Lenovo IdeaPad 100S Chromebook
Price: $179
Availability: September
The outlook: For under $200, you can get a slim 11-inch laptop running either Windows 10 or Google's Chrome OS.
Alienware X51
Price: $1,049
Availability: September
The outlook: This recently updated X51 now offers Skylake-generation CPUs and liquid cooling, plus it works with Dell's external add-on graphics cards for even more gaming power.
Toshiba Satellite Radius P55W
Price: $1,199
Availability: Now
The outlook: This impressive 15-inch laptop packs a 4K display and fast Core i7 processor into a very slim, upscale body.
Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260
Price: $949
Availability: Fall
The outlook: Of all the Yoga models Lenovo makes, the 12.5-inch ThinkPad model may be the best, with a keyboard that locks away in tablet mode and new Skylake CPUs from Intel.
Alienware Steam Machine
Price: $450
Availability: November
The outlook: At long last, the first machines that run on Valve's game-centric Steam OS are here, including this $450 box from Alienware.
Intel Skylake Core i-series CPUs
Price: N/A
Availability: Now/late 2015
The outlook: The first high-end processors from Intel's sixth generation of Core i-series chips appeared in late August, but new CPUs for mainstream and mobile PCs are only just now starting to appear. Expect better battery life and modestly improved performance.