News Bits: Outsourcing Gaming, ATI X1600, Asus A7G, Alienware Budget Laptop

Outsourcing PC Game Playing to China is Serious Business

Outsourcing tech support and call center work to countries in Asia or Eastern Europe is common.  But how about outsourcing your PC game playing?  That's right, while you sit at work you can have somebody working in a factory in China play an online PC game for you.

I can hear your question now, "what's the point of paying somebody to play a game for you if the point is to enjoy unwinding and playing a game?"  Ahh, but gaming has become more than just leisure, it's serious business these days.  All over the world, affluent gamers who are impatient and don't have time to work their way through an entire game are willing to pay young Chinese gamers to battle through early rounds of a game for them.

So, in China there are factories where 7-days a week, 12-hours a day young Chinese males "play" computer games.  A 23-year old worker at one of these factories says he makes "about $250 a month, which is pretty good compared with other jobs I've had.  And I can play games all day."

These 20-something Chinese "workers" play games 12-hours a day 7-days a week for affluent gamers around the world, they earn about $250 a month doing this work

Although it sounds like all fun and games for these workers, realize that they have strict quotas and must accumulate virtual currency that is valuable to game players around the world that are actually paying them to play the online game for them.

More: NYTimes Article on Chinese Outsouring of Games

ATI Announces Mobility Radeon X1600 Graphics Card

ATI recently announced a new graphics card for notebook PCs, the X1600, which basically replaces the current X700 offering from ATI.  The X1600 uses a 90nm manufacturing process and its claim to fame is not that it's the most powerful graphics processor, but rather is much better on performance per watt and overall cooler running -- both important factors for a notebook PC.

Some early reviews of the ATI X1600:

• HotHardware
• Legit Reviews
• PC Perspective
• MobilityGuru

ATI Website for X1600: http://www.ati.com/products/mobilityradeonx1600/index.html

Asus A7G All-in-One 17" Notebook Announced

The Asus A7G was recently announced by Asustek, it will include the new ATI X1600 graphics card (see above).  Asus is calling the A7G an "all in one" notebook, meaning it's good for gaming, media (it includes a 1.3MP web-cam, built-in mic, offers instant-on music without boot) and of course regular boring work!  From Asus:

"The A7G notebook is the ideal personal digital entertainment solution. It offers powerful computing capabilities, complete digital multimedia applications and wireless audio and video communication all at one affordable price. Now it's possible to have your very own home theater, computer and game counsel all in one sleek and portable smart machine."

A7G Specs:

• CPU: Intel Pentium M processor 700 Sequence
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional,
• Microsoft Windows XP Home
• Display: 17" WXGA+ Color Shine LCD, ASUS Splendid- Video Intelligence Technology
• Graphic: ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 128MB GDDR3
• Memory: DDR2 533MHz, up to 2G
• Chipset: Mobile Intel 915PM Express Chipset
• Interface: 1x 1.3M web-cam, 1 x S/PDIF, 5 x USB ports, 1x TV-Out, Bluetooth V2.0+EDR (optional)
• Dimension and Weight: 40.5x31.4x3.8 cm, 4.0Kg

Availability is expected for the end of December or beginning of January, we're unsure on the pricing.

More: Asus A7G Product Page on Asus.com

Taiwan's Quanta Computer Gets Major Order to Produce Sony Notebooks for 2006

According to reports from Taiwanese news sources, Quanta computer of Taiwan has won a larger order from Sony for 2006 to produce VAIO notebooks.  Asustek was previously the number one producer of VAIO notebooks for Sony, but with this order of 850,000 machines Quanta bumps Asustek as being Sony's number one supplier.  From DigiTimes.com:

"Quanta's annual shipments to Sony are projected to reach 850,000 notebooks in 2006, according to the Apple Daily, quoting JP Morgan. In addition to Sony, Acer may place more than half of its notebook orders with Quanta next year, the paper quoted the investment bank as saying."

Intel Guides Slightly Lower on Revenue for Q4

Intel's stock has dropped in overnight trading as they steered Wall Street to expect slightly lower income for the last quarter of this year.  Intel is blaming shortages on chipsets and increased competition on a slightly lower expectation for income in the past 3-months.  Analysts were hoping Intel would possibly make up to $10.8 billion for the quarter, but Intel is indicating  it's more like $10.5 billion.  The "increased competition" is of course courtesy of AMD who has been doing a good job of getting more of their processors in notebooks recently.  Intel hopes to hit its stride again in Q1 with the release of their dual-core NAPA Pentium processors.

Alienware Releases a "Cheap" Notebook -- m5500i to Start At $999

Alienware 5500i on display at LA convention

When you hear Alienware notebook you figure you're dealing with a high-end gaming rig that costs upward of $2,000.  But Alienware is trying to get a different segment of budget and mainstream notebook buyers now.  Alienware today showed the m5500i laptop at a convention in Los Angeles.  The m5500i starts at $1,000 with a 15.4" widescreen and Pentium M or Celeron M processor and an integrated Intel graphics solution.  To get the price down to $999 you'll have to be ordering a Celeron processor though.

Alienware 5500i

More: Alienware m5500i Order Page / TGDaily Report from LA Convention