April 2006

By DE Editors

Editor’s Pick of the Week—April 26, 2006HP Unveils Quartet of Workstations Two for the road and two for the office.Four new workstations for engineering and compute-intensiveenvironments were announced by Hewlett-Packard (HP; Palo Alto, CA) Monday: The HP xw6400and xw8400 desktop workstations and the HP Compaq nw8440 and nw9440mobile workstations. Each of the units uses Intel processors.The new 64-bit desktop—desk-side in HP parlance—xw6400 and xw8400 workstationsfeature dual-core Intel Xeon processors and HP’s toolless chassis design, which makes servicing, upgrading, and maintenance. (For moreon the dual-core Xeon, click here.) The HP Compaq nw8440 and nw9440mobile workstations offer the power of a workstation with theconvenience of a notebook to video editors, engineers, designers andanimators.Boththe HP xw6400 and the xw8400 are available with either Windows XPProfessional (32 or 64-bit) or Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 4 (64-bit)preinstalled. Also preinstalled are tools fortuning and customizing system performance.The high-end HP xw8400 can be equipped with a pair of dual-coreXeonprocessors. This, says HP, means it offers the power for suchcompute-intensive workouts as engineering, visualization, and oil andgas exploration.According to HP, the HP xw6400 and its 64-bit dual-core Xeon processor is suitable for such environments asmanufacturing, digital content creation, print/electronic publishing,and financial services. Additionally, an HP spokesperson told DE thathe believes the xw6400 to have the smallest footprint of any dual-coresystem available.The new HP Compaq systems are said to offer workstation performancewith notebook mobility. Additionally, the company says that it isworking with Microsoft to ensure that both mobile workstations fullysupport the Vista operating system when that OS becomes available. Bothworkstations, adds HP, are compatible with the company’s businessnotebook accessory solutions.Bothmobile workstations come with 512MB of RAM and can be be equipped withup to 4096 MB. The standard Intel Core Duo processor is the 1.8-GHzT2400, backed by a 667-MHz FSB (front-side bus) and 2MB L2 cache. The2.16-GHz T2600 Intel Core Duo processor is available as an upgrade.Internal hard drive storage ranges from 60 to 100GB.The HP Compaq nw9440 mobile workstation is its most powerful mobileworkstation to date, according to the company. It has NVIDIA Quadro FX1500M graphics as well as a 17-inch display, and its Intel Core Duoprocessors enable you to run multiple applicationssimultaneously. (Intel’s Core Duo processors aredesigned to handle concurrent applications efficiently. Click here togo Intel’s web page on Core Duo.)The nw9440 measures 1.3 inches and weighs 7.5 pounds. It’s availablewith your choice of Microsoft Windows XP Professional or FreeDOSoperating systems. Feature include wired and wirelesscommunications, a portfolio of security tools, and a variety ofapplication certifications.The 6-pound HP Compaq nw8440 mobile workstation also deploys Intel CoreDuo processors. Its screen, which measures 15.4 inches wide, leveragesATIMobility FireGL V5200 graphics. It can  be equipped with most ofthe features and options as can the nw9440, and it runs the FreeDOS, XPProfessional, or XP Home operating systems.For more, information on the new quartet of desktop and mobile workstations, click here to go to HP, then search the unitof your interest from the list on the lower right-hand side of your screen.

  Editor’s Pick of the Week—April 19, 2006 Dimension Extends Line, Releases New RP Software Aggressive pricing and software highlight new Dimension 3D printers.The Dimension 3D Printing Group, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc.(Eden Prairie, MN) announced two new lines of 3D Printers last week:the Dimension 768 Series and Dimension 1200 large-format Series. The1200 Series, Dimension claims, is the first large-format 3D printerseries priced at less than $30,000. The Dimension 768 Series 3DPrinters start at below $19,000.Both Series use ABS plastic, which is suitable for testing 3D printsfor functionality, form, and fit. Additionally, both use the company’snew Catalyst EX software for processing 3D models. According to thecompany, Catalyst software imports STL files and automatically slicesand orients parts, creates necessary support structures, and plots thematerial deposition path for the 3D printer to follow.Catalyst also, if necessary, automatically generates supportstructures, and it can “pack” multiple models within the build envelopeto maximize efficiency. Other functionality provided by Catalystincludes queue management capabilities and material and system statusinformation.The 1200 Series large-format printers have a maximum build size of 10 x10 x 12 inches (254 x 254 x 305 mm), which is said to be 57 percentlarger than its predecessors. The 768 Series has a maximum build sizeof 8 x 8 x 12 inches (203 x 203 x 305 mm).Two models, the BST (Breakaway Support Technology) and the SST (SolubleSupport Technology), currently comprise each new Dimension Series. TheSST models of both the 768 and 1200 Series include all thefunctionality of the BST models augmented with an automated solublesupport removal system that uses hot water and soap to wash awaysupport structures. The Dimension BST model require manual removal ofthe support pieces.Dimension 3D Printers run unattended. They also provide system and build status information via e-mail, pager, or the Internet.The Dimension BST 1200 and SST 1200 are priced $21,900 and $29,900,respectively. The Dimension BST 768 and SST 768 are $18,900 and$24,900, respectively. Pricing includes Catalyst EX software. Dimension3D printers provide TCP/IP 100/10 base T network connectivity and arecompatible with Windows, NT, and XP.For more information, click here. To request a free sample part, click here.

 Editor’s Pick of the Week—April 12, 2006 Dell Rolls Out Its New Line of Mobile Workstations New notebooks offer desktop-class performanceNear the end of March, Dell (Round Rock, TX) announced what itdescribes as its “next-generation mobile workstations.” The DellPrecision M90 and Dell Precision M65, according to a companystatement, deliver performance and features in a mobile platform aswell as application certifications that professional workstation usersdemand. After a brief demo of the units, this reporter can attest thatthey are impressive machines that seem to live up to that billing.The Dell Precision M90 is designed to make ditching your desktop inworkstation in favor of it a serious consideration. Slightly larger andabout a pound and a half heavier than the Precision M65, the Intel CoreDuo processor-based M90 offers a 17-inch wide-aspect display and afull-sized keyboard. (Core Duo processors enable parallel processingwhen you run multithreaded applications. They also are efficient powerconsumers, making them attractive for more applications. If you are not running multithreadapplications, Core Duo processors handle concurrent applicationsefficiently. Click here to go Intel’s web page on Core Duo.)Dell Precision M90 specifications include NVIDIA Quadro FX OpenGLgraphics with up to 512MB dedicated graphics memory; 2MB L2 cache,667MHz front side bus, and up to 4GB of high speed DDR2 memory. TheCore Duo processor is available in speeds ranging from 1.67GHz to2.16GHz. Other features of the Precision M90 include 24x CD-ROM, 60GB hard disk (100GB as option), wireless LAN, andbuilt-in touchpad. A 9-cell battery pack provides mobile power.The Dell Precision M65 also leverages Core Duo processors. In itsstandard configuration ,it weighs in at a bit more than 6 pounds.Specifications include a 15.4-inch wide-aspect display, 2MB L2 cache,667MHz front side bus and up to 4GB memory. Its NVIDIA Quadro FX 350Mgraphics board can be deployed with up to 512MB memory. Options include embedded mobile broadband capability and biometric finger printreader.In response to a reporter’s question,  Dell made no claim thatthese systems are ruggedized for hostile or military applications.Still, both new models feature a magnesium alloy exoskeleton, sealedspill-resistant keyboards, and steel-reinforced security slots. The Dell Precision M90 and Dell Precision M65 are said to be certifiedfor a range of MCAD and CAE applications. On its information page, Delllists such developers as ANSYS Autodesk, Dassault, Fluent, PTC,SolidWorks, and  UGS as partners. The Dell Precision M90 starts at$2,239, while the Precision M65 begins at $1,849.For more information from Dell, click here. For details on the NVIDIA graphic boards used in the new Dell mobile workstations, click here.

Editor’s Pick of the Week—April 5, 2006 SpinFire Professional 8.0 Announced New feature in SpinFire rights backward PMI data.Actify Inc. (San Francisco, CA) recently announced SpinFireProfessional 8.0, its digital design communication application. Newfeatures are said to include the ability to interact withGD&T/Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), a new user interfacedesign, and improved analysis capabilities.The idea behind SpinFire Professional 8.0 is to make 2D and 3D CAD dataaccessible to both technical and non-technical users. It accomplishesthis by providing users with the ability to visualize and interact with2D and 3D CAD files without requiring a native CAD system. To do that,it converts the originating file into Actify’s secure .3D format. Inturn, the .3D file format enables access, communication, anddistribution of the file throughout the enterprise and supply chain inwhatever manner you deem appropriate.A key feature of SpinFire Professional 8.0 is its ability to view andinteract with PMI annotations that have forward-reading labels during3D dynamic camera rotation. That is, no more reversed type.Additionally, foreground and background data appear in differentshades, and shading dynamically modifies as user perspectives change.Upgrading users will note that SpinFire Professional 8.0’s new userinterface features a layout that’s less cluttered than earlier versionsand more in tune with Microsoft Office conventions.Improved analysis capabilities in SpinFire Professional 8.0 provide forremoving material and retaining material cross-section modes, accordingto Actify. This lets you choose between a full cross-section view and aprofile view. Additionally, you can compare an original model and asecond version with changes highlighted. Also new in SpinFireProfessional 8.0 is the ability to save Files to Intel’s U3D format forarchiving of design data in PDF format and a new API for third-partydevelopers. SpinFire Professional 8.0 supports files created in most CAD fileformats. Shipments begin shortly. Pricing starts at $495. The companyintends to offer a free trial version of SpinFire Professional 8.0through its website in mid-April., but you can click here to register forfree download of a trial of a previous version of SpinFireProfessional. Click here to view an online demo. To go to the Actify website, click here.