Personal Computers

Time for an Apple Design Renaissance
May 31, 2012

I've been following the micro-move rumors of the latest purported Apple iPhone 5 parts, including new covers and chassis, case designs and innards ... and a curious thing has happened: I'm getting bored! Does it mean I'm maturing? Does it mean that my iPhone 4 will get me through until October, so ... whatever?

Invasion of the Tiny, Linux-Powered PCs
May 31, 2012

Bigger may be better if you're from Texas, but it's becoming increasingly clear to the rest of us that it really is a small world after all. Case in point? None other than what one might reasonably call the invasion of tiny Linux PCs going on all around us. Where's it all going? That's what Linux bloggers have been pondering in recent days.

Samsung Hardware Tucks Chrome Into New Niche
May 30, 2012

Samsung has launched two new computers running Google's Chrome OS. The Series 5 550 Chrome OS notebook, referred to as a "Chromebook," is a 12.1-inch laptop. The Samsung Chromebox 3 is a small desktop PC that can connect to a separate keyboard, mouse and monitor, much like Apple's Mac mini.

Dell's New XPS All-in-One Jousts With Apple
May 29, 2012

Dell on Tuesday announced its latest all-in-one desktop, the 27-inch XPS One 27. It has what Dell calls a "Full Quad HD" screen with a resolution of 2,560 by 1,440 pixels. It has Intel i5 or i7 quad core processors with Intel Turbo Boost technology, high-performance graphics from Nvidia, and entertainment features as well as an optional internal TV tuner.

How Apple's Product Cycles Torture Customers Into Loving It
May 24, 2012

Apple MacBook Pro rumors, and to a lesser extent iMac, MacBook Air and Mac Pro rumors, have been flying around fast and furious these days, and all it's doing is stoking my fire for a new MacBook Pro. Every Tuesday, which seems to be Apple's favorite day of the week for announcing new products, I anxiously wait to see the Apple Online Store go down and a press release to appear.

The MacBook Pro's Mystery Mix
May 16, 2012

With the expected unveiling of new MacBook Pros just weeks away, rumor mongers have begun to solidify their predictions about the new notebooks. Most Apple prognosticators seem to agree that the MacBook Pros will be thinner, run Intel's new Ivy Bridge chip, and sport an eye-popping Retina Display.

Lenovo Shoots for Sexy With Svelt, Sleek Portables
May 15, 2012

Lenovo on Tuesday announced new Ultrabook ThinkPad laptops based on Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processor. Heading the procession is the upcoming X1 Carbon, which will use premium carbon fiber materials and is aimed head-on at the Apple MacBook Air. The lineup also includes new models in the ThinkPad T, X, L and W series aimed at small businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and large corporations.

HP Declares New 'Sleekbooks' Notebook Category
May 09, 2012

The laptop world is reeling under the threat of tablets, and vendors are attempting to shore it up with their various takes on the Ultrabook concept. On Tuesday, HP added a new item to the mix with the announcement of a new line of notebooks it refers to as "Sleekbooks."

The Un-Death of the PC
May 07, 2012

This occurred to me last Thursday when first-quarter PC sales came out. Apparently, sales are up 21 percent year-over-year and HP retook the lead from Apple in this segment. In this report, Apple's numbers include iPads, and sales for iPads collapsed in the first quarter. This got me thinking of the scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail when the cart is picking up dead bodies during the Black Plague and one "corpse" not only isn't dead but feels like dancing.

Ramping Up Your Laptop's RAM
April 26, 2012

One of the simplest ways to improve performance on a laptop is to add more RAM, or random access memory. RAM prices have been steadily dropping over the years, and it's now possible to see a significant performance boost with an investment of twenty or thirty dollars. If your machine is sluggish, you might need additional memory. Even if your machine is new, a memory upgrade is worth investigating.

The MacPad Will Come - but Software Convergence Will Come First
April 26, 2012

Despite all the fantastic numbers delivered by Apple when it revealed its latest fiscal quarterly profits this week -- such as an eye-popping 94 percent net profit year-to-year increase -- one question and one rambling answer from Apple CEO Tim Cook made me sit up in my chair. The question: Will Apple create a converged iPad/MacBook with a built-in keyboard?

Intel Aims to Bridge GPU Gap
April 23, 2012

Intel's highly anticipated Ivy Bridge chips, which offer the promise of significant improvements in speed and power usage along with support for USB 3.0, were officially launched on Monday. The first wave of these new chips, which offer a smaller package compared to Intel's current Sandy Bridge chips, will include 13 quad core processors. These new chips are the first to use Intel's new 22-nanometer manufacturing process and feature its new tri-gate technology.

Why Tech Tangles Are More Painful for Apple Users
March 29, 2012

Is Apple pain worse than PC pain? I don't know the answer, but it seems to me that a weird mix of personality, expectation and Apple's business model all conspire to create dreadful pain in Apple enthusiasts whenever something with an Apple product goes wrong.

Nvidia's New GPUs Could Be Real Game Changers
March 22, 2012

Nvidia has launched the first graphic processing units based on its next-generation Kepler graphics architecture, which offers the promise to deliver superior gaming performance, according to the company. One of the key components of video games on the PC is, of course, the graphics, and as long as there have been games, there have been attempts to take video performance to the next level.

HP Gets Extreme Makeover
March 21, 2012

In a sweeping reorganization of its operations, HP is merging its Imaging and Printing Group with its Personal Systems Group, the unit that makes the company's computers. The news delivered a jolt to the industry when it leaked on Tuesday. Although HP's star has dimmed somewhat since its high-flying days in the 1980s and 90s, it remains a major player.

OMG, Apple and Microsoft Have Traded Places
March 05, 2012

Apple and Microsoft have kind of switched places with their recent operating system refreshes. Microsoft, which is dominant with PCs but anything but on tablets and smartphones, is leveraging its smartphone platform heavily to create a new PC product. Apple, which is a small player with PCs but massively dominant with smartphones and tablets, is keeping the two technologies at arm's length.

OS Showdown: Will 8 Be Great? Will Mountain Lion Roar?
March 02, 2012

Later in 2012, we'll see the arrival of two major operating systems: Microsoft Windows 8, a preview of which was offered to the general public earlier this week, and Apple's OS X Mountain Lion. Are we lining up for a major OS showdown? Or are we not comparing apples to apples?

Linux Fans Gorge on Raspberry Pi
February 29, 2012

Frantic buyers cleaned out the shelves of two UK retailers offering a small $35 Linux computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The credit-card-sized device, which is named after the foundation, plugs into a TV and a keyboard. It can be used to work on spreadsheets, play games, and do word processing, and can also play high-definition video.

Microsoft Opens Windows 8 Sneak Preview to the Masses
February 29, 2012

Microsoft launched its Windows 8 Consumer Preview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday. The OS features a user interface similar to the one found on the Windows Phone mobile OS. It was designed to work on mobile devices, desktop PCs and all-in-one devices.

Mobile Nirvana: Syncing Smartphones, Tablets and PCs
February 17, 2012

The concept of mobile connectivity in today's multi-device world is changing. Connectivity means more than connecting our laptop computers to WiFi or 3G carrier networks wherever we go. Today people work on more than one computer. Increasingly, workers and consumers alike rely on a growing collection of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs.