Lenovo's IdeaPad Y500 offers excellent gaming specs for the price
At first glance, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 doesn't look like anything special.
At first glance, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 doesn't look like anything special.
Automated vehicles aren't just a Google side project anymore. At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, Toyota debuted its "advanced active safety research vehicle," which is basically a Lexus LS460 tricked out with cameras, sensors, and a whirling LIDAR laser. Audi also showed off some automated driving skills with a proof-of-concept sedan that was able to valet and park itself. And plenty of other automakers, including Ford, General Motors, and Volvo, are researching and testing out the technology.
I was a big fan of Ultrabooks—or at least the concept of Ultrabooks—when they first debuted in 2012. After all, who doesn’t like the idea of sliver-thin laptops that run Windows?
Samsung's latest Chromebook - the Series 3 XE303C12-A01US - is small, slim, and speedy. This little laptop weighs less than 2.5 pounds and packs a decent performance punch, assuming you're comparing it to the right machines.
Extreme gear for extreme business
These tablet-optimized apps bring your business one step closer to going tree-free and totally mobile.
The Toshiba Satellite LX835 starts at $1399.99, which doesn't exactly put it in the budget all-in-one category (if such a category even exists). But you'd never know that by looking at it--thanks to its be-stickered bezel, unimpressive touchscreen, and cheap peripherals, it doesn't exactly look like a top-of-the-line machine out of the box.
HP's latest Envy 23 TouchSmart all-in-one desktop computer is a bit pricey at just over $1700, but it's a relatively good-looking machine with a nice, sturdy build.
PCs are incredibly useful tools, but if you want to get the most from your desktop or laptop, you’'ll need to look beyond CPU speeds and storage capacities, and pick the right accessories. Gamers are well serviced here—check out our guide to gaming upgrades if you’re looking to get more from shooters, strategy games, and so on. And if you’re just looking for an inexpensive new monitor or a comfortable keyboard, we’ve got you covered too.
The Acer Aspire V5 isn’t a bad-looking machine, considering its price point. It’s heavier than it looks, but that heaviness translates into denseness, which translates into the machine feeling sturdy and stable. It almost looks like an Ultrabook – it’s relatively slim, it has a simple, sleek overall design, and an edge-to-edge glass display. But does this laptop’s performance live up to its prettiness? Read on to find out.
The Acer Aspire 7600U-UR308 is an impressive-looking system, with a large, 27-inch touchscreen, edge-to-edge glass bezel, and clear glass base. However, it’s also got a mobile processor, which means it’s less powerful than its desktop-processor-sporting counterparts.
Toshiba’s Satellite P845t-S4310 is an interesting mix of budget laptop and all-purpose machine. It’s bigger and bulkier than most of the sleek machines on the market today, and its performance leaves quite a bit to be desired – even within its class. But it’s not quite at the price point ($800 or less) of a budget model, probably thanks to its sturdy aluminum body and premium speakers. This laptop is a Best Buy exclusive.
In a world full of sleek and slim Ultrabooks, the Dell Inspiron 15R 7520 looks enormous. This 15.6-inch laptop is bulky, heavy (7.4 pounds), and not terribly stylish. But it does have some surprises under the hood--namely, four USB 3.0 ports, a full HD screen, and solid overall performance.
Steve Jobs piqued consumer curiosity when he unveiled the iPad and declared "the post-PC era has begun." And now with the imminent release of Windows 8 RT tablets - low-powered slates running a touch-friendly version of Office - it might seem that perhaps the world actually can live without desktop computers.
Travel-weary businesspeople will appreciate Toshiba's latest Portégé model, the Portégé Z935 Ultrabook. Not only is this laptop business-ready, with features such as a VGA-out port (for hooking up to a projector) and WiDi (see next paragraph), it's one of the lightest 13-inch notebooks we've ever seen. It weighs just under 2.5 pounds, so it's a breeze to tote around to meetings and on business trips.