laptops

At least several times each week, we get a reader inquiry via e-mail or Twitter asking which of the current crop of Windows 8 tablets is the best. The answer isn't so simple when you consider that tablets running full Windows 8 (as opposed to Windows RT: don't get us started) are split into two hardware classes: those with slower Atom processors, including the HP Envy x2, and those at the high end, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro.

What makes a high-end Windows 8 tablet? Generally, an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, giving it the performance … Read more

For anyone who's actually trying to save money (what a concept, right?), today is going to be a tough one. I've got five -- count 'em, five -- deals, each one better than the last.

As always, these are available while supplies last -- and supplies don't always last long. They're in stock as of this morning, and the prices are accurate as of this morning. That is all.

1. Acer ultrabook So I'm thinking about a new laptop. The one I'm using now is OK, but has a smaller screen (11.6 inches) … Read more

As the divide between laptops and tablets continues to shrink, word is that Google has already developed its first Chrome-powered touchscreen laptop.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the tech giant's new device would come with cloud computing and could go on sale as soon as this year.

This endeavor would put Google in closer competition with Microsoft, which has already developed its own Windows touch-screen laptops. According to the Wall Street Journal, 25 percent of all Windows 8 laptops sold in the U.S. last month had touch screens.

Microsoft also has a major claim on the low-cost … Read more

With the release of the Windows 8 Surface Pro, Microsoft has reclaimed some of the good will it lost with the Surface RT. Unlike the earlier Surface product, the Pro features the full version of Windows 8, uses a powerful Intel Core i5 CPU, and can install and run just about any software app that a standard laptop or desktop PC can.

But while it's probably the single best example of a Windows tablet we've seen to date, it's far from perfect. The modest battery life, high price, and lack of features all mean the Surface Pro … Read more

People looking to buy Lenovo's Helix laptop may not have to wait that long after all.

The convertible Windows 8 laptop will begin shipping in early March, a Lenovo spokesman told CNET today, though he couldn't say exactly when it will hit retail stores. The Helix will be sold worldwide, but availability will vary by country.

This bit of news follows a Facebook post on Monday from a Lenovo representative saying that the Helix would be delayed until March or April. The rep added that more details would be announced soon.

Demoed at CES last month, the Helix … Read more

By some standards, the Microsoft Surface Pro is the best-ever hybrid of tablet and laptop, combining a full windows 8 OS with an Intel Core i5 CPU, and a best-in-class detachable keyboard cover.

But, at over $1,100 if you include a 128GB SSD and the keyboard, it's also very expensive, especially if a slim Windows 8 touch-screen ultrabook, Atom-powered tablet, or something non-Windows-based would work for your needs.

The following is a quick survey of the major alternatives to the Surface Pro, from other Core i5 tablets to Apple's new 128GB iPad.

Windows 8/Core i5 tablets (Example: Acer Iconia W700) … Read more

Updated: Lenovo has since told CNET that the Helix will start shipping in early March.

Anyone looking to pick up Lenovo's new Helix convertible laptop-tablet may have to wait another month or two.

Unveiled at CES last month, the ThinkPad Helix was slated to reach consumers late this month. But a post on Lenovo's Facebook page indicates a possible monkey wrench in those plans.

An anxious customer posed the simple question: "It's February. Where is the Helix?" In response, an apparent Lenovo rep with the initials CB broke the news that "unfortunately we received … Read more

Sometimes, even if it's vaporware, it doesn't mean its maker isn't on to something.

Three years ago, the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid caught my eye -- and many others -- at CES in Las Vegas. The idea -- a laptop that had its own detachable tablet -- seemed revolutionary, and at the time it was an idea ahead of even the iPad, which debuted just months later.

The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid was a great idea, with one problem: it never arrived. After surfacing again in 2011 as a Windows/Android detachable hybrid, it again disappeared from view.… Read more

Take a tablet; add a keyboard. Turn it into a laptop. Do it with full Windows 8. This is the dream of the HP Envy x2, and the dream, it seems, of Windows 8 in general. Break down the barrier between tablets and PCs. Create progressive computing. The future is now. Well, the future was also four months ago, when Hewlett-Packard first started showing off the Envy x2 in public.

We marveled then that the device was well-built, comfortable to hold, and, when you think about it, pretty shockingly practical. After all, theoretically, this is the best of both worlds: … Read more