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Most anticipated new computers this fall

These are the most interesting upcoming laptops, desktops, hybrids, and tablets hitting stores this holiday season.

Dan Ackerman
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Dan Ackerman
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1 of 9 Sarah Tew

A good season to upgrade your PC

There will be many tempting laptops, desktops, hybrids, and other PCs this holiday season, from low-cost Chromebooks to high-end gaming desktops. Thank a new wave a slim laptops using Intel's upcoming Core M processors, as well as some smart-looking revisions to hybrid hinge designs.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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2 of 9 Sarah Tew

Lenovo Horizon 2s

Price: $949

Availability: Late September

The outlook: The tabletop PC trend started strong last year, then seemed to lose steam. Fortunately, this new model, a slim 18-inch mega-tablet that weighs only 5.6 pounds, may be giving the tabletop a second shot.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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3 of 9 Sarah Tew

Acer Chromebook 13

Price: $300

Availability: September 2014

The outlook: The first Chromebook with an Nvidia K1 processor, it also includes a 13-inch 1080p screen, a good keyboard, and eight hours of battery life. For $300, you're getting a lot of cloud-based computer.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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4 of 9

Alienware Area 51

Price: TBD (but a lot)

Availability: Holiday 2014

The outlook: This polygonal pyramid looks different and more sculpted than other gaming desktops, and features a brand-new Intel Haswell-E processor, plus the new Intel X99 chipset, which makes it the current cutting edge in gaming PCs.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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5 of 9 Sarah Tew

Toshiba Chromebook 2

Price: $250/$330

Availability: October 5

The outlook: A much slimmed down version of the original 13-inch Toshiba Chromebook, the higher-end config has a 1080p IPS display that looks amazing in person, plus stereo speakers tuned by headphone-maker Skullcandy.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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6 of 9 Stephen Shankland/CNET

Asus Zenbook UX305

Price: TBD

Availability: TBD

The outlook: A hot new ultrabook recently previewed for the press, this Zenbook uses Intel's new Core M processor, and is only 12.3mm thick, and kicks the screen resolution up to almost 4K-like 3,200x1,800.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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7 of 9

Acer Aspire Switch 11

Price: $400

Availability: October 2014

The outlook: Acer is taking the 10-inch hybrid we already liked, thanks to its magnetic snap-apart hinge and adding a larger screen with high-resolution options. It's not remarkably different from other Windows 8 hybrids, but the button-free magnetic hinge makes it easier to use, which is a pretty big thumb on the scale.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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8 of 9

Alienware Alpha

Price: $550

Availability: TBD

The outlook: For years, we've been promised a gaming PC that's as easy to use as a living room game console. This small-form-factor box is the next great attempt, built around wireless Xbox controllers and Steam's Big Picture mode.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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9 of 9

But wait, there's more...

Stay tuned for even more PCs coming later in 2014, thanks to Intel's upcoming Core M CPU, which promises a new generation of thinner, lighter, fanless high-end ultrabooks, hybrids, and tablets.

See all the most anticipated products in our Fall Tech Preview.

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