Stylish protection from the latest Inateck laptop sleeves [Review]
The world is a harsh place and if you carry your laptop around with you it's almost inevitably going to pick up knocks and scrapes.
We've looked at Inateck's range of protective sleeves in the past and the company has just launched three new versions aimed at keeping your kit in peak condition.
SanDisk unveils 2.5-inch SATA Z410 SSD
Solid state drives are quite mature and ubiquitous nowadays -- the technology is no longer cutting edge. While some computers still ship with slow mechanical hard disk drives, SSDs are now largely the default option.
SATA based drives are slow compared to newer NVMe PCIe variants, but still more than fast enough for most consumers. These 2.5-inch SATA drives are often less expensive too, making them a wise option for OEMs looking to build low or medium-cost laptops. Now, SanDisk announces the Z410 -- a drop-in solution for manufacturers, featuring a capacity of up to 480GB.
Quality control and pet monkeys: My search for a decent laptop continues
What the hell is going on with quality control these days? It seems like every new PC I buy or test has something wrong with it right out of the box. Whether it’s a strange hardware failure, a bizarro software glitch, or something less easily definable, the new machine will undoubtedly go belly up in some fashion within the first six months.
Take Dell’s Inspiron 13, for example. In my quest to find a replacement for my HP Envy x2 (abandoned by Microsoft/Intel/HP) and, later, my Surface 3 (destroyed in an incident involving a moving vehicle, alcohol, and an undomesticated pet monkey), I took one of the company’s 7000 series 2-in-1s home for a weekend of testing and evaluation.
Satechi unveils Aluminum Mini Docking Station for Windows and Mac
When it comes to computing, I always prefer a desktop when possible. I like using a big monitor, mechanical keyboard, and mouse. If I am not at a desk in a comfortable chair, my productivity drops. While I do use a laptop when on the go, a trackpad and small screen are pain points for me.
Not everyone can afford to have both a desktop and laptop, so luckily, it is easier than ever nowadays to use the latter as a makeshift of the former. Unfortunately, docking stations from laptop manufacturers are often expensive and proprietary. USB variants are sometimes preferable, and today, Satechi announces the beautiful Aluminum Mini Docking Station.
Commercial notebook shipments return to growth
Commercial notebook shipments have returned to growth in the first quarter of 2016, new figures by market analysts IDC say. New form factors, guided by the ever increasing desire for mobility, aided by the new Windows 10 operating system and the Skylake processors were key drivers for this growth.
HP was the biggest winner of the new change, with Dell also outperforming the market average, IDC’s report says. Asus, Apple and Fujitsu posted some strong results, as well.
12-inch MacBook's three flaws that Apple could've fixed but didn't
Earlier this week, Apple finally updated its svelte laptop that launched 13-months ago. I am awe-struck by the company's design-audacity—not for brash innovation but bumbling compromises that make me wonder who needs this thing. The 12-inch MacBook offers much, wth respect to thinness, lightness, and typing experience (the keyboard is clever tech). But baffling is the decision to keep the crappy 480p webcam. These days, not late-1990s state-of-art, 720p is the least a pricey computer should come with, and is it too much to ask for 1080p or 4K when modern smartphones can shoot just that?
This shortcoming, and two others, glares because the little laptop otherwise offers so much, for its size. Thickness is 13.1mm, while weight is 2.03 pounds (.92 kilograms). The 12-inch IPS display delvers 2304 x 1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch. This thing is tiny: 28.05 by 19.65 centimeters (11.04 by 7.74 inches). Apple's redesigned keyboard provides surprising travel, given the keys' shallowness. By these measures, MacBook is a great carry-along.
Apple's MacBook now offers better performance, longer battery life
Apple has announced the first MacBook refresh, a year after the introduction of its thinnest and lightest laptop. The device gets the latest Intel processors, better graphics performance, faster SSD storage and longer battery life. Also new is a rose gold finish, on top of the existing gold, silver and space gray.
The 2016 refresh for the 12-inch MacBook brings sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors with speeds of up to 1.3 GHz and Turbo Boost of up to 3.1 GHz, 1866 MHz RAM and HD Graphics 515, which is said to be 25 percent faster than in the original model.
HP ENVY laptops get refresh
If you are looking for a quality laptop without breaking the bank, HP's ENVY line is definitely worth a look. The line combines solid performance with attractive designs -- perfect for home, school, or small business.
Today, HP announces a refresh of its popular ENVY line, featuring three distinct models. There is a 360 degree convertible, a 15-inch workhorse and a surprisingly light 17-inch portable workstation.
Razer unveils faster, more affordable Blade gaming laptop
Razer has announced the new Blade gaming laptop, which features improved specs and a lower price compared to the previous generation. The device will ship in April, with pre-orders starting today at the company's online store.
The new Blade ships with a sixth-generation quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M graphics with 6 GB of VRAM, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB or 512 GB of PCIe SSD storage, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, and a 14-inch IGZO touch-display with a resolution of 3,200 by 1,800, as the main highlights.
Microsoft celebrates Pi Day with a Dell laptop sale
The bad news is that today is Monday. The good news is that it is not just another Monday. March 14 is also Pi Day and, to help celebrate it, Microsoft is holding a sale on select Dell laptops, offering a major discount on XPS 13, Inspiron 13 and Inspiron 15 devices.
Fortunately, the discount in question does not match Pi's (approximate) value, as 3.14 percent wouldn't have impressed anyone. Instead, Microsoft has settled for a 31.4 percent discount, which translates into savings of hundreds of dollars.
Dell releases new XPS 13 Developer Edition, launches Linux-based Precision laptops worldwide
On the laptop side, Dell may be best known for its Windows devices, but, as some of you may already know, it also offers some killer Linux-based alternatives for prosumers. It all started out nearly four years ago with Project Sputnik, which led to the release of the first-gen XPS 13 Developer Edition, a Ubuntu-flavored version of the popular ultrabook, in late-2012.
Fast forward to today and Project Sputnik is more than just a one device effort, as Dell has expanded the reach of the program to also include some of its professional-grade laptops. Now, the company steps it up a notch by introducing the Intel Skylake refresh of XPS 13 Developer Edition, and making the Ubuntu-toting Precision laptops available worldwide.
GPD Win is a pocket-sized Windows 10 laptop
Lugging around a full-size laptop so you can do a spot of work from anywhere can be a pain. Even using a Windows 10 slate, like the Surface Pro 4, doesn’t really lessen the load as you’ll likely need to include a keyboard cover and maybe a mouse.
GPD Win is an interesting solution. It’s a 5.5 inch handheld PC/Gaming console running Windows 10 and it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into the design.
One in three laptops will ship with an SSD in 2016
The average contract price of mainstream PC-Client OEM SSDs in Q1 of 2016 has dropped, a new report by TrendForce’s DRAMeXchange suggests.
MLC-based SSDs, as well as their TLC-based counterparts have seen their prices drop 10-12 percent, and seven-12 percent respectively.
Fujitsu, Toshiba and Vaio plan to merge PC divisions
Toshiba, Fujitsu and Vaio, which was recently spun off from Sony, have entered into the final round of negotiations to integrate their PC divisions.
If the three firms can reach an agreement, they plan on establishing a joint holding company with subsidiaries responsible for running each firm's PC businesses.
VAIO unveils beautiful business-focused 'Z' and 'S' Windows 10 laptops
While many still associate the name "VAIO" with Sony, the two are no longer linked. In 2014, Sony exited the personal computer segment by selling its PC business. This was unfortunate, as many people loved Sony's laptops. Sure, they were largely expensive, but they were also arguably the closest thing to Apple that Windows users could buy from an elegance and design standpoint.
Today, the company simply known as VAIO announces two new lines of laptops. The unimaginatively named "Z" and "S" computers appear to capture the magic of Sony's designs, while offering really impressive specs too. The flip variant of the Z in particular features an amazing hinge that allows the screen to fold flat without spinning it around.
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