Make Spring stick this year with laptop decals that offer a refreshing touch. Bright colors and whimsical patterns are just a few of the ways to liven up your tech after those Winter blues. Check out our favorites, and say goodbye to your plain, silver laptops for good!
Chromebooks are known for their bargain-basement prices, but Google's cloud-based computers are taking a turn for the premium with its latest offering, the Chromebook Pixel.
Google's new computer is taking the Windows Surface Pro (hello, touch-enabled display) and the MacBook Air (oh hi, super-thin casing) head on in terms of hardware, but on the software side, the Chromebook Pixel still runs on the "almost zero setup" Chrome OS.
The high-resolution, Retina-grade laptop is the most advanced hardware we've seen in a Chromebook — and cheap it is not. Two versions of Chromebook Pixel are available online and in select Best Buy stores: a 32GB, WiFi edition for $1,299 (ships next week) and a 64GB, WiFi + LTE Data for $1,449 (ships in six to seven weeks).
Those are big numbers on the Pixel's price tag, but the hardware specs do not disappoint. The latest laptop boasts the highest pixel density of any laptop available today, with over four million pixels on a 12.85-inch screen. Click on to get under the hood of the Chromebook Pixel and watch the laptop in action.
Hewlett-Packard is the latest company to take on Google's Chrome OS operating system with its new laptop, the HP Pavilion 14. The cloud-based computer, available starting today on the web and in several US retailers, follows the likes of Acer, Lenovo, and Samsung, who have all released their own Chromebook options running Google's OS.
But unlike its other budget-friendly competitors, the HP Pavilion 14 has a full-size 14-inch screen in a large laptop casing. Previous Chromebook models have been limited to an 11.6- or 12-inch display. HP's Chromebook will feel more familiar to users accustomed to a big display, but there is a downside to all that screen space: short battery life. While ultraportable laptops (like the original 11.6-inch Chromebooks) typically have decent battery life (six to seven hours), the HP Pavilion 14 claims to run only up to four hours.
The price ($329), however, is attractive, and for lightweight computer users (web browsing, email, etc.) looking for an affordable laptop solution, the HP Pavilion 14 is a good option. Plus, the laptop has more digital media ports than other Chromebook models. Click on for more tech specs and a 360-degree look at HP's first Chromebook.
Tokyo-based company Fujitsu recently released a line of Floral Kiss laptops for women that may have taken the "just for her" idea a little too far. The personal computers — which come in "elegant white," "feminine pink," and "luxury brown" — feature gold trim and a flip latch that is designed to be opened "even by users with long fingernails," the company claimed.
The hardware may be a bit extravagant, but it's the software that is the most perplexing. Floral Kiss laptops come preloaded with only three applications: a diary, a scrapbooking app, a daily horoscope, and . . . that's it. Fujitsu's latest offerings for females, which are available starting Nov. 2, run on a Windows 8 OS, Core i5 processor, and 500GB hard drive.
Are the Floral Kiss laptops examples of style over substance? What do you think: love it or leave it?
Are laptops going out of fashion? When it comes to entertainment, the answer might be yes. According to a new study, as a second screen option, more people use tablets to watch TV shows than computers, with 15 percent of full-length TV show watching happening on a tablet vs. a laptop.
Despite the smaller screen size of tablets, users spend 2.4 hours a day on average on entertainment. This is, in part, thanks to the rise of cable and satellite TV apps, and those like Netflix and AirPlay. Not to mention, they're a lot easier to handle while chilling on the couch. While an HDTV may be the best way to watch TV shows, tell us — as a "second screen" option, do you spend more time watching shows on your tablet or your laptop?
The HP Envy 14 Spectre was arguably the most fetching ultrabook at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and we finally know how much damage it will do to our bank accounts. The HP Envy 14 Spectre will be available Feb. 17 and priced at $1,400 to start.
The base model Spectre comes stocked with a 14-inch HD+ Radiance Infinity LED-backlit display and backlit keyboard, a 128GB SSD hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity, a TrueVision HD webcam, Gorilla Glass top fused to a black-and-silver aluminum body, and 9.5 hours of battery life. Supported ports include mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.0, and an SD/MultiMediaCard reader. HP also developed HP CoolSense, which keeps your machine running cool even after long hours of use, so you won't suffer from the dreaded laptop burn on your legs.
What do you think of the HP Envy 14 Spectre — worth the price tag at first glance?
We know what farmer grew our apples and coffee, yet we are usually clueless when it comes to the origins of our tech gadgets. That shiny new phone or e-reader you bought didn't just appear out of thin air — it required hundreds of parts that were produced all around the world before it was assembled and shipped across the country. Take this quiz to see if you know where your favorite gadgets are manufactured.
It's a new year, new look for Sony's laptop lineup. The company announced two new lid colors coming to its affordable and portable Vaio C Series: Kaleidoscope Pink and Modern Geometric.
Both colors are customizable for the 15.5-inch model, while the bright pink will be an option for customizing the 14-inch screen size as well. If you're not familiar, the Vaio C starts at just $759 with customizable specs, including Intel processors, RAM, updated graphics cards, and hard drive sizes up to 750GB. You can even add a Blu-ray player/burner for an extra $150 if you want to watch your discs on the go. The standard battery lasts up to seven hours, but you can upgrade to a larger lithium ion battery for a whole 10 hours of juice.
Other features coming with the Vaio C series is a full backlit keyboard and HD screen for your movie-viewing pleasure. Get a closer look at a few Vaio C Series laptops in the gallery.
Acer kicked off CES 2012 today with the introduction of the Aspire S5, billed as the world's thinnest ultrabook. With a 13.3-inch LCD display, the computer measures 15 mm at its biggest point and weighs less than 3 lbs.
Using the same Instant On technology as the Timeline, the S5 boots to full functionality in 1.5 seconds and boasts a battery life of "several weeks," according to a statement by Acer. The included Always Connect feature wakes the S5 from sleep mode via a separate device like a tablet or smartphone. AcerCloud, Acer's multiplatform compatible response to customer cloud storage, will come pre-installed on the S5.
Despite its size, the S5 does include external ports, hidden within what Acer calls a MagicFlip I/o port panel. A touch of the MagicFlip key reveals an HDMI, USB 3.0, and 20 Gbps Thunderbolt port. You heard it — Thunderbolt. The brushed black metallic cover is made of magnesium-aluminum alloy. An Intel CoreTM processor, SSD storage, and Dolby Home Theater v4 round out the S5's inner specs.
Look for the S5 to ship in the second quarter of 2012, when pricing will also be announced. Check out a first look at the new ultrabook in the gallery!
HP announced its entry into the ultrabook space, the HP Folio 13, this morning, and it's quite fetching with its cool brushed metal casing. Coming in at only 18mm thin, weighing 3.3 pounds, and stocked with a 13.3-inch HD Briteview display and 128GB hard drive, the Folio 13 also boasts rapid start and boot times and a whopping nine hours of battery life.
There are plenty of ports on the Folio 13 as well (unlike the thinner MacBook Air): USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet, HDMI, and an SD card reader. A backlit keyboard helps you work in low-light conditions (like on a plane perhaps?), while HP's CoolSense technology keeps the machine running at lower temps so you don't burn your legs. Bonus — there's a feature called TPM Embedded Security that protects the data found in your emails and info on your hard drive from hackers, thieves, and prying eyes, which will make the Folio 13 an easy choice for business types.
As for the price, $900 undercuts most of the ultrabook competition, and while it's not as sleek-looking as the MacBook Air or Asus Zenbook UX31, it's a nice all-around slim and light laptop for all your work and personal needs. Expect the HP Folio 13 to hit on Dec. 7.
