New computers coming this fall (pictures)

The most interesting laptops, tablets, hybrids and desktops of the 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

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Dan Ackerman

Sept. 2, 2015 11:26 a.m. PT

1 of 6

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.

2 of 6

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.

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3 of 6 Toshiba

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.

4 of 6

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.

5 of 6

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.

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6 of 6 Intel

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.