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Upcoming computers and hardware

Check out the next generation of laptops, desktops, and components that will be driving PCs in spring 2013.

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
Rich Brown Former Senior Editorial Director - Home and Wellness
Rich was the editorial lead for CNET's Home and Wellness sections, based in Louisville, Kentucky. Before moving to Louisville in 2013, Rich ran CNET's desktop computer review section for 10 years in New York City. He has worked as a tech journalist since 1994, covering everything from 3D printing to Z-Wave smart locks.
Expertise Smart home, Windows PCs, cooking (sometimes), woodworking tools (getting there...)
Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Dan Ackerman
Rich Brown
Scott Stein
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1 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S

Price: $799

Availability: June 2013

The outlook: The original 13-inch Yoga seemed to be everyone's choice for a great Windows 8 ambassador during the new OS' launch last year -- both Microsoft and Intel touted it as a best-in-class example, and Best Buy featured it in a television ad. Shrinking the idea down to an 11-inch system creates a product that, in tablet mode, feels a lot closer to an iPad than the 13-inch convertible/hybrid laptops we've seen.

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2 of 7 Apple

Next-gen Macs

Next-Gen Macs

Price: $999 and up

Availability: TBD

The outlook: With both the iPad and iPhone more recently updated than Apple's other tent pole -- the MacBook laptop and Mac Pro desktop lines -- we may see some design and hardware revisions times to the launch of Intel's next-gen Core i-series CPUs (also known by the codename Haswell). The MacBook Pro with Retina Display has Air users hungry for higher-res screens, and the powerful Mac Pro desktop feels especially ready for an overhaul -- it got a minor spec bump last year, but still sports the same design as the 2010 version.

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3 of 7 Sarah Tew/CNET

HP Elitebook Revolve

Price: Unknown

Availability: TBD

The outlook: Last seen at CES, HP's slim, sexy laptop-tablet transformable looks like it will pack newer Intel processors and take the next step towards incorporating Lenovo Yoga-level style into the business sector. It impressed us a few months ago, but the final price tag could potentially damper our enthusiasm.

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4 of 7 Razer

Razer Edge

Price: $999 (starting)

Availability: Late March/early April

The outlook: The Razer Edge is, in a sense, just a Windows 8 tablet with Nvidia graphics. But it's also more than that: a variety of accessories and docks can transform the Edge into a handheld gaming device, laptop-like hybrid, or a TV-connected PC gaming console. It's that versatility, more than the Edge's portability, that makes it such an intriguing proposition. Even though the add-ons can get costly, the core price of the Edge remains more affordable than Razer's hyper-expensive Blade laptop. Is it more of a PC than a tablet, or is it both? We'll find out soon enough.

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5 of 7 Rich Brown/CNET

Dell XPS 18

Price: $899 (starting)

Availability: April 16th

The outlook: Dell's XPS 18 is only the most recent desktop/tablet hybrid to come out of hiding. What this system has going for it over competitors from Sony, Lenovo, and Asus is a slim profile and a simple concept. Simply unplug the 18.4-inch XPS 18, and it becomes a sub-5-pound tablet running full-blown Windows 8. It's thinner than the Sony Vaio Tap 20, lighter than the 27-inch Lenovo Horizon, and easier to use than the Asus Transformer AIO that asks you to juggle both Windows 8 and Android. Dell also promises about 5 hours of battery life with the XPS 18. That and its relative portability might even make this system a true mobile desktop.

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6 of 7 Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon 27

Price: $999 (starting)

Availability: June

The outlook: Lenovo has the most ambitious take on the desktop/tablet hybrid device in its 27-inch, battery-equipped IdeaCentre Horizon 27. The idea is that not only can you move the Horizon from room-to-room, but also that its giant screen and custom touch input software create a robust multi-user interactive platform. Lenovo demonstrated the Horizon with a host of accessories at CES this year, including a rolling stand, interactive dice, and a full-blown coffee table add-on (sadly just a concept). It's fair to ask whether anyone wants that kind of computing experience, but if the computer itself is competitive with nonportable big-screen all-in-ones, what do you have to lose?

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7 of 7 Stephen Shankland/CNET

Intel Haswell CPUs

Price: Varies

Availability: June (rumored)

The outlook: Tabletization has swept over the Windows-Intel world this past year, which explains why Intel has pushed so hard for improved power and thermal efficiency in its fourth-generation Core CPUs, code-named Haswell. Rumors have pegged a June release for the first Haswell-based systems, which should bring more-powerful, more-portable Windows 8 laptops, desktops, and hybrids. The big question, though, is whether a next-gen CPU from Intel will spur consumer demand for Windows 8.

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