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Intel: 'Retina'-quality displays coming to laptops, desktops soon
- Can't tolerate your laptop's paltry resolution after using one of Apple's "retina" displays? Pretty soon you won't have to, according to Intel slides published by Liliputing. The chipmaker believes devices with high pixel densities will wash ashore as early as…
$699 Ultrabooks coming this summer, according to Intel
- Intel believes that we will see Ultrabook prices as low as $699 this summer as a slew of new products are expected to lower prices across the board. In total, the chip giant claims there are 75 new Ultrabooks currently…
Sony unveils Vaio E Series 14P notebook with Kinect-style gesture control
- Sony is expanding its Vaio E series of laptops with a new 14-inch model that, while not quite worthy of ultrabook status with its 5-pound weight and 0.88-inch thickness, offers a distinctive design and a decent feature set. The company…
HP Folio 13 Review: The Sturdy, Affordable Ultrabook
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There are only so many people willing to spend $1,300+ on a finger-thick machine, and many of them are already loyal Apple customers. The reality is, the average consumer wants to believe they're buying a premium product, but they don't necessarily want to pay premium prices.
It's a tough nut to crack and most PC makers have failed when it comes to ultrathin notebooks, whether by charging too much or cutting too many corners. Striking a balance between both extremes, HP's Folio 13 kicks off at an attractive $900 while packing the same core componentry you'll find in even the priciest of ultrabooks.
New Asus Zenbooks have Ivy Bridge, HD IPS panel, backlit keyboard
- With Ivy Bridge due sometime in the coming weeks or months, vendors are preparing a round of obligatory refreshes. Considering its performance-per-watt improvements over Sandy Bridge, it stands to reason that PC makers will trumpet the 22nm architecture with Intel-sanctioned…
Consumer tech generated $144 billion in 2011, Apple was the top brand
- Consumer electronics sales fell half a percent in 2011, generating $144 billion, NPD reports. Computers, televisions, tablets/e-readers, mobile phones and video game hardware commanded nearly 60% of those sales. Notebooks and desktops alone represented $28 billion (almost 20%), a decrease…
HP taking Envy 14 Spectre pre-orders, ships February 17
- HP has started taking pre-orders for their Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabook that debuted last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Starting at $1,399, the Spectre won a Best of CES 2012 award from CNET and was one…
Weekend Open Forum: How many computers do you own?
- I can vividly remember wanting a computer for several years before I actually received my first one, a lovely AMD K6-2 333MHz beast (or so I thought) as a Christmas gift way back in 1998. I was always fascinated with…
HP pays $425,000 to settle civil suit over defective batteries
- HP has agreed to pay $425,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to inform the US Consumer Product Safety Commission about defective lithium-ion batteries, as required by federal law. As is often the case, the faulty batteries were prone…
Samsung announces Series 5, refreshes Series 9 ultraportables
- With Ultrabooks dominating headlines during this year's CES, Samsung is feeling pressure to distinguish its thin-and-light offerings from Intel's new ultraportable family. The Korean manufacturer contests that its second-generation Series 9 notebooks are more of a premium kit than Intel's…
Vizio bursts into PC market with thin laptops, all-in-one PCs
- Vizio, the U.S. based company best known for selling budget flat-panel TVs, is jumping head first into the PC market and will be showing a range of sleek-looking devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Detailed specifications and…
Acer's new super-thin S5 ultrabook, Timeline Ultra revealed
- After a lukewarm reception with its first-gen ultrabook, Acer is ready for a second round. The new Aspire S5 is being touted as the thinnest ultrabook currently available, measuring just 15mm at its thickest point. It will be interesting to…
Back from the (Near) Dead: HP Envy 14 Review
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HP's 2011 Envy 14 picks up right where last year's model left off by beefing up the internals, adding modern connectivity options like USB 3.0 and DisplayPort and greatly improving the touchpad. The Envy has a strong resemblance to Apple's MacBook Pro which for the most part could be considered a good thing.
The latest version features the same gunmetal lid with an attractive etched pattern and a reflective HP logo on the back corner of the lid . Our evaluation system used to cost $1,079.99 but now you can get it for $899, making for an interesting proposition for this subtly well-crafted machine.
Neowin: Samsung Series 9 notebook review
- Neowin has published a last minute before Christmas review of the Samsung Series 9, which they claim is easily one of the most stunning laptops they've ever laid eyes upon, especially in the Windows PC market. Beautifully designed, super thin,…
Razer Blade gaming laptop delayed until January 2012
- Razer's highly anticipated Blade gaming laptop won't make it to market in 2011 after all, according an announcement posted on the company's Facebook page. Apparently the delay was caused by the recently announced upgrade of the laptop's 320GB HDD to…
TechSpot Laptop Buying Guide: Holiday 2011 Update
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With the holiday shopping season in full swing it's time we give our Laptop Buying Guide one last pass before the year is over to make sure it's packing enough punch. Netbooks have lost their lure to simply become smaller, entry-level notebooks, while other categories are only seeing minor spec bumps. But if you are looking into the ultraportable market, a new breed of devices has emerged. Intel is pushing the Ultrabooks as thin and light systems with plenty of power, for now we're seeing a first generation of devices, with plenty more to come.
Ultraportables Thin and light laptops balance portability, performance and battery life. 
Business Mid to high end components with an emphasis on durability, security and battery life. 
Desktop Replacements The most complete set of features, often forgo battery life and portability for extra horsepower. 
Gaming If mobility is a priority, there are some solid choices for gaming on the go. 
Budget-oriented A good blend of price and features, but slim form factors are not necessarily a priority.
AMD rebadges mobile GPUs, announces HD 7000M series
- AMD traditionally launches new graphics products with high-end models on the desktop and then works its way down and into laptops. This time, they are doing the exact opposite by launching the Radeon HD 7000 family on the mobile side…
Lenovo readies affordable ThinkPad X130e for clumsy kids
- There are few academic tools more important than a sturdy laptop, and Lenovo is hoping to keep K-12 students well-equipped this holiday season and beyond. The company's new ThinkPad X130e is "specially ruggedized for education," including rubber bumpers to absorb…
LG unveils Xnote Z330 ultrabook in South Korea
- LG has officially joined the Ultrabook fray with the unveiling of its Xnote Z330 in South Korea. Like most laptops in this category, the Z330 features a 13.3-inch display wit a standard 1366×768 resolution. However, using its own Shuriken display…
Building the perfect ultrabook – and where PC makers are wrong
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Editorial It appears as though we're just now arriving to that sweet spot where fewer compromises can be made to build fast and svelte machines that are budget-friendly, all at the same time. However, it's easy to miss what a true next-generation ultraportable notebook should be.
Manufacturers are short-sighted if they only focus on building fast machines that weigh 3 pounds or less, without putting design and user experience at the core of their future developments. Here are some key aspects where I believe PC makers should focus and where some are already failing on their first try to deliver a killer ultrabook.
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