It’s hard to imagine but this giant chunk of Metal pictured above is 4 kilobytes of memory.

That is 4KB of antique IBM memory to be exact, Editor-in-Chief of CNET Reviews Lindsey Turrentine discovered the rugged computer antique in her grandfather’s barn. Turrentine points out the wonderful irony that the image itself is 692KB, meaning you would need to find 172 more of these memory modules and a tractor trailer to transport the pic around.

Source: Gizmodo

It’s hard to believe that 2011 is almost over and what an exciting year it has been, let’s take a look back at all our new product announcements and Stealth news from the year.

Stealth 2011 Year in Review:

• January – Stealth’s New Panel PC Workstations All-in-One LCD & Computer
• February – Stealth’s Space Saving 1U & 2U Rack LCD Monitor and Keyboard Drawers
• March – Stealth’s Supply Chain and the Disaster in Japan
• April – Stealth’s New LPC-670 LittlePC, Our Most Powerful, Advanced Mini PC Ever!
• May – Rackmount PC / Server Family with Intel’s 2nd Gen Sandy Bridge Processors
• May – Stealth’s New Fanless Mini PC with Four (4) Gigabit LAN Ports
• June – Meet Our Extensive LCD Monitor Family
• July – Stealth’s New Embedded/Mobile Ultra Small Mini PC
• August – Stealth Computer’s Hardware Customization Services
• September – Stealth’s New Ultra Rugged Multi-Slot Portable PC with 20″ LCD Monitor
• November – Stealth’s New Fanless Mobile Ultra Small Mini PC
• November – Stealth Computer Ensures On-Time Delivery Performance of their Products in Spite of the Worldwide Hard Disk Drive Shortages
• December – Stealth.com Wins OEM Hardware System Building Partner of the Year in 2011 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards

Stealth.com Wins OEM Hardware System Building Partner of the Year in
2011 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards
Leading Canadian technology partners honoured and celebrated at annual Awards ceremony

Stealth.com Inc. (Stealth Computer) announced today that it has been selected as the winner in the OEM Hardware System Building Partner of the Year at the 2011 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards. The ninth annual IMPACT Awards recognize excellence across the large and diverse community of Microsoft’s Canadian technology partners. The winners were announced at an award ceremony in Toronto on November 30, 2011.

“Our annual IMPACT Awards celebrate the great work done in the Partner Community to help customers respond to their business challenges through the benefits of technology,” said Eric Gales, President of Microsoft Canada Inc. “Technology partners like Stealth.com are always finding new and exciting ways to develop and deliver innovative technology solutions, making them true leaders in their respective fields.”

Stealth.com was chosen as the winner in OEM Hardware System Building Partner of the Year for providing their customer with a rugged PC solution that could operate reliably in the agricultural field. The Stealth model: LPC-460FM is a fanless PC that was successfully deployed in the harsh environments of farm machinery due to its durability, diminutive size and mobile functionality.

The application involved processing real time data obtained from non-contact sensors mounted on tractors and trucks that would measure the absorption and reflectance of light in plants and provide adjustments accordingly. The customer accomplished significant ROI by benefiting in higher crop yields, savings in fertilizer costs and a reduction in the environmental impact.

About the Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards
In 2003, Microsoft Canada Inc. launched the IMPACT Awards, a program to recognize the numerous achievements within its technology Partner community. This year’s awards program is bigger than ever with over 35 award categories designed to recognize excellence across Microsoft Partner Network competencies, emerging technologies, community involvement as well as sales, marketing and partnering excellence.

The IMPACT Awards are open to Active Canadian members of the Microsoft Partner Network.

For a list of all 2011 winners & finalists, and more information on the Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards, please visit: http://www.microsoft.ca/awards.

About Stealth
Founded in 1990 Stealth.Com, is a leading manufacturer of specialized Computers and Peripherals. The company is ISO 9001 registered and continually develops innovative products designed to meet the exact needs of their clients. For two decades Stealth has provided thousands of proven reliable product solutions that have assisted clients with a myriad of applications. Our impressive customer base includes a wide range of customers from single man operations to Fortune 500 companies, Military installations and Governments worldwide. www.stealth.com

The growing popularity of Google’s Chrome internet browser has allowed it to overtake Firefox for the first time globally in November for usage and it continues to narrow the gap to market leader Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, web analytics firm StatCounter said on Thursday.

In November 2011 Chrome saw its market share roughly doubling from a year ago to 25.7 per cent, while Internet Explorer’s share dropped to 40.6 per cent from 48.2 per cent. The market share of Firefox – which is popular in Europe – slipped globally to 25.2 per cent from 31.2 per cent.

StatCounter statistics are based on aggregate data from more than 3 million websites with a sample of more than 15 billion page views per month.

Twenty One Years!

With Thanksgiving upon us it is an appropriate time for us to reflect and be thankful. Each year at this time it is a gratifying reminder that another year has passed and another anniversary is bestowed upon us.

Stealth is incredibly proud to celebrate 21 years in business with what is turning out to be a record year. We wish to acknowledge and thank everyone who has made a contribution to our success possible including our employees, customers, partners and suppliers.

November 2011, Toronto, Canada/San Jose, CA

The recent flooding crisis in Thailand has had a significant impact on production capacity of hard disk drives to the world market. Many of our customers have expressed concerns with regards to this situation and how it may affect our business relationship.

We are not experiencing any interruption in the delivery of Stealth’s standard computer products. Stealth has procured significant product inventory of the most common hard drive capacities used in all of our products. We also maintain an inventory of upgradable hard drive capacities and they can be quoted on a case-by-case basis.

Unfortunately, it is unknown as to when the hard drive industry will recover to its full production capacity. Industry experts have commented that shortages could extend into the first calendar quarter of 2012. Stealth is working closely with our suppliers to determine potential disruptions to our supply chain and will keep you apprised of new information.

All of us at Stealth Computer remain very optimistic that the impact on our customer deliveries will be minimal or non-existent. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Best regards,

- Stealth Management

• Seagate Press Release, Click Here
• Western Digital Press Release, Click Here
• iSupply Market Research article, Click Here

iPhone 4 Size Comparison	Rear View of LPC-125LPFM
Rear View with Express Card	LPC-460FS Size Comparison

Our Smallest Fanless Mini PC to Date!

Designed specifically for embedded, field and mobile applications. The Stealth model LPC-125LPFM is an extremely reliable, energy efficient, fanless small form factor computer that measures a little larger then a deck of playing cards, 4.6″(W) x 6.1″(D) x 2.0″(H) (117mm x 155mm x 52mm).

Stealth’s model LPC-125LPFM PC operates within a wide range of DC input power, 10-26VDC and is equipped with a secure power connector to avoid careless disconnections. Stealth’s mobile computers feature our integrated smart vehicle power controls for safe power up and power down.

Stealth Embedded/Mobile PCs are an ideal computing platform for in-vehicle, mobile, industrial control, diagnostic, machine, medical and a host of other applications.

Contact us today to discuss your application with one of our product specialists. Toll Free: 1-888-STEALTH (1-888-783-2584) or International: 905-264-9000.

Features:

• Built for Mobile, In-Vehicle Computing
• Fanless Design, Silent/No noise
• Start Up/Shut Down Delay Features
• -10 to +45C (14 to 113F)
• Wide Temperature Range
• DC Power Input 10V-26VDC
• Low Power Consumption, Energy Efficient
• Intel D525 1.8GHz Dual Core CPU
• SSD Standard, Optional HDD
• 3D Graphics with 16×9 Capability
• Built-in Gigabit LAN, USB 2.0, Audio,
  Serial, Video, ExpressCard/34, Mini-PCIe Slot
• Low Profile Rugged Aluminum Chassis
• Panel/Wall Mount Brackets Included
• Windows 7 & XP Pro Compatible,
• *other O/S Options Available
• Dimensions:
  4.6″(W) x 6.1″(D) x 2.0″(H)
  (117mm x 155mm x 52mm)

For more information on the LPC-125LPFM:

• Full Detailed Datasheet Specifications
• Pricing & Pricelist, get an online customized quote

Stealth.com Inc. (Stealth Computer) has been chosen as a Finalist for OEM Hardware System Building Partner of the Year for the Microsoft Partners Program IMPACT Awards. The ninth annual IMPACT awards recognize excellence across the large and diverse community of resellers and solution providers. Stealth was the winner of this prestigious award in 2005, nominated in 2006 and is honored to be nominated again for 2011. Winners of the 2011 Microsoft Impact Awards will be announced November 30th, 2011 in Toronto.

For more info on the Microsoft Impact Awards and to see a list of all the finalists click here.

Screen resolutions have always been an important factor when acquiring new equipment or developing new applications and today more than ever we see a wide fragmentation of various resolutions being used in the market. One of the largest trends over the past few years is the emergence of the widescreen 16:9 ratio over the more traditional 4:3 format. The latest Netmarketshare report shows 1024 x 768 (4:3) is still the most popular resolution but now garners only 17% market share.

• 1024 x 768 – 17.01%
• 1280 x 800 – 13.86%
• 1366 x 768 – 11.94%
• 1280 x 1024 – 9.41%
• 1440 x 900 – 6.94%
• 1680 x 1050 – 4.76%
• 1920 x 1080 – 4.26%
• 1600 x 900 – 3.09%
• 320 x 480 – 3.01%
• 768 x 1024 – 2.08%
• 1920 x 1200 – 1.72%

For the full list click here.

And one more thing…

 
Steven Jobs
1955 – 2011

Powerful Expansion Slot Portable Computer

The StealthBOX-Warrior2-ATX-20 is a Multi-slot Portable Expansion PC which is a highly customizable rugged computer workstation designed for people who require the power and expansion capability of a desktop PC in a portable package. The sophisticated computer user cannot haul their desktop PC to customer sites, hostile environments or remote locations. The StealthBOX portable provides performance and expansion capability not found in Notebook and Laptop PCs.

Features:

• Rugged Metal Enclosure
• 20.1″ Active Matrix TFT Display
• 1600 x 1200 Native Resolution
• Industry Standard ATX or EATX Main Board
• PCI / PCIe Expansion Slots
• Powerful Xeon and Core Processors by Intel
• Massive Hard Disk Drives
• Built-in Keyboard and Touchpad Pointing Device
• Custom Built to Your Exact Specifications
• Solid State Hard Drives (SSD) optional
• Windows 7 & XP Pro Compatible,
  *other O/S Options Available
• Dimensions:
  20.0″ W x 15.25″ H x 9.25″ D
  508mm W x 387.35mm H x 244.95mm D

For more information on the StealthBOX-Warrior2-ATX-20:

• Full Detailed Datasheet Specifications
• Pricing & Pricelist, get an online customized quote

Stealth Computer has a new Facebook page replacing the older Facebook Groups page. Click here to see the new page and be sure to “Like Us” in order to follow Stealth on Facebook.

Stealth’s new Facebook page allows you to be updated on the latest products
and technologies Stealth offers before anyone else.

Be the first to get:

• New Product Announcements
• Behind the scenes look at Stealth
• Sneak peak of things we are working on

Click here to go to our Facebook Page!

And be sure to “Like Us” on Facebook.

From ZDnet:

This morning, Microsoft officially took the wraps off of Windows 8, unveiling its radically revised new operating system in front af an audience of software developers.

If you think you know what to expect from Windows 8, just wait till you get your hands on it.

I stayed up far too late last night, experimenting with the developer preview build that Microsoft will show off to the public for the first time today. I wanted to get a good night’s sleep, but I literally couldn’t keep my hands off the sleek Windows 8-powered tablet that I have on loan for the rest of this week.

The new OS has more than its share of rough edges, and the new “modern shell” is disorienting—at least initially. And Windows boss Steven Sinofsky took great pains to stress that this is not a launch but rather the initial availability of the platform for developers. Still, after a few hours of increasingly addictive hands-on experience, I am convinced that this new release will indeed be a very big deal.

Although you can use Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard, it’s at its best on a touchscreen-equipped tablet like the one I tested. The form factor is thin, but this compact PC is no lightweight; there’s a fully loaded PC under the hood, with an i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a speedy solid-state drive. With a screen resolution of 1366 by 768, it’s capable of playing high-definition videos and meets the minimum spec to arrange two of the new Metro-style apps side-by-side.

The Windows 8 difference is obvious from the moment you boot it up. As part of the setup process, I configured the system to use my Windows Live ID and password as the login, which automatically picked up my picture for the user tile on the Start page. Choosing this configuration also allows you to sync your personalized settings to the cloud so they can roam with you as you switch between devices.

• To read the full ZDnet article on Windows 8, click here.
• Also see the video below of Microsoft previewing Windows 8.

Ten catastrophes: All-time worst tech industry executive decisions

From zdnet:

Information Technology, software and computer companies are certainly not without their share of poor executive decisions and mismanagement. While dozens of notable examples could have made our list, these were by far the top top 10 worst in the history of the technology industry, causing many billions of dollars of lost revenue or resulted in the downfall of entire companies.

In no particular order:

• John Opel, IBM: Not buying Microsoft during the PC-DOS/MS-DOS negotiations / Gary Kildall, Digital Research, not licensing CP/M to IBM
• Adam Osborne, pre-announcement of next Osborne computer
• Lew Platt, Hewlett-Packard: Entering Itanium Partnership with Intel and discontinuing processor fabrication operations for PA-RISC and Michael Capellas, Killing off the DEC Alpha
• Carly Fiorina, Hewlett-Packard: Compaq Merger
• Steve Ballmer, Microsoft: Windows Vista Project Mismanaged
• John Sculley, Apple Computer: Throwing out Steve Jobs
• Darl McBride, SCO: Attacking Linux
• Steve Case and Gerald M. Levin: AOL / Time Warner Merger
• Jerry Yang, Yahoo!: Refusal of Microsoft Acquisition Offer
• Mark Hurd, Hewlett-Packard: Penile Priorities mixing with company business/Leo Apotheker: TouchPad development and Infanticide, Hewlett-Packard

To see the full detailed article on each blunder, click here.

An excerpt from Computer World:

Windows XP quietly turned 10 years old Wednesday, a milestone for the still-popular operating system that powers nearly half the world’s PCs.

Microsoft did not celebrate the anniversary, eschewing any congratulatory blog post or press release.

On Aug. 24, 2001, Microsoft shifted Windows XP’s status to RTM, for “release to manufacturing,” a term it uses to mark the end of development and the move to duplication and release to computer makers. XP reached retail in October 2001.

One analyst questioned whether it was really the right anniversary to celebrate.

The Windows XP that people loved wasn’t [the original 2001] XP, it was XP SP2,” said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Kirkland, Wash.-based Directions on Microsoft, a research firm that covers only Microsoft.

Windows XP SP2, or “Service Pack 2,” shipped three years later, in August 2004.

“Windows XP is old,” said Cherry. “Ten years in this business is a lifetime.”

To read the full article click here.