[H]ardNews 1st Edition

Intel Bundlemania:

Apparently Intel bundling CPU & mainboards (as they always have) is upsetting some Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers. The real news of this story is the actual boards being launched by Intel, the 925 Alderwood boards the D925XCV and the D925XBC and a handful of 915 Grantsdale boards, including the D915PBL, D915PCY, D915PCM, D915PGN and D915PSY.

Intel has been pushing the sales of its new own-brand Pentium 4 motherboards in Europe by bundling CPUs – a move that is putting pressure on Taiwanese motherboard makers, according to sources at the local makers.

MS Extends Supprt:

Microsoft is extending support for their business and developer products from 5 years mainstream support, 2 years extended support phase and 8 years online support to 5 years mainstream support, 5 years extended support phase and 10 years online support.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Server and Tools Marketing Andrew Lees announced to attendees the June 1 launch of an expanded and enhanced product support life-cycle policy. The updated policy will provide customers with a minimum total of 10 years of mainstream and extended support for business and developer products.