HP

Hey, HP board, how do you like them Apples?

commentary Back in 2011, Hewlett-Packard's chairman Ray Lane was photographed using an Apple MacBook Air as he was trying to turn HP around. Personal preference speaks volumes about HP and the fate of the PC industry.

Lane stepped down today as chairman of HP just after, coincidentally, Gartner released a report forecasting dim prospects for the PC industry.

Things seem to get dimmer with each forecast, as the tablet -- which means Apple's iPad for the most part -- takes a bigger bite out of PC sales.

Here's what Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner, said … Read more

HP Chairman Ray Lane steps down

Hewlett-Packard Chairman Ray Lane is giving up his post as the company initiates yet another board shakeup. Lane's tenure featured a few massive debacles.

Ralph Whitworth, a shareholder activist, will be a stand-in until a replacement is named. Lane will stay on HP's board, but John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson will step down.

The moves, initially reported by The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and others, represent another shakeup for HP's historically dysfunctional board. But CEO Meg Whitman and the company had to do something following a series of missteps.

First, there was the HP acquisition of … Read more

Discounted Windows 8 hybrids earn a second look

Microsoft's official online store has cut prices on a handful of Window 8 devices. These systems, from HP, Toshiba, and others, are all different, but each straddles the line between laptop and tablet and falls into the growing hybrid category; you can see the current discounts on the Microsoft Store site.

With these new discounts (no word on if they are temporary or permanent), our initial reviews of these specific systems deserve a second look, if only because a big knock against each one was the unrealistic asking price.

Are they much better machines at $100 to $250 off, … Read more

Microsoft Store slashes prices on Windows 8 tablets, hybrids

In what could be a sign of things to come, the Microsoft Store is slashing prices on a variety of hybrid laptop-tablet models.

Here are some of the highlights now appearing on the Microsoft Store "Tablets and Convertibles" page:

Toshiba Satellite U925t-S2130 Convertible Ultrabook: Cut to $799 from $1,149. 12.5-inch screen, Core i5 Intel chip, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). ( Read the CNET review.) Acer Iconia W510-1674 Tablet: reduced to $399 from $499. 10.1-inch display, Intel Atom 1.8GHz "Clover Trail" Z2760 chip, 32GB SSD. ( Read the CNET review.) HP ENVY x2 11-g012nr Touchscreen: … Read more

Get an HP Spectre XT 13 ultrabook for $699

My hunt for a new laptop continues. I want an ultrabook, something thin and light, but I certainly don't want to pay upward of $1,000 for it.

Last week I almost popped for the Vizio CT14-A4, which at $599 seemed too good to be true, but couldn't get past all the negative reviews of the keyboard. (It's still available at that price, FYI.)

Today I'm eyeballing another surprisingly good deal from the Microsoft Store: the HP Spectre XT 13 ultrabook for $699 shipped (plus sales tax where applicable). It normally sells for $999.99.

Although … Read more

HP creating glasses-free 3D tech for smartphones, tablets

Hewlett-Packard has been hard at work creating glasses-free 3D technology for mobile devices. That's right, no silly glasses.

Publishing their findings in the science journal Nature today, HP researchers say that this type of technology could transform data visualization, medical training, and entertainment.

The effect is "much like you'd see in the movie `Star Wars' with the hologram of Princess Leia," lead author of the paper David Fattal told the Associated Press today.

Creating 3D for mobile devices is far different than for movies, however. According to Nature, this technology would look like a hologram but … Read more

Mark Hurd reportedly contacted about running Dell after buyout

Mark Hurd, the former chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, has reportedly been approached by an investment group about the possibility of running rival Dell if its buyout effort of the computer maker is successful.

Private-equity firm Blackstone, which is reportedly making a bid for Dell to rival a $24.4 billion buyout offer from Silver Lake and Michael Dell, has discussed the position with Hurd, a person with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. Earlier today, Fortune reported that Hurd was one of Blackstone's top candidates to run the computer maker if its bid were successful and Dell founder Michael … Read more

HP sidesteps Autonomy drama; Israel-Palestine makes news

Give Hewlett-Packard's management credit for keeping the company's annual shareholders meeting as uneventful as possible. Considering the soap opera drama leading up to today's event, that was no mean feat.

Earlier in the day, Autonomy founder Mike Lynch published an open letter, suggesting questions that shareholders ought to ask of management in connection with the allegations that HP made against Autonomy after paying $11.1 billion to buy the software company. In November, HP shocked Wall Street when it took an $8.8 billion accounting charge related to the acquisition. At the time, the company said that … Read more

Best ergonomic monitors

When shopping for a new monitor, degrees of swivel, tilt, and pivot aren't usually at the top of the wish list. But ergonomic options are important for the comfort and placement of your work space. Some monitors are designed with no options for adjusting your physical viewing experience, and an inefficient monitor setup can result in bad posture, eye strain, and other physical discomfort.

Whether you use your monitor for work or play, these models are chock-full of ergonomic features to maximize productivity by reducing fatigue and discomfort. Make sure to click on the photos of each monitor to see a demonstration of how they work. … Read more