Five least intuitive things about Windows 8

Windows 8 is neither a completely foreign experience, as some have said, nor is it a smooth continuation of the Windows you've known for the past 11 years, since the start of the modern XP era.

From a hardware point of view, using Windows 8 and its not-Metro interface is eventually navigable after some trial and error, and memorizing a few new commands and gestures -- at least if you have one of the many new touch-screen laptops or all-in-one desktops.

Having tried it on a couple of new Windows 8 laptops that do not have touch screens (and … Read more

The resurrected Modbook MacBook tablet gets a price

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

Exit the mouse, enter the touch pad

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

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

USB cables could power PCs, peripherals

Today, you likely charge your phone with a USB cable. Tomorrow, you might well use one to charge your laptop and other devices.

With a new Universal Serial Bus technology called Power Delivery (USB PD), Intel and its allies hope the ubiquitous cable will become even more widespread. "One USB cable does it all," said Brad Saunders and Bob Dunstan, two Intel architects in a presentation at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week.

USB 2.0 can carry 2.5 watts of power. USB 3.0, which is just catching on now, can handle 4.… Read more

Nintendo Wii U arrives November 18 starting at $299

At a press conference today in New York, Nintendo announced long-awaited details about the upcoming Wii U video game console. The system will be available in the U.S. starting November 19, and will cost $299 and up.

First teased more than one year ago at E3 2011, the Wii U is the first mover in the generation of game consoles beyond the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Since its 2011 announcement, we've seen and sampled Wii U hardware and games a few times, but without any official information on how much the system and its accessories will … Read more

Nintendo Wii U to go on sale in Japan on Dec. 8 for $335

Nintendo today announced the Japanese release date and price details for the new Wii U console. The system will be available in that market starting December 8 and will cost 26,250 yen ($335) and up.

The Wii U will feature 2GB of RAM: 1GB for games and 1GB for system memory. Also, Wii game discs will sport a 25 GB capacity.

Similar details for the U.S. are expected during a Nintendo press conference New York on Thursday morning. You'll be able to follow along with the New York press conference with our live blog from the event, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET. … Read more

Lenovo updates IdeaPad S series for Windows 8

As part of the flood of new IFA products, Lenovo has updated its slim S series of IdeaPad laptops for Windows 8.

Unlike some of the laptops from Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, and others we've previewed this week, we have not had a chance to see these new models in person. But Lenovo describes the new IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405 as follows:

Equipped with the latest technology, the Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and S400 laptops are available with Intel's third-generation CoreTM i3 or i5 processors, while the IdeaPad S405 is packed with up to AMD A8 quad-core processors. Up … Read more

Best laptops for under $600

Not too long ago, a budget laptop was, by default, a big, ugly plastic box. It may have gotten the job done in terms of school or office work, but it wasn't going to turn any heads at the coffee shop, or fit comfortably onto an airline tray (with the exception of too-small Netbooks, which had their own list of problems).

We'll look back on 2012 as the first year when budget laptops really got a fair shake, with many models looking and acting much more like their expensive cousins than ever before.

Even at the very low end of budget -- laptops that are $600 or under -- you can get a slick-looking HP Envy Sleekbook, or a powerful Acer Aspire V5.

Here are a handful of recent favorites, from 11-inch ultraportables to 17-inch desktop replacements, each of which costs about half as much as a 13-inch MacBook Air.… Read more