X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

What's coming in laptops, desktops, and Windows tablets

These are the machines we can't wait to get our hands on.

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
apple-wwdc-mac-pro-0557.jpg
1 of 8 Dan Ackerman/CNET

Apple Mac Pro

Price: TBD

Availability: Fall 2013

The outlook: The updated model has pro-level Xeon processors and dual GPUs, making it a hot workhorse for high-end multitasking. But it's the design of this new Mac Pro that became a conversation topic; instead of a big square box, the new Pro is a shiny black cylinder that looks like it fell off the engine of a starship, allowing the pro-level power as the current boxy Mac Pro to fit into a much smaller space.

AppPrime-NDA_VaioFlip.jpg
2 of 8 Dan Ackerman/CNET

Sony Vaio Flip

Price: TBD

  Availability: Fall 2013

The outlook: The Flip attacks the hybrid engineering challenge by adding a hinge to the center of the upper lid, forming a horizontal line from left to right. The lid folds back along that line, allowing the screen to tilt back. First, it flips back to form a kiosk mode, with the screen pointing out from the back of the system (away from the keyboard and touch pad). Then the lid can be pushed shut to form a slate-style tablet, and unlike with the Yoga, the keyboard is on the inside.

AppPrime-NDA_VaioTap.jpg
3 of 8 Dan Ackerman/CNET

Sony Vaio Tap 11

Price: TBD

  Availability: Fall 2013

The outlook: A standalone superthin Windows 8 tablet that connects to a flat keyboard, the Vaio Tap 11 is something between a slate and a full hybrid. The two parts clip together via magnets for a reasonably secure closed unit to carry, and when separated, the tablet half sits up on a built-in kickstand. It's the thinnest Windows 8 tablet you can get with a full Intel Core i-series CPU.

Lenovo17.jpg
4 of 8 Sarah Tew/CNET

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro

Price: $1,099

  Availability: October 2013

The outlook: How do you top the much-loved original? In the case of the just-announced Yoga 2 Pro, the star of the show is an ultrahigh-res 13.3-inch display, with a native resolution of 3,200x1,800 pixels. That puts the Yoga 2 in similar territory to the Toshiba Kirabook, Retina MacBook Pro, Chromebook Pixel, Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus, and a handful of others.

Lenovo39.jpg
5 of 8 Sarah Tew/CNET

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

Price: $949

  Availability: November 2013

The outlook: Lenovo has a new take on the Yoga that should make a lot of people very happy. This new ThinkPad-branded model has a seriously engineered keyboard and chassis design that pulls the keys into the body as you fold it over backward into tablet mode. Genius idea, and great for making the tablet mode more backpack-friendly.

wwdc13_Mavericks-still.jpg
6 of 8

Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks

Price: TBD

  Availability: October 2013

The outlook: The upcoming Mac OS remains familiar, but gives apps a cleaner look, fixes old bugs, and improves core technologies for power efficiency and responsiveness. On top of that, it brings iOS features into the fold, including new versions of iBooks, Apple Maps, Finder Tabs, and a number of other time-saving enhancements.

toshiba-ifa-encore-9-2.jpg
7 of 8 Rich Trenholm/CNET UK

Toshiba Encore

Price: $329

  Availability: November 2013

The outlook: The $329 Encore has a 1,280x800-pixel IPS multitouch display, and inside, it has one of Intel's upcoming new Bay Trail Atom processors, which may improve performance over current Atom models, plus 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD slot for adding up to an additional 32GB of storage. Read our impressions here.

WindowsStore.png
8 of 8

Microsoft Windows 8.1

Price: Free

  Availability: October 18

The outlook: One of the biggest complaints for Windows 8 was the removal of the Start (or Windows) button in the lower-left corner of the desktop. As a compromise of sorts, Microsoft has reintroduced the Start button in Windows 8.1 in the lower-left corner of the screen. Clicking on it brings up the Start screen, where you can type a few letters to find and open apps, just like in Windows 8. You'll also be able to boot to the desktop, get a revamped Windows app store interface, and many other tweaks, small and large.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos