PC Internet usage is dropping
ComScore, an online measurement specialist, has released new data that shows that less users are using desktop devices to access the Internet and are instead browsing on their smartphones and tablets.
The company has noticed a steep decline in the overall time people have spent online in the US using both desktop PCs and laptops.
Another quarter, another PC sales drop
The PC market has started off 2016 quite poorly according to both Gartner and the IDC. Worldwide shipments have fallen 9.6 percent to 64.8 million units in the first quarter of the year, according to Garner’s estimates. This makes it the first quarter since 2007 that fewer than 65 million PCs have shipped globally.
Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus and Apple were the top PC manufacturers in Q1 2016 with only Asus and Apple seeing an increase in the number of units shipped. Lenovo and HP have been hit the hardest this quarter with Lenovo shipments down seven percent and HP’s down nine percent.
G.SKILL unveils Trident Z DDR4-3600MHz 16GB (2x8GB) CL15 desktop memory kit
If you are a PC builder, you know that we are in the middle of a shift to DDR4. While DDR3 is perfectly fine for now -- and the only option for current AMD builds -- DDR4 is certainly the future. Believe it or not, prices for this newer RAM can sometimes be lower than DDR3 at the same capacity.
If you are planning to do a new Intel build, G.SKILL -- a very well-respected manufacturer -- has a new RAM kit that will certainly interest you. This 16GB DDR4 CL15 kit runs at an insane 3600MHz, making it perfect for things like gaming.
Lian Li PC-J60 is a classy aluminum mid tower ATX case with cable management focus
Building a PC can be a really fun project. Not only does it allow you to pick all of the components, but the design of the case/chassis too. Long gone are the days of beige towers. Modern cases come in a multitude of colors, sizes, and shapes. Some even glow thanks to LED lighting.
Unfortunately, many cases have become a bit too liberal with their designs -- they can look like funky spaceships or lava lamps! In other words, sometimes a more mature and reserved chassis would be more appropriate for a build. Today, Lian Li announces the PC-J60 -- an ATX mid tower with a focus on class, maturity, and cable management.
The right PC can improve job satisfaction
Do you want satisfied workers? Give them a well-designed PC, a good and secure mobile device, and let them work when they want to, where they want to. Those are, in a nutshell, the results of a new research by Redshift Research, which had polled 1,016 people, across France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
For 90 percent of IT decision makers, device security is a current concern, because in the last 12 months, a quarter of Europe’s businesses have been breached. That has resulted in less than a third (32 percent) being completely confident in the level of security offered by their current devices.
Intel Skull Canyon is the NUC of your dreams -- Core i7 6770HQ, DDR4, NVMe, Thunderbolt 3
Having a powerful computer does not mean having a large computer. Big power can come in small packages. While giant towers have long been the darlings of many gamers and technology enthusiasts, smaller boxes are starting to gain traction too. With Micro ATX, Mini ITX, and even smaller form factors, consumers can achieve performance while saving precious desk space.
When it comes to diminutive offerings, Intel's NUC is one of the most popular. These computers are small, attractive, powerful, and affordable. While they run Windows fine, they really shine on Linux, where all components work out of the box. Today, Intel announces its most powerful NUC yet -- the seductively named Skull Canyon. Powered by a super-powerful Skylake processor, it also has tons of new tech crammed inside. You can even connect an external gaming GPU, like the new Razer Core, by way of Thunderbolt 3!
MSI Vortex mini gaming PC has up to 64GB DDR4, Intel Core i7 Skylake, dual NVIDIA GPU
When it comes to gaming PCs, I prefer to build my own. Selecting the components, piece by piece, can be very rewarding. If you are on a budget, it is often more affordable than buying a pre-built machine too.
While many hardcore PC gamers would pooh-pooh buying an already-assembled computer, sometimes a tower comes along that is so special, that all rules go out the window. Today, such a special PC begins shipping to consumers. The MSI Vortex is a tiny gaming PC in a cylinder-shaped chassis. It is sort of like Apple's Mac Pro in outward appearance, but the comparisons stop there.
Why does Oculus Rift not support Macs?
To be on the cutting edge of technology you sometimes need to make some hard decisions. If you are a Mac user who is interested in Oculus Rift, you will have to choose between your love of Apple's computers and enjoying the virtual reality headset. That is because the two do not go hand in hand, as Oculus Rift only supports Windows PCs. Ouch!
Your Mac is not held back by Windows per se, because it can be easily installed via Boot Camp or Parallels -- and you get pretty much the same user experience as a PC user. The reason why Mac support is currently out of the question boils down to hardware limitations.
Resistance is futile -- Windows 10 will take over the PC market (eventually)
Microsoft hopes that within the first two to three years of availability, Windows 10 will power one billion devices worldwide. And, so far, things are looking good, as the new operating system can be found on over 200 million devices. But whether the software giant reaches its goal on time or not is irrelevant, because the new operating system will take over the PC market eventually, one way or another.
When looking at monthly stats and even Microsoft's own status updates on adoption it is way too easy to focus your attention on the figures themselves and lose sight of the bigger picture: as long as Windows 10's user base is growing, there is no stopping it. And that is what Microsoft wants, to have its new operating system "infecting" as many PCs and tablets as possible, so that it can finally take control of this market.
Huawei MateBook is ready to take on Surface Book, Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro
MWC 2016 may be barely under way, but the announcements are already pouring out thick and fast. As well as smartphones and smart car dongles, you can expect to see plenty of laptops and tablets, and one of the first to vie for your attention is the impressive-looking Huawei MateBook.
Clearly aimed as a rival to Microsoft's Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, the MateBook is a 12-inch hybrid tablet running Windows 10. Weighing in at just 640 grams, and measuring a mere 6.9mm thick, the tablet has an optional keyboard cover and stylus. Powered by an Intel Core M3, M5, or M7 processor Huawei claims 10 hours of battery life for the MateBook.
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.
CloudMagic is a great cross-platform email app [Review]
Finding an email app that I can enjoy using has proven to be quite a challenge. I want an app that is available on multiple platforms, that works on smartphones, tablets and PCs equally well. I also want it to support all my favorite email services, and make it easy for me to sort all my messages quickly. Sounds simple, right?
Those are not outrageous requirements, yet, until recently, the only app that came close was Outlook. However, it is far from perfect, as it lacks an OS X version -- which forces me to either use a different app on my Mac or turn to the browser -- and it also has some usability issues, depending on the platform or the provider I am using. I said until recently because I now find CloudMagic to be a superior option.
PC users, get rid of Adobe Flash end of life versions
Secunia Research at Flexera Software has published a report covering the fourth quarter of 2015 for 14 countries, regarding vulnerable software, applications and PCs.
Turns out we’re not really good at keeping our computers safe, and our software up to date.
Intel introduces 6th generation Core vPro processor family for office PCs
Intel has just announced new processors for office computers. The 6th Generation Intel Core vPro processor family is designed "for the modern workforce" and comes with a few innovations to keep office life tolerable.
Intel says the new processor offers "2.5 times the performance and a 30-times increase in graphics performance over a 5-year-old device", providing users with much more productive and powerful business tools.
Premium ultrabooks and hybrid devices will keep PC market relevant
Combined shipments of PCs, tablets and phones reached 2.39 billion units in 2015, according to a new report from Gartner, with an increase to 2.54 billion units expected for 2018. As you might expect, phone shipments account for the vast majority of units, 1.91 billion of them to be exact.
The report says that PC vendors shipped a combined 246 million desktops and non-premium laptops in 2015. Things aren't looking good in the long term, as shipments are expected to drop to 219 million units in 2018 for these two categories. However, the PC market as a whole, which includes desktops, non-premium laptops as well as premium ultramobiles will see a rise in shipments until the end of 2018 to 312 million units from 290 million units in 2015.
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