Microsoft’s Windows 10 device event had many of the expected product updates including the new Surface Pro 4 and new Lumia phones. The big surprise was the company’s first dedicated laptop product with the Surface Book. It really is more of a hybrid convertible as the Surface Book display can detach from from the keyboard to function much like a Surface tablet. With the keyboard attached, it can be used as both a laptop or have it folded back to function as a tablet as well like the . But can the form factor make many people skeptical of getting the Surface Pro 4 want to spend a bit more money to get a more laptop like experience? Continue reading
Beware of Which USB 3.1 Is On Your New PC
USB 3.1 is the next great advance for computer, mobile and peripheral interconnects. It promises to bring faster speeds and more flexibility in terms of cables and power. While the standard has been ratified for a while now, the actual products using the new standard are really just starting to make it to market. The thing is that these first products using the new interface can have vastly different performance and features yet all still be called USB 3.1. As a result, consumers need to be extra careful when they buy products that are stated to support USB 3.1. Find out the differences between them and what to look for. Continue reading
Back to School Laptop Accessories 2015
Laptop Accessories
Back to School Laptops 2015
It is that time again as Summer break for many students is ending and the Back to School sales start up. In the next few months, schools will start back up and students need to be prepared. A critical part of education these days is computers. They are used to communicate with teachers and classmates, research and write papers and do presentations. For those heading off to college, they can also be used for entertainment with streaming media or playing games. A laptop is the best choice for most students as it allows the mobility to take the computer with you to class, the library or anywhere else you might need it. If you are heading back to school and need a new computer, check out some of the laptops I think are excellent choices. Continue reading
Thunderbolt 3 – Borrowing and Improving Other Standards
Thunderbolt is an often under appreciated connector. It originally started out as an optical connector called LightPeak developed by Intel but morphed into the Thunderbolt standard with the input from Apple, the company that primarily uses the interface. There are a few other PCs that offer it but generally only for those that consumers build themselves. The connector has offered some nice features and now Intel has announced the third version of the connector and it is a huge improvement but also likely going to cause confusion as well. So what exactly is changing and how might it impact computers in the coming years? Continue reading
Writing vs. Typing on a Mobile Device – Which is Faster?
Let’s face it. Trying to write a document or long email on a tablet or smartphone can be a real pain. The small virtual keyboards that often are missing special characters unless you page through to another keyboard screen can really slow down someone trying to be as efficient as possible. As mobile processing power gets better, there is the possibility that users can write on their screen with a stylus instead of typing on a virtual keyboard. But is this necessarily more efficient? I decided to try and put things to a test by comparing several different methods for trying to write lots of text on small mobile devices. Let’s see which method is the best… Continue reading
Updated Chromebook Pixel Still Has Limited Appeal
Remember back in 2013 when Google announced their original Chromebook Pixel? At $1299, it was more than three to four times the cost of the average Chromebook. It offered impressive performance and features that made it much more like the ultrabooks on the market at the time but restricted to the Chrome OS. Needless to say, consumers did not think much of it and it primarily was something that Chrome developers may have used. Just last week, Google announced a new Chromebook Pixel model to replace the original. At first glance, it looks nearly identical to the original model but there are some pretty significant changes. Is this now a premium Chromebook that users should consider over a traditional laptop? Continue reading
Will the Intel RealSense Technology Really Change Computing?
Back at CES, Intel’s big announcement was their new technology. This solution is just now starting to roll out to consumers in the form of new tablets and computers. Intel keeps touting the feature as the future of computers but is it really all that new? What exactly can the RealSense technology bring to consumers? Let’s find out and see if you might want to get it on your next computer, tablet or smartphone. Continue reading
Microsoft Previews New Windows 10 Features
Many people are hotly anticipating Windows 10 as Microsoft’s attempt to recover from its disastrous Windows 8 launch. They have already previewed some of the features and even have previous versions of the operating system available. At the recent Windows Live even, Microsoft put on display more prominently some of the new Windows 10 features that it hopes will make people want to ditch Windows 8 and even Windows 7 for the new operating system. Of course some of the software announcements were almost overshadowed by a couple of hardware items they teased as well. Find out what some of the new features and related hardware Microsoft plans to unleash later this year. Continue reading
New Alienware 13 Laptop Allows for Upgraded Graphics
Alienware makes some capable gaming laptops but they have not been extremely innovative in the hardware the past couple of years. Sure, they had some cosmetic additions but little when it comes to performance in gaming. Many of their competitors have been looking at offering mobile gaming performance in thinner and lighter designs. With their latest Alienware 13, they are looking to make a more compact gaming laptop that also has the potential for some very powerful performance that can be upgraded over time. This has always been a problem for laptop computers as their graphics are generally set at the time of purchase and can never be upgraded. How is Dell able to pull this off for their new compact gaming laptop? Continue reading