iXBT.com instituted three kinds of awards in order to encourage producers of hi-tec equipment:

Reviewed by iXBT.com

The "Reviewed by iXBT.com" sign is instituted to mark products that have been tested in the iXBT.com lab. It is only given to producers of those devices that have been reviewed either in the iXBT.com journal or on sites iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com.

Original Design

Today's computer market is rife with clones. A product's lifetime has become shorter, and most manufacturers prefer not to waste their time and resources on their own developments taking instead a so-called "reference design" and only changing the brand and the package. Thus, the "Original Design" award is meant for those manufacturers that create something new and different from the reference design.

This reward may be given to a product that has an original design, i.e. is greatly different from the reference design. The product must have been tested in the iXBT.com lab and have been reviewed either in the iXBT.com journal or on sites iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com.

"Original Design" is given not more than once a month and must have links to the reviews of the awarded products.

Awards in "Periphery. Manipulators"

A manipulator - keyboard, mouse, joystick, or any other device or a set of devices of this kind - can be awarded with "Original Design" if:

• It has a set of functions which is unique for the given moment;
• It is shipped with an outstanding set of software;
• It brings something revolutionary to the market of similar devices or is an absolutely new thing for the market;
• It has prominent ergonomics not at the expense of functionality;
• Or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

Genius Wireless NetScroll+ Superior wireless optical mouse

A4 Tech Outlook 8K RBW-5 wireless optical mouse

Awards in "Portable computers"

A portable computer (a laptop) can be awarded with "Original Design" if:

• It has an original construction*;
• It has non-standard dimensions and/or functionality*;
• It just looks good;
• Or something else not included into this list.

^* the mentioned features must not worsen consumer qualities

May 2004 awards

ASUS M6Ne: a notebook with Dothan-based Intel Pentium M 2 GHz CPU

Awards in "Optical drives"

An optical drive can be awarded with "Original Design" if:

• It has an original construction and look;
• It is the first one to read/write new or all kinds of optical media (discs);
• It is the first one to realise a new connection interface;
• Or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

MSI XA52P DVD/CDRW combo drive: one of the first such products with a SATA interface

Awards in "Digital sound. Acoustics"

An acoustic set can be awarded with "Original Design" if:

• It has an exceptionally beautiful design which doesn't come at the expense of functionality and sound quality;
• Or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

Microlab A-H200 active 2.1 acoustics with an exclusive design and external control unit

Awards in "Mainboards"

A mainboard can be awarded with "Original Design" if:

• It has a quality PCB layout;
• It ensures an easy system mount:
• Or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe Wireless Edition: Intel 865PE based mainboard

Awards in "TV tuners and multimedia videocards"

A TV tuner or a multimedia videocard can be awarded with "Original Design" if it has one of the following features:

• original hardware solutions that improve sound and image quality;
• hardware realisation of unique additional functions that are not directly related to the image or the sound;
• an original design;
• or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

AVerTV Studio Model 307 TV/FM tuner

Excellent Package

It is nice to buy a product and find something else besides it in the package, be it optional equipment, software, games, souvenirs or whatever. It is pleasant to be aware that the product is worth its price, but it's much more pleasant to buy a product with a magnificent package at a low price. In real life, however, some manufacturers tend to economise on everything, even if an additional item put in the package will only raise the prime cost by less than 10 percent. Therefore, we would like to encourage manufacturers who don't sell their products in bleak boxes with nothing else but a minimal set of drivers inside, but who offer bright packages with wonderful contents. It is for them that iXBT.com editors have instituted the "Excellent Package" award.

The award may be given to a product that has a unique complete package and an original box. The product must have been tested in the iXBT.com lab and have been reviewed either in the iXBT.com journal or on sites iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com.

"Excellent Package" is given not more than once a month and must have links to the reviews of the awarded products.

Awards in "Mainboards"

A mainboard can be awarded with "Excellent Package" if:

• It has a rich bundle;
• The bundle includes optional equipment, e.g. a Wi-Fi card;
• Or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe Wireless Edition: Intel 865PE based mainboard

Awards in "TV tuners and multimedia videocards"

A TV tuner or a multimedia card can be awarded with "Excellent Package" if they have one of the following features:

• an original box (retail package);
• the producer's proprietary software that has a unique functionality;
• a wide variety of optional software;
• various bonuses, such as souvenirs or useful and/or nice trifles;
• or something else not included into this list.

May 2004 awards

AVerTV Studio Model 307 TV/FM tuner

MSI VOX USB2.0 TV BOX TV tuner

Additional information

A product can't be given the same award twice.

A product can be given several different awards.

A poligraphic variant of the award can be provided upon a written e-mail request sent to: pr@ixbt.com

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