July 9-10, 2013
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Targeting the back-to-school shopping rush, Google announced today that its Chromebook computers will soon be headed to even more major retail stores — including the most coveted retailer of all: Walmart.

The retail giant will begin offering the cheapest Chromebook, Acer’s $199 model, starting tomorrow. That computer should be particularly appealing to Walmart’s cost-conscious customers, especially as parents will soon be looking for cheap computers for kids to take to school.

Additionally, Staples will soon offer Chromebooks from Samsung, HP, and Acer later this summer. Those models range from Acer’s $199 model to HP’s gigantic $330 Pavilion Chromebook.

Best Buy already carries some Chromebook models in its stores, but the addition of even more physical retailers could be a big win for Google. With netbooks on their way out, Chromebooks could fill an important gap for inexpensive (and somewhat disposable) computers. It also makes much more sense for Google to spotlight its cheap Chromebooks, rather than the insanely expensive $1,299 Chromebook Pixel.

Chromebooks run Chrome OS, Google’s stripped-down operating system built on its Chrome web browser. They’re meant to be cheap, light, and singularly focused on web apps, which makes them well-suited to classrooms. Most Chromebooks don’t have much storage for media, and they also can’t play games offline. (Great for parents who want less distractions for their kids, bad for kids who want to waste time.)

Alienware is launching three new laptops today based on Intel’s new Haswell microprocessors that deliver better graphics and less power consumption.

The new Alienware 14, Alienware 17, and Alienware 18 have all-new industrial designs, with distinctive touches that make the machines immediately recognizable. They represent the high-end of portable gaming, and they won’t embarrass you if you take them to a LAN party. Everything about the design is meant to convey that you are a gaming bad-ass, because Alienware wants to make sure that you don’t need no stinkin’ consoles.

“It’s a pretty big change for us in how we design,” said Frank Azor (pictured), general manager of the Alienware business, in an interview with GamesBeat. “And they still have more performance than we have ever put in any of our products. We reinvented ourselves with this new industrial design.”

The machines are based on Intel’s Haswell microprocessors, which are a lot more power efficient than past models. Alienware was acquired by Dell in 2006 and it remains a “master brand” and is run as a separate entity in Florida. That allows Alienware to go its own way in designing what it thinks is best for gamers. It helps that PC gaming is seeing a resurgence with titles like World of Tanks and League of Legends.

The new laptops are the first major redesign of the Alienware industrial design since 2009. Taking advantage of more power-efficient chips, these models have 20 percent less volume than the last models released a year ago based on Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors.

Hardcore PC gamers haven’t always liked laptops. They have lugged around desktops to gaming parties, known as LAN parties, for years. But Azor said, “We decided there had to be an easier way.”

Alienware collected a lot of feedback over the past few years from gamers about what they want. The new machines have features that consumers have asked for, like colorful light-emitting diode (LED) streaks along the sides of the machine. The touchpad is fully illuminated with bright LEDs. The neon-bright lights under the keyboard also keep the machines glowing, but you can turn those off  if you’re playing an intense game.

You can change the colors as you like. There are ten lighting zones and 10 trillion color combinations. People can create their own color themes as they like. The company has partnerships with 55 game publishers so they can take over the lights when something is happening in the game.

While the previous Alienware machines had a vintage “Roswell style” look to them, these new machines are built on a futuristic alien theme. The keyboard had been widely praised in the past, but Alienware took surveys of customers and a slightly redesigned keyboard tested the most positively. It has a steel-reinforced plate underneath the board. The key caps are larger for a more comfortable typing experience, and the light around each key is no longer there. The letters are a little larger and the lighting is not as bright in your face. The keyboard has 19 customizable keys so you can fire weapons more easily.

Alienware will offer a bunch of Intel processor options, including Core i7 versions of the processors. The 17-inch and 18-inch versions will support Extreme Editions of Intel’s processors, and the 14-inch can be overclocked as high as 4.3-gigahertz. They will all launch with Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 7X family of graphics processors. The 14 will have up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 graphics. The 17 and 18 models will have options for GTX 765, 770, and 780 graphics cards. The 18-inch will feature dual Nvidia cards operating in SLI mode. They have 8 gigabytes of main memory and 750-gigabyte hard drives.

The 14-inch supports up to three storage drives, while the 17 and 18 support up to four storage drives. About 60 percent of the structure is metal. The base frame is made from magnesium alloy. The back panel is all aluminum, all one piece. The Alienware 14 has an IPS panel, while the Alienware 18 has a PLS display, with full high-definition resolution. The speakers are from Klipsch and the Ethernet ports are based on the Killer Networks NIC designs from Qualcomm. The models have 802.11n Killer networking on the 14. The 17 and 18 have 5G WiFi from Broadcom, or 802.11ac.

Alienware can monitor the performance of the machine while it runs games. A new app dubbed Accelerator will disable a lot of Windows services and turn off background operations so that you’ll have a lot of free main memory. The 17 and 18 platforms have HDMI in ports. The screen and speakers can serve as output. Alienware also designed its own backpack to go with the laptops. There are five designs across 11 SKUs. All of the ports stick out so that they will work with any device.

Most people are going to play with the machines plugged into a wall. In terms of battery life, the machines have 7 hours on the 14, 6 hours on the 17, and three to four hours on the 18. The 14 weighs 6 pounds, the 17 weighs 10 pounds, and the 18 weighs almost 12 pounds.

“We don’t share performance on the silicon on any of the chips,” Azor said. “The GPU and CPU can run at 100 percent. That’s a design tenet of Alienware’s. Gamers don’t want their CPU throttled in a game. These are not compromise products, and that is why they are the size and weight that they are.”

The Alienware 14 will sell for $1,199 with an i7, Nvidia GeForce GT 750M, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 750 gigabyte hard drive. The Alienware 17 is $1,499 with the same specs except an Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 graphics card. The Alienware 18 will sell for $2,099 with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 graphics cards.

Of the consoles, Azor said, “They were ahead for about six months, but we destroyed them for the last seven years.”

Here is our video interview with Azor.

[Photo credits: Dean Takahashi]

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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July 9-10, 2013
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Sony is unveiling a new line of Vaio Pro and Vaio Duo laptops with new Intel Haswell-based microprocessors.

Source: Sony

Sony Duo 13

The Vaio Pro is a touch-enabled Ultrabook laptop that runs Windows 8. It is aimed at mobile professionals and students on the go. The devices aren’t the cheapest on the market, but they include non-standard features such as near-field communications, which allows the device to instantly communicate with other NFC devices and transfer data. You can now exchange contacts or enable Bluetooth connections with just a tap on the NFC radio.

The laptop is light and durable and comes in both 11-inch and 13-inch models. It weighs just 1.92 pounds and 2.34 pounds, depending on screen size. It is also the first laptop to include a high-speed PCIe SSD drive with twice the performance of traditional laptop SSD drives.

The machine has a nine-hour battery life and can be extended to double that with a sheet battery. The laptops also have good graphics capability, thanks to the advances Intel built into the Haswell generation of laptop components.

The company is unveiling the products at the Computex computer trade show in Taiwan, where Intel is unveiling more information about its Haswell platform and product roadmap.

The moves are part of the company’s continuing effort to stay competitive in the PC market through a combination of advanced technology, good design, and reasonable (but not the cheapest) prices.

The Sony Vaio Duo, meanwhile, is the next evolution of a slider hybrid PC, which can be used as a tablet or as a laptop. It comes with an electronic pen for more precise interaction with the touchscreen. The Vaio Duo 13 is made with carbon fiber and weighs just 2.87 pounds. It has a smaller border, or bezel, and that means it is just about the same size as the original Vaio Duo 11, even though the screen is bigger at 13 inches.

With a new Surf Slider design, the machine has a slimmer hinge for allowing a quick and easy transition between tablet and laptop modes. You can switch between modes using one hand. The laptop side has a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. It has an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera with the Exmor RS image sensor from Sony. The image quality is good enough to take pictures of documents, and it can recognize and tag text in photos.

Source: Sony

Sony Vaio Pro 13

The Vaio Duo 13 has a standby sleep mode. With optional AT&T 4G LTE, the device can connect to the Internet in sleep mode and update your applications and emails. When you wake the machine up, your emails are up to date. And the Vaio Duo 13 has a whopping battery life of 18 hours.

Both the Pro and Duo lines feature a wonderfully named “full HD Triluminous display” with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The new screens make “colors purer and more distinct.” The technology goes with Sony’s X-Reality for mobile technology, which analyzes images and reproduces pixels that are missing. The devices also have Sony’s ClearAudio+ technology that lets you hear dynamic bass sounds with more clarity and less distortion. Both models also have backlit and full-pitch keyboards, and Sony’s Rapid Wake technology for resuming in less than one second.

Sony previously launched its Vaio Fit 14-inch and 15-inch laptops and its entry-level Fit E laptops.

“By combining the power of Sony’s display, digital imaging, and sound technology with new and innovative form factors, VAIO is offering a variety of new ways for consumers to interact with PCs,” said Pedro LaFarga, senior vice president of the Sony Vaio & Networked Products Division. “We’re continuing to deliver on the needs of a growing number of mobile professionals by making devices that enhance and enrich individuals’ lifestyles in both work efficiency and play.”

So far, Sony doesn’t have a double high-resolution screen to match rivals from Apple (the retina screen) and Toshiba. The laptops come with software such as the touch-oriented painting program, ArtRage Studio and Vaio Movie Creator software.

The Vaio Pro models are available on June 9 in carbon black and carbon silver colors for $1,149 and $1,249. The Vaio Duo 13 model is available June 9 in carbon black and carbon white for $1,399.

July 9-10, 2013
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Toshiba is launching a new line of laptops and desktops outfitted with Intel’s fourth-generation Core microprocessors, previously codenamed Haswell.

Intel is releasing a wave of laptop and desktop chips that can dramatically improve integrated graphics performance and cut power consumption. Toshiba’s new Satellite P Series and S Series laptops use the latest quad-core Intel Core processors. It will also launch a series of desktop computers aimed at gamers and entertainment fans.

The designs feature significantly thinner cases made from brushed aluminum. Toshiba also launched three new Tegra 4-based Android tablets with screens that are as sharp as Apple’s Retina displays for its iPads.

“The latest processors from Intel not only offer smart performance, but exceptional power efficiency, which allowed Toshiba to further slim down our premium laptop lines to nearly as thin as an Ultrabook,” said Carl Pinto, the vice president of marketing at Toshiba’s U.S. division. “With all new styling, featuring attractive brushed aluminum, and premium features like full HD touchscreen displays and Harman Kardon speakers, our new premium Satellite notebooks are ideal for consumers looking for powerful and versatile PCs to stay productive and entertained.”

The P Series has a speedy touchscreen display designed to be responsive. It has hard drives up to 1TB, main memory configurable up to 32GB, and optional Nvidia GeForce GT 740M graphics. The case is made with an aluminum finish and rounded corners.

The P Series laptops are available in 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch diagonal touch or static screens.

The Satellite S Series laptops have 14-inch, 15.6-inch, and 17.3-inch diagonal screens. They come with large touchpads with gesture support, up to 1TB of storage, and up to 16GB of main memory. They machines include an array of USB 3.0 and HDMI ports, a brushed aluminum chassis, Haswell processors and optional Nvidia graphics. The P Series laptops will be available Sunday exclusively at Best Buy stores, while the S Series will be available more widely on that same day.

Toshiba is also launching its new Qosmio X75 “enthusiast class” laptop and an all-in-one touchscreen desktop, the PX35t. The $1,029 PX35t is equipped with big-screen TV, PC, and multimedia features. It has a 23-inch high-definition touchscreen display. It has up to 16GB of main memory and can use a variety of Core processors. It has speech recognition and DTS Studio Sound.

The $1,549 Qosmio laptop has a fourth-generation Core i7 quad-core processor and a 17.3-inch screen. It comes in “Black Widow” styling in brushed aluminum, and it has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M mobile graphics chip. Both are available on June 10.

July 9-10, 2013
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Apple’s high-resolution Retina MacBook Pro may already be thinner than past MacBook Pros, but it’s still nowhere near as thin as the ultraportable MacBook Air. But that size gap may change a bit at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference next week.

According to KGI Securities analyst Mingchi Kuo, Apple will reportedly take advantage of the power saving features in Intel’s new Haswell processors in the Retina MacBook Pro to give it an even slimmer profile. Even though it’s tough to rely on analyst speculation, Kuo has a better track record than most, 9to5Mac points out.

Apple unveiled the Retina MacBook Pro at last year’s WWDC event, so it’s about time we see a major update. Its big claim to fame is its 2560 by 1600 pixel resolution display, which makes it one of the highest resolution laptop screens on the market. The Retina MBP also eschews an optical disc drive and is only available with a solid-state hard drive. In many ways, it’s Apple’s vision for where laptops are headed — even if some consumers aren’t ready to give up their CDs and DVDs just yet.

Alternatively, Apple could just throw in a Haswell chip and leave the Retina MBP’s case the same, which could lead to battery life of up to 10 hours.

Among less significant upgrades, Kuo notes that the Retina MBP could get a new 1080p FaceTime camera, and that the MacBook Air could get a slightly better microphone (which would be good for video chats). We haven’t heard anything yet about a significant MacBook Air update, which is something I know plenty of Apple fans are looking forward to.

July 9-10, 2013
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Hewlett-Packard is unveiling a small army of computers today that will use Intel’s next-generation microprocessors, code-named Haswell, for better processing without an increase in power consumption. The new products are HP’s latest bid to get its mojo back and to embrace the change wrought by tablets on the struggling PC industry.

Some of the devices are already shipping, but many are still waiting on Intel’s official release of the Haswell processors, which are due in early June. The Haswell processors are built in a 22-nanometer manufacturing process that enables both faster processor speeds and low power consumption, mainly by combining graphics and processor functions on a single chip. Haswell promises twice the graphics performance of last year’s Ivy Bridge processors.

Intel introduces major processors about once a year or so, and HP is using the occasion to launch a wholesale redesign of its computers. It is launching a new lineup of laptops, all-in-one computers, and desktops. All of the devices are thinner, stronger, and sleeker in design.

Among the new offerings are a bunch of thinner, lighter, and faster touchscreen laptop computers. They include the HP Envy TouchSmart 14 Ultrabook, with a 3,200-by-1,800 full high-definition touchscreen display, better battery life, Intel’s Haswell, and a 10-point multitouch screen. That model will ship on June 26 for $700. Such low prices mean that Intel-based Ultrabooks will finally reach a sweet spot of good battery life, good performance, and lower prices. The HP Envy TouchSmart 15 notebook (pictured right) also has a full touchscreen with Beats Audio. it will be available on June 5 for $530.

The HP Envy 17 notebook computer will come with a 17.3-inch screen, an Intel processor and Nvidia graphics. It has 2TBs of hard disk space, Beats audio, and a full-HD display. It will start selling on June 5 at $700.

HP is also launching new versions of its mainstream consumer Pavilion-branded computers. The HP Pavilion TouchSmart notebook is a thin laptop with a capacitive touchscreen and 10-finger gesture support. It will sell for $400 starting on June 26. The HP Pavilion 15 notebook will have a 15.6-inch display, a 1-terabyte hard drive, and an optical drive, and it will come in a variety of colors. It will sell on June 5 starting at $430.

As for desktops, HP is introducing a cool new all-in-one PC dubbed the HP Envy Rove 20. The device has a 20-inch touchscreen that you can fix at a variety of angles. You can also lay the device flat.

The device also comes with a built-in battery that can last for three hours while unplugged. In other words, it’s a giant touchscreen tablet running Windows 8. The machine uses Intel integrated graphics and Haswell processors. It has an in-plane switching (IPS) panel with wide viewing angles and 10-finger multitouch. It has Beats Audio and comes installed with software including EA Monopoly, Fingertapps Jigsaw Wars Puzzle, Fingertapps Musical Instruments, and Disney Fairies. It will debut in July for an undisclosed price.

HP is also launching the HP Pavilion TouchSmart 20 and 23 all-in-one PC models. These feature five-point optical touchscreens, widescreen displays, and new processors from both Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. The hard drives have up to 2TBs of storage. The machines have HP TrueVision WebCams and 25GBs of free Box cloud storage for U.S. users. The 20-inch model will sell for $620 starting June 23, and the 23-inch model will sell for $750 on June 5.

HP is also launching a series of new desktops. The HP Envy Phoenix 800 Desktop PC will have both Nvidia discrete graphics and Haswell processors. It will start selling on June 5 for $1,100. The HP Envy 700 Desktop PC will offer a choice of AMD processors or Haswell processors. It will be available on June 5 for $600.

The HP Pavilion 500 Desktop PC will have Haswell with a choice of discrete graphics from Nvidia or AMD. It will start selling on June 5 for $490. The HP Pavilion Slimline 400 Desktop PC will come with Haswell processors and Nvidia discrete graphics chips. It will start selling on June 30 exclusively at Best Buy starting at $400. And HP is launching the HP 110 Desktop PC. This low-cost machine has Intel processors or AMD processors, up to two terabytes of hard disk storage, and a 6-in-1 media card reader. It will be available on June 5 starting at $290.

HP is also extending the Envy brand name to its printers. The new products include the HP Envy 4500 e-All-in-One and the HP Envy 5530 e-All-in-One printers. Those printers are able to print from both mobile devices and web pages. They’re packaged in compact enclosures and offer Instant Ink subscriptions, which make it easy for a home user to get ink refills. Pricing for the printers will be announced later this summer.

Last week, HP unveiled a couple of new consumer notebook computers. Those included the HP Split x2, a laptop that can be used as a clamshell device or converted into a tablet by detaching the keyboard. Such 2-in-1 designs are an example of wider innovation in the PC industry and an attempt to change with the times. The HP Split x2 has a 13.3-inch touchscreen and two batteries. The Split x2 will sell for $800. HP also unveiled its HP SlateBook x2, an Android tablet that can be used either as a tablet or a laptop. It features an Nvidia Tegra 4 mobile processor and a 10.1-inch diagonal screen. The HP SlateBook x2 will sell for $480.

July 9-10, 2013
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Global shipments of smartphones, tablets, and laptops hit 308.7 million in the first quarter of 2013, with 216.3 million smartphones, 50.5 million laptops, and 41.9 million tablets shipped, according to the latest numbers from Canalys.

Once again, Android accounted for 75.6 percent of all smartphone shipments, and once again, Samsung is killing it.

The Korean smartphone king grew smartphone shipments by 64.3 percent year-over-year while shipping 82.2 million tablets, smartphones, and notebooks combined. Meanwhile, mobile rival Apple grew its iPhone shipments by a shockingly low 6.7 percent, hitting single digit growth in a market which has overall growth of 37.4 percent.

Let me say that again: Apple is at single digit growth in a market growing at almost 40 percent.

Source: John Koetsier

Android meets Wall-E.

If there’s any doubt why Apple’s stock in moldering in the mid-400′s after hitting highs last year of over $700, that’s why. And with Tim Cook basically telling Wall Street that Apple won’t ship any significant new products until this fall, or even 2014, the situation is not likely to change.

‘Despite its slowing growth, Apple still shipped over 37 million iPhones,’ Canalys analyst Pete Cunningham said in a statement. ‘But HTC and Samsung have raised the bar with their latest handsets and Apple needs to respond with its next iPhone. The iPhone user interface is now six years old and badly in need of a refresh.”

Tablets are one area of slight comfort for Cupertino.

Apple retains 46.4 percent of the tablet market, Canalys says, shipping 19.4 million tablets. That’s down from 58 percent market share in the first quarter of 2012, and once again, in a market growing at over 106 percent year-over year, Apple grew less than others — about 60 percent growth year-over-year.

‘Spearheaded by Google and Amazon, the commoditization of the tablet market has happened far quicker than that of the wider PC market,’ Canalys analyst Tim Coulling said.

The upshot?

Without significant new Apple products, major new product categories, and a much more intense Apple effort to produce a wider range of phones and tablets that the market is looking for right now, Apple share will continue to drop.

And one other interesting tidbit in the Canalys data:

Calculating operating system share over all “smart devices,” lumping in smartphones, tablets, and laptops does provide interesting insights. With that view of the industry, Microsoft ends up with an 18.1 percent OS market share — a very different proposition than high-90-percent share in the laptop/desktop world.

Image credit: Louish Pixel/Flickr

July 9-10, 2013
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Sony is unveiling a new line of Vaio Fit laptops today. And it’s refreshing its lineup of all-in-one desktops and Ultrabook laptops. The moves are part of the company’s effort to stay competitive in the PC market through a combination of advanced technology, good design, and reasonable (but not the cheapest) prices.

The Fit laptops have a unique aluminum case and two variants. The Fit 14-inch (pictured above) and 15-inch models represent the high end, while the Fit E models are entry-level machines with fewer whiz-bang features.

The new Fit machines use Sony Exmor R sensors from Sony’s digital imaging group. Those components enable a web cam that can capture good images even during low-light chats. The machines also come with near-field communication (NFC) so users can quickly exchange web URLs and enable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi direct connections simply by touching any compatible NFC device to the new Fit.

The Japanese company’s big selling point for the Fit is its superior design at an entry-level price. The company is unveiling the latest version of its Tap 20 all-in-one desktop. It is also refreshing its L Series 24 PCs and its Vaio T Series 15 Ultrabook. By the end of the summer, touchscreen technology will take over the bulk of Sony’s desktop and laptop computer lines.

The Fit laptop is built with weight-saving aluminum materials and features Sony’s signature diamond cut Vaio logo. It has a high-definition 1,920 x 1,080 display on the 15-inch model and 1,600 x 900 on the Fit 14-inch model, and an optional capacitive touchscreen and a light-emitting diode backlit display. The machines are powered by third-generation Intel Core processors.

The laptops also have Sony’s ClearAudio+ tech and a virtualized surround sound experience. The Fit E 14-inch and 15-inch models include big box speakers. The Fit models have a full-size backlit keyboard, and the 15-inch model includes an integrated number pad. The touch pad is large, and Sony has included its Rapid Wake tech for instant PC resume.

The Vaio Fit models also come with ArtRage Studio, a touch-oriented painting program, and the Sony Imagination Studio software — a $200 value. Nvidia stand-alone graphics are optional.

The Sony Vaio Tap 20, a 20-inch all-in-one device, now comes pre-loaded with Sony Imagination Studio and it also has Intel Wireless Display tech. The Vaio Tap 20, the Vaio T Series 15 Ultrabook, and the Vaio L Series 24 will be available in mid-May for $899, $849, and $1,249, respectively.

The Fit 14 and Fit 15 will be available in mid-May in black, pink, and silver for $649 and $699, respectively. The Fit E 14 and Fit E 15 come in black, pink, and white and sell for $549 and $579.

July 9-10, 2013
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This year, we’ll buy more tablets than notebooks for the first time ever. But by 2017, we’ll buy six times more tablets than laptops, according to market researcher NPD.

“The mobile PC industry is undergoing significant change,” NPD senior analyst Richard Shim said in a statement. “The rapid rise and establishment of white box tablet PCs … is putting pressure on traditional notebook PCs … resulting in cannibalization by tablet PCs.”

NPD’s latest report suggests that tablet shipments will grow 67 percent this year to 256.5 million and will reach a massive 579.4 million in 2017. In contrast, laptop or notebook PCs will decline 10 percent over the same period, dropping from 203.3 million to 183.3 million.

But there are two bright spots for laptops.

Source: NPD

Global mobile PC shipments – 2012-2017

First, the portion of the notebook market that is touch-enabled will grow 48 percent in 2014, from almost nothing in 2012 to close to 100 million in 2015 and increasing each of the following two years. That’s driven by the increasing importance of touch in computing platforms of all kinds, the need for laptop manufacturers to innovate, and also by Intel’s proclamation that third-generation Ultrabooks using the chip-maker’s new Haswell processors must include touch.

And second, the premium ultra-slim laptop market — such as Ultrabooks and Apple’s MacBook Air — will account for two-thirds of touch-enabled notebooks in 2013, and 80 percent by 2017.

Missing in action, however, is Windows 8.

“Thus far, Windows 8 has had a limited impact on driving touch adoption in notebook PCs, due to a lack of applications needing touch and the high cost of touch on notebook PCs,” Shim says.

The biggest driver for touch and tablet adoption, NPD says, is white-box tablet manufacturers. Increasingly, small, regional brands are building Android-based tablets — especially in China — and distributing them in emerging markets where laptops have never really gained a foothold. These white-box brands accounted for a full third of tablet shipments in 2012, and NPD expects that percentage to remain steady over the next few years.

The key take-away for PC manufacturers?

Differentiate by building form factors that are not traditional PCs and are not traditional clamshell laptops. The challenge, of course, is reduced price, reduced margin, and increasing regional competition.

It’s enough, perhaps, to make the big manufacturers wish for the good old days of the netbook.

Image credit: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
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Hewlett-Packard is launching a salvo of new laptops for small businesses. The HP ProBook series of business notebooks are aimed at the computer maker’s core market of business users who want functional, well-designed, and inexpensive laptops.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP showed off the new touchscreen products in a briefing with reporters. The PC market has slowed  as smartphones and tablets creep into our lives, but HP wants to keep the core small business market firmly rooted in PCs. These models are 36 percent thinner and 18 percent lighter than previous notebooks.

The new laptops are part of a campaign Meg Whitman, chief executive of HP, is launching to remake the company and stay competitive among strong rivals that include Lenovo, Dell, and Apple. HP’s emphasis isn’t on the monolithic Windows PC anymore. It is spreading its bets across multiple operating systems, multiple devices, and multiple chip sets. That’s why the company is emphasizing that these products come from its Personal Systems division, not just its PC division.

The new laptops have 10-finger touchscreens that won’t bend or give way when you press the screen. They run Windows 8 and are aimed at making touch navigation — swipes, taps, and touches — a regular part of using a computer. HP marketers said the HP ProBook series is designed to balance performance, quality, and good design. It has new print solutions that are integrated into business environments.

HP ProBook 400 Series business notebooks package sleek design, great battery life (up to eight hours), durability, and security features. The series includes five models: the 430, 440, 445, 450, and 470.

The HP 200 Series business notebooks include multimedia tools for the home office. HP is also introducing its HP Scanjet Sheet-feed Scanner and HP LaserJet and HP Officejet printers that make managing print jobs easier.

The HP ProBook 400 Series notebooks come with 17.3-inch, 15.6-inch, 14-inch, and 13.3-inch flat panel screens. They also have a range of Intel and Advanced Micro Devices processors and feature “meteorite grey” cashing with aluminum accents. The 400 Series has a new hybrid hard drive that combines faster flash memory with high-capacity hard disk space. The notebooks are Skype-ready and have DTS sound for video conferencing.

The HP 200 Series business notebooks have 15.6-inch and 14-inch screen sizes with a range of wireless capabilities and processor choices. The laptops come pre-installed with multimedia software features and can connect to larger high-definition displays via an HDMI port.

Both the HP ProBook 400 Series and HP 200 Series are expected to be available in the U.S. this month. The HP ProBook 400 Series starts at $499, while the HP 200 Series starts at $249.

HP is selling a new HP LaserJet Pro multifunction printer, the M521, which allows people to print from a variety of devices, including smartphones and tablets via HP ePrint, AirPrint, and DirectPrint technologies. The HP M725 is an enterprise-class device with more functions and higher volume printing. And the HP Scanjet Pro 3000 s2 Sheet-feed Scanner enables scan-to-cloud support for applications like HP Flow CM Professional. That means it is easy to scan a document into the cloud and print it or edit it. HP’s other new Officejet Pro printers offer up to 50 percent lower cost per page than laser printers. The new printers and scanners are available between now and July.

July 9-10, 2013
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Confirming earlier rumors, departing Microsoft CFO Peter Klein said today on an earnings call that Microsoft is working with manufacturing partners on smaller versions of Windows 8 devices, which likely means 7- or 8-inch Windows 8 tablets.

Klein said that “a new suite of small touch devices powered by Windows” would be available “in the coming months.” He did not say Microsoft would be making its own smaller Windows 8 devices, but that’s certainly not out of the question considering the release of the 10-inch Surface and Surface Pro tablets.

Microsoft recently lowered the minimum resolution requirements for Windows 8 devices, which opened the door for less expensive 7-inch or 8-inch tablets powered by Windows 8.

A recent Wall Street Journal report also said a 7-inch Microsoft Surface tablet was in the works.

On top of hosting today’s call, Klein announced that he would be leaving the company at the end of its current fiscal year. Klein has worked for Microsoft 11 years and served as CFO for about four years.

Surface Pro photo via Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
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Microsoft’s first Surface tablet was all about disappointing compromise, but the new Surface Pro is full of possibility.

It has an Intel processor, so it can actually run older Windows software. It features a sharp 1080p display that makes text, pictures, and movies pop. And it has has a stylus pen … for some reason.

The Surface Pro ($899 for the 64GB version, $999 for the 128GB model) isn’t perfect, but it comes much closer to Microsoft’s initial vision of the Surface as a machine that can serve as both a fully functional laptop and a solid tablet. Unlike the Surface RT, released just a few months ago, it’s more than just a heavy tablet in a PC’s clothing.

While testing the Surface Pro over the past week, I often forgot that I was using an entirely new type of computing device. It simply felt like a fast Windows 8 laptop. And while it’s far less transparent when used as a tablet, mostly due to its weight, the Surface Pro still worked well enough for casual usage while on the couch or in bed.

It’s close to the no-compromise device I was looking for when I reviewed the Surface RT — though we’re not quite there yet.

The Good: Fast, flexible, and polished

The high points of the Surface RT also apply to the Surface Pro. It features the same polished design, a case made out of a durable metal called VaporMG, and a kickstand that pops out with a satisfying thunk. I was shocked at how well-constructed the earlier Surface RT was, and the Surface Pro gave me the same impression, albeit with a bit more heft.

The Surface Pro weighs just under 2 pounds, compared to the Surface RT’s 1.5 pounds, but the slightly greater weight comes with a payoff; it’s a far more functional machine. The Surface Pro sports a third-generation Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.7GHz, along with 4GB RAM. That’s a huge step above the Surface RT’s Tegra 3 processor and 2GB RAM, and it shows.

Even though it has the same 10.6-inch screen size, the Surface Pro features a much higher-resolution 1080p display than its predecessor. That means it can run HD movies at their highest resolution, and it also makes just about everything on the screen extra sharp. The screen also supports multitouch with up to 10 fingers, while the previous Surface only supported five.

A dream to use

Launching programs, moving around the OS, and opening large media files was buttery smooth with the Surface Pro. For the most part, it managed to keep up with my typical workflow, which involves having several browsers open with dozens of tabs, a media program (Spotify, these days), and an instant messaging client (typically Trillian). In comparison, the Surface RT struggled to launch processor-intensive apps, and its paltry amount of RAM made multitasking a pain.

The Surface RT never quite fit into my workflow because it could only run Windows 8 apps — not so with the Surface Pro. Its Intel processor means it can run any Windows application that ran on Windows 7. I was able to run browsers other than Internet Explorer (there’s still no Chrome or Firefox version for Windows RT), and I even installed iTunes for fun. The freedom and flexibility of the Surface Pro made the limitations of the Surface RT seem even more egregious in retrospect.

Gamers will also appreciate the horsepower behind the Surface Pro, as it’s capable of playing a lot more than just Angry Birds. I installed Valve’s Steam client and was able to pull down Half-Life 2: Episode Two in around 15 minutes. The game took about 20 seconds to launch, and loading the first chapter took only around 12 seconds. That’s about on par with my giant desktop, which has a modern Nvidia GTX 560 video card and a three-year old quad-core processor.

I was able to play Episode Two smoothly at 720p with midrange graphics settings, which was more than adequate for the Surface’s screen size. That’s pretty impressive for a computer with only integrated graphics capabilities. (Going up to full 1080p gaming is perhaps asking for too much: At that setting, Episode Two was playable, but with a low framerate.)

The Surface Pro’s battery life was comparable with other ultraportables, lasting around five hours on a full charge. It’s paltry compared to tablets like the iPad, which typically get around ten hours of usable battery life, but the difference is understandable given the Pro’s size and horsepower.

Ultimately, I was impressed at what I was able to do with the Surface Pro. It’s particularly impressive that it’s lighter than Apple’s 11-inch MacBook Air, which at 2.4 pounds is one of the lightest ultraportables around. This is where the Surface’s dual identity comes in handy: It may be hefty for a tablet, but it’s a featherweight dream when compared to other ultraportables.

I’ve been hesitant to recommend any tablet as a PC replacement so far, but the Surface Pro’s capability to offer the best of a complete PC while also dabbing in tablet territory could make it the only computing device some may need.

The bad: Even more awkward as a tablet

I’m no fan of big tablets, and the Surface Pro is by far the biggest tablet I’ve come across yet. It’s far too heavy to hold one-handed (even for short periods), and its wide screen makes it awkward to balance as well. In a time when we have small tablets like the iPad Mini weighing in at .68 pounds and roughly the size of a paperback, the Surface Pro feels like a dictionary.

But I suppose that’s the price you pay for including the hardware necessary to make it a functional Windows 8 ultraportable as well. I was disappointed in the Surface RT because it felt mostly like a tablet. But because the Surface Pro feels more like an ultraportable, its tablet deficiencies seem less egregious. Eventually, I got used to holding it on my lap or knee for casual web browsing.

When it comes to its size, the Surface Pro sits in a space all by itself right now: It’s lighter than other ultraportables, but far heavier than other tablets. That makes it easy fodder for gadget geeks who want the Surface to fail, but I see it more as a sign that Microsoft is actually daring to be different than the crowd.

I didn’t spend much time with the Surface Pro’s stylus pen, mostly because there wasn’t much of a compelling reason to use it. It’s helpful for doodling in image editing apps, but I’ll never get used to taking handwritten notes on glass screens (sorry, Galaxy Note fans). It was particularly useful for navigating Windows apps that weren’t optimized for touchscreens, though I don’t think that was Microsoft’s intent.

The Windows 8 problem: Apps and stability

Windows 8 apps aren’t exactly helping the Surface Pro’s tablet standing either. Microsoft has managed to get a decent selection of Windows 8 apps, but there’s nothing that feels truly groundbreaking or inspired. I spent most of my time with the Surface Pro inside of the desktop environment running older Windows apps.

Microsoft also has some work to do when it comes to the Surface Pro’s stability. It would occasionally get stuck in portrait mode, and on several occasions, the Surface failed to recognize the touch and type keyboards. Rebooting fixed most of the issues I ran into, but I also had a few blue screen crashes when repeatedly plugging and unplugging the keyboards. (At least Windows 8’s blue screen of death has a frowny face. Upgrade!)

The verdict: This is the Surface you’ve been waiting for

For all of its failures as a pure tablet, the Surface Pro is a compelling offering as an ultraportable/tablet hybrid. The Surface RT gave us a mere glimpse at the future of computing, but the Surface Pro’s combination of power and flexibility brings it right to your fingertips.

It may not be for everyone, but it’s worth serious consideration if you’re looking at Windows 8 ultrabooks. I have a feeling we’ll look back at the Surface Pro as the first time Microsoft’s Surface dream was more reality than hype.

For once, the future seems bright for Microsoft.

Additional takeaways:

• I wrote this entire review on the Surface Pro using the Type Cover (which has mechanical keys) something that I found impossible to accomplish on the Surface RT due to a keyboard bug. I was able to type as quickly as I usually do, and I didn’t notice any significant increase in typos.
• On the other hand, I’m still no fan of the Touch Cover (whose pressure-sensitive keys are embossed into the surface) — I used it to take notes during an interview and was left with complete gibberish.
• Yes, the title of this review was taken from John Woo’s seminal crime drama A Better Tomorrow.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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HP is officially getting into the Chromebook fray with the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook  — but unfortunately it doesn’t do much to justify the existence of Google’s browser-focused OS.

HP’s Chromebook is bigger than the competition with its 14-inch screen, and it’s more expensive at $330 (Samsung’s Chromebook sells for $249, while Acer’s is just $199). The Pavilion 14 Chromebook continues the trend of inexpensive but clunky machines featuring Chrome OS, but like its predecessors it doesn’t really have much of an advantage over a cheap Windows computer or a tablet.

Without the benefit of a bargain price, HP’s Chromebook is a tough sell — especially for a value-focused platform like Chrome OS. It’s available today at HP’s website and will soon be available at U.S. retailers.

The larger screen size means it can fit a larger keyboard as well as more ports, including three USB 2.0 ports and an SD card slot (allowing you to upgrade the computer’s measly 16 gigabytes of storage). Under the hood, the Pavilion 14 Chromebook features a 1.1 gigahertz Celeron processor (seriously, why aren’t these processors extinct already?), 2 gigabytes of RAM, and integrated graphics. The computer only offers around 4 hours and 15 minutes of battery life, and it’s far from Ultrabook territory at around four pounds.

There’s certainly some potential with Chrome OS: It allows for cheaper computers, since manufacturers don’t have to pay a licensing fee, and its web-focused interface makes sense as we rely more on cloud services. But to be truly valuable to consumers, Chromebooks also need to offer something significantly more than existing cheap laptops and tablets. It’s a shame that we’ve fallen behind the netbook age, when tiny cheap computers gave us over six hours of battery life (and in many cases far more).

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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Not content to let Asus and Samsung have all the fun, Lenovo this morning announced a Chromebook laptop of its own for education buyers.

The computer is a slightly tweaked version of Lenovo’s existing ThinkPad X13e running Google’s Chrome OS. It’s particularly well-suited for use by K-12 students with its rubber bumpers and strengthened hinges (which Lenovo claims are good for 50,000 open and close cycles).

Despite their inexpensive starting prices of around $199, Chromebooks have yet to take off with consumers. I found the previous generation of Chromebooks too heavy, underpowered, and simplistic to recommend. But since then we’ve seen new models from Samsung and Acer that ramp up the speed. They’re still not as light as your typical Ultrabook, but they’re a good value for anyone who wants a companion to their bigger laptop or desktop.

The ThinkPad X13e Chromebook will come with an Intel processor, 11.6-inch anti-glare screen, and three USB ports. Lenovo claims it will sport a battery life to last the whole school day and will weigh under four pounds.

Lenovo will only sell its Chromebook to K-12 schools and institutional buyers, which makes a certain amount of sense. By doing so, Lenovo will likely be able to offer it for less than $199 per unit. The standard X13e with Windows starts at $499. It’s also a good choice for school IT departments, since they’re inexpensive and easy to maintain. It also helps that students will be fairly limited in terms of what they can do on a Chromebook.

Via Engadget

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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Philadelphia’s Drexel University has installed a Macbook vending machine in the university’s Haggerty library. The kiosk dispenses MacBooks free of charge to Drexel students, staff, and faculty, who can use the machines for up to five hours at a time.

The goal is simply to help students get better, safer access to technology. Students toting laptops are targets for muggers.

“We installed it in late December,” Niki Gianakaris, Drexel’s media relations director, said. “Students didn’t want to carry their laptops to the library late at night.”

To get a MacBook, students simply walk up to the vending machine, sign in with their student card, and receive a laptop. Between lending sessions, the Macbook’s batteries charge, and the kiosk wipes the hard drives clean. Late fees of $5 do apply. The vending machine holds 12 notebooks, and I’m guessing it’s generally empty.

For now it’s a demo project with single vending machine, but it could grow over time.

“This is obviously going to be very popular,” Gianakaris said. “We’ll evaluate their use and, depending on the results determine how many more we can install.”

The program is part of Drexel Library’ knowledge transfer mission. “Libraries are not only meant to house books,” Drexel dean Danuta Nitecki said in a statement. “They also house learning.”

Depending on students’ reaction and university finances, Drexel is considering installing kiosks at additional potential locations around campus. Two other universities on the East Coast are also trying the laptop-lending program, Drexel said on its blog, using technology from Texas-based LaptopsAnytime.

If the program is popular, iPads are next up on the list for consideration, Gianakaris added. Right now, that seems like a safe bet.

Image credit: Drexel University. Hat tip: Hacker News

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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Chinese electronics marker Lenovo has introduced the delicious looking ThinkPad Helix laptop/tablet hybrid, with an 11.6-inch tablet that can be attached to a comfy keyboard.

Lenovo showed off the device and several others this evening at CES Unveiled, the kick-off event to the CES 2013 conference this week in Las Vegas.

One of the coolest aspects of the Helix is that it can be detached from its keyboard, can use the keyboard to give it more battery life, or can use the keyboard as a stand. (See the first photo in the slideshow below.)

The ThinkPad Helix runs Windows 8 and features a 1080p Gorilla Glass display, LTE connectivity, a 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, and NFC technology. The device will go on sale at the end of February.

Unfortunately, you have to throw down some serious scratch if you want to get your hands on the ThinkPad Helix. It starts at $1,500 and moves up in price if you want more powerful components. That’s way more than most Windows computer buyers are willing to pay, according to recent holiday sales data. Hell, that’s more than the average sales price of an Apple MacBook, which sold around $1,419 during the holiday season.

On top of the ThinkPad Helix, Lenovo also showed off an upgraded IdeaPad Yoga laptop/tablet hybrid (pictured above in an orange shell) that can flip its screen backwards to become a heavy tablet. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S starts at $800 with a Core i3 processor, 128 SSD drive, and 4GB of RAM. If you’re willing to pay more, you can bump the device up to a Core i7, 256 SSD drive, and 8GB of RAM.

While the ThinkPad Helix is a much more versatile device, the IdeaPad Yoga at $800 will be more palatable to consumers who don’t want to pay top dollar for a new Windows 8 machine.

Lenovo also announced refreshes on several of its less flashy laptops.

Check out more pictures of the ThinkPad Helix below.

Photos via Sean Ludwig/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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Forget Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Google just announced perhaps the best sale of the entire Christmas season, at least as far as electronics and computers are concerned.

Working with DonorsChoose.org, a charity that helps support public education in the U.S., Google is offering its Samsung Series 5 Chromeboooks — a $429 device with management and support — for just $99. And if you play your cards right, that price could be zero.

The catch?

You have to be a full-time public school teacher in the U.S., and you have to set up a DonorsChoose.org account, where you’ll fill out a brief request form. Once that’s complete, an account will be set up on Donor’s Choose, and anyone can come to the site to make a donation. When your funding goal is complete, the Chromebooks will be sent.

A campaign for Chromebooks on DonorsChoose.org

I checked the contest rules, and there’s nothing that says educators can’t effectively purchase Chromebooks for $99 just by donating to their own funding campaign. A Google representative did confirm with me, however, that schools cannot buy directly from Google and must use DonorsChoose.org.

One other detail the Google rep added: a maximum limit of 30 Chromebooks. So schools won’t be able to outfit all their classrooms with this strategy … unless they get creative and run a separate campaign for each class.

The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a 12.1″, 3-pound notebook with a 1.66Ghz Intel dual-core Atom CPU. It’s got WiFi and optional 3G, a 4-in-1 memory card slot, and a built-in webcam. The standard model comes with 2GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD disk. Most importantly for schools, it offers up to 8.5 hours of battery life.

More than a thousand schools are already using Chromebooks in classrooms, Google said.

There is currently only one project up on DonorsChoose, although more will probably join quickly at this price.

One downside: School budgets are not the most flexible things in the world. In fact, the opposite may be true. Here’s hoping that at least some schools have some budget space to take advantage of this fantastic offer. Or, that benefactors on DonorsChoose.org will be very, very generous.

Now if only Google would offer the same deal to non-education customers …

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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As one of the first devices running Windows 8, Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga has as much to prove about Microsoft’s new operating system as it has to prove about itself.

How well does Windows 8 work with touchscreens? How about on traditional laptops? Does Windows 8 even work at all?

But the biggest question is this: Can Lenovo (which is now the PC market leader) show all other PC makers how to make a decent Windows 8 computer?

So far, the answer seems to be yes.

As with many other early Windows 8 devices, the IdeaPad Yoga is built on flexibility: It’s central selling point is its “transforming” mechanic: It can flip and fold into four different shapes, depending on how users feel like interacting with it. “Tent mode” works well for things like cooking and watching videos, while “tablet” and “laptop” modes work exactly how you’d think they would, to varying degrees of effectiveness. (I never could find a legitimate use for “stand” mode”.)

That strategy meshes particularly well with Windows 8 itself, which Microsoft is pushing as the ideal interface for both desktops and tablets. The operating system and laptop are well suited for each other.

But while the IdeaPad Yoga brings out some of the best features of Windows 8, it also brings out some of the worst. And the result is a potentially amazing device that’s dragged down by an operating system that’s not quite finished yet.

The Good: Beautiful screen, glorious flexibility

One of the most immediately striking things with the IdeaPad Yoga is its 13.3-inch touchscreen. Windows 8 is a visually stimulating interface, and the IdeaPad Yoga’s 1,600 x 900 resolution display shows it off particularly well. You can’t help but want to touch the screen — which is exactly what Microsoft wants you to do.

I’m also a big fan of the device’s rubber palm rests, which are a welcome change from the cold (and sometimes too hot) metal of my Macbook Air. As with the display, this feature makes using the IdeaPad Yoga not just satisfying but throughly enjoyable.

And then there’s the whole flexibility thing. As one the Yoga’s core selling points, the device’s flexibility is largely pretty good (with one exception that I’ll get to below). Putting the device in “tent mode” is a unique experience that works particularly well for watching a movie or flipping through photos. It was my favorite way to interact with the Yoga.

Another big thing that Yoga buyers may likely worry about is the durability of the device’s hinges. While it’s far too early to say how well they will hold up over time, they are very well constructed and are clearly very solid. Lenovo built the Yoga to last.

The Bad: Flexibility has some big fat drawbacks

But as nice as that flexibility is, the Yoga’s multiuse design creates many of its biggest problems.

The most jarring of these comes when the device is in tablet mode. Flipping the keyboard under the Yoga’s screen not only means that it’s exposed but also means that your fingers will constantly rub against the keys. It’s highly uncomfortable.

Another problem is the device’s fan system, which was running more often than not. The YogaPad gets too hot too frequently, even when under a minimal application load. This often makes it a pain to hold, especially when hot air is blowing out of its vents.

And then we’ve got the device’s weight. At 3.4 pounds, the IdeaPad Yoga is more than twice as heavy as the iPad. That, coupled with the issues above, makes it impossible to recommend the IdeaPad Yoga as a tablet. It just doesn’t work. (I won’t even get into how odd the IdeaPad’s 13.3-inch screen and wide aspect ratio are for a tablet — though the latter is an issue we also saw with Microsoft’s Surface.)

The IdeaPad Yoga’s battery life is fairly average. In my very casual and decidedly unscientific testing, the battery lasted for approximately five hours with normal use, making it fairly comparable to devices like the Macbook Air I use every day. (Lenovo, for the record, claims the battery life is eight hours, though I’m really not sure from where it got this number.)

Last, and perhaps most significant, is Windows 8 itself.  As a part of the first batch of Windows 8 devices, the IdeaPad Yoga exposes too strongly the wide array of bizarre, confounding, and oftentimes irritating quirks that bog down the Windows 8 experience.

At the core of the problem is this: Windows 8 fails because it tries to do too much at once. Microsoft wants the interface to work as well on tablets as it does on fully functional computers — but it doesn’t, at least not yet.

The IdeaPad Yoga, as a result, suffers from the same problem: It’s nice as a laptop but almost unusable as a tablet. This is the fundamental issue with flexibility: Bend too much and you’re liable to break in half. And that’s exactly what’s happening right with Windows 8 and many of the devices running it — just too much compromise.

Perhaps Microsoft will eventually figure out these issues. But for now, Windows 8 remains an enticing, promising, but ultimately exhausting experience.

The Bottom Line: A nice first try, but Lenovo (and Microsoft) can do better

All this said, I really, really like the Yoga 13 — just not as a tablet.

At $1,000, the device is a solid first effort from Lenovo, which clearly has at least the seeds to a winning formula here. All that it lacks an effective execution, which could come as soon as next month when Lenovo releases the Windows RT-equipped Yoga 11.

While that device likely won’t be able to avoid some of the larger Windows 8-borne issues that weigh down the Yoga 13, it’s smaller footprint and more extensive battery life may just make it what the Yoga 13 should have been.

Still, if you are looking for a pretty good Windows 8 laptop that will only get better with time, go for the Yoga 13. Otherwise, just wait for its successor, which is sure to fix some of the device’s more annoying problems. Or just wait until the next wave of Windows 8 machines: The Yoga’s unique flexible design is just the beginning of what PC manufacturers can do with Microsoft’s new OS.

Photos: RicardoBilton/VentureBeat

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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Online coupon company FatWallet says the economy is improving, as most holiday shoppers plan to spend at least as much or more on Cyber Monday as they spent last year. But most of what people are buying isn’t technology … it’s clothing, toys, and appliances.

The good news for online retailers is that a third of shoppers plan to spend more, according to FatWallet’s consumer survey of 600 consumers across the U.S, while 54 percent are planning to spend the same amount. And most shoppers — 62 percent —  believe they’re going to get the best deals of the holiday season at the beginning of next week.

(One caveat on those numbers: they’re based on a subset of consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday, so they likely de-emphasize those with skinnier wallets to begin with. On the other hand, of those who plan to shop online this Cyber Monday, only three-quarters said they did the same last year.)

50% of people are looking for toy deals on Cyber Monday

But it’s a bit surprising to see what people are looking to buy on Cyber Monday. It’s not technology, at least primarily. Here’s what people will be shopping for next week:

• 70%: clothing deals
• 50%: toy deals
• 34%: appliance deals
• 32%: tablet deals
• 32%: laptop deals
• 26%: HDTV deals
• 23%: smartphone deals
• 26%: other deals

Clothing, toys, and appliances. Ignoring the fact that the main point of Cyber Monday is online shopping, there’s not a lot of technology showing up … especially the traditional technology purchases such as computers, smartphones, TVs, and home stereo systems.

Which I guess is the good news for online retailers: online shopping is now truly widespread.

photo credit: Kevin Marks via photopin cc, spieri_sf via photopin cc

Maingear keeps tempting gamers with new kinds of gaming gear. Today, the Kenilworth, N.J.-based PC builder is launching its Nomad 15 gaming laptop.

The launch comes after Maingear debuted its Nomad 17 gaming laptop in September. The new laptop has Intel’s Core i7 mobile processors and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 670MX, 675MX, and 680M graphics.

In its press release, Maingear says you’ll “dominate with mobile destruction” with this laptop. Gamers can overclock it with the touch of a button, gaining an 8 percent boost in performance. The Intel chips are quad-core processors that run up to 3.8 gigahertz. The machine supports up to 32 gigabytes of DDR3 main memory. It also has flash memory storage (up to 512 gigabytes) for faster boot time.

The system works with Killer Networks’ DoubleShot technology for boosting web performance. The machine also has a single omnidirectional blower fan and dual heat pipe and heat sink system. It has a backlit keyboard, a high-definition 1080p 15-inch matte display, and all sorts of ports. The company offers hand-done, premium automotive paint jobs.

“Hot new colors, sleek design, top-of-the-line mobile parts — the Nomad 15 is one of the best 15-inch mobile gaming units we have launched to date,” said Wallace Santos, the chief executive and founder of Maingear. “Those points, along with a great entry-level price, will make this gaming system a no-brainer choice for anyone looking to hop from console gaming to PC gaming.”

Maingear says pricing starts at $1,549.

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July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

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These days, the best gadgets on the market are all aiming at the same lofty goal: no compromises. Consider the most recent MacBook Pros, Sony’s NEX lineup of cameras (and similar mirrorless shooters), or Jawbone’s fantastic Jambox Big wireless speaker: These devices may have their minor flaws, but for the most part they work so well that you practically feel empowered by their capabilities.

Without compromises, these devices feel as if they were formed purely to accomplish a specific task well and never get in your way. In the end, isn’t that the the entire point of good technology?

From the moment Microsoft debuted the Surface tablet back in July, it’s seemed like the ideal no-compromise device. It’s far thinner than any ultraportable laptop could hope to be, and, with the innovative Touch and Type covers, it also has the potential to be a more productive tablet than Apple’s iPad (or any other tablet, for that matter). The Surface is also the best device in which to introduce Windows 8 and its newfangled touch interface to the world.

For all of these reasons, the Surface seemed like a major step towards the future of computing, and not just Microsoft’s attempt to copy the iPad. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t live up to the Surface’s no-compromise promise.

After testing out the Surface (starting at $499, $599 with a touch cover) for almost a week, I found a lot to like about Microsoft’s first computer. But the heavy weight of compromise keeps it from living up to its massive potential as a revolutionary device.

The good: Microsoft’s best-designed product ever

The Surface is Microsoft’s first attempt at building its own computer — but you wouldn’t know that at first glance. With its solid construction, attractive lines, and satisfying “thunk” when popping out its kickstand, the Surface feels like the Windows PC equivalent of a luxury car. The Surface has an Apple-esque level of obsessive design. For example, that wonderful kickstand sound didn’t happen by accident; it required a custom hinge.

But Microsoft also manages to make its design noticeably different from Apple’s. After all, a device as important as this shouldn’t be easily mistaken for an iPad.

The Surface’s case is made out of a metal Microsoft calls VaporMG, which is incredibly durable while being three times lighter than aluminum, it says. VaporMG comes from a magnesium alloy, and it feels almost alien in your hands. It’s cool to the touch and will instantly make you forget any plastic Android tablet you’ve ever felt.

Windows 8 made real

In several ways, the Surface is Microsoft’s Windows 8 vision manifested in an actual piece of hardware. Its boxy design and bright keyboard covers evoke Windows 8’s expressive Live Tiles. The Surface eschews the friendly curves of the iPad. It’s all flat shapes and straight lines — it’s all “serious business.” And of course, it sits halfway between tablets and traditional laptops, the same line that Windows 8 straddles.

It’s tough to understand what Microsoft is getting at with Windows 8 when you upgrade your current laptop or desktop. A mouse and keyboard, or an older touchpad, simply doesn’t give you the same experience as a touchscreen. But with the Surface, the entire thought process behind Windows 8 just clicks (yes, like the lovely kickstand).

We had plenty of nice things to say about Windows 8 in our review, but the Surface actually runs a stripped-down version of the OS called Windows RT, which is for devices running mobile ARM processors. The two operating systems look essentially the same, but one big difference with RT is that you can’t run older Windows applications. Given the paucity of apps in the Windows Store, that could prove a problem for many consumers.

Microsoft will also release the Surface Pro in the next few months, which will be heavier and more expensive (no pricing details have been revealed yet), but it will have more horsepower and will run older Windows programs.

Who needs a cover when you can have a keyboard?

While it’s an intriguing device on its own, the Surface feels half-complete without one of the covers, which double as keyboards when unfolded. As a standalone tablet, a great deal is working against the Surface (more on that below). But as a device that can swap between being a tablet and laptop easily, it’s a wonder.

The Touch Cover ($120), which is touch-sensitive and doesn’t have real keys, feels remarkably thin and light at just 3.25 millimeters thick and 0.46 pounds. It’s basically like trying to touch-type on a flat table: It’s tricky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Without the Touch Cover, the Surface would simply be yet another me-too tablet. With it, the Surface feels like it comes from the future, which is exactly the emotion Microsoft wants to convey.

You’ll either love or hate the bolder color choices for the Touch Cover — cyan, magenta, and red (which looks more tangerine to me) — but it also has plain white and black variants if you want something subtler. The bright colors make the Surface stand out when sitting next to an iPad equipped with Apple’s Smart Case, something that I’m sure wasn’t accidental.

The Type Cover ($130), on the other hand, feels as good as any laptop’s keyboard I’ve ever used, including the MacBook Air. Since it features real keys, typing on it has less of a learning curve, and it quickly became my preferred Surface cover. It’s a bit thicker than the Touch Cover at 6 millimeters, and it’s a tenth of a pound heavier, but these are minor sacrifices for superior typing. (You also give up some of the futuristic vibe with the Type Cover, but it’s tough to complain when it feels so good.)

Both covers attach to the Surface magnetically with ease — I found it even simpler than attaching the iPad’s Smart Cover, and you hear a satisfying “Click” once the covers attach properly. Both also feature rudimentary touchpads, which was frustrating to use on the Touch Cover and adequate on the Type Cover. For the most part, you’ll be touching the screen to navigate the Surface, but I still found the touchpads necessary to deal with the Windows desktop interface.

Ideal for media

The Surface’s wide 10.6-inch screen is well suited for media. Widescreen movies typically fill the entire screen, and the display’s vibrant color makes photos shine. It’s nowhere near as sharp as the iPad’s Retina Display, but for most consumers it’ll do just fine. The Surface also sounds better than most tablets thanks to surprisingly loud stereo speakers.

At all of its prices, the Surface comes with about twice the memory of the iPad. That gives you plenty more room to store music and movies, in addition to all the media you’ll inevitably stream, as well as whatever the OS and apps take up, which is significant. I tested the 64 GB version of the Surface, and with only a few additional apps installed, I had just 42.3 GB free. The amount of free space will certainly be much lower if you get the 32 GB entry-level model.

You can also expand the Surface’s memory with tiny MicroSDXC cards, which are available in sizes up to 128 GB, and you can swap these in and out while the tablet is running. (The storage cards fit into an ingenious nook underneath the Surface’s kickstand — as if nothing should mar its beautiful exterior.)

Windows head Steven Sinofsky seems surprised by his Surface. (Photo: James Pikover)

The Bad: Compromise abounds

You’d think that with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 2 GB of RAM, the Surface would be ready to run Windows RT without much of a sweat. That’s true for the most part: navigating around the Start screen, launching apps, and jumping through multiple open programs generally felt silky smooth.

But things begin to slow down once you have too many apps open. And so, the compromises begin.

2 GB of RAM? What is this, 2005?

“Apps don’t slow down Surface, so you don’t need to close them,” Microsoft boasts on the Surface’s website. But in my experience, that wasn’t exactly true. Running several apps at once caused noticeable slowdown when playing games, switching between apps, or dealing with media. I often had to close Windows 8 apps entirely to reclaim some precious memory (within an app, you do this by swiping from the top of the screen to the bottom). Things get even more troublesome if you’re running multiple Office applications and Internet Explorer in the Desktop.

The Surface also has a hard time navigating Flash and video content on the web. It typically stutters a few times before playing a YouTube video, and the video itself usually takes a few seconds before it begins to play smoothly.

For the most part, I blame the Surface’s paltry RAM for the slowdowns. While 2 GB is a healthy amount of memory for most tablets, it’s fairly minimal for Windows PCs. Even with the memory optimizations made for Windows RT, it often feels like the Surface is gasping for breathing room. With multiple Internet Explorer tabs, Word, and several Windows 8 applications running at once, the Surface’s memory usage would often exceed 80 percent. Things could get better as Microsoft further optimizes the Surface’s firmware and Windows RT, but for now I’m left wishing that Microsoft pushed for 4 GB of RAM (like in the Surface Pro).

If anything, the memory limitations reveal exactly who Microsoft is aiming at with the Surface: A typical consumer who wants the convenience of a readily accessible keyboard but who doesn’t really do all that much at once. For geeks and power users, the Surface Pro is where it’s at.

Pretty but awkward

Despite the overall excellence of the Surface’s hardware, I still found some things to be annoying. For one, at 1.5 pounds with a widescreen display, the Surface is almost impossible to use with one hand for very long. I’ve never been a big fan of large tablets, but the Surface feels egregiously awkward in one hand, no matter how you hold it. Instead of being a convenient handheld computer, I mostly rested the Surface on my leg in tablet mode.

And then there’s the kickstand. I love the design, but it’s not very stable when used on your lap or any non-flat surface. I don’t think we should ever have to worry about balancing our computers on our laps — that’s something notebook makers pretty much mastered several years ago.

Slow down there, fast typer

As much as I liked the design and theory behind the Surface’s covers, actually using them to type for prolonged periods was a major headache. Both the Touch and Type keyboards would often miss characters, and sometimes entire words, if I typed too quickly. If I slowed down to about half my typing speed, things generally worked fine.

Apparently, Microsoft is aware of this issue, and I’ve been told a software fix is coming soon. (If it were a hardware issue, the Surface would be doomed.) But it doesn’t make the best first impression for a device that’s supposed to represent the future of computing. Heck, even DOS on a 386 was able to keep up with speedy typing!

Windows RT: A decent, but barren, start

While Windows 8 is getting most of the hype right now, it’s Windows RT that may truly determine Microsoft’s future. It’s the first version of Windows built for a chip architecture outside of x86 processors, so it won’t run on Intel or AMD chips. And due to its lightweight nature, Windows RT could potentially run on devices with very compact and low-power CPUs, which could enable those devices to be even smaller and thinner than the Surface.

But as it stands now, Windows RT still needs to grow quite a bit before I’m satisfied with it. It takes the Surface around 25 seconds to boot to the login screen, compared to about 10 seconds on my Windows 7 desktop and around 8 seconds on my MacBook Air.

And then you’ve got the app problem.

Since Windows 8 and RT are still very young, it has a notable lack of good apps in the Windows Store, especially from major companies like Twitter and Facebook. In comparison, the iPad now has more than 275,000 apps, and it can also run (albeit in an ugly, blown-up screen) every other iOS app.

This will certainly change over time, but for now the Surface’s app deficiency is going to just disappoint and confuse consumers. (It’s also one of the reasons I think this week’s Build developer conference is the most important event Microsoft has ever run.)

Microsoft certainly has its work cut out for it with developers. We heard from Facebook that it’s waiting on Microsoft to build a Windows 8 Facebook app — clearly it’s not a priority for the social networking giant.

What’s truly strange about Windows RT is that, even though it’s dependent on new Windows Store apps, it still features a traditional Windows desktop. So far, you can use Internet Explorer and some touch-friendly Office apps in the desktop environment. But try to install any other Windows application, which I’m sure many consumers will, and you’ll get an error message.

Aside from helping out occasionally with multitasking, the Windows desktop on the Surface mostly feels like an oddity, like a vestigial tail inexplicably forgotten by evolution.

Windows head Steven Sinofsky turned a Surface into a skateboard. (Photo: Sean Ludwig)

The Verdict: Look, adore — but don’t buy (yet)

The Surface may be our first look at what most PCs will look like in a decade, but as it stands today, it’s more like a concept device. If you’ve ever seen a concept car, you’ll get the idea — the Surface is meant to make an impression, but it isn’t yet ready for consumers.

If I have one major takeaway from the Surface, it’s the surprising revelation that I actually like touching its screen when it’s in laptop form. We’re already seeing some Ultrabooks with touchscreens right now, but eventually it’ll be something that all ultraportable computers (including the MacBook Air) will have to support.

Most of you shouldn’t buy this Surface. Wait for the Surface Pro, or if you can, wait for Microsoft’s next Surface RT model. At the very least, wait for this Surface (and its keyboards) to drop in price and get more apps.

It will only get better, and at some point, the Surface may finally evolve into the no-compromise machine it has the potential to be.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

It seems like ages ago when Microsoft simultaneously dazzled and puzzled the hell out of the public when it showed off Windows 8 for the first time in June 2011. Since then, we’ve seen Windows 8 evolve and slowly change perceptions about how it works and what devices it’s meant for. Finally, the OS is now available for purchase.

Just like Windows 8 has evolved, so has my opinion of the operating system. After using prerelease versions of Windows 8 for several months, I still prefer Windows 7, but I have no doubt Windows 8 will be my Windows of choice at some point. Microsoft will likely tweak the heck out of the OS after receiving massive amounts of customer feedback (after revealing yesterday that Windows 8 has seen more than 1.24 billion hours of early testing from consumers). In addition, third-party developers will create software that improves the Windows 8 experience. Sweet Labs’ Pokki app, which re-creates the Start button on the desktop, is one such example. Windows 8 is still evolving, and it will continue to do so for some time.

The future of the PC

Windows 8 represents the future of Microsoft and the PC itself. Essentially, the desktop of old is fading away in favor of ultrabooks, tablets, and hybrid devices like Samsung’s Smart PCs. VentureBeat executive editor Dylan Tweney believes Windows 8 will be a “test of whether the company can successfully manage the transition to a new era of computing.” I agree, and I believe Microsoft has the experience and leadership to accomplish this.

But of course, Windows 8 also faces plenty of criticism. The brash cloud computing visionary Marc Benioff, the CEO of customer-relation management giant Salesforce, recently called Windows 8 “the end of Windows” and claimed Windows itself was irrelevant in the new age of powerful smartphones and tablets.

Benioff might have a point: Windows as we know it is over — but Windows 8 could easily sit alongside iOS and Android as another powerhouse in mobile computing. And its real strength is that it’s not just a mobile OS. Unlike iOS and Android, Windows 8 can also power traditional computers without a sweat.

Microsoft’s Surface tablet, which has lots of personality and some noticeable flaws, is one such device that shows Microsoft’s commitment to reshape Windows. Surface is simply a preview of what’s to come in a year (or less). New Windows 8 tablets will be more cooked and the app ecosystem will likely be populated with all kinds of great software soon.

Beautiful, forward-thinking design

Windows 8′s Start screen (see photo above) replaces the Start button on the desktop as the place in which you launch apps. The Start screen is colorful, fun, and useful, and it looks quite similar to the tile-based design found on the Xbox 360 dashboard and Windows Phone devices. The Start menu tiles are helpful because they show real-time information, such as how many emails are unread, stock market prices, headlines, and more.

While the Start screen is easy to customize and understand, many people will want to retreat into the “desktop” mode. The desktop mode does basically everything you’ve done for years in Windows. The most helpful thing to do in desktop mode is to pin all your important programs to the taskbar so you never have to search for desktop-focused apps.

The easiest way to get back to the Start screen when using a keyboard is to tap the Windows key in the bottom left corner. When using a tablet device, you get back by swiping the right side of the screen and tapping the Start icon. When using a laptop touchpad, you swipe the right edge.

If you need to find an app, simply start typing while on the Start screen and a full list of results will pop up. This search function has saved me time when using Windows 8 because it can often find what you’re looking for faster.

Different feel across devices

The worst experience I’ve had with Windows 8 is on a traditional desktop PC with a mouse and keyboard. I truly believe Windows 8 is meant for touch-based devices like tablets and laptops with touchpads (and touchscreens). So things are a bit more awkward using a mouse and keyboard.

Consider right-clicking, which is now completely different from what you’re used to in Windows outside of the desktop interface. Instead of a menu of options appearing right where you clicked, a limited number of options appear at the bottom of the screen, and you have to move your mouse there to select them. This gets incredibly tedious in Windows 8 apps and on the Start screen.

Laptops are another story. It’s not quite as awkward using a laptop with Windows 8 because you have a touchpad. If you have a fairly recent laptop, the touchpad lets you take advantage of cool gestures that speed up using Windows 8. Moving your finger from the left edge of a trackpad scrolls through all of your recently used programs. Or if you swipe down from the top edge of a touchpad, you get the same options you’d usually get from double-clicking a mouse. You can’t use these slick gestures on older laptops, unfortunately.

The best experience I’ve had with Windows 8 so far was on tablets and hybrid tablet/laptop devices. I’ve played with the Microsoft Surface, Samsung’s tablet hybrids, Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga, Dell’s convertible XPS 12, and many others. When you can touch the icons on the Start screen, the OS feels much more natural.

Microsoft likes to say that Windows 8 is a “no compromise” version of Windows, but if you really want to feel that way, you need touch interactions. The emphasis on touch makes Windows 8 primed for the next decade of computing, but it also clearly signals the end of the mouse and keyboard as the ideal way to interact with Windows.

Under-the-hood improvements

One of the best things about Windows 8 is that it boots up and runs faster than Windows 7. An extensive study by PCMag indicates much faster boot-up times, higher benchmark scores, and speedier web browsing. Basically, Windows 8 can make a big difference in the performance department — even on some older computers.

This is one reason why I think some Windows XP and Vista users (yes, a ton of them are still out there) would enjoy the bump to Windows 8: Not only will you get a performance enhancement, but you’ll also get better security with software that’s getting many more updates from Microsoft. Make sure you meet the minimum requirements before even considering that upgrade though, because even “impossibly old” machines are beyond Windows 8′s help.

Apps

One of the most important factors for Windows 8′s success, like every computing platform, are the apps that take advantage of all of its features. (Since Microsoft ditched the term “Metro,” let’s call these “Modern” apps.) Some great apps are already in the Windows Store, but it’s important that third parties pump out fantastic software to make Windows 8 more attractive than iOS and Android.

Some aspects of Modern apps for Windows 8 are problematic, especially for desktop users. As I’ve noted before, Modern apps have a serious screen-splitting problem. In Windows 8, you can only allocate roughly 25 percent of the screen to one app while the other 75 percent is taken up by another app. As you can imagine, this layout is not conducive to multitasking. Thankfully, you can still do a 50-50 split, or whatever tiling you’re used to, in the desktop mode.

Relearning Windows

Windows 8 will require some relearning and retraining. Dell has even been smart enough to feature its own Windows 8 tutorials on the Start screen to hand-hold those who might freak out over the changes.

Here’s the good news — even a 3-year-old can use Windows 8. I have faith that anyone reading this article can also relearn how to use Windows and use it effectively. The question is — will people be willing to upgrade and relearn or will you simply adapt only after being forced to with a new PC purchase?

Should I upgrade?

Windows 8 costs $40 to download and upgrade using Microsoft’s Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. Microsoft says the offer for a $40 upgrade expires on Jan. 31. (You can also purchase a physical copy of Windows 8 in stores for $70.) If you purchased a new non-Windows 8 PC after June 2 and before Jan. 31, 2013, you’re eligible to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $15.

So you’re asking yourself, “should I upgrade?” If you’re normally an early adopter and like the changes described here, yes, you absolutely should give it a shot. If you’re a casual user, I would not upgrade immediately. Try Windows 8 out at a retailer like Best Buy or the Microsoft Store and let Microsoft issue some patches to fix the biggest bugs. Once you’ve tried it and understand how it works, it very well might be worth your money to upgrade.

To truly get the most Windows 8 has to offer, consider waiting until you purchase a new PC. After all, the entire impetus behind Windows 8 is its touch-centric interface and its capability to power new computing devices like the Surface and laptop/tablet hybrids. Given that it’s such a radically different operating system, it makes sense to experience it first on radically new devices.

For more on how to decide if you should upgrade and other must-know things about Windows 8, check out our article 8 things you need to know about Windows 8.

Final thoughts

Windows 8 is vital to the future of Microsoft and the PC market because it blends a touch-centric interface with the Windows we’ve known for years. It’s not for everyone, especially casual Windows 7 users that refuse to relearn Windows. But power users and those who embrace change well will find a lot to like here.

iPhones, iPads, iPods, and soon, iPad Minis are the hottest and most visible stories for the world’s most valuable company … but they are not Apple’s only source of massive sales growth.

A Digitimes research report just released today says that Apple’s laptop sales have jumped 30 percent higher than the previous quarter. That’s significant growth, particularly when compared to a 4.5 percent drop in global notebook shipments from the previous quarter, and a massive 11.6 percent drop from the same quarter last year.

“One of the things that has helped Apple’s laptop shipments is Apple’s overall ecosystem,” Frost & Sullivan analyst Todd Day told me this morning. “Consumers are used to the convenience.”

Apple had released new MacBook Airs in July, and thinner, retina display MacBook Pros in June of this year. The recent retina display MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models are not just continuing Apple’s strong portable performance, they’re actually increasing the rate of growth. But it’s not just about the ecosystem — it’s also just simple build quality, according to analysts.

“The other factor is the quality of product … Apple has made a lot of strides here.” said Day.

Meanwhile, cost leader Acer, netbook pioneer Asustek, and Toshiba all dropped from 15-25 percent.

Part of the global weakness in Windows-based laptops can be blamed on Redmond, according to Digitimes analyst Joanne Chien, who said that “consumers’ wait-and-see attitude to PC purchasing due to Windows 8′s upcoming launch” was one of the drivers of poor performance, along with the general economic downturn.

Source: Digitimes

Global PC shipments

Hewlett-Packard is introducing a dozen new computers and accessories today that represent the core of its lineup for Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system coming on Oct. 26.

This new pack of computers isn’t even HP’s whole lineup. It also announced a bunch of all-in-one desktops on Aug. 10 and more laptops on Aug. 30. One of the interesting deals is that HP will offer up to 200MB of free wireless data service per month on T-Mobile’s 4G mobile broadband network with the purchase of an HP Pavilion dm1 notebook computer. Customers will also receive 25GB of free cloud storage from Box.

The computers have the latest generation of Intel Core microprocessors, and some models feature Advanced Micro Devices new A-series processors as well. The top of the line is the HP Envy m4 laptop ($899) in a thin-and-light package. It includes HP ProtectSmart to guard against data loss if the notebook is dropped and HP CoolSense, which adjusts performance based on heat conditions. It has a brushed-aluminum design and an optional backlit keyboard, a 14-inch diagonal high-definition display, and third-generation Intel Core processors. It has an HD webcam and Intel WiDi, a display technology that allows you to project your screen’s image to an HD TV. It has Beats Audio.

HP is also launching its latest gaming desktop (pictured right). The HP Envy Phoenix h9 desktop ($899) has an “armor-plated design” and attention-grabbing lighting. It can support up to three internal hard disks and its cables are set up in a way to promote airflow and cooling. Swapping out components is easy. The machine has Intel’s fastest third-generation Core processors and a choice of Nvidia or AMD discrete graphics chips. It has an ExpressCache solid state drive for fast boot-ups and application start times. HP hopes to sell it with its HP x2401 (249) 24-inch diagonal LED backlit monitor, which is only 11 millimeters thick.

The laptops include the HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 ($449, pictured left) and Pavilion Sleekbook 15 ($559) models for consumers. They come in “sparkling black” and “ruby red,” with 14-inch and 15.6-inch screens. They have up to a terabyte of hard disk storage and the usual array of ports for fast connectivity. The 15.6-inch model also has a numeric keypad. The laptops have their high-definition webcams and the HP MyRoom app for video calls. Dolby Advanced Audio is standard and Nvidia discrete graphics chips are optional. It has Beats audio.

For the boring business desktop look, there’s the HP Compaq Pro 6305 Desktop PC ($539) for businesses and governments. It comes with a variety of AMD processors. HP also has three new business laptops — the HP ProBook 4445s, 4446s, and the 4545s notebooks PCs ($449 and up) — with AMD processors and graphics. HP is also selling several new wireless mice and keyboards. The HP Touch to Pair Mouse has near-field communications and will sell starting in November for 39. The X4500 mouse sells for $29 and the X5500 sells for $39, starting in September. The HP Wireless Mouse X6000 sells for $59 starting in September.

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

Lenovo is the No. 2 computer maker in the world, and it’s unveiling some consumer laptops and tablets today that it hopes will push it closer to No. 1.

The Windows 7 laptops are upgradeable to Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system (coming Oct. 26), and they’re targeted at consumers who want affordable thin and light computers, without the extra price of Intel-based Ultrabooks (which are like Apple’s thin MacBook Air computers but Microsoft system software).

Lenovo announced the portables at the IFA conference in Berlin today. The S series is an affordable thin and light laptop. It has more variety in colors (like the pink model below), and it has metallic style. It is available in graphite gray, cotton candy pink, and crimson red. It is above a netbook in performance and is more mobile than a traditional notebook computer.

The new 14-inch models include the IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405. The S series starts at $499 and goes up from there. The laptops are less than an inch thick. It has 5 hours of battery life and weighs 4 pounds. It has options for Intel and Advanced Micro Devices processors. The laptops are available today.

The company is launching a series of new Ideatab tablet computers today that run the Android 4.0 operating system. The tablets are slimmer and feature more multimedia options at low prices.

The new models include the Ideatab S2110, A2107, and A2109. The idea is to make them just about as functional as a laptop when it comes to entertaining you on the run.

“The newest line of Ideatab products provides an option for everyone who wants to keep all of their favorite books, songs and movies at their fingertips, no matter where they go,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president and president of the mobile Internet and digital home business division. “Whether consumers crave a pocket tablet with 3G connectivity or seek a premium entertainment tablet for games and graphics, Lenovo has it, and at every price point.”

The $399 Ideatab S2110 (pictured above left) is a premium entertainment tablet with an optional detachable keyboard dock. It is 8.69 millimeters thick and weighs 580 grams. And it has a 10-inch IPS (in-plane switching) screen with a 178-degree viewing angle. It has 10 hours of battery life, but that doubles when it’s docked. It has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with a flash, and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. The machine is available now.

The A2107 has a 7-inch screen and is aimed at on-the-go reading, web browsing and email. It has a 720p screen, a built-in FM radio, and Wi-Fi or 3G options. Pricing isn’t set yet, and it will be available later this year. It weighs 0.9 pound and has up to 10 hours of battery life. It has front and rear-facing cameras.

The $299 A2109 (pictured left) has a 9-inch touchscreen with high-definition 1280×800 resolution. The tablet also features Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and it enables smooth gaming and faster multitasking than the A2107. It weighs 570 grams, has front and rear-facing cameras, and options for 16GBs or 32GBs of Flash memory. It is available now.

According to IDC, Lenovo is No. 1 in commercial notebooks and all-in-one consumer desktops worldwide. It is No. 2 in worldwide notebooks and desktops, and it is No. 3 in the worldwide consumer PC market.

Say what you will about Windows 8, but it sure is getting PC manufacturers to bring out their innovation guns. Take HP, which is today announcing three new Windows 8 Ultrabooks with touchscreen capabilities — one of which could be its answer to Microsoft’s Surface tablet.

At the high end, there’s the HP Spectre XT, a 15.6-inch beauty that truly pushes the boundaries of the Ultrabook ideal (remember, they’re supposed to be thin and light laptops like the MacBook Air). Then there’s the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, which is a more typical 14-inch consumer laptop.

Source: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

HP’s Envy x2 (in tablet mode)

But while those laptops are nice upgrades to HP’s current lineup, it’s HP’s Envy x2 hybrid PC that’s truly getting me excited. Not only is it a sleek 11.6-inch Ultrabook, you can also pop out the screen and use it as a fully capable Windows 8 tablet. Just like Microsoft’s Surface, which (surprisingly) got the tech world drooling back in June, the Envy x2 shows just how versatile Windows 8 can be as an operating system.

We’ve seen attempts at hybrid laptop/tablet devices in the past, but the latest generations of mobile processors and Windows 8′s touch-friendly interface is finally making them a viable PC form factor. Earlier today, Samsung unveiled its own hybrid Windows 8 PCs, and we can expect other manufacturers to follow suit. (All of these announcements are fueling my sneaking suspicion that most new computers will be hybrid PCs in the next five-to-ten years.)

The Envy x2 sports a substantial all-aluminum casing (which looks and feels a lot like the 11-inch MacBook Air), a high-quality IPS display, and it weighs 3.1 pounds altogether. The screen pops off easily to be used as a tablet, and it weighs just 1.5 pounds on its own. HP says it spent a long time developing the hinge for the Envy x2, which is notable in how effortless it is to dock and remove the screen from the keyboard. (There’s a nice hefty click when the screen locks into place, even though it requires little force on your part to dock.)

In my brief time playing with the Envy x2, I was surprised by how high-quality it felt. You could also tell that HP’s obsession with its hinge paid off. Browsing through apps felt zippy as well (HP isn’t discussing the chip powering the x2 yet, but the company says it’ll be a next-generation Intel “Cedar Trail” model). The Envy x2 also sports batteries and SD card slots in both the keyboard and screen portions — which could make it the ultimate productivity hybrid PC.

I’ll be honest with you, I was so enamored with the Envy x2 that I didn’t really have much time to spend with the other Ultrabooks in HP’s lineup. The Spectre xt looked like a noble attempt at a MacBook Pro-like PC, and it’s fairly light and slim for a 15.6-inch machine at 4.77 pounds and 17.9mm thin. It’s also HP’s first laptop with a Thunderbolt port, which makes it perfect for people who need to deal with huge files.

The Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 is basically a touch upgrade to the company’s existing Envy lineup. It weighs 4.77 pounds and measures 23mm thin.

All of the Ultrabooks feature Beats Audio — but I’ll be honest with you, who cares? In my experience, Beats integration doesn’t really add much to music quality, and in some cases (thanks to aggressive post-processing) it can even detract from the original source.

The TouchSmart Spectre xt will be available in December in the U.S. starting at $1,399.99. Pricing and availability for the Envy x2 and the Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 haven’t been announced yes. (Interestingly, HP reps asked the press what we thought the ideal price for the Envy x2 would be. I voted for something in the $600 to $800 range.)

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

Samsung appears to be close to releasing a hybrid laptop-tablet running Windows 8, according to a recently released video teaser from the South Korean tech giant.

The cryptic video shows a laptop with what appears to be a stylus, indicating that it probably features a touchscreen as well. This device could be similar to Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga, another laptop-tablet hybrid.

“The time is near for the big reveal,” Samsung wrote in the description for the video. “Take a look at this video for a glimpse into our newest Windows 8-ready innovation.”

We believe Windows 8 is better suited for tablets than desktops and laptops, so it’s not surprising to see new form factors that include touchscreens. Windows 8′s apps, which are already looking pretty slick, also are better suited for touch at the moment. On top of this, an analyst we spoke to believe hybrid devices will be one factor for Windows 8′s success.

Check out the video teaser below:

July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

Microsoft released the final build of Windows 8, dubbed “RTM,” to developers and manufacturers last week. So how will it work on your desktop when it lands on Oct. 26?

Based on my tests, not very well. In fact, if you’re still using a desktop PC, you’re probably going to dislike Windows 8.

Microsoft has designed Windows 8 to work across almost all devices, with the exception of smartphones, a nearly one-size-fits-all approach to the operating system. That’s a marked contrast to Apple’s decision to use iOS for tablets and phones, and OS X on desktops.

On top of this, Windows 8 will share a kernel with Windows Phone 8 to make it easier for developers to create apps and games that work for both.

Unfortunately, Windows 8 doesn’t work equally well for all devices. How I work on a desktop is going to be different from how I work on a tablet. Using my fingers to navigate through Windows is a wholly different experience than using a mouse to click on things.

With Windows 8, Microsoft favors tablets, touchscreens, and laptops with modern touchpads. It works very well for these kinds of computers. Traditional desktops with a keyboard and mouse, on the other hand, have been left in the dust.

Desktop issues

True, a major part of the OS is devoted to the traditional Windows desktop. The desktop view is there if you need to run older Windows applications, or if you just want a familiar-looking interface.

But the desktop view isn’t what Microsoft is pushing. Much like Apple’s Mac App Store, there will be a Windows 8 Store available for downloading the new full-screen apps Microsoft is betting heavily on. (Notably, the store won’t offer older Windows programs at all.) These new Windows 8-style apps appear on your computer’s Start screen and run in a full-screen mode without menu bars or toolbars. Microsoft has referred to its Windows Phone and Windows 8 interfaces as “Metro”, but it has ditched the term and not yet given us a replacement, so I’ll refer to it as the “modern” design. Indeed, much of the focus for Windows 8 is on the sleek Start screen (image above).

Now let’s dig into some of desktop issues. (Let us know what other issues you see for the desktop in the comments.)

Dead mouse — Windows 8 isn’t meant for mice — it’s meant for fingers. The spread-out Start screen is more ideal for tapping than clicking, whereas the Start menu in Windows 7 is crammed into a tighter space to make it easier to click individual items. Scrolling using your mouse now moves the screen left and right instead of up and down. Mouse scrolling can be problematic inside some modern apps. Parts of the Bing Weather app, for example, are meant to be scrolled up and down and can interrupt you. (Check out this video for an illustration of this problem.) Basically, scrolling through apps with your fingers is much easier.

Right-clicking — When you right click your mouse in Windows 7, a menu pops up next to where you clicked to give you more options. Right clicking a picture, for example, brings up options like Preview, Cut, Copy, or Delete. Right-clicking a program on the desktop Taskbar gives you lots of helpful options too. But right-click menus go out the window in Windows 8, unless you’re using an old-style desktop app. Now, instead of a menu of options appearing right where you clicked, a limited number of options appear at the bottom of the screen. You now need to move your mouse to the bottom of the screen to select an option, and this gets incredibly tedious in modern apps and on the Start screen.

Small displays — The modern-style Start screen and modern apps look great on tablet screens and small displays, but they can get a little messy on a desktop PC with a large monitor. Modern apps aren’t optimized for larger resolutions, although Microsoft makes it possible to scale apps. Microsoft is preparing Windows 8 for the world where 10- to 13-inch monitors are the norm, as ZDNet points out. Thankfully, Windows 8 at least includes decent multi-monitor support for power desktop users with two monitors.

Full-screen apps — Windows 8 already has some killer apps. Unfortunately, these apps are almost all better suited for tablets than desktops. There’s no “X” in the corner to exit apps in a single click like you can in Windows 7. Instead you have to click the very top of an app and drag it to the bottom of a screen to close it — an easy gesture on a touchscreen, but a laborious exercise with a mouse. It’s also not as easy to switch between these modern apps as it was with old-style desktop apps and the Windows 7 Taskbar.

Modern app switching — To switch between open modern apps using a mouse, you need to hover in the top left corner and then drag down to see the programs on the full left side of the screen. Only modern apps are shown in this lineup of open apps, not desktop apps. So if you want to switch between a modern app and an older desktop app, you need to go into the desktop and then select the desktop app you want. A two-step process has replaced the old one-step switch.

Screen splitting — Another issue with modern apps is the space allocated to them on the screen. When I work, I often divide my screen in two equal-sized windows. Modern apps don’t do this. You can only allocate roughly 25 percent of the screen to one app while the other 75 percent is taken up by another. This layout is not conducive to multitasking. Thankfully, you can still do a 50-50 split, or whatever tiling you’re used to, in the desktop area.

Hidden apps — It can be hard to find programs meant for the old-style Windows desktop if you don’t know where to go. From the desktop screen, you cannot launch desktop apps that aren’t already pinned to the Taskbar. That’s because the Start button is gone. Let’s say you use the Calculator app often. To access it, you have to go to the Start screen, right-click the screen, go to the bottom right-hand corner and select All Apps, then select Calculator. Once Calculator is open on the Desktop, you need to pin it to the Taskbar or you have to go through all of those steps again the next time you want it.

Internet Explorer tabs — This last point is minor, but the modern version of Internet Explorer 10 has no visible tabs. If you want to switch between tabs, you have to right click inside Internet Explorer to reveal your open tabs. I rely heavily on tabs to get my work done, so if you need them like I do, you’ll have to use old-style Internet Explorer from the desktop. While I don’t use Internet Explorer, it’s what comes available out of the box and many folks still use it. Alternately, you can download and use Google Chrome, which includes tabs in its modern app.

Tablet and touchscreen benefits

In its current form, Windows 8 is a tablet-centric OS. The interface works best on tablets, and we can’t wait to see it running on devices like the Microsoft Surface.

Windows 7 and Windows 8 are different beasts, and workflow is different when you have to deal with the Start screen versus the Start button. In Windows 7, I can do everything I can think of from a single screen. I can launch apps from the Taskbar or the Start button, I can easily re-size all my apps in different windows as needed, and everything feels optimized for an external mouse and keyboard.

Windows 8 requires me to switch between the desktop and the Start screen, which feels unnecessary. It shouldn’t take me extra steps if I choose to use a mouse, and that leads me to believe that Microsoft wants us to use tablets or ultrabooks instead of desktops. It also wants us to use full-screen modern apps instead of windowed desktop apps. (One exception: Microsoft Office 2013, which you launch from the Desktop but is more touch-friendly than past versions.)

The problems listed above show Microsoft is willing to alienate desktop users in favor of an interface that embraces touch screens and trackpads. Many businesses still rely on desktops for their workers, and it’s plausible that Windows 7 will remain the top choice for those businesses. That said, companies could adopt Windows 8 for tablets and hybrid laptops they want to deploy to workers.

After spending much time with Windows 8, I can’t recommend it for advanced desktop users unless Microsoft makes interface tweaks to make it more desktop-friendly. I don’t plan to upgrade my desktop from Windows 7 to 8 at launch because Windows 7 works so well. After several years of usage, I consider Windows 7 the best desktop OS ever, and I prefer it to Apple’s also-great Mountain Lion OS.

I expect Windows 7, with its 630 million licenses sold, will remain an incredibly popular OS for the next 10 years — just like Windows XP.

Origin PC is launching a new laptop today that the company considers to be the fastest portable gaming machine on the market.

The Origin PC EON17-SLX laptop can house dual graphics cards based on the fastest graphics chips from Nvidia or Advanced Micro Devices. The machine can run under Nvidia’s SLI dual-graphics chip mode or with AMD’s CrossFireX technology. That nearly doubles the performance of the laptop with a second discrete graphics processing unit (GPU).

The machine also features overclocked Intel third-generation mobile processors. Those are Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge mobile processors. The machine supports Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 680M and AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics cards. It is a “game-changing experience” for gamers, the company says.

Miami-based Origin PC makes high-end PCs for gamers and competes with Dell’s Alienware division, Falcon Northwest, Maingear and other gamer PC companies. (Yes, we’d like to hear from them if they’ve got something faster).

The machine features THX TruStudio Pro for high-end audio. The price starts at $1,867.

“Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or professional on the go, nothing beats having the power of an EON laptop with dual-wielding graphics cards” said Kevin Wasielewski, the cofounder and chief executive of Origin PC.

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GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here!

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July 9-10, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Tickets On Sale Now

Sleek, fast and slim notebook computers are coming as early as this fall. But that might be the last hurrah of the laptop, as tablet computers are expected to overtake sales of notebook computers by the end of 2016. That’s the forecast for the changing computing landscape, according to Richard Shim, senior analyst for mobile devices at DisplaySearch.

The change reflects a shift in consumer preferences, Shim said at the Emerging Display Technologies conference on Tuesday in Santa Clara, Calif. Tablets have screen sizes ranging from 5 inches to 10 inches, while notebook computers range from 10 inches to 17 inches. Tablets are focused on convenience, while notebooks are built for performance. Tablets are selling strong in mature markets like the U.S., while notebooks are selling better in emerging markets. That’s because notebooks are often the only computing devices in a household and they have to be used for high-performance tasks and productivity apps.

Tablets like Apple’s iPad have taken the market by storm. So far, Intel’s campaign to kickstart laptop sales with the Ultrabook label — or thin machines with high-performance and built-in security — has fallen flat in the market, Shim said. The larger market, which includes non-Intel devices and Apple’s MacBook Air, is dubbed the Ultraslim PC market. Tablets are likely cannibalizing sales of PCs at a faster and faster rate, Shim said.

A big change in the market could come with the Oct. 26 launch of Windows 8. At that time, we’ll see Windows 8 laptops, Windows 8 tablets based on Intel chips, and Windows RT tablets based on chips in the ARM ecosystem. By next year, when laptops will sport Windows 8 and Intel’s Haswell generation of power-efficient processors, thin laptops will take off in a big way, Shim said.

But that growth rate for laptops will slow as consumer tastes shift from performance to convenience. By 2016, tablet shipments are expected to overtake notebook shipments. Tablets are more responsive, are easy to carry, are more accessible, are thinner, lighter, and more intuitive to use, Shim said.

The mix of tablet sales may change. With the Jelly Bean 4.1.1 version of the Android operating system, Google finally has stable software that could jumpstart the tablet market beyond the iPad, Shim said. But the iPad is still expected to be dominant through 2017. Windows RT tablets are debuting soon. but they may come out at the high end of the market, Shim said, making their future uncertain. That’s because those Windows tablets are expected to be bundled with Microsoft Office software, which will make them more expensive.

Apple’s 9.7-inch tablets have ruled to date. But Shim expects the emergence of new screen sizes at 7 inches or so, as reflected in devices such as the Amazon Kindle, the Google Nexus 7, and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Apple is expected to debut a 7.85-inch tablet this fall.

“Resolution is a big topic these days, with pixel densities changing fast,” Shim said.

Screen quality for tablets will get better, but it’s an open question as to whether consumers can discern the quality difference above 200 pixels per inch. Apple’s iPad is already at 264 pixels per inch. Costs will naturally fall for tablets in the future. By 2017, the largest tablet category will be $201 to $300. Right now, the largest price band in terms of unit sales is $500 to $600.