Laptops

Every Reason Not to Buy the Google Chromebook Pixel

Google just showed off a dumb new thing: an expensive laptop that pairs the gorgeous screen, capable components, and design of a MacBook Pro with the diluted, web-based Chrome OS. It makes no sense. Don’t buy one. https://gizmodo.com/chromebook-pixel-googles-retina-touchscreen-macbook-5985832 We haven’t had much time to play with the thing, but—like sleeping with your roommate or buying…

Chromebook Pixel: Google’s Retina, Touchscreen, MacBook Pro Counterpunch

Until now, Chromebooks hadn’t been much more than glorified netbooks; underpowered curios best suited for technological novices. The 13-inch, touchscreen, retina-displayed, full-powered Chromebook Pixel, though, appears to be anything but. And it should be enough to make Apple at least a little nervous. At least until you get to the price. https://gizmodo.com/the-perfect-computer-for-people-who-fear-computers-5861502 The anodized aluminum…

WSJ: Google Has Developed a Touchscreen Device Which Uses Chrome OS

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google has developed a touchscreen laptop which runs its Chrome operating system—and suggests they’ll go on sale later this year. The Journal’s sources, however, are short on extra detail: there’s no word on which hardware manufacturers are working on the devices, nor exactly when it will go on…

Why Smartphone, Laptop, and Airplane Batteries Explode

Lighter, less expensive and more energy dense than other secondary battery technologies, lithium-ion has become the dominant form of rechargeable battery today. It powers everything from mobile phones and laptops to cars and commercial jets. But there is one little problem—these batteries don’t just short circuit, they explode into flames. Here’s what goes on inside…

Every Apple Product Supposedly in the Works

Did you hear the latest rumor about Apple’s “explorations” into a Dick Tracy-like smartwatch that’ll soon be attaching itself to everybody’s wrists? It’s coming soon. Or never. But it’s just another one of an avalanche of products Apple is rumored to have in the works. We’ve rounded up everything Apple’s supposed to have in the…

Microsoft Should Have Made a Laptop

Whatever you think about Microsoft’s Surface Pro, it’s impossible to deny its beautiful design, and the quality of the the tech behind it. It’s a siren, luring you into an oddly metaphored whirlpool of unsure typing. I’ve been using it for close to two weeks now, and the entire time I couldn’t escape one feeling:…

Per Quartz, HP’s board is considering maybe possibly breaking the company up. Will nobody think of the printers?!

Dell’s Going Private. Now What?

After what seemed like ages of hints and feints, Dell has finally, officially reached a deal to go private. It’s going to be led by its founder Michael Dell, with a financial assist from private equity firm Silver Lake and PC enthusiast Microsoft. Will it be enough to make the company—and more specifically, its products—relevant…

HP’s First Chromebook: Big Screen, Little Else

HP has announced its first Chromebook, and it’s notable for the fact that its screen is much larger than models from the likes of Samsung, Acer, and Lenovo. Sadly, there’s not an awful lot else to set it apart. Unlike most Chromebooks, that pack a screen somewhere between 11 and 12 inches, HP’s Pavilion 14…

The Best Laptops of CES 2013: What Laptops?

Rounding up the best laptops at CES 2013 is a weird assignment. Sure, we’ve done it before. But this year, it’s different. The fact is, there are no freaking laptops anywhere. To be fair, we expected as much. An onslaught of laptops and convertibles rained down during the Windows 8 launch. That news meant we…

Lenovo’s Yoga 11 Is Now a Real Ultrabook

We like Lenovo’s Yoga a lot, but until now, the 11-inch version was stuck with Windows RT, instead of full Windows 8. That’s fine, more or less, but everyone who wanted the total package at 11 inches was pretty let down. Now, though, the 11-inch is getting the full Intel i-Series treatment. https://gizmodo.com/lenovos-yoga-ultrabook-tablet-hybrid-will-also-come-in-5950382 The 11-inch…

Six Hidden Windows 8 Features You Can’t Live Without

Windows 8 can take some getting used to. While the desktop app works very much like Windows 7, there are plenty of new shortcuts, options, and tricks built into the operating system. Think you know how to use it like a pro? Here are a few Windows 8 features that you probably haven’t found yet.…

Samsung’s Series 7 Ultra: Your MacBook Air Might Get Jealous

Sure, Samsung’s laptops of late have borne more than a passing resemblance to Apple’s MacBook line. The skinny, shiny Series 7 Ultra is no exception. But so what? In the Age of Windows 8, that just means you get basically the same pretty package with the added bonus of a touchscreen and some spec improvements.…

Windows 8 Hybrids: $750 Netbooks That Just Aren’t Worth It

Windows 8 hardware sales are off to a slow start as shoppers scratch their heads over Microsoft’s new operating system and flock to low-cost tablets instead. Could a souped-up netbook save the day? The latest hybrids powered by Intel Atom processors promise the best of both worlds: the versatility of a laptop combined with the…

We’ve Got Live Tech Support To Answer Questions on All Your New Gadgets

Did you get a bunch of new gear today? Got some questions about how to use it? We’ve booked 12 solid hours with a tech support superstar named Karan Shah. In the discussion below, you can ask him anything about the laptops, tablets, cameras and phones that Santa brought you this year.

Short Battery Life Sinks First Windows 8 Notebooks

Confusing dual-mode operating system, no Start button, counterintuitive swipe gestures? None of these things spells doom for Windows 8. What will kill Microsoft’s newest operating system is the abysmal battery life of the systems on which it’s supposed to perform the best. For all of Windows 8’s strengths, its one major weakness might be something…

The Most Important Laptops of 2012

2012 was a big year for laptops. Windows 8 came along with its touch-centric worldview, Intel kept plugging away on its ultrabook crusade, and Apple finally started pumping out Retina MacBooks. Here’s our list of the most important machines of the year. 10. Acer Aspire S7 11-inch https://gizmodo.com/acer-aspire-s7-review-this-is-how-windows-8-should-fee-5952833 This is a statement of intent from…

Why Does Dell’s Ubuntu-Powered XPS 13 Cost More Than Its Windows Equivalent?

Dell’s Ubuntu-powered XPS 13, codenamed Project Sputnik, started life as an internal R&D project. Now it’s grown up and is available to buy online—but why does it cost more than a Windows equivalent? https://gizmodo.com/who-will-buy-an-ubuntu-ultrabook-5927650 The computer now takes the name XPS 13 Developer Edition, and comes with a Precise Pangolin Ubuntu build pre-installed along with…

Touch Laptops: What’s Great—And What’s Not

I’m a little embarrassed to admit how much I like the Surface RT. I wasn’t expecting a lot when I ordered it, but after a day of use, I realized this was more than Yet Another Gadget. It might represent a brave new world of laptop design. How can you not love a laptop that…

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro Review: So Good, But So Not Worth It

As soon as Apple announced the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the countdown started for the 13-inch version. Well, here it is. A slim, trim, portable little MacBook with a gorgeous retina screen and a gut-punch cost. And another reminder that sometimes wonderful things don’t live up to their price tag. Why It Matters The 13-inch…