laptops

Many happy holiday celebrants are opening up new laptops this month (or hybrids, desktops, and tablets). Unless it's a MacBook, the one thing nearly all those systems have in common is that they are going to run Windows 8, Microsoft's radically different new operating system.

The new OS means that the general advice I've been giving for years on what essential setup tweaks to do as soon as you unpack a new laptop needs to be updated for the Windows 8 era.

Frankly, no laptop comes right out of the box ready to perform optimally. The following … Read more

If it feels like you've already gotten a full helping of new laptop, desktop, and tablet PC news very recently, you're right. That's because Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system launched at the end of October, and with it, dozens of new and updated computers from every major PC maker.

While it's great that we've seen so many new systems, including inventive hybrids and convertibles, very recently, it also means there may not be much left for CES 2013, especially compared with last year's ultrabook-heavy lineup. That said, there are still some major … Read more

VILCABAMBA, Ecuador--Growing up in the 1980s, I remember thinking it was too bad that all the adults had to work all day long in the same place doing the same things every day. And maybe I should be a librarian, because then at least at work I'd be surrounded by books with pictures of cool places.

Turns out that Eric Mack circa 1985 was quite the small-minded and silly boy.

Technology -- and the Internet, in particular -- have since disrupted (and will continue to disrupt) every aspect of our lives. It's the reason that I can sit on top of a hill somewhere in the Ecuadorian Andes and draft this missive about the imperfection of the current selection of technologically advanced devices that I can use to research, write, and submit said missive.

That's right, folks. Today I'll be exploiting the fruits of our remarkable age of instantaneous global information and connectivity for what's become quite the popular 21st century pastime -- marveling at the limitless possibilities of today and then quickly turning around to complain that the abundance of awesomeness that surrounds so many of us 24/7/365 isn't completely perfect just yet.… Read more

Ready to put your pokey old laptop out to pasture? Ready to embrace the, um, revolutionary new operating system that is Windows 8? Two birds, one stone.

Today only, and while supplies last, OfficeMax has the HP Pavilion G6-2228nr 15.6-inch laptop for $329.99 shipped (plus sales tax where applicable). That's a full $120 off the regular price, and $20 less than it sold for on Black Friday!

Update: D'oh! Sold out already, at least online. But I recommend checking back throughout the day, as OfficeMax may free up more inventory. I've seen it happen.

The … Read more

Demand for Windows 8 touch-screen PCs is strong, according to two analysts who spoke with CNET.

"Touch machines are actually selling above expectations," said Bob O'Donnell, a program vice president at IDC.

And that means supply shortages. "Some vendors are actually facing shortages because touch panels are in limited supply. Vendors are saying they can't get as many touch-based machines as they would like to meet the demand that they're seeing."

Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS iSuppli, echoed O'Donnell's comments. "We've talked to a number of PC makers … Read more

I'd done my research, having investigated major Windows 8 convertible laptops on the market. The one I'd settled on, the Lenovo Yoga 13, had arrived. So last week, I went cold turkey with it on a business trip, abandoning my MacBook Air to see if Windows 8 could deliver a product that was both tablet and laptop in one.

Short answer: no.

As I explained in my last column, I've long wished for a device with the "instant-on" ability of my MacBook Air but also one that could transform into a tablet, for those times … Read more

In the throes of anguish, we make promises that if only the anguish can be removed we will be eternally grateful.

Now a court has decided that such promises are legally enforceable.

For here is the tale of Ryan Leslie, a Harvard-educated singer, songwriter, and producer (Booba and Cory Gunz are two acts whom he has graced), who had his laptop and an external hard drive stolen in 2010 from a black Mercedes in Cologne, Germany.

Leslie was in pain. He took to YouTube, where he offered $1 million for the safe return of the gadgets.

How bursting with joy … Read more

There were some impressive laptop deals to be had for Black Friday last week, and some of those same models are on sale again for Cyber Monday (or Cyber Week, as some call it).

Toshiba U845 ultrabook ($528-$549 at Walmart and Amazon) This decent Toshiba ultrabook only has a Core i3 processor, but includes a sleeve and 2GB USB key. A better Core i5 version is $40 more. Amazon has the Core i5 version, sans accessories, for $549 but only for a short time today.

Acer Aspire V5 ($519 at Best Buy) This touch-screen Windows 8 laptop is now … Read more

Only days after a report anticipating a surge in tablet shipments, it's official: Tablet display shipments topped laptops in October, said NPD DisplaySearch today.

"In a milestone for the global industry, in October tablet PC panel shipments exceeded those of notebook PC panels," NPD DisplaySearch said today in a research note.

Because display panel shipments are always the leading indicator for device shipments, "it can be seen that tablet PCs are threatening to overtake notebooks," DisplaySearch said.

So, is this a snapshot of the laptop in decline or just a fluke?

Here's how DisplaySearch … Read more