John G. Spooner

About

John G. Spooner, a senior writer for eWeek, chronicles the PC industry, in addition to covering semiconductors and, on occasion, automotive technology. Prior to joining eWeek in 2005, Mr. Spooner spent more than four years as a staff writer for CNET News.com, where he covered computer hardware. He has also worked as a staff writer for ZDNET News.

Notebook Makers Cautiously Await MIMO for Wireless Boost

Notebook PC makers are beginning to make room for MIMO. Companies such as Dell Inc. and Gateway Inc. are eager to add MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) wireless networking technology to their systems. The technology, which is used by the forthcoming 802.11n wireless networking specification, promises to boost the bandwidth of local-area wireless networks using […]

Apple Cuts Out Single-Core Power Macs

Apple is phasing out its single-processor Power Mac G5, effectively shifting the desktop line to dual-processors. The desktops, which Apple Computer Inc. updated in April with dual 2GHz, dual 2.3GHz and dual 2.7GHz G5 processors, continue to sell at prices starting at $1,999. But the 1.8GHz Power Mac G5, which no longer appears in Apples […]

Global PC Shipment Growth Wont Bring Rising Revenue

Worldwide PC shipments are expected to exceed previous projections over the next two years, rising on the wings of higher notebook shipments, falling average prices and strength in emerging markets, according to new forecasts. However, analysts say, even though unit shipments will grow, revenue increases will not keep up, leading to tough conditions for PC […]

Mactel Desktops May Offer Triple-Threat OS

Apple wont stand in the way of people who want to run Windows on its forthcoming Intel-processor Macs. But whether or not users will be able to run Windows directly on the machines is still a mystery. Apple Computer Inc. last week announced plans to begin selling computers based on Intel Corp. processors by June […]

Former PowerPC Allies Carry On

A week after Apple Computer Inc. said it would shift from IBM PowerPC to Intel Corp. Pentium chips, delivering what some might see as a huge blow to IBM, its business as usual in East Fishkill, N.Y., the de facto headquarters of IBMs chip group. Although IBM, Apple and Motorola Inc. all once worked together […]

HP Splits PC and Printer Units, Hires Exec

Hewlett-Packard Co., five months after combining its personal computer and printing businesses, on Monday separated the two and appointed a new head of the PC unit. The Palo Alto, Calif., company appointed R. Todd Bradley as the new executive vice president of the PSG (Personal Systems Group). Bradley, 46, had served as CEO and president […]

HP, Dell Tie on Computer Support Services

When it comes to computers, good service is getting harder to define. Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. were neck-and-neck in customer satisfaction during the first quarter, shows a new study by TBR (Technology Business Research Inc.), of Hampton, N.H. The survey, released Friday, polled 648 IT managers at 422 companies in North America on their […]

IBM Sees Open Source as Road to Bolstering Chip Biz

IBM, having thrown open its Power chip architecture, is becoming the new pied piper for open-source chips. The companys chip group is now looking to create a specification for open, Power-based servers and is also moving to open Cell, the chip architecture it developed along with Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. The efforts build on […]

Pentium M May Become Next Apple Core

Apple may choose Intels Pentium M to become the first Intel chip inside a new generation of portables and small desktop computers. The computer maker, which on Monday announced plans to move to Intel processors starting in 2006, is expected to make the Pentium M its first stop, analysts say. The Pentium Ms mix of […]

Intel Looks to Nanotechnology

Intel Corp. is looking to developments in an emerging branch of science for the potential to improve future generations of its processors. The chip maker is stepping up its research on carbon nanotubes, tiny tubes of rolled-up carbon hexagons, one product of the science of nanotechnology. Intel, IBM and others are exploring nanotechnology as a […]