laptops

Quick housekeeping note: Deals are available at the time I write about them, and I usually have no way of knowing how much inventory a seller has left. Unfortunately, occasionally an item sells out soon after I post it, which is what happened yesterday. Believe me, I share your frustration. The good news is that good deals very often come around again -- and I always try to clue you in when they do.

Back to business. Did you ever stop to think how today's entry-level PC was yesterday's powerhouse? Not so many years ago, you'd have … Read more

Alongside the frankly more interesting Rove 20 tabletop PC, HP has also announced revisions to the rest of its Pavilion and Envy laptop lineups. However, included in this bundle is one product that caught our eye: an update to one of our favorite laptops.

The new HP Pavilion 11 TouchSmart is an 11-inch semi-sequel to the low-cost, AMD-powered HP dm1, a system we loved when it was released in 2011 because it offered decent, portable performance at near-Netbook prices.

The new version, also with an AMD CPU, adds a standard Windows 8 touch screen and will start at $399 (yes, … Read more

I hate cord clutter. But when I travel (like I'm doing right now), I'm stuck with it, what with all the power cords I have to stuff into my carry-on.

My laptop's AC adapter is among the worst offenders (two cords!), which is why I'm thinking very seriously about this: ZipKord has the Retractable Universal Laptop Combo-Charger for $20, plus a very reasonable $3.75 for shipping. Regular price: $79.99.

This travel-friendly kit consists of two retractable cords -- one for AC outlets, one for in-dash cigarette lighters -- and a set of 11 tips. … Read more

Sony is prepping a new 13-inch slider laptop, similar to the Vaio Duo 11, for a Computex reveal, a source tells CNET.

The source familiar with the upcoming device -- supposedly called the Vaio Duo 13 -- confirmed to CNET the authenticity of the video, pictures, and specifications originally revealed Thursday by Notebook Review. Barring any last-minute changes, the source indicated that the Japanese company plans to announce the Windows 8 device during its annual press conference in early June at the Computex expo in Taiwan.… Read more

Don't like Windows 8? Too bad: You're stuck with it, at least if you're shopping for a new PC.

Ah, but if you're willing to go the refurb route, you can still find one running the comfortable old shoe that is Windows 7.

To wit: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Secondipity has the refurbished HP Pavilion dv6-7027NR laptop for $339.99 shipped. And as an added bonus, Secondipity will donate a portion of the purchase to the charity DonorsChoose.org.

This is a 14-inch laptop with an Intel Core-i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, … Read more

The iPhone could one day come with buttons and controls that blend right into the background, effectively making them invisible.

Granted to Apple on Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a patent dubbed "Disappearing button or slider" describes how various controls on the iPhone and other devices would normally stay hidden and fully appear only when needed.

A button would be made of the same material as the housing of the phone, so it would blend in seamlessly. But it could be selectively backlit through small holes to pinpoint its location, or the backlight itself … Read more

An ultrabook ultraportable PC priced at $549 must be considered, especially if it's a convertible -- a system with both a keyboard and a touch screen, the latter able to swing a full 360 degrees into tablet mode.

And I'd say no convertible has received more press than the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, which was rightly celebrated for its slick design -- if not its operating system.

Update: I tweaked the headline to reflect that the Yoga isn't technically an ultrabook, which is Intel's designation for a system with a particular set of specs.

For a limited … Read more

After years of juggling laptops with names such as the Vaio S, Vaio Z, and Vaio E, Sony is starting to simplify its lineup with the newly announced Vaio Fit line.

The Fit laptops appear to be Sony's new mainstream line, and the company says they are for "students and business users who are looking for a step up and want more of a premium design but still at an entry-level price point."

In person, the Vaio Fit 14 (reviewed here) looks very upscale for an inexpensive laptop, and it starts at $649. That includes an aluminum … Read more

If the current crop of Windows 8 tablets, at least the majority that run Intel's low-power Atom tablet, were put edge to edge in a police lineup, you'd have a hard time telling them apart. Nearly all are virtually identical slabs of glass over black metal and plastic bodies.

Upon closer inspection, some have more ports and connections built into their outer edges, but this stylistic similarity indicates a larger issue: they all run essentially the same components inside, namely an Intel Atom Z-series processor, 2GB of RAM, a 10- or 11-inch 1,366x768-pixel touch screen, and either … Read more