It's a Core 2 world, after all Joey Alarilla INQ7.net
November 14, 2006
IT'S hard to believe that 2006 is almost over, and that it's that time of the year again when your thoughts turn to gift-giving and, particularly if you're a techie, upgrading.
It doesn't help that, for several weeks, I was blissfully using a Core 2 Duo rig thanks to Intel Philippines PR firm Strategic Edge, which lent a review unit for me to test drive. This was a desktop unit with an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 chip running at 2.6GHz, equipped with 1GB of Ram and a Leadtek WinFast PX7600 GT video card -- with all this raw power made even cooler by the fact that the PC was encased in a Thermaltake Shark full-tower aluminum chassis. So I was happily blazing through the installed games such as Quake 4, Call of Duty 2 and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II, which I finished months ago on my own Pentium 4 machine, but which never looked this good. It's entirely coincidental that I haven't written a new column piece in a while, heh.
Thing is, now I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms, and it's really hard to go back to the PC I've been using for over two years now. It's like going back to dial-up after getting used to DSL. That's just how technology is. The moment something faster or better comes along and you get a taste of this, it quickly becomes the new standard for you. I've talked about this before in my column piece Upgrading the Future, and it's remarkable to think that after only a year, the Core 2 platform is changing our expectations of what a PC can do -- not to mention the fact that Intel is again upping the ante with quad-core processors.
It never ends, does it?
So yup, a Core 2 machine is definitely on my to-buy list, though I'm more inclined to get a Core 2 laptop so that I can play the latest games and still bring it with me when I travel. Intel has talked about how the Core 2 will revolutionize the PC industry in the same manner that the Pentium did way back in 1993. OK, you have to give allowance for hype, but even so I have to admit that you can easily get addicted to the Core 2's performance -- and Intel is sweetening the deal by making the prices of the chips very competitive. The ones you have to feel somewhat sorry for are those who only recently upgraded to the original Core Duo.
In an earlier e-mail interview, I talked to Gary Willihnganz, Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific of Intel Technology Asia Pte Ltd, about this transition to the Core 2 Era of gaming.
"Almost all the gamers today grew up in the 'Pentium generation' and they have experienced what gaming was like based on single-core technology. It was great, and it has helped game developers create new games that have changed the way we play.
"The Intel Core 2 Duo era of gaming is one that can be characterized by more realism, more graphics, more intensive and more engaging for the gamers. It is the new normal and a leap ahead in what gamers can expect. It is the start of the new 'Core generation.'
"This shift to the Intel Core 2 Duo processors provides gamers up to 40% faster than the previous generation desktop processors providing breakthrough performance. To really get the most out of your gaming experience, there is the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor that is optimized for extreme gaming. And gamers now have the choice of gaming on desktops or notebooks without any compromise on game play," Willihnganz said.
This is really what gets me excited about Intel's vision for the Core 2 Era -- mobile gaming. Now, you can really play anywhere, and the gaming laptop has become even more of a reality. Heck, even Mac users have reasons to rejoice, as the MacBook Pro now also sports a Core 2 Duo.
Willihnganz, like other Intel officials, has also stressed that the Core 2 Era will enable game developers to unleash their creativity. They now have the hardware that will enable them to turn their imagination into reality.
I asked Willihnganz if he was also a gamer, and what he sees as the future of gaming.
"I only play occasionally, but the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors have rekindled my interest in gaming. I play Quake 4 on occasion as it helps relieve stress after a busy day. I also am playing Fifa World Cup with my son," he replied.
"I think gaming will continue to evolve and change. Professional gamers will continue to get industry recognition and will help bring the game experience to new levels of possibilities. With Moore's Law, Intel is moving the industry from dual- to quad-core to multicore, enabling game developers to create even more realistic gaming to the point where virtual and reality might seem the same. Gamers and icafe (Internet café) owners will get even greater performance and energy efficiency in their desktops or notebooks."
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Speaking of upgrading, the PlayStation 3 has finally arrived, debuting in Japan this Saturday and set to invade the US this week, followed by Nintendo's Wii. These two next-gen consoles will now join Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the fray.
I already have an Xbox 360, but of course I'm looking forward to owning these two new consoles. Oddly enough, I'm really more excited over the Wii launch because of the innovative motion-sensing Wiimote. Of course, another factor is the fact that the PS3 is so expensive, plus only a few units are available.
In a perfect world, game site editors would be guaranteed to be among the first to get their hands on a new console, but reality is rather different, particularly since console manufacturers still don't have an official presence in the Philippines.
Still, we'll do what we can, and prove that in spite of the lack of support being given to console gamers in the Philippines, gaming is alive and kicking in these parts.
E-mail the author at joeyalarilla@gmail.com and visit his blog at www.alarilla.com.
Previous columns: Taj Mahal tales and KOTRA dreams (10/18/2006) Of newspapers, vinyl records and phones you actually dial (10/11/2006) One market to rule them all (10/04/2006) E-business made easy and bridging the digital divide (09/27/2006) Of GamesMaster and Gold Rush (09/18/2006) Who’s watching TV? (09/12/2006)
