control. Click to enlarge.

Technical Details

Zune HD 32 GB: Holds up to 10 hours of high definition video, or 48 hours of standard definition video, or 8,000 songs, or 25,000 pictures.
Product Dimensions: 4 x 2 x .4 inches (102.05 x 52.73 x 8.9 mm); 2.6 ounces
Shipping Weight: .617 pounds
Built-in HD Radio receiver
OLED 3.3 inch screen with 480x272 resolution and 16:9 display
HD video output (requires HDTV and Zune HD & AV Dock, all sold separately)
Internet browsing
Wireless capabilities

Browse, stream, buy, and play all you want, including music, HD video, podcasts, games, and much more. Click to enlarge.

With a 3.3-inch size and vivid 16:9 display, truer and brighter entertainment is at your fingertips. Click to enlarge.

Less than a half-inch thick and 2.6 ounces. Click to enlarge.

Feature Description

HD Radio: More Stations, Better Sound, No Fees
The new Zune HD gives you access to many local HD Radio stations with crystal-clear digital sound at no extra cost. Receive additional channels from your local stations and get more of the content you love--including sports, news, and music--in various genres and formats. Like something you hear on HD Radio? Song tagging technology allows you to buy the song if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network or to tag it for later purchase.

HD-Compatible Video: High-Quality Video on the Go Or on Your HDTV
Watch supported 720p HD movies, TV shows, and videos in high definition on your HDTV through the Zune HD & AV Dock (sold separately).¹ Or take them with you for premium entertainment on the go. (Additional Zune HD & AV Dock and HDTV required).

OLED Touchscreen: Wide View with a Special Touch
Get instant access to your content with multi-touch navigation. With a 3.3-inch size and vivid 16:9 display (480 x 272 resolution), truer and brighter entertainment is at your fingertips.

Wireless: Joy Is in the Air
Zune HD allows you to buy, stream, and update your music--and download free games--wirelessly via a Wi-Fi connection. Feeling entangled? Wirelessly sync your Zune HD to your home PC via your home network. You also can stream millions of songs over Wi-Fi directly to your Zune HD and turn it into a portable digital jukebox.²

Internet Browsing: News, Email, and Traffic, All in Your Pocket
Surf the web anytime, anywhere you have a Wi-Fi connection. Enjoy your favorite websites with a full-featured web browser, including tap-to-zoom technology, built-in accelerometer, and touchscreen QWERTY keyboard.

Expand Your Entertainment With Xbox 360: Receive Instant HD Video Streaming from Zune on Xbox LIVE Marketplace
Zune features movies, TV shows, and more in both high and standard definition. Browse and watch from thousands of titles for rent, or purchase available instantly through Microsoft's Smooth Streaming technology. Buy videos once and watch on multiple screens: on your Xbox 360, Zune player, and PC. See www.xbox.com/live for system requirements. The convenience of on-demand, only on Xbox 360.

Accessories (Sold Separately)

Zune HD & AV Dock
This all-in-one package enables Zune HD players to charge, sync, and play supported 720p HD videos on HDTVs. Send music to your home audio systems and control it all via a wireless remote.

Zune Premium Car Pack
Charge and play music, podcasts, and HD Radio stations from your Zune HD while you drive. The FM transmitter/car charger auto-seeks the best available frequency on your car stereo. A USB port located on the transmitter/car charger allows you to charge a second Zune player simultaneously.

Zune Sync Cable
Charge your Zune player and sync with your collection on your PC.

Zune Charge Pack
The Zune AC Adapter fast-charges your Zune player up to 70% within an hour. Folding blades make it easy to travel with. Use the included USB cable to sync with a PC.

Zune Power Pack
Connect your AV cable to your docked Zune HD to play music, HD Radio broadcasts, and audio podcasts through your home audio system. The HDMI cable connects your docked Zune HD to HDTVs to view movies and videos. Also includes Zune AC Adapter; Zune HD player and Zune HD & AV Dock sold separately.

Zune Sync Dock
Connect to your PC and sync your collection while you charge your Zune in style. Control from a distance with the included wireless remote, which gives you full access to your Zune player from anywhere in the room.

1. Zune HD & AV Dock and an HDTV (all sold separately) are required to view video at HD resolution. Supported 720p HD video files play on the player, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272--not HD resolution. HD Radio and the HD Radio logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp.

2. Users will need a 1080p-compatible HDTV, an HDMI cable, and broadband speeds greater than 8 Mbps for instant viewing at 1080p and 5.1 surround sound.

Compare and review:

Amazon

LCD Television

2009-09-07T04:20:00.001-07:00

LCD television

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liquid crystal display.

A generic LCD TV, with speakers on either side of the screen.

Liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD TV) are color television sets that use LCD technology to produce images. LCD televisions are thinner and lighter than CRTs of similar display size, and are available in much larger sizes as well. This combination of features made LCDs more practical than CRTs for many roles, and as manufacturing costs fell their eventual dominance of the television market was all but guaranteed.
In 2007, LCD televisions surpassed sales of CRT-based televisions worldwide for the first time, and its sales figures relative to other technologies is accelerating. LCD TVs are quickly displacing the only major competitors in the large-screen market, the plasma display panel and rear-projection television. LCDs are, by far, the most widely produced and sold television technology today, pushing all other technologies into niche roles.
In spite of the LCD's many advantages over the CRT technology they displaced, LCDs also have a variety of disadvantages as well. A number of other technologies are vying to enter the large-screen television market by taking advantage of these weaknesses, including OLEDs, FED and SED, but none of these have entered widespread production.

Description

Basic LCD concepts

LCD television at home together with Playstation 3 and some other equipment

LCD televisions produce a colored image by selectively filtering a white light. The light is typically provided by a series of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) at the back of the screen, although some displays use white or colored LEDs instead. Millions of individual LCD shutters, arranged in a grid, open and close to allow a metered amount of the white light through. Each shutter is paired with a colored filter to remove all but the red, green or blue (RGB) portion of the light from the original white source. Each shutter–filter pair forms a single sub-pixel. The sub-pixels are so small that when the display is viewed from even a short distance, the individual colors blend together to produce a single spot of color, a pixel. The shade of color is controlled by changing the relative intensity of the light passing through the sub-pixels.
Liquid crystals encompass a wide range of (typically) rod-shaped polymers that naturally form into thin layers, as opposed to the more random alignment of a normal liquid. Some of these, the nematic liquid crystals, also show an alignment effect between the layers. The particular direction of the alignment of a nematic liquid crystal can be set by placing it in contact with an alignment layer or director, which is essentially a material with microscopic groves in it. When placed on a director, the layer in contact will align itself with the grooves, and the layers above will subsequently align themselves with the layers below, the bulk material taking on the director's alignment. In the case of an LCD, this effect is utilized by using two directors arranged at right angles and placed close together with the liquid crystal between them. This forces the layers to align themselves in two directions, creating a twisted structure with each layer aligned at a slightly different angle to the ones on either side.
LCD shutters consist of a stack of three primary elements. On the bottom and top of the shutter are polarizer plates set at (typically) right angles. Normally light cannot travel through a pair of polarizers arranged in this fashion, and the display would be black. The polarizers also carry the directors to create the twisted structure aligned with the polarizers on either side. As the light flows out of the rear polarizer, it will naturally follow the liquid crystal's twist, exiting the front of the liquid crystal having been rotated through the correct angle that allows it to pass through the front polarizer. LCDs are normally transparent.
To turn a shutter off, an electrical voltage is applied across it from front to back. When this happens, the rod-shaped molecules align themselves with the electric field instead of the directors, destroying the twisted structure. The light no longer changes polarization as it flows through the liquid crystal, and can no longer pass through the front polarizer. By controlling the voltage applied across the crystal, the amount of remaining twist can be finely selected. This allows the transparency or opacity of the shutter to be accurately controlled. In order to improve switching time, the cells are placed under pressure, which increases the force to re-align themselves with the directors when the field is turned off.
Several other variations and modifications have been used in order to improve performance in certain applications. In-Plane Switching displays (IPS and S-IPS) offer wider viewing angles and better color reproduction, but are more difficult to construct and have slightly slower response times. IPS displays are used primarily for computer monitors. Vertical Alignment (VA, S-PVA and MVA) offer higher contrast ratios and good response times, but suffer from color shifting when viewed from the side. In general, all of these displays work in a similar fashion by controlling the polarization of the light source.

Addressing sub-pixels

A close-up (300×) view of a typical LCD display, clearly showing the sub-pixel structure. The "notch" at the lower left of each sub-pixel is the thin-film transistor. The associated capacitors and addressing lines are located around the shutter, in the dark areas.

In order to address a single shutter on the display, a series of electrodes is deposited on the plates on either side of the liquid crystal. One side has horizontal stripes that form rows, the other has vertical stripes that form columns. By supplying voltage to one row and one column, a field will be generated at the point where they cross. Since a metal electrode would be opaque, LCDs use electrodes made of a transparent conductor, typically indium tin oxide.
Since addressing a single shutter requires power to be supplied to an entire row and column, some of the field always leaks out into the surrounding shutters. Liquid crystals are quite sensitive, and even small amounts of leaked field will cause some level of switching to occur. This partial switching of the surrounding shutters blurs the resulting image. Another problem in early LCD systems was the voltages needed to set the shutters to a particular twist was very low, but that voltage was too low to make the crystals re-align with reasonable performance. This resulted in slow response times and led to easily visible "ghosting" on these displays on fast-moving images, like a mouse cursor on a computer screen. Even scrolling text often rendered as an unreadable blur, and the switching speed was far too slow to use as a useful television display.
In order to attack these problems, modern LCDs use an active matrix design. Instead of powering both electrodes, one set, typically the front, is attached to a common ground. On the rear, each shutter is paired with a thin-film transistor that switches on in response to widely separated voltage levels, say 0 and +5 volts. A new addressing line, the gate line, is added as a separate switch for the transistors. The rows and columns are addressed as before, but the transistors ensure that only the single shutter at the crossing point is addressed; any leaked field is too small to switch the surrounding transistors. When switched on, a constant and relatively high amount of charge flows from the source line through the transistor and into an associated capacitor. The capacitor is charged up until it holds the correct control voltage, slowly leaking this through the crystal to the common ground. The current is very fast and not suitable for fine control of the resulting store charge, so pulse code modulation is used to accurately control the overall flow. Not only does this allow for very accurate control over the shutters, since the capacitor can be filled or drained quickly, but the response time of the shutter is dramatically improved as well.

Building a display

A typical shutter assembly consists of a sandwich of several layers deposited on two thin glass sheets forming the front and back of the display. For smaller display sizes (under 30 inches), the glass sheets can be replaced with plastic.
The rear sheet starts with a polarizing film, the glass sheet, the active matrix components and addressing electrodes, and then the director. The front sheet is similar, but lacks the active matrix components, replacing those with the patterned color filters. Using a multi-step construction process, both sheets can be produced on the same assembly line. The liquid crystal is placed between the two sheets in a patterned plastic sheet that divides the liquid into individual shutters and keeps the sheets at a precise distance from each other.
The critical step in the manufacturing process is the deposition of the active matrix components. These have a relatively high failure rate, which renders those pixels on the screen "always on". If there are enough broken pixels, the screen has to be discarded. The number of discarded panels has a strong effect on the price of the resulting television sets, and the major downward fall in pricing between 2006 and 2008 was due mostly to improved processes.
To produce a complete television, the shutter assembly is combined with control electronics and backlight. The backlight for small sets can be provided by a single lamp using a diffuser or frosted mirror to spread out the light, but for larger displays a single lamp is not bright enough and the rear surface is instead covered with a number of separate lamps. Achieving even lighting over the front of an entire display remains a challenge, and bright and dark spots are not uncommon.

Comparison

A small 19" Sony LCD TV

Packaging

In a CRT the electron beam is produced by heating a metal filament, which "boils" electrons off its surface. The electrons are then accelerated and focused in an electron gun, and aimed at the proper location on the screen using electromagnets. The majority of the power budget of a CRT goes into heating the filament, which is why the back of a CRT-based television is hot. Since the electrons are easily deflected by gas molecules, the entire tube has to be held in vacuum. The atmospheric force on the front face of the tube grows with the area, which requires ever-thicker glass. This limits practical CRTs to sizes around 30 inches; displays up to 40 inches were produced but weighed several hundred pounds, and televisions larger than this had to turn to other technologies like rear-projection.
The lack of vacuum in an LCD television is one of its advantages; there is a small amount of vacuum in sets using CCFL backlights, but this is arranged in cylinders which are naturally stronger than large flat plates. Removing the need for heavy glass faces allows LCDs to be much lighter than other technologies. For instance, the Sharp LC-42D65, a fairly typical 42-inch LCD television, weighs 55 lbs including a stand, while the late-model Sony KV-40XBR800, a 40" 4:3 CRT weighs a massive 304 lbs without a stand, almost six times the weight.
LCD panels, like other flat panel displays, are also much thinner than CRTs. Since the CRT can only bend the electron beam through a critical angle while still maintaining focus, the electron gun has to be located some distance from the front face of the television. In early sets from the 1950s the angle was often as small as 35 degrees off-axis, but improvements, especially computer assisted convergence, allowed that to be dramatically improved and, late in their evolution, folded. Nevertheless, even the best CRTs are much deeper than an LCD; the KV-40XBR800 is 26 inches deep,while the LC-42D65U is less than 4 inches thick – its stand is much deeper than the screen in order to provide stability.
LCDs can, in theory, be built at any size, with production yields being the primary constraint. As yields increased, common LCD screen sizes grew, from 14 to 30", to 42", then 52", and 65" sets are now widely available. This allowed LCDs to compete directly with most in-home projection television sets, and in comparison to those technologies direct-view LCDs have a better image quality. Experimental and limited run sets are available with sizes over 100 inches.

Efficiency

LCDs are relatively inefficient in terms of power use per display size, because the vast majority of light that is being produced at the back of the screen is blocked before it reaches the viewer. To start with, the rear polarizer filters out over half of the original un-polarized light. Examining the image above, you can see that a good portion of the screen area is covered by the cell structure around the shutters, which removes another portion. After that, each sub-pixel's color filter removes the majority of what is left to leave only the desired color. Finally, to control the color and luminance of a pixel as a whole, the light has to be further absorbed in the shutters. 3M suggests that, on average, only 8 to 10% of the light being generated at the back of the set reaches the viewer.
For these reasons the backlighting system has to be extremely powerful. In spite of using highly efficient CCFLs, most sets use several hundred watts of power, more than would be required to light an entire house with the same technology. As a result, LCD televisions end up with overall power usage similar to a CRT of the same size. Using the same examples, the KV-40XBR800 draws 245 W, while the LC-42D65 is only slightly better, at 235 W. Plasma displays are worse; the best are on par with LCDs, but typical sets draw much more.
Modern LCD sets have attempted to address the power use through a process known as "dynamic lighting" (originally introduced for other reasons, see below). This system examines the image to find areas that are darker, and reduces the backlighting in those areas. CCFLs are long cylinders that run the length of the screen, so this change can only be used to control the brightness of the screen as a whole, or at least wide horizontal bands of it. This makes the technique suitable only for particular types of images, like the credits at the end of a movie. Sets using LEDs are more distributed, with each LED lighting only a small number of pixels, typically a 16 by 16 patch. This allows them to dynamically adjust brightness of much smaller areas, which is suitable for a much wider set of images.
Another ongoing area of research is to use materials that optically route light in order to re-use as much of the signal as possible. One potential improvement is to use microprisms or dichromic mirrors to split the light into R, G and B, instead of absorbing the unwanted colors in a filter. A successful system would improve efficiency by three times. Another would be to direct the light that would normally fall on opaque elements back into the transparent portion of the shutters. A number of companies are actively researching a variety of approaches, and 3M currently sells several products that route leaked light back toward the front of the screen.
Several newer technologies, OLED, FED and SED, have lower power use as one of their primary advantages. All of these technologies directly produce light on a sub-pixel basis, and use only as much power as that light level requires. Sony has demonstrated 36" FED units displaying very bright images drawing only 14 W, less than 1/10 as much as a similarly sized LCD. OLEDs and SEDs are similar to FEDs in power terms. The dramatically lower power requirements make these technologies particularly interesting in low-power uses like laptop computers and mobile phones. These sorts of devices were the market that originally bootstrapped LCD technology, due to its light weight and thinness.

Image quality

A traveler pocket-size LCD TV

Early LCD sets were widely derided for their poor overall image quality, most notably the ghosting on fast-moving images, poor contrast ratio, and muddy colors. In spite of many predictions that other technologies would always beat LCDs, massive investment in LCD production and manufacturing has addressed many of these concerns.

Response time

For 60 frames per second video, common in North America, each pixel is lit for 17 ms before it has to be re-drawn (20 ms in Europe). Early LCD displays had response times on the order of hundreds of milliseconds, which made them useless for television. A combination of improvements in materials technology since the 1970s greatly improved this, as did the active matrix techniques. By 2000, LCD panels with response times around 20 ms were relatively common in computer roles. This was still not fast enough for television use.
A major improvement, pioneered by NEC, led to the first practical LCD televisions. NEC noticed that liquid crystals take some time to start moving into their new orientation, but stop rapidly. If the initial movement could be accelerated, the overall performance would be increased. NEC's solution was to boost the voltage during the "spin up period" when the capacitor is initially being charged, and then dropping back to normal levels to fill it to the required voltage. A common method is to double the voltage, but halve the pulse width, delivering the same total amount of power. Named "Overdrive" by NEC, the technique is now widely used on almost all LCDs.
Another major improvement in response time was achieved by adding memory to hold the contents of the display – something that a television needs to do anyway, but was not originally required in the computer monitor role that boostrapped the LCD industry. In older displays the active matrix capacitors were first drained, and then recharged to the new value with every refresh. But in most cases, the vast majority of the screen's image does not change from frame to frame. By holding the before and after values in computer memory, comparing them, and only resetting those sub-pixels that actually changed, the amount of time spent charging and discharging the capacitors was reduced. Moreover the capacitors are not drained completely; instead, their existing charge level is either increased or decreased to match the new value, which typically requires fewer charging pulses. This change, which was isolated to the driver electronics and inexpensive to implement, improved response times by about two times.
Together, along with continued improvements in the liquid crystals themselves and by increasing refresh rates from 60 Hz to 120 and 240 Hz, response times fell from 20 ms in 2000 to about 2 ms in the best modern displays. But even this is not really fast enough because the pixel will still be switching while the frame is being displayed. Conventional CRTs are well under 1 ms, and plasma and OLED displays boast times on the order of 0.001 ms.
One way to further improve the effective refresh rate is to use "super-sampling", and it is becoming increasingly common on high-end sets. Since the blurring of the motion occurs during the transition from one state to another, this can be reduced by doubling the refresh rate of the LCD panel, and building intermediate frames using various motion compensation techniques. This smoothes out the transitions, and means the backlighting is turned on only when the transitions are settled. A number of high-end sets offer 120 Hz (in North America) or 100 Hz (in Europe) refresh rates using this technique. Another solution is to only turn the backlighting on once the shutter has fully switched. In order to ensure that the display does not flicker, these systems fire the backlighting several times per refresh, in a fashion similar to movie projection where the shutter opens and closes several times per frame.

Contrast ratio

Even in a fully switched-off state, liquid crystals allow some light to leak through the shutters. This limits their contrast ratios to about 1600:1 on the best modern sets, when measured using the ANSI measurement (ANSI IT7.215-1992). Manufacturers often quote the "Full On/Off" contrast ratio instead, which is about 25% greater for any given set.
This lack of contrast is most noticeable in darker scenes; in order to display a color close to black, the LCD shutters have to be turned to almost full opacity, limiting the number of discrete colors they can display. This leads to "posterizing" effects and bands of discrete colors that become visible in shadows. which is why many reviews of LCD TV's mention the "shadow detail".For contrast, the highest-end LCD Tvs offer regular contrast ratios of 5000:1 and the highest-end plasma displays offer regular contrast ratios as high as 40,000:1. Canon's prototype 55" SED offered a 50,000:1 contrast ratio.
Since the total amount of light reaching the viewer is a combination of the backlighting and shuttering, modern sets can use "dynamic backlighting" to improve the contrast ratio and shadow detail. If a particular area of the screen is dark, a conventional set will have to set its shutters close to opaque to cut down the light. However, if the backlighting is reduced by half in that area, the shuttering can be reduced by half, and the number of available shuttering levels in the sub-pixels doubles. This is the main reason high-end sets offer dynamic lighting (as opposed to power savings, mentioned earlier), allowing the contrast ratio across the screen to be dramatically improved. While the LCD shutters are capable of producing about 1000:1 contrast ratio, by adding 30 levels of dynamic backlighting this is improved to 30,000:1.
However, it should be noted that the area of the screen that can be dynamically adjusted is a function of the backlighting source. CCFLs are thin tubes that light up many rows (or columns) across the entire screen at once, and that light is spread out with diffusers. The CCFL must be driven with enough power to light the brightest area of the portion of the image in front of it, so if the image is light on one side and dark on the other, this technique cannot be used successfully. Displays backlit by full arrays of LEDs have an advantage, because each LED lights only a small patch of the screen. This allows the dynamic backlighting to be used on a much wider variety of images. Edge-lit displays do not enjoy this advantage. These displays have LEDs only along the edges and use a light guide plate covered with thousands of convex bumps that reflect light from the side-firing LEDs out through the LCD matrix and filters. LEDs on edge-lit displays can be dimmed only globally, not individually.
The massive on-paper boost this method provides is the reason many sets now place the "dynamic contrast ratio" in their specifications sheets. There is widespread debate in the audio-visual world as to whether or not dynamic contrast ratios are real, or simply marketing speak. Reviewers commonly note that even the best LCD displays cannot match the contrast ratios or deep blacks of plasma displays, in spite of being rated, on paper, as having much higher ratios.

Color gamut

Color on an LCD television is produced by filtering down a white source and then selectively shuttering the three primary colors relative to each other. The accuracy and quality of the resulting colors are thus dependent on the backlighting source and its ability to evenly produce white light. The CCFLs used in early LCD televisions were not particularly white, and tended to be strongest in greens. Modern backlighting has improved this, and sets commonly quote a color space covering about 75% of the NTSC 1953 color gamut. Using white LEDs as the backlight improves this further.

History

An LCD TV hanging on a wall in the Taipei World Trade Center during the Computex Taipei show in 2008.

Early efforts

Passive matrix LCDs first became common in the 1980s for various portable computer roles. At the time they competed with plasma displays in the same market space. The LCDs had very slow refresh rates that blurred the screen even with scrolling text, but their light weight and low cost were major benefits. Screens using reflective LCDs required no internal light source, making them particularly well suited to laptop computers.
Refresh rates were far too slow to be useful for television, but at the time there was no pressing need for new television technologies. Resolutions were limited to standard definition, although a number of technologies were pushing displays towards the limits of that standard; Super VHS offered improved color saturation, and DVDs added higher resolutions as well. Even with these advances, screen sizes over 30" were rare as these formats would start to appear blocky at normal seating distances when viewed on larger screens. Projection systems were generally limited to situations where the image had to be viewed by a larger audience.
Nevertheless, some experimentation with LCD televisions took place during this period. In 1988, Sharp Corporation introduced the first commercial LCD television, a 14" model. These were offered primarily as boutique items for discerning customers, and were not aimed at the general market. At the same time, plasma displays could easily offer the performance needed to make a high quality display, but suffered from low brightness and very high power consumption. However, a series of advances led to plasma displays outpacing LCDs in performance improvements, starting with Fujitsu's improved construction techniques in 1979, Hitachi's improved phosphors in 1984, and AT&Ts elimination of the black areas between the sub-pixels in the mid-1980s. By the late 1980s, plasma displays were far in advance of LCDs.

High-definition

It was the slow standardization of high definition television that first produced a market for new television technologies. In particular, the wider 16:9 aspect ratio of the new material was difficult to build using CRTs; ideally a CRT should be perfectly circular in order to best contain its internal vacuum, and as the aspect ratio becomes more rectangular it becomes more difficult to make the tubes. At the same time, the much higher resolutions these new formats offered were lost at smaller screen sizes, so CRTs faced the twin problems of becoming larger and more rectangular at the same time. LCDs of the era were still not able to cope with fast-moving images, especially at higher resolutions, and from the mid-1990s the plasma display was the only real offering in the high resolution space.
Through the halting introduction of HDTV in the mid-1990s into the early 2000s, plasma displays were the primary high-definition display technology. However, their high cost, both manufacturing and on the street, meant that older technologies like CRTs maintained a footprint in spite of their disadvantages. LCD, however, was widely considered to be unable to scale into the same space, and it was widely believed that the move to high-definition would push it from the market entirely.
This situation changed rapidly. Contrary to early optimism, plasma displays never saw the massive scaling of economies that were expected, and remained expensive. Meanwhile, LCD technologies like Overdrive started to address their ability to work at television speeds. Initially produced at smaller sizes, fitting into the low-end space that plasmas could not fill, LCDs started to experience the economies of scale that plasmas failed to achieve. By 2004, 32" models were widely available, 42" sets were becoming common, and much larger prototypes were being demonstrated.

Market takeover

LCD TV for public viewing in a Hong Kong bus

Although plasmas continued to hold an obvious picture quality edge over LCDs, and even a price advantage for sets at the critical 42" size and larger, LCD prices started falling rapidly in 2006 while their screen sizes were increasing at a similarly furious rate. By late 2006, several vendors were offering 42" LCDs, albeit at a price premium, encroaching on plasma's only stronghold. More critically, LCDs offer higher resolutions and true 1080p support, while plasmas were stuck at 720p, which made up for the price difference.
Predictions that prices for LCDs would drop rapidly through 2007 led to a "wait and see" attitude in the market, and sales of all large-screen televisions stagnated while customers watched to see if this would happen. Plasmas and LCDs reached price parity in 2007, at which point the LCD's higher resolution was a winning point for many sales. By late 2007, it was clear that LCDs were going to outsell plasmas during the critical Christmas sales season.^[11]^[12] This was in spite of the fact that plasmas continued to hold an image quality advantage, but as the president of Chunghwa Picture Tubes noted after shutting down their plasma production line, "Globally, so many companies, so many investments, so many people have been working in this area, on this product. So they can improve so quickly."
When the sales figures for the 2007 Christmas season were finally tallied, pundits were surprised to find that LCDs had not only outsold plasma, but also outsold CRTs during the same period. This evolution drove competing large-screen systems from the market almost overnight. Plasma had overtaken rear-projection systems in 2005,and in 2007 the last remaining consumer rear-projection systems were gone. The same was true for CRTs, which lasted only a few months longer; Sony ended sales of their famous Trinitron in most markets in 2007, and shut down the final plant in March 2008.The February 2009 announcement that Pioneer Electronics was ending production of the plasma screens was widely considered the tipping point in that technology's history as well.
LCD's dominance in the television market accelerated rapidly. It was the only technology that could scale both up and down in size, covering both the high-end market for large screens in the 40 to 50" class, as well as customers looking to replace their existing smaller CRT sets in the 14 to 30" range. Building across these wide scales quickly pushed the prices down across the board.
Current sixth-generation panels by major manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, LG Display, and the Sharp Corporation have announced larger sized models:

In October 2004, Sharp announced the successful manufacture of a 65" panel.
In March 2005, Samsung announced an 82" LCD panel.
In August 2006, LG Display Consumer Electronics announced a 100" LCD television
In January 2007, Sharp displayed a 108" LCD panel under the AQUOS brand name at CES in Las Vegas.

Recent research

Some manufacturers are also experimenting with extending color reproduction of LCD televisions. Although current LCD panels are able to deliver all sRGB colors using an appropriate combination of backlight's spectrum and optical filters, manufacturers want to display even more colors. One of the approaches is to use a fourth, or even fifth and sixth color in the optical color filter array. Another approach is to use two sets of suitably narrowband backlights (e.g. LEDs), with slightly differing colors, in combination with broadband optical filters in the panel, and alternating backlights each consecutive frame.
Fully using the extended color gamut will naturally require an appropriately captured material and some modifications to the distribution channel. Otherwise, the only use of the extra colors would be to let the looker boost the color saturation of the TV picture beyond what was intended by the producer, but avoiding the otherwise unavoidable loss of detail ("burnout") in saturated areas.

Competing systems

In spite of LCD's current dominance of the television field, there are several other technologies being developed that address its shortcomings. Whereas LCDs produce an image by selectively blocking a backlight, LED, OLEDs, FED and SEDs all produce light directly on the front face of the display. In comparison to LCDs, all of these technologies offer better viewing angles, much higher brightness and contrast ratio (as much as 5,000,000:1), and better color saturation and accuracy, and use less than 1/10 as much power. In theory, they are less complex and less expensive to build.
Actually manufacturing these screens has proved more difficult than originally imagined. Sony abandoned their FED project in March 2009,but continue work on their OLED sets. Canon continues development of their SED technology, but announced that they will not attempt to introduce sets to market for the foreseeable future.
Samsung has been displaying OLED sets at 14.1, 31 and 40 inch sizes for some time, but at the SID 2009 trade show in San Antonio they announced that the 14.1 and 31 inch sets are "production ready".

CHI MACHINE BENEFITS

2009-09-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

CHI MACHINE BENEFITS

Multiple benefits include oxygenation, detox and lymph drainage.
What is the Chi Machine and what does it do?
The original Sun Ancon Chi Machine is the result of 38 years of medical and scientific research by renowned Japanese scientist Dr. Shizou Inoue. The Chi Machine enables the human body to gently move from side to side in a figure of eight (the same way a goldfish swims), maximizing the body’s natural absorption of oxygen, using all the movement orbits of the human anatomy. This movement may be compared to a masseuse holding your ankles and swinging you from side to side after massage.

No stress. No pain. No drugs. No more excuses – simply lie down and relax.
Health = movement = oxygenation = lymphatic system detox.

The Chi Machine aids in maintaining physical wellness and thus the prevention of illness and physical disorders by maximizing supplemental oxygenation of your entire body at cellular level via physical stimulation i.e. Passive Aerobic Exercise. Oxygenation is the main reason we are advised to exercise so that the body functions at peak performance, thereby making it harder to age and to ‘break-down’ due to inactivity, poor diet, negative energy, emotional issues, toxic medication, EMF’s and environmental pollution.

RIMARY BENEFITS:
ITS ALL ABOUT MOVEMENT OF THE BODY!
Cellular Oxygenation, Detoxification, Spinal Alignment, Mental Focus.

Multiple health challenge benefits:
Physical and mental oxygenation increases your energy and focus, raises your metabolic rate, improves your blood circulation and activates lymphatic sytem detoxification. The mind moves into alertness and mental focus. The very specific motion of the Chi Machine aligns your spine, regulates body functions and relaxes your body without any stress or effort. Your natural Chi (life force energy), is stimulated and enhanced and the brain moves into an Alpha state which thereby creates a peaceful, meditative state of calmness, mind/body healing and wellness.

I Phone 3gs

2009-08-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

Introducing iPhone 3GS

Meet the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet. iPhone 3GS features video recording, Voice Control, up to 32GB of storage, and more.

New to iPhone? Find out why you’ll love it

Watch the
Guided Tour

The Fastest iPhone Ever

The first thing you’ll notice about iPhone 3GS is how quickly you can launch applications. Web pages render in a fraction of the time, and you can view email attachments faster. Improved performance and updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too. In fact, everything you do on iPhone 3GS is up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G.

Video

Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3GS. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.
Learn more about video recording

3-Megapixel Camera

The new 3-megapixel camera takes great still photos, too, thanks to built-in autofocus and a handy new feature that lets you tap the display to focus on anything (or anyone) you want.
Learn more about the camera

Voice Control

Voice Control recognizes the names in your Contacts and knows the music on your iPod. So if you want to place a call or play a song, all you have to do is ask.
Learn more about Voice Control

Compass

With a built-in digital compass, iPhone 3GS can point the way. Use the new Compass app, or watch as it automatically reorients maps to match the direction you’re facing.¹
Learn more about Maps + Compass

Cut, Copy & Paste

Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.
Learn more about Cut, Copy & Paste

Landscape Keyboard

Want more room to type on the intelligent software keyboard? Rotate iPhone to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes, and Safari.
Learn more about the keyboard

Messages

Send messages with text, video, photos, audio, locations, and contact information. You can even forward one or more messages to others. MMS support from AT&T coming in late summer.Learn more about Messages

Search

Find what you’re looking for across your iPhone, all from one convenient place. Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as everything in your iPod.
Learn more about Spotlight Search

Accessibility

iPhone 3GS offers accessibility features to assist users who are visually or hearing impaired. These features include the VoiceOver screen reader, a Zoom feature, White on Black display options, Mono Audio, and more.
Learn more about accessibility

Internet Tethering

Surf the web from practically anywhere. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop. Tethering is not currently offered in the U.S. and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.

Learn more about Internet tethering

Voice Memos

Capture and share a thought, a memo, a meeting, or any audio recording on the go with the new Voice Memos application.
Learn more about Voice Memos

Nike + iPod

iPhone includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your workout.

Stocks

Stocks on iPhone shows you charts, financial details, and headline news for any stock you choose. Rotate iPhone to see even more detailed information.

YouTube

Watch YouTube videos wherever you are. Log in to your YouTube account to save and sync bookmarks and rate your favorites.

Find My iPhone
and Remote Wipe

If you misplace your iPhone, Apple’s MobileMe service can help you find it. Log on to me.com to view a map that shows the approximate location of your iPhone. If it’s nearby, have it play an alert sound to help you find it, or display a message on the home screen to help someone return it to you. If displaying a message hasn’t resulted in its safe return, you can initiate a remote wipe and restore your iPhone to factory settings. Learn more at the MobileMe site

Everything you love about iPhone.

Phone, iPod, and Internet device in one, iPhone 3GS offers desktop-class email, an amazing Maps application, and Safari — the world’s most advanced mobile web browser. And your iPhone does even more when you add apps from the App Store.

PlayStation 3

2009-08-31T21:28:00.010-07:00

PlayStation 3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PlayStation 3

(Counter-clockwise from top) Original logo, new logo, original model and new model design.
Manufacturer	Sony EMCS, Foxconn, ASUSTeK and Logitech for SCEI
Product family	PlayStation
Type	Video game console
Generation	Seventh generation era
Retail availability	November 11, 2006 (details)
Units sold	24.6 million (as of August 5, 2009)(see below)
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD, CD (all models) Super Audio CD (20 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB (CECHExx models), Digital distribution
Operating system	XrossMediaBar system software version 3.0^[3]
CPU	3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine with 1 PPE & 7 SPEs
Storage capacity	2.5" SATA hard drive (20 GB, 40 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB, 120 GB, or 160 GB included) (upgradeable)
Graphics	550 MHz NVIDIA/SCEI RSX 'Reality Synthesizer'
Controller input	Sixaxis, DualShock 3
Connectivity	(details)[show] Flash memory input MemoryStick/PRO/Duo* SD/MMC* CompactFlash/Microdrive* Audio/video output HDMI 1.3a out S/PDIF out AV Multi out Composite video/stereo audio cable S-Video cable SCART cable Component video cable D-Terminal cable Other IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi* Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) 4 × USB 2.0 (2 × in 40 GB and all later models) Wired gigabit Ethernet *60 GB and CECHExx 80 GB models **Included in box ***All except 20 GB model
Online services	PlayStation Network
Backward compatibility	PlayStation (all models) PlayStation 2 (20 GB, 60 GB, and CECHExx 80 GB models)
Predecessor	PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 3 (marketed as PLAYSTATION 3until September 2009and officially abbreviated to PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on video game developers for online play.Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market.

The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan,^[12] November 17, 2006 in North America and South America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania.Two SKUs were available at launch: a basic model with a 20 GB hard drive (HDD), and a premium model with a 60 GB hard drive and several additional features(the 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania). Since then, several revisions have been made to the console's available models.

History

Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference.A functional version of the system was not present there, nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005,although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) were held at both events on devkits and comparable PC hardware. Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (notably a Final Fantasy VII tech demo). The initial prototype shown in May 2005 featured two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports; however, when the system was shown again a year later at E3 2006, these were reduced to one HDMI port, one ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs. Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console: a 20 GB model and a 60 GB model, priced at $499 (€499) and $599 (€599), respectively. The 60 GB model would be the only configuration to feature an HDMI port, Wi-Fi internet, flash card readers and a chrome trim with the logo in silver.Both models were announced for a simultaneous worldwide release: November 11 for Japan, and November 17 for North America and Europe.

Silver PlayStation 3 prototype (E3 2005 specs). Note the two additional USB ports, three gigabit ethernet ports and two HDMI ports.

On September 6, 2006, Sony announced that the PAL region (Europe and Oceania) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007, due to a shortage of materials used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would include an HDMI port on the 20 GB system, but a chrome trim, flash card readers, silver logo, and Wi-Fi would not be included.Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%,^[and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan. During the event, Sony showed 27 playable PS3 games running on final hardware.

Launch

Main article: PlayStation 3 launch

The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006 at 07:00. According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its introduction in Japan.

Soon after its release in Japan, the PS3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006. Reports of violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot,campers robbed at gunpointcustomers shot in a drive-by shooting with BB guns, and 60 campers fighting over 10 systems.

The console was originally planned for a global release through November, but the European and rest-of-the-world's release was delayed "until March" at the start of September. With it being a somewhat last-minute delay, some companies had taken deposit-based pre-orders, to which Sony informed customers that they were eligible for full refunds or could continue the pre-order.On January 24, 2007, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 would go on sale on March 23, 2007 in Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and New Zealand. The system sold about 600,000 units in its first two days. On March 7, 2007, the 60 GB PlayStation 3 launched in Singapore with a price of S$799. The console was launched in South Korea on June 16, 2007 in a single version equipped with an 80 GB hard drive and IPTV.

Models

For more details on this topic, see Timeline of PlayStation 3 SKUs.

Original model

The original PlayStation 3.

There are five PlayStation 3 hardware models, which are commonly referred to by the size of their included hard disk drive: "20", "40", "60", "80" and "160" GB. The only difference in the appearance of the first five models was the color of the trim. All retail packages include one or two Sixaxis controllers and/or a DualShock 3 controller (beginning June 12, 2008), one miniUSB to USB cable (for connecting the controller to the system), one composite video/stereo audio output cable, one ethernet cable (20, 60, and CECHExx 80 GB only) and one power cable. All models support software emulation of the original PlayStation,but support for PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility has continually diminished with later models.Compatibility issues with games for both systems are detailed in a public database hosted by the manufacturer.All models, excluding the 20GB model, include 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi. In addition to all of the features of the 20 GB model, the 60 GB model has internal IEEE 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, multiple flash card readers (SD/MultiMedia Card, CompactFlash Type I/Type II, Microdrive, Memory Stick/PRO/Duo), and a chrome colored trim. In terms of hardware, the 80 GB model released in South Korea is identical to the 60 GB model released in the PAL regions, except for the difference in hard drive size.

Like the South Korean and European models, the North American 80 GB model also excludes the PlayStation 2 "Emotion Engine" CPU chip.However, it still keeps the "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU.Due to the elimination of the "Emotion Engine", the level of compatibility was reduced. The 40 GB, 80 GB (2008), and 160 GB models have two USB ports instead of the four USB ports on other models, and do not include multiple flash card readers, SACD support , or any backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 games.This was due to the removal of "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU, which stripped the units of all PlayStation 2 based hardware.

No official Wi-Fi or flash memory card readers have yet been released by Sony for the 20 GB system, although plans for such add-ons are in place. Nevertheless, as the model features four USB 2.0 ports, wireless networking and flash memory card support can already be obtained through the use of widely available external USB adapters.

It was rumored that the Cell processors in the third-generation PS3s (40 GB) would move from a 90 nm process to the newer 65 nm process,which SCEI CEO Kaz Hirai later confirmed,and later to 45 nm. This change lowers the power consumption of the console and makes it less expensive to produce.

Slim model

The redesigned slim PlayStation 3.

Following speculation that a 'slim' model was in the pipeline Sony officially announced the PS3 CECH-2000 on August 18, 2009 at the Sony Gamescom press conference.The PS3 slim (officially called the PS3 CECH-2000) will feature an upgradeable 120GB hard drive and is 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and consumes 34% less power than previous models. The cooling system has been redesigned and Cell processor has moved to a 45nm manufacturing process.

The PS3 slim will also include support for BRAVIA Sync allowing control of the console over HDMI and will run quieter than previous models but no longer has the ability to install third party operating systems such as Linux. The PS3 slim will be priced at $299 United States/€299 European Union/£249 United Kingdom/R$549 Brazil/AU$499 Australia/NZ$629 New Zealand/MXN$3,999 Mexico/ P 10,000 Russia/¥29980 Japan and is scheduled to be released on September 1, 2009 in North America and Europe and on September 3, 2009 in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.Amazon.com, Best Buy, and GameStop have started to sell the PS3 slim on August 25, 2009. FCC filings also reveal a second slim model, the 250GB CECH-2000B.

Model comparison

HDD Size	Model number(s) ^[a]	Specific features	Available colors	First available	In production
20 GB (NTSC)	CECHBxx	Hardware-based PS2 emulation 4 USB ports SACD playback Third-party OS install	Piano Black (no trim)	2006-11-01November 2006	No
60 GB (NTSC)	CECHAxx	Hardware-based PS2 emulation 4 USB ports SACD playback 802.11b/g WiFi Flash memory readers Third-party OS install	Piano Black (chrome trim)	2006-11-01November 2006	No
60 GB (PAL)	CECHCxx	Software-based PS2 emulation 4 USB ports SACD playback 802.11b/g WiFi Flash memory readers Third-party OS install	Piano Black (chrome trim)	2007-03-01March 2007	No
80 GB (NTSC)	CECHExx	Software-based PS2 emulation 4 USB ports SACD playback 802.11b/g WiFi Flash memory readers Third-party OS install	Piano Black (chrome trim)	2007-08-01August 2007	No
40 GB (PAL, NTSC)	CECHGxx CECHHxx CECHJxx	2 USB ports 802.11b/g WiFi Third-party OS install	Piano Black Ceramic White Satin Silver Gun-Metal Gray (all have satin silver trim)	2007-10-01October 2007 ^EU ^AU November 2007 ^NA ^JP	No
80 GB (PAL, NTSC)	CECHKxx CECHLxx	2 USB ports 802.11b/g WiFi Third-party OS install	Piano Black Ceramic White Satin Silver (all have satin silver trim)	2008-08-01August 2008 ^NA ^EU ^AU October 2008 ^JP	No Still selling remaining models
160 GB (PAL, NTSC)	CECHPxx	2 USB ports 802.11b/g WiFi Third-party OS install	Piano Black (satin silver trim)	2008-10-01October 2008 ^EU November 2008 ^NA	No Still selling remaining models
120 GB (PAL, NTSC)	CECH-20xxA	2 USB ports 802.11b/g WiFi Bravia Sync XMB control Smaller form factor	Charcoal Black	2008-08-011 September 2009 ^NA ^EU 3 September 2009 ^AU ^NZ ^JP	Yes

All models excluding Satin Silver, Gunmetal Gray and Slim have a glossy finish
All models include: Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive, HDMI 1.3a, Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), PlayStation One backward compatibility through software emulation^.

^ a Model numbers differ by region. See PlayStation 3 hardware – model numbers for details.
^ b Ceramic white model available in Asia and Japan only.
^ c Satin silver model available in Asia and Japan only.
^ d Gun-Metal Gray model is only available as part of the MGS4 bundle.

Sales and production costs

Region	Units sold	First available
Canada	520,000 as of August 1, 2008	November 17, 2006
Europe	10 million+ as of August 18, 2009	March 23, 2007
Japan	3 million as of April 17, 2009	November 11, 2006
United Kingdom	2 million as of March 5, 2009	March 23, 2007
United States	9 million+ as of August 18, 2009	November 17, 2006
Worldwide	24.6 million as of August 5, 2009	November 11, 2006 (details)

The PlayStation 3's initial production cost is estimated to have been US$805.85 for the 20 GB model and US$840.35 for the 60 GB model However, they were priced at US$499 and US$599 respectively, meaning that every unit was sold at an estimated loss of $250, contributing to Sony's games division posting an operating loss of ¥232.3 billion (US$1.97 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 2007.In April 2007, soon after these results were published, Ken Kutaragi, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, announced plans to retire. Various news agencies, including The Times^[ and The Wall Street Journa reported that this was due to poor sales, whilst SCEI maintains that Kutaragi had been planning his retirement for six months prior to the announcement.

In January 2008, Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, suggested that the console may start making a profit by early 2009, stating that, "the next fiscal year starts in April and if we can try to achieve that in the next fiscal year that would be a great thing" and that "[profitability] is not a definite commitment, but that is what I would like to try to shoot for".However, market analysts Nikko Citigroup have predicted that the PlayStation 3 could be profitable by August 2008. In a July 2008 interview, Hirai stated that his objective is for the PlayStation 3 to sell 150 million units by its ninth year, surpassing the PlayStation 2's sales of 140 million in its nine years on the market. In January 2009 Sony announced that their gaming division was profitable in Q3 2008.

Since the system's launch, production costs have been reduced significantly as a result of phasing out the Emotion Engine chip and falling hardware costs.The cost of manufacturing Cell microprocessors has fallen dramatically as a result of moving to the 65 nm production process, and Blu-ray diodes have become cheaper to manufacture. As of January 2008, each unit cost around $400 to manufacture; by August 2009, Sony had reduced costs by a total of 70%, yielding about $250 per unit.

Hardware and accessories

Hardware

Main article: PlayStation 3 hardware

The PlayStation 3 is convex on its left side, with the PlayStation logo upright, when vertical (the top side is convex when horizontal), and has a glossy black finish. PlayStation designer Teiyu Goto stated that the Spider-Man font-inspired logo "was one of the first elements SCEI president Ken Kutaragi decided on and the logo may have been the motivating force behind the shape of PS3".

The PlayStation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray Disc drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media. It was originally available with hard drives of 20 and 60 GB (only the 60 GB model was available in PAL regions). An 80 GB model has since been introduced in NTSC regions,and a 40 GB model has been introduced in all regions. All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5" SATA hard drives.

The PlayStation 3 uses the Sony, Toshiba, IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, which is made up of one 3.2 GHz PowerPC-based "Power Processing Element" (PPE) and eight Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs).The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields.Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as the seventh SPE is reserved by the console's operating system. Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX 'Reality Synthesizer', which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080p HD.The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.

The system has Bluetooth 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all currently shipping models.Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a flash card reader (compatible with Memory Stick, SD/MMC, and CompactFlash/Microdrive media) is built-in on 60 GB and CECHExx 80 GB models. The system supports up to 7 controllers that are connected via Bluetooth 2.0 technology.

The PS3's hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computing. Terra Soft Solutions has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3,and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed, in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters.In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3. Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor ofComputer science at NCSU, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 256 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64, MPICH2, OpenMP v 2.5, GNU Compiler Collection and CellSDK 1.1.

On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@home project for the PlayStation 3.This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the physical process of protein folding.

Accessories

See also: PlayStation 3 accessories and DualShock

Numerous accessories for the console have been developed including the wireless Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers, the BD Remote, the PlayStation Eye camera and the PlayTV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder accessory.

At its press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced the DualShock 3 (trademarked DUALSHOCK 3), a PlayStation 3 controller with the same function and design as the Sixaxis, but with vibration capability included. Hands-on accounts describe the controller as being noticeably heavier than the standard Sixaxis controller, and capable of vibration forces comparable to the DualShock 2. It was released in Japan on November 11, 2007, in North America on April 15, 2008, in Australia on April 24, 2008, in New Zealand on May 9, 2008, in Europe on July 2, 2008, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 4, 2008. During E3 2009, Sony unveiled plans to release a motion controller in 2010.

Software

Operating system

Main article: PlayStation 3 system software

Sony has included the ability for the operating system, referred to as System Software, to be updated.The updates can be acquired in several ways:

If the PlayStation 3 has an active Internet connection, updates may be downloaded directly from the PlayStation Network to the PS3 and subsequently installed. Systems with active Internet will automatically check online for software updates each time the console is started.
Using an external PC, a user may download the update from the official PlayStation website, transfer it to portable storage media, and install it on the System.
Some game discs come with system software updates on the disc. This may be due to the game requiring the update in order to run. If so, the software may be installed from the disc.

Photo Gallery is a space to view, create and group photos from the PS3.

The PlayStation 3 also includes the ability to install other operating systems, such as Linux. This ability has been removed with the introduction of the new slim model and will not be available in any future hardware revisions.

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery is an optional application, which is installed separately from the system software at 105MB. It was introduced in system software version 2.60 and provides a range of tools for sorting through and displaying the system's pictures. The key feature of this application is that it can organize photos into groups according to various criteria. Notable categorizations are colors, ages, or facial expressions of the people in the photos. Slideshows can be viewed with the application, along with music and playlists.

Graphical user interface

Main article: XrossMediaBar — PlayStation 3 XMB

The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar (pronounced Cross Media Bar, or abbreviated XMB) includes nine categories of options. These are: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends (similar to the PlayStation Portable media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slide show, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached data storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse, and the web browser supporting in/compatible file download function. Additionally, UPnP media will appear in the respective audio/video/photo categories if a compatible media server is detected on the local network. The Friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional PlayStation Eye or EyeToy webcam The Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store and connectivity to the PlayStation Portable via Remote Play.

VidZone

VidZone is a music video download service accessible from the Music category on the XMB

Main article: VidZone

VidZone is an online music video service, which allows for free streaming of music videos from the VidZone.tv website. The VidZone catalogue encompasses over 1.5 million tracks, 25,000 music videos and 15,000 realtones, including full access to catalogues from Sony BMG and EMI.

On June 11, 2009, VidZone’s service was extended to the PlayStation 3 video game system in Europe and Australia, allowing users to watch music videos for on their PS3 or streamed to their PSP via Remote Play.

PlayStation Network

Official logo of the PlayStation Network

Main articles: PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store

Sony announced a unified online service for the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo.Sony also confirmed that the service will always be connected, free,and include multiplayer support.When the network launched, the registration interface could only be accessed through the PS3 or PSP system interfaces.This has been changed since to allow users to sign up from the PlayStation Network website.

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 21, 2006, it was revealed that users will be able to download some of the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles from the PlayStation Network for about US$5–$15, starting with those with the smallest game data.

On May 8, 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment announced PlayStation Network Cards,a form of electronic money that can be used with the Store. PlayStation Network Tickets, available in units of 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen, can be purchased at convenience stores throughout Japan. Each ticket contains a 12 alphanumeric code which can be input on the PlayStation Network to place credits in the virtual wallet. The tickets are available through electronic kiosks at 26,000 convenience stores, including Lawsons, Family Mart, Daily Yamazaki, Ministop and Sunkus.They are also available at 26,000 post office ATMs, although registration is required first at a special mobile website.

A similar PlayStation Network card system based on actual cards instead of tickets was introduced in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in Summer 2007 and in Spring 2008 in North America.

PlayStation Home

The PlayStation Home logo

Main article: PlayStation Home

PlayStation Home is a virtual community-based service for the PlayStation Network, announced during the 2007 Game Developers Conference. Home allows users to create a custom avatar, which can be made to suit the user's liking.Users can decorate their avatar's personal apartment ("HomeSpace") with default, bought, or won items. Users can shop for new items to express themselves more through their avatars or HomeSpace.Users interact and connect with friends and customise content in a virtual world.Home also acts as a meeting place for users that want to play multiplayer games with others.

A closed beta began in Europe from May 2007 and expanded to other territories soon after.Home was delayed and expanded several times before initially releasing.The Open Beta test was started on December 11, 2008. Home is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN account.

Home is the host to avatars, a virtual economy, personal spaces and clubs. It features places to meet and interact, dedicated game spaces, developer spaces, company spaces, and events. The service undergoes a weekly maintenance and frequent updates. Xi, a once notable feature in Home, is the world's first console-based Alternate Reality Game. Adventures, puzzles and spaces were set up to continuously puzzle those who participated in finding clues. The meaning of Xi and the mysterious character "Jess" were the objects of study in this game. As of August 2009, Home has been downloaded by 7.5 million users.

PlayStation Portable connectivity

Playing a PlayStation 3 game on the PSP

Main articles: Remote Play and PlayStation Store (PC) for PSP

The PlayStation Portable can connect with the PlayStation 3 in many ways, including in-game connectivity. For example, Formula One Championship Edition, a racing game, was shown at E3 2006 using a PSP as a real-time rear-view mirror.In addition, it is possible to download original PlayStation format games to the PlayStation 3 from the PlayStation Store. These games were not originally playable on the PS3. They could only be sent to a PSP, and played using the PSP's PlayStation Emulator. Sony added support for playing original PlayStation format titles on PS3 on April 18, 2007, with the update to firmware revision 1.70.

Sony has also demonstrated the PSP playing back video content from the PlayStation 3 hard disk across an ad-hoc wireless network. This feature is referred to as Remote Play located under the browser icon on both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. Remote play has since expanded to allow remote access to the PS3 via PSP from any wireless access point in the world.

Games

Main article: PlayStation 3 games

The PlayStation 3 launched in North America with 14 titles, with another three being released before the end of 2006. After the first week of sales it was confirmed that Resistance: Fall of Man from Insomniac Games was the top-selling launch game in North America.The game was heavily praised by numerous video game websites, including GameSpot and IGN, both of whom awarded it their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award for 2006.Some titles missed the launch window and were delayed until early 2007, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, F.E.A.R. and Sonic the Hedgehog. During the Japanese launch, Ridge Racer 7 was the top-selling game, while Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire also fared well in sales, both of which were offerings from Namco Bandai. The PlayStation 3 launched in Europe with 24 titles, including ones that were not offered in the North American and Japanese launches, such as Formula One Championship Edition, MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5. Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm were the most successful titles of 2007, and both games subsequently received sequels in the form of Resistance 2 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.

At E3 2007, Sony was able to show a number of their upcoming video games for the PlayStation 3, including Heavenly Sword, Lair, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Warhawk and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune; all of which were released in the third and fourth quarters of 2007. They also showed off a number of titles that were set for release in 2008 and 2009; most notably Killzone 2, Infamous, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, LittleBigPlanet and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. A number of third-party exclusives were also shown, including the highly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,alongside other high-profile third-party titles such as Grand Theft Auto 4, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 5. Two other important titles for the PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, were shown at TGS 2007 in order to appease the Japanese market.

Sony have since launched their budget range of PlayStation 3 titles, known as the Greatest Hits range in North America, the Platinum range in Europe and The Best range in Japan. Among the titles available in the budget range include Resistance: Fall of Man, MotorStorm, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Call Of Duty 3, Assassin's Creed and Ninja Gaiden Sigma. As of July 2009 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Devil May Cry 4, Army of Two, Battlefield: Bad Company have also joined the list. When they are put on the "Greatest Hits" list the new unused copies retail for $30 USD and are re-shipped in a new red case.

As of March 31, 2009, there have been 174.9 million games sold for the PlayStation 3.

Stereoscopic 3D

In December 2008 the CTO of Blitz Games announced that they would bring stereoscopic 3D gaming and movie viewing to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with their own technology. According to Blitz Games, SCE confirmed that they intend to support stereoscopic 3D games and Blu-ray movies and that the functionality will be introduced to the PlayStation 3 via a firmware update in 2009. This technology was first demonstrated publicly on the PS3 in January 2009 at the Consumer Electronics Show. Journalists were shown Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in 3D as a demonstration of how the technology might work if it is implemented in the future.

Reception

A silver PS3 on showcase in 2006

Early PlayStation 3 reviews soon after launch were critical of its high price and lack of quality launch games, but commended the system's hardware capabilities and potential. However, after a series of price revisions, Blu-ray's victory over HD DVD, and the release of several well received titles, the system received better reviews. IGN judged the PlayStation 3 to have the best game line-up of 2008, based on their review scores in comparison to those of the Wii and Xbox 360.

The PS3 was given the number-eight spot on PC World magazine’s list of "The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006," where it was criticized for being "Late, Expensive, and Incompatible".GamesRadar ranked the PS3 as the top item in a feature on game-related PR disasters, asking how Sony managed to "take one of the most anticipated game systems of all time and — within the space of a year — turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet", but added that despite its problems the system has "untapped potential".Business Week summed up the general opinion by stating that it was "more impressed with what [the PlayStation 3] could do than with what it currently does".

Developers have also found the machine difficult to program for. In 2007, Gabe Newell of Valve said "The PS3 is a total disaster on so many levels, I think it's really clear that Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted". He continued "I'd say, even at this late date, they should just cancel it and do a Do Over. Just say, 'This was a horrible disaster and we're sorry and we're going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it'".Doug Lombardi VP of Marketing for Valve has since stated that they are interested in developing for the console and are looking to hire talented PS3 programmers for future projects. However he stated, "Until we have the ability to get a PS3 team together, until we find the people who want to come to Valve or who are at Valve who want to work on that, I don't really see us moving to that platform". He also expressed disappointment with how the PS3 version of The Orange Box turned out calling it a "stepchild" version of the game.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has criticised the PS3’s high development costs and inferior attach rate and return to that of the Xbox 360 and Wii. He believes these factors are pushing developers away from working on the console. In an interview with The Times Kotick stated "I'm getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don't make it easy for me to support the platform". He continued, "It's expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation". Kotick also claimed that Activision Blizzard may stop supporting the system if the situation is not addressed. “[Sony has] to cut the [PS3’s retail] price, because if they don't, the attach rates are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.” However, this has gotten Kotick some heavy criticism about the validity of the statement and whether such a statement, or such a move, would even be appropriate, with Bioware even calling the statement "silly".

Despite the initial negative press, several websites have given the system very good reviews. CNET United Kingdom praised the system saying, "the PS3 is a versatile and impressive piece of home-entertainment equipment that lives up to the hype [...] the PS3 is well worth its hefty price tag".CNET awarded it a score of 8.8 out of 10 and voted it as its number one "must-have" gadget, praising its robust graphical capabilities and stylish exterior design while criticizing its limited selection of available games.

In addition, both Home Theater Magazine and Ultimate AV have given the system's Blu-ray playback very favorable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of many current standalone Blu-ray players.

Hexus Gaming reviewed the PAL version and summed the review up by saying, "as the PlayStation 3 matures and developers start really pushing it, we’ll see the PlayStation 3 emerge as the console of choice for gaming". At GDC 2007, Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry stated, "I think that Sony has made the best machine. It's the best piece of hardware, without question". A second review of the PS3 by Ars Technica in June 2008 gave the console an overall mark of 9/10, while the original launch review marked only 6/10

Fungsi Memory

2009-08-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

Fungsi Memory

Data yang disimpan dalam main-memory bersifat sementara dan jumlahnya sangat kecil. Oleh karena itu, untuk meyimpan keseluruhan data dan program komputer dibutuhkan secondary-storage yang bersifat permanen dan mampu menampung banyak data. Contoh dari secondary-storage adalah harddisk, disket, dll.
Sistem operasi bertanggung jawab atas aktivitas-aktivitas yang berkaitan dengan disk-management seperti: free-space management, alokasi penyimpanan, penjadwalan disk
Memori utama, bersifat volatile, tidak dapat mempertahankan data dan program yang disimpan bila sumber daya energi (listrik) dihentikan.
Peranan dari Memori Utama
Address bus pertama kali mengontak bagian komputer yang disebut dengan memory. Yang dimaksud dengan memori di sini adalah suatu keompok chip yang mampu untuk menyimpan instruksi atau data. CPU sendiri dapat melakukan salah satu dari proses berikut terhadap memori tersebut, yaitu membacanya (read) atau menuliskan/menyimpannya (write) ke memori tersebut. Memori ini diistilahkan juga sebagai memori utama.
Tipe chip yang cukup banyak dikenal pada memori utama ini adalah DRAM (Dynamic Randmo Access Memory). Kapasitas atau daya tampung dari satu chip memori ini bermacam-macam, ada yang 128 Mega bit, 256 Mega bit, ... dst., tergantung kapan dan pada komputer apa DRAM tersebut digunakan.
Salah satu sifat dari DRAM ini adalah volatile, artinya informasi yang disimpan pada chip ini akan bertahan selama ada listrik yang mempertahankannya, sehingga apabila terjadi pemutusan arus listrik, maka data yang ada pada DRAM akan hilang. Namun demikian, kemampuan proses penyaluran datanya cukup tinggi, mengingat memori ini berhubungan langsung dengan CPU, makannya memori ini disebut dengan memori utama.Ketika komputer baru dinayalakan, tentu saja instruksi serta data yang dibutuhkan untuk memproses memulai komputer itu dihidupkan belum ada pada DRAM, karena informasi di dalam DRAM tersebut masih kosong. Sehingga pada saat komputer dinyalakan ini, BIOS mengaturnya bagaimana komputer dapat digunakan dengan mengisikan instruksi yang dibutuhkan oleh komputer dengan cara memasukkan sistem operasi ke DRAM. Sistem Operasi ini bisa didapatkan dengan menemukan dimana dia berada, misalnya I/O bus untuk mengakses hard drive atau perangkat I/O lainnya.