touchscreen

23-inch Dell all-in-one hits the right notes

Similar to the Toshiba LX835 I reviewed last week, the Dell's Inspiron One 2330 offers a mainstream entry point for PC buyers interested in Windows 8. Unlike the Toshiba system and its higher-end silicon, this Dell is almost entirely pedestrian in terms of its core features.

A handsome design and a collection of less common audio-video ports give this otherwise unremarkable PC some identity. A comparatively low $1,199 price tag puts the Inspiron One 2330 on the most accessible tier of 23-inch touch-screen all-in-ones. For those with light-duty performance needs interested in a basic Windows 8 desktop, the … Read more

Microsoft: We're going to broaden Surface lineup

During Microsoft's second-quarter earnings conference call today, the company's chief financial officer reiterated that the lineup of Surface devices will expand.

After Microsoft reported reported earning today, Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein spoke about future Surface products -- though he was mum about specifics.

"We had limited distribution this quarter in our stores and we're excited about expanding that [distribution]," he said, responding to an analyst's question.

"We're going to expand geographically, we're going to expand the product lineup, we're going to expand retail distribution and capacity," he said, … Read more

Toshiba's fast, familiar Windows 8 all-in-one

Toshiba is best known for its laptops, but after entering the U.S. desktop market in 2011, the company has put out straightforward, attractive all-in-one PCs at a steady cadence. The $1,399 LX835-D3380 is no exception, offering a safe, fast, and slightly more expensive entry point to Windows 8.

The difficulty for Toshiba, and for every all-in-one in this price range, is the Dell XPS One 27, the $1,399 version of which has slower components than the Toshiba and no touch capability, but comes with a 27-inch, 2,560x1,440-pixel-resolution display. The Toshiba's 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel … Read more

Best of CES PCs and Tablets: Lenovo Horizon Table PC

Do we really think the Lenovo Horizon Table PC will launch a nation-sweeping trend of computer-based family game nights? No.

What the Horizon does do, though, is demonstrate that the PC industry still has plenty of interesting ideas.

You can read our full hands-on with the Horizon here. The gist of it though is that it's a 27-inch Windows 8 all-in-one touch-screen computer that you can lay down flat. It also has a battery. You would not use this giant computer as a walk-around-the-house device, but its portability does mean that you can set it up in a den, … Read more

Fleksy saves you from awful touch-screen typos

LAS VEGAS--Touch-screen typing solutions have primarily focused on either on-screen keyboards or external keyboards. The former is notoriously inaccurate thanks to fumbling fingers, and the latter defeats the purpose of having such a sleek, portable device in the first place. Startup Syntellia is working on Fleksy, software that will recognize your screen typing, no matter how sloppy you are.

Fleksy was originally tested with blind users, but the creators knew it could also be helpful for people like me who flail about at their touch-screen keyboards. Whether I'm typing on my iPad or my Android phone, I always find a way to hit the wrong key. I like the idea of an app that can save me from myself.… Read more

23-inch C540 joins Lenovo budget PC line

LAS VEGAS--The last piece of desktop news from Lenovo at CES introduces the mainstream C540 all-in-one.

A largely by-the-numbers commodity PC, the C540 adds a 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel display to the "Essential" product line previously composed of only the 20-inch C340.

Like the C340, the C540 tops out at Intel Core i3 CPUs, although the C540 does get a bump up to an Nvidia GeForce 620LE graphics chip. It also has a 2TB hard-drive option, which could make this system a useful media storage device. The C340 is limited to slower integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, and … Read more

Lenovo 27-inch A730 gets high-res screen

LAS VEGAS--The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 was a flagship product for Lenovo last year, adding a relatively polished-looking design to Lenovo's sometimes clunky all-in-one desktop line. The updated 27-inch A730, announced today, brings that same design, along with an option for a truly competitive high-resolution screen.

Prior to the A730, only the Apple iMac and the Dell XPS One 27 had 27-inch displays with a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution. That high resolution is now an option for the IdeaCentre A730.

The other components in the A730 keep it from competing with those other pixel-dense 27-inchers. The A730 does have an … Read more

Intricacies of touch screen elude TV presenter

We have all become used to the idea that no news broadcast is complete without a ginormous iPad.

The ability to shift images and slides at the touch of a finger to the screen makes the TV presenter's gravitas just that much more gravitasy. It makes a Wolf just that much more Blitzer.

Yet, as this video first noticed by Videogum shows, not every TV presenter is a successful toucher and swiper.

This gentleman on a French-Canadian news channel suddenly finds that he wants to discuss troop movements in Gaza near elections, when his fingers cannot control chart movements … Read more

My non-touch Windows 8 world

Unlike most of my colleagues, my recent Windows 8 experiences have been distinctly nontouch. As it turns out, the only two laptops I've reviewed with Microsoft's new operating system preinstalled both lacked touch screens: the Sony Vaio E17 and the Toshiba Satellite U845W. Both are what you'd consider "classic" laptops -- although the U845W has a unique, extra-wide screen.

Based on these early experiences with two "Windows 8-optimized" laptops, I'm not a fan of the nontouch Windows 8 world.… Read more

Vizio updates its PCs for Windows 8, touch

TV manufacturer Vizio made a splash earlier this year with the launch of a line of laptop and desktop PCs, showcasing designs that felt high-end and unique compared with the competition. Its latest updated lineup of PCs timed for the Windows 8 launch doesn't change the equation much, but the desktop systems finally get touch-screen displays that they lacked before.

Vizio's new 24- and 27-inch All-In-One Touch PCs add 10-finger capacitive multitouch to their 1080p displays, whereas previously these desktop PCs relied on wireless touch pads and remotes. These new desktop systems start at $998, although deeper specs … Read more