Articles about Laptop

Hardcore gaming laptops are usually big and heavy -- unwieldy beasts with poor battery life and even worse portability. While that is often the case, it is not always. Case in point, today, Razer re-launches its Blade 14 laptop, and while its power is downright godlike, the laptop is surprisingly svelte and light -- it is just .66-inches thin while weighing only 3.92 pounds.

The 2021 edition of the Razer Blade 14 is powered by the insanely powerful 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series mobile GPUs. It comes with a 16GB of (non-upgradeable) DDR4-3200MHz RAM and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD. Believe it or not, despite the hardcore specifications, Razer promises up to 12 hours of battery life. Obviously, battery life will vary wildly depending on usage.

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Want to know a secret computer manufacturers don't want you to know? Look, don't tell anybody this, but... most consumers don't need to spend $1,000 on a computer. Hell, most folks don't even need to spend $500. Because let's be honest, the majority of home users only open a web browser and do all their computing on the web. Yes, for most people, modern home computers largely exist as a way to run a web browser. If you don't think that is true, you are fooling yourself.

This is why Chromebooks are so popular these days. But what if you want an operating system a bit more capable than Chrome OS, such as Windows 10? Well, there are plenty of inexpensive laptops running that OS too. For example, earlier this month, we told you about the super-affordable Galaxy Book Go -- a low-cost ARM-powered laptop from Samsung. Well, as of today, you can finally buy it!

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Minecraft isn't just a game -- it is a worldwide phenomenon. What is the secret to its success? Well, besides being fun to play, its cross-platform nature and low system requirements make it available to almost anyone. It can be played on Windows 10, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and many video game consoles too.

If you have a person in your life that loves Minecraft, there is a new affordable laptop that should excite them greatly. The GeoBook 120 Minecraft Edition features a 12.5-inch display and a cool green paint job that is inspired by the game. The WASD keys even feature green letters. And yes, the game itself comes pre-installed. As an added bonus, Minecraft stickers can be found in the box, so you can decorate the laptop lid to your liking.

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Back in the day, getting a laptop with Linux pre-installed was almost unheard of. For the most part, you had to buy a computer with Windows and then install Linux yourself. This wasn't bad necessarily, but it did mean that the price of the computer usually included a Windows license you maybe didn't want. In other words, Microsoft was profiting off of Linux users -- just because the consumer bought a Windows PC.

In 2021, however, there are many computers to be had with Linux pre-installed -- thanks to pioneers like System76. Of course, nowadays, big companies like Dell and Lenovo are selling Linux machines too. Today, yet another such laptop hits the market -- the Star Labs StarBook Mk V. This 14-inch notebook can be had your choice of several quality Linux distributions pre-installed, such as Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Manjaro to name a few. And yes, Windows 10 is an option too.

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Long gone are the days where Apple was the sole manufacturer of elegant laptops. Quite frankly, Apple has become a bit stagnant with its designs. Truth be told, makers of Windows laptops (such as Samsung, HP, and Huawei) have met or exceeded Apple's MacBook looks. Best of all, these Windows notebooks are often much more affordable than Apple's offerings too. Not to mention, they typically have touch screens!

Today, Samsung unveils its newest Windows 10 laptops and not only are they thin and beautiful, but quite powerful too. You see, they are powered by 11th-generation Intel Core processors. There is the Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 -- the former is a traditional laptop, while the latter is a convertible.

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Sometimes technology can be very exciting. Look, we all love when a sleek and sexy new device -- such as a smartphone or laptop -- is shown off at a keynote. Remember when the original MacBook Air was first revealed? I get chills. And yeah, everyone wants the latest and greatest flashy product. The truth, however, is we don't always need exciting. Sometimes we need affordable and unremarkable products that simply exist to get work done.

The Dynabook E10-S Windows 10 Pro Education laptop is such a product, and you can buy it from the company starting today. The computer is fabulously unremarkable, and yes, that's a good thing. You see, this laptop is designed for schoolwork -- not gaming or other hardcore computing.

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If you are a Linux user, you can't go wrong with Intel. That company's processors, chipsets, wireless cards, and other hardware have long been very compatible with Linux-based operating systems. An all-Intel system should be a headache-free experience with Linux. If you want to game or do other graphic-intensive actions, however, an NVIDIA GPU has historically been the best option -- a better experience than AMD graphics cards.

Nowadays, AMD-based systems are Linux-friendly too, and Radeon graphics are becoming more commonplace in computers running Linux distros. Today, popular Linux-based computer-seller System76 finally launches its first-ever laptop to have both an AMD processor and AMD graphics -- the 2021 "Pangolin" that we told you about in December. This is not only historic for System76, but it is a godsend for Linux users that are fans of AMD.

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It used to be, when you bought a computer, you could upgrade or repair parts when needed. Running out of storage? Upgrade the hard disk or solid state drive. Not enough memory? Add some RAM. Laptop battery no longer holding a charge? Just replace it. Over time, however, manufacturers have increasingly turned to soldering in components, making them virtually impossible to upgrade or replace.

Of course, we largely have Apple to blame for this trend, but other manufacturers are guilty too. We also must take a look at ourselves for enabling this customer unfriendly behavior. Hell, I bought a Mac mini recently that can't be upgraded at all. If the SSD, RAM, or other component fails, I will pretty much have to toss it in the trash. So, yes, I am personally guilty of this landfill-filling behavior.

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Ahh, ThinkPad. There is probably no line of Windows laptops that's more respected or celebrated. And look, it isn't hard to see why. The notebook computer series started by IBM, and ultimately taken over by Lenovo, has proven to be one of the most reliable in the industry. You really can never go wrong with a ThinkPad. Pricey? Sometimes. But often worth the cost.

Today, Lenovo unveils a new laptop that it claims to be "the thinnest ThinkPad ever." Called "ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga," this convertible notebook has a thickness of just 11.5 mm. Despite its thin body, it can be configured with impressive specifications, such as an 11th gen Intel Core i7, up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD. It even offers 5G connectivity. And of course, it has the traditional ThinkPad pointing nub.

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Well, folks, Thunderbolt 4 is no longer the future -- it is the present. What does this mean? It is time for manufacturers to start flooding the market with TB4 docking stations! Make no mistake, Thunderbolt 4-enabled computers should work fine with existing Thunderbolt 3 hardware, including docks. With that said, if you get yourself a TB4 computer, and you don't already have a TB3 dock, you should absolutely try and buy a TB4 dock.

Today, Kensington unveils its first such product. Called "SD5700T," it is a Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station with 90W power delivery. For video, it can output dual 4K or single 8K. It is loaded to the gills with useful ports, such as USB-A, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB-C/Thunderbolt 4. But also, it features an SD card reader and a beautiful aluminum chassis. This should be a great way to transform a new TB4 laptop into a proper desktop computer.

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The current trend for laptops is to have them be as thin as possible. I suppose we have Apple to thank for that -- its designers often focus on form over function. As a result, many computers are missing useful ports, such as Ethernet, HDMI, and USB-A. This causes consumers to spend extra money on USB-C docks, adapters, and dongles. Thin machines often have deficient cooling too, which can lead to throttling and an overall negative impact to performance.

And that's why I love the design of System76's newly refreshed Galago Pro -- one of the company's most popular Linux laptops. The affordable Galago Pro isn't thick by any means, but it's really no thicker than it needs to be. You see, the chassis can accommodate the ports that many depend on, such as the aforementioned Ethernet, HDMI, and USB-A.

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Dynabook may not be a very popular name in the USA, but make no mistake, it is by no means a new manufacturer. Please know that Dynabook has essentially taken over Toshiba's USA laptop business, but the quality and reliability remains. If you are in the market for a premium Windows 10 laptop for home or business, Dynabook is a brand that should be on your list along with companies like Dell or HP.

Today, Dynabook unveils the Portégé X40-J -- a laptop that is powered by Intel Tiger Lake (11th generation Core) processors. It is available with a Core i3-1115G4, i5-1135G7, or i7-1165G7. It can be configured with up to 32GB RAM and up to a 1TB NVMe SSD.

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Back in the day, getting a laptop with Linux pre-installed was almost unheard of. For the most part, you had to buy a computer with Windows and then install Linux yourself. This wasn't bad, necessarily, but it did mean that the price of the computer included a Windows license you maybe didn't want. In other words, Microsoft was profiting off of Linux users -- just because they bought a Windows PC.

In 2020, however, there are many computers to be had with Linux pre-installed, thanks to pioneers like System76. Of course, nowadays, big companies like Dell and Lenovo are selling Linux machines too. Today, yet another such laptop hits the market -- the second generation Kubuntu Focus M2. Yes, this is the second officially sanctioned notebook from the developers of the KDE variant of Ubuntu.

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Do laptops need to keep getting thinner and lighter? Oh, hell yeah. True, we are starting to get to the point where they really can't get any more svelte, but as engineers continue to show, they will keep working to push boundaries. For instance, today, Lenovo officially unveils an impossibly thin and light laptop that is sure to delight road warriors. Called "ThinkPad X1 Nano," it weighs less than two pounds and is just 0.55 inches thick.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano comes with some bleeding-edge technology such as Wi-Fi 6, optional 5G, and Thunderbolt 4 (two ports). It is powered by up to an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, and it can be configured with up to 16GB RAM and up to a 1TB SSD. The 13-inch 2K display comes in both touch and non-touch options, and Lenovo promises up to 17.3 hours of battery life. And yes, the HD camera is compatible with Windows Hello.

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USB-C is definitely the connector of the future, and many manufacturers have embraced it as the only port on their laptops. Apple MacBook and the Dell XPS 13, for instance, only have Thunderbolt 3, which uses USB-C. If you want to connect legacy devices (USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI, etc.) you will need to use dongles or docks. Some companies include dongles in the box, but as you can expect, Apple does not.

Actually, Apple is happy to sell you its USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter for a sky-high $69! That is highway robbery. Almost 70 bucks for a USB-A port, HDMI, and power delivery pass through? Insanity. Thankfully, Plugable is today launching a very similar product (nearly identical) for a fraction of the cost! And not only will it work with an Apple MacBook or iPad Pro, but Windows 10 and Linux computers too. The HDMI port is capable of 4K, the USB port is 3.0 speed, and the USB-C power delivery port supports up to 60W.

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