Notebooks

Before taking the plunge into Windows 8, there are a few questions you should ask yourself. We've summarized some of most useful ones here, and by going down this checklist, you'll end up with a much better idea about the right path for upgrading existing hardware versus buying a new machine, and figuring out all the new styles of tablets and touch-screen hybrids hitting store shelves alongside Windows 8.

Do you want to stick with Windows at all, or would another OS work better for you? Microsoft has two new operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows RT. For … Read more

The rumored 13-inch version of Apple's MacBook Pro with a Retina Display will cost some $500 more than Apple's existing, non-Retina 13-inch model, according to a new report.

Citing "wholesale prices," 9to5Mac says the 13-inch model of the notebook will start at $1,699 when it goes on sale next week. That's $500 less than the entry-level version of Apple's 15-inch model with a Retina Display, but also $500 more than the entry-level 13-incher on the non-Retina side.

Apple, of course, has not announced the smaller version of the Retina-equipped Pro, but its arrival … Read more

Dozen of new PCs are launching alongside Windows 8. Some are inventive new designs with sliding keyboards and removable screens, others are simple retreads of existing products, occasionally augmented by a new touch screen.

Here you'll find links to all the major new Windows 8 hardware being released this holiday season, sorted by brand. Many of these systems are available to preorder now, and most will ship when Windows 8 launches on October 26 (a handful have yet to even be announced, so we'll add those to this list when they are).

We've … Read more

Want to skip all the details and research and just buy a great laptop? Current favorites include the Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Summer 2012), which probably the most universally useful all-around consumer laptop you can buy; the Lenovo IdeaPad 13, the best example of the new Windows 8 touch screen taptop/tablet convertibles; and the Origin EON17-S, which offers the latest components, hand-assembled specifically with gamers in mind.

Most buying guides and shopping advice tends to get bogged down in the specs, mechanically listing sub-categories within sub-categories. Instead, I'll break out the most important things to know when looking … Read more

The ultraslim PC market, which includes ultrabooks and the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina display, is set for explosive growth in the coming years, according to one researcher.

Last year, just 3.4 million ultraslim PCs were shipped worldwide. By 2015, that figure will grow to 65 million, according to new data from NPD DisplaySearch. By then, ultraslim PCs will account for a quarter of all mobile PC shipments.

As NPD DisplaySearch notes, ultraslim PC adoption has been quite slow. According to the researchers, that has been due to high prices across the line and "a lack … Read more

We originally reviewed the Modbook back in 2008, when it was a hand-built mod that took stock 13-inch white polycarbonate MacBooks, deconstructed them, and put them back together as bulky touch-screen tablets. Earlier in 2012, we learned that that original company had folded but the brand name was about to be resurrected by one of the first ModBook tablet's designers as part of a new company, called Modbook Inc.

The new Modbook was short on details, especially price and configuration options, when we first wrote about it in June. Today, the company has announced that it is taking preorders … Read more

In the run-up to Windows 8, the one keyword you hear most often is "touch." That means touch-screen tablets and slates, touch panels added to traditional clamshell laptops, and touch-enabled all-in-one desktops. It also refers to Microsoft's new emphasis on touch gestures for touch pads, as well as the ambitious plans component companies such as Synaptics have for touch input in Windows 8.

While all this touch talk is going on, there's another trend gaining steam in the background. The standalone touch pad, once a very obscure computer accessory (even the Apple Magic Trackpad failed to … Read more

Starting October 26, laptop shoppers will be inundated with a flood of new PCs designed around Microsoft's new operating system. In fact, I've counted about 50 new laptops, tablets, hybrids, convertibles, and all-in-ones on my back-of-the-envelope list already.

A handful of these have already been announced, a healthy chunk will be announced early in October, and the rest will simply go on sale on October 26, alongside Windows 8.

Having seen a good number of these upcoming systems in person already, I can safely outline three big trendlines that will drive laptop and related device sales through the Windows 8 launch season and into 2013. If you're looking to buy a laptop anytime soon, keep these in mind as you dig through the dozens of upcoming new choices. … Read more

We previously saw HP's big flagship Windows 8 products, the Envy Spectre XT Touchsmart ultrabook and the Envy X2, and now HP is ready to reveal a handful of its more traditional laptops. Like virtually every other Windows 8 laptop we've seen, these are due alongside Microsoft's new operating system in on October 26.

HP Envy m4 This mobile-minded addition to the growing Envy family has a brushed-aluminum design, current-gen Intel Core i-series processors, and a 14-inch display. Options include a backlit keyboard and Intel's Wireless Display.

Like all of the Envy laptops, and a growing … Read more