Dell

Dell joins the parade of Windows 8 systems

Dell is joining the ranks of PC companies making system announcements before the official October 26 release of Windows 8.

The following products are available for preorder today, according to Dell:

XPS 12 convertible -- starting at $1,199.99 XPS One 27 with touch -- starting at $1,599.99 Inspiron One 23 AIO with touch -- starting at $779.99 XPS 13 ultrabook -- starting at $999.99

Dell is also offering Windows 8 as an option on its current XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision brands -- which covers virtually all the company's major product brands. … Read more

IDC analyst slams Windows 8 device pricing

An IDC analyst doesn't like what he's seeing so far from PC makers and their pricing for Windows 8 products.

Lenovo and Acer this week began disclosing pricing for tablets and convertibles that range between $499 (Acer) and $1,099 (Lenovo). Bob O'Donnell, program vice president of clients and displays at IDC, doesn't think this kind of traditional PC pricing bodes well for the sales of newfangled hybrid devices.

"The problem is these things are priced way too high. Look at the history of tablet products priced above the iPad. Not pretty," he said … Read more

PCs showing 'severe slump' as HP slips to No. 2

It's even uglier than thought in the PC market, new data today shows.

IDC says the global computer market "withdrew sharply" in the third quarter, with shipments falling 8.6 percent from the prior year. The tech research firm had expected a decline of just 3.8 percent -- what it called a relatively quiet quarter as companies prepare for the upcoming Windows 8 launch.

Rival Gartner, meanwhile, said shipments slid 8.3 percent to 87.5 million units, worse than its expectation for a 6.5 percent decline.

Both firms noted that back-to-school promotions weren't … Read more

Intel and partners may be late to the tablet party, but they're here

Intel and its hardware partners will launch a broad attack on the tablet market today.

Standing alongside Intel at an event in San Francisco are executives from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and ZTE. Those companies are showcasing new Windows 8 tablets and convertible devices.

Many, if not most, of the devices have already been unveiled, such as HP's Envy x2, Dell's Latitude 10, and Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2.

All of the devices feature Intel's dual-core Z2760 "Clover Trail" (PDF) Atom Processor, a power-efficient system-on-a-chip that allows partners to build tablets as thin as … Read more

Intel touts inexpensive ultrabooks

Ultrabooks aren't expensive. That's Intel's mantra these days. So, is the chipmaker right?

"Ultrabook Prices Hit Sub-$750 As Holidays Loom", Intel said in a post today. And, when queried, the chipmaker produced a fairly extensive list of sub-$700 laptops.

Select sub-$700 ultrabooks, as cited by Intel:

$699.99 Inspiron 14z ultrabook (14-inch) $699.99 Lenovo IdeaPad ultrabook (13-inch) $599.99 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (13-inch) $663.20 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (13-inch) $679.99 Acer Aspire ultrabook (14-inch) $679.99 HP Envy ultrabook (14-inch)

So, what pushes these models into sub-$700 territory?

Many … Read more

Ultrabooks: The top technical problems

Owners of ultrabooks face a variety of technical woes, from limited battery life to poor screen quality, according to a new study from FixYa.

Tracking questions and complaints from its site users, FixYa narrowed its scope to seven different ultrabooks, shining a light on the key problems found in each one.

Low memory was the top complaint among users of Apple's popular MacBook Air, followed by thermal shutdown, which automatically turns off the computer if it gets too hot. Some owners also said the Air was difficult to repair and that the speaker quality was poor.

To deal with … Read more

Dell adds Windows 8 to two new Latitudes

It may not generate excitement on a par with the iPhone 5, but Dell has added two new Windows 8 systems to its business-targeted Latitude lineup. While that's not a product line that usually catches our attention, these are definitely on the more adventurous side for Latitudes.

Latitude 6430u ultrabook This 14-inch Windows 8 ultrabook meets certain MIL-STD-810G standards, which is what we usually see in semi-rugged laptops. To work that kind of rugged design into a 20mm thick ultrabook is noteworthy, especially as most of the ultrabooks we've seen are on the flimsy side.

The 6430u will … Read more

Intel sets Windows 8 tablet event with HP, Samsung, others

Intel is going to kick off the season of the Windows 8 tablet by hosting an event next week attended by virtually all of the major PC players.

The September 27 event will highlight products using Intel's "Clover Trail" Z2760 (PDF) power-efficient system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor.

"A media event to showcase the latest Intel-based tablet and tablet convertibles, and announce details about the next generation Intel Atom processor (formerly code-named 'Clover Trail')," Intel said in a note sent out to journalists.

Intel's Erik Reid, general manager of Application Processor Platforms in the Mobile and Communications … Read more

PCs hit a high for customer satisfaction -- boosted by tablets

Driven by the popularity of tablets, personal computers grabbed a new high in customer satisfaction in the September report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Labeling desktops, laptops, and tablets all as personal computers, the ACSI gave the category a grade of 80 out of 100. That proved a 2.6 percent gain over the 78 score earned last year and in 2010. Though some may disagree with the tagging of tablets as PCs, the iPad and its brethren were partly responsible for the bump in satisfaction among computer buyers.

"The recent stall in demand for desktop PCs comes … Read more