Inside, there’s supposedly an Intel Core i5 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. On the back, Sony has slapped on an 8-megapixel camera using one of its Exmor RS sensors, and there’s a backlit keyboard along with NFC.

Other specifications include “ClearAudio+” sound and what Sony is supposedly describing as “ActiveSleep”, a power management technology the company attempted to trademark back in February. The unnamed slider – though we’d hazard a guess at Sony VAIO Duo 13, given its smaller stablemate – will apparently run for up to 10hrs on a single charge.

The video was supposedly filmed during internal training at UK tech retail chain Dixons, according to one NotebookReview forum member. While no release information was given, the uploader claims there should be more details in a couple of weeks time.

[via Engadget]

For instance, tap your phone or tablet against your notebook, and you can push a website address from your laptop, or vice-versa, Sony suggests. The NFC can also be used as a way to quickly pair two devices via WiFi or Bluetooth, much as Sony has already done with its NFC-enabled smart TV remote controls.

Meanwhile, there’s aluminum detailing on the Fit 14/15, an optional capacitive touchscreen, and Exmor R webcams. The Fit E-series models get plastic casings, with the Fit 14E and 15E having “big box” speakers, Sony says, while the 15E also gets a subwoofer.

The Fit 15/15E also accommodates a separate numeric keypad, though all the models have backlit ‘boards. NVIDIA GeForce graphics with up to 2GB of dedicated memory are optional, and there’s a choice of regular HDD, hybrid hard-drive, or SSD options. DVD and Blu-ray are also on offer.

Sony says the VAIO Fit 14 and 15 will hit shelves in mid-May, priced from $649 for the Fit 14 and $699 for the Fit 15, each available in black, pink, or silver. The Fit E 14E and Fit 15E will be offered in black, pink, or white, priced from around $549 and $579 respectively.

NPD suggests hybrids, sliders, and convertibles will all break into the segment, straddling the line between traditional portables and tablets by pairing QWERTY for text entry with a touchscreen. Although a minority niche in 2012, the projections claim touch-enabled models will outsell their non-touch counterparts by 2017.

Helping that acceleration will be ultrabooks, NPD claims, which are most likely to gain touch-sensitivity. Intel has already confirmed that third-gen ultrabooks based on Haswell processors will require touch in order to be certified, though whether manufacturers will step beyond the traditional touchscreen-on-a-clamshell – or, indeed, if consumers will actually buy the more outlandish form-factors – remains to be seen.

Perhaps disappointing to Microsoft, the research company claims that Windows 8 has had a “limited impact on driving touch adoption in notebook PCs”; that, it suggests, is down to a paucity of apps that actually take advantage of the display technology.

Nonetheless, several manufacturers have attempted to integrate touch in interesting ways into their Windows 8 machines. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, for instance, has a hinge with extra range, so that the keyboard can be completely folded back behind the touchscreen. Meanwhile, Acer’s Aspire R7 borrows elements from a tablet and from an all-in-one PC for its folding/twisting notebook.

In that orientation, the P3 can be used either with the fingers or with a stylus; Acer will offer that separately, though the case will have a slot to store it in-between use. Connectivity includes a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, and a headphone socket, and there are Dolby Home Theater speakers and a 720p HD webcam on the front.

On the back, Acer has included a 5-megapixel camera. Inside it’s a choice of 60GB or 120GB SSD, and Acer says the Aspire P3 should wake from sleep in “only a few seconds.” The whole thing tips the scales at 3.06 pounds, and Acer is billing the P3 as ideal for those who might otherwise have considered a tablet – like an iPad – and a separate keyboard dock.

The Acer Aspire P3 runs full Windows 8 – not Windows RT – and is expected to go on sale immediately. It’ll be priced from $799.99 depending on specifications.

Posting the image you see above to Twitter, Intel teases that in approximately 3,337,200,000,000,000 nanoseconds Intel will reveal their hotly anticipated 4th gen Intel Core processor to the world. Basically right at the beginning of Computex 2013, where we’ll see loads of Haswell powered hybrid PCs and more.

Haswell hasn’t been much of a secret, and earlier this month we confirmed Intel had already started shipping Haswell to an array of PC manufacturers. Haswell promises to bring a major boost in performance and more importantly battery life over Ivy-bridge for all those ultra-portables.

Around the same time we are also expecting to see Windows Blue show its face, so this years Computex is looking to be a pretty exciting event. We all knew the chip was coming but now all you enthusiasts can circle a time around June 3rd on your calendar and start getting ready for the onslaught of Haswell based systems. We could even see a few Android-based systems too, so stay tuned.

[via CNET]

The ASUS Taichi 31 was announced last year, and it garnered much attention for its dual displays. However, the ASUS delayed the availability of this ultrabook, much to the disappointment of potential buyers. ASUS never stated why it delayed the availability of the Taichi 31, however it still released the smaller, 11.6-inch Taichi 21 to the marketplace, which went on sale in October 2012.

The ASUS Taichi 31 boasts some impressive specs. It has two 13.3-inch Super IPS+ 1080p displays, an SSD drive, your choice of a Intel Ivy Bridge i5 or i7 processor, dual-band WiFi, two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0, a 5MP rear-facing camera capable of recording 1080p video, a front-facing camera capable of recording 720p video, and Windows 8. This ultrabook hybrid is also claimed to be able to survive up to 7 hours on a single charge thanks to ASUS’s Super Hybrid Engine II technology.

While ASUS announced that the ASUS Taichi 31 is now available, it hasn’t revealed a price for it just yet. Right now, the smaller ASUS Taichi 21 goes for about $1200 to $1500 depending on your preferred configuration, meaning that the ASUS Taichi 31 will most likely cost a small fortune. But then again, with dual-1080p screens, a hefty price tag was expected. Be sure to check out our hands-on with the ASUS Taichi 31 here.

With the Samsung Series 9 Premium Ultrabook that’s become available today, you’ll be working with a cool 128GB SSD and a 3rd Gen (Ivy Bridge) Intel Core i7 processor busting out with Samsung’s Fast Solutions technology. With this tech onboard, you’ll be booting up in less than 10 seconds with a resume time from sleep at nearly zilch.

The Series 9 Premium Ultrabook will be available starting this week (and today) everywhere fine Samsung devices are sold – notebooks and desktops, that is, for a cool MSRP of $1399.99 USD. This machine has also been sand-blasted for full fingerprint resistance, so you know it’s a high-quality build inside and out. From what we’ve seen of this device thus far – before this update – we’re all about it.

Have a peek at the looks we’ve had at the Samsung Series 9 family in the timeline below – pay special attention to the post in the “IFA 2012″ hotlink in the first paragraph of this post. There you’ll find the next generation as well!

With Aruba’s solution you’ll be working with a visible differentiation between work and play – personal privacy is at the forefront of this initiative and will allow businesses as well as employees to take command of their devices. And not just laptops. Also included in this push is Apple products from desktop to iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and tables, Windows, and BlackBerry too.

Aruba is making an effort to secure your data and your workspaces on all devices by partnering with a variety of brands that have high-powered apps you’re already using right this minute. Cisco, Box, SugarSync, and more are on-board already – Aruba has made it clear that the community has already brought fourth more than 40 apps working with the system at launch time – nothing to turn your nose up at! This WorkSpace Partner Program continues to expand, as well – more partners are jumping onboard all the time!

At this very minute, those of you out there with an app that you feel would be a good fit for this secure business-minded system can sign up on the official Aruba WorkSpace site – there you’ll get a toolkit that will jump-start your app into a whole new realm. Also at this minute you’ll be able to jump onboard with the ClearPass Access Management System – meanwhile Aruba’s newest in WorkSpace is currently still in Beta.

WorkSpace will be making its official launch later this year – July is expected for both the main system and the client-side software application for both iOS and Samsung Android devices. We’ll see more soon!

[via Aruba]

Hardware

This machine’s screen is an 11.6-inch TFT LCD with 1136 x 768 pixel resolution working with LED Backlit technology and 350 nits of brightness. This display has a 170 degree viewing angle both vertical and horizontal, and its certainly good enough to work long hours worth during the day. If you’re thinking about working with this device in the dark, you might want to take a test-drive in the store first.

With blacks this dark and a keyboard that’s not backlit, you’ll want a bright lamp over your shoulder at least. If you want to bring this device to the coffee shop, you’re looking at a winner. This machine is 11.7 x 8 x 0.61 inches small, and save the MacBook Air itself, we’ve never experienced a more portable system. With just 2.73 lbs to its name, this machine is ready to be tossed in your backpack or large purse without effort.

Because this machine is made by Lenovo, it’s extremely rugged. While when we’re working with essentially any other notebook this size, there’s always a thought of “ah, gotta make sure I’m not dropping it.” With the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, we’ve got a machine that we’re as close to “lemme toss this to you across the room” as we’ve ever gotten with a computer. With soft-touch plastic around magnesium aluminum alloy both on the top and on the bottom – in a lovely set of colors, might I add – you’ve got what feels like a top-notch complete package.

Inside you’ve got a few more specifications you might want to hear about if you’re planning on using this device for anything other than word processing, internet browsing, and some basic gameplay. Have a peek:

• 2 GB std / 2GB max / PC3-12800 1600MHz DDR3L*, soldered to system board, no sockets *System automatically clocks down to 1500MHz for NVIDIA Tegra3 T30 processor
• Audio: High Definition (HD) Audio, Realtek® ALC5642 codec / stereo speakers (0.5 watt x 2), microphone, microphone input and headphone combo jack (3.5 mm)
• 64 GB / eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card) flash memory onboard
• 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader, 3.5mm Mic/Headphone Combo
• Ambient Light Sensor, Accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, Digital Compass
• OGS Panel – Single piece of glass as both cover lens and sensor substrate

The hardware is solid and really, really high quality. You’ll be considering the software it’s paired with next – and more than likely last, too. Make sure you know what you’re working with here and follow the Windows RT news before you jump in, feet first.

Software

It’s not easy reconciling the fact that this beautiful machine is working with Windows RT. Having a touchscreen up front that’s able to be used in several different modes is awesome, but when you’re crippled by an operating system that looks and feels like Windows 8 but isn’t – that’s confusing.

Using Windows RT is almost like eating an off-brand cereal without seeing the box: it certainly looks like the real deal, but once you taste it, you get wise. You’ll be unable to run Google Chrome, Valve’s Steam for games, or Geekbench for benchmarking your system. With Windows RT, you’re getting what’s closer to what seems to be intended as a tablet system rather than a full-fledged notebook setup.

That said, you do get the option of ordering this system with the full Microsoft Office suite running right out of the box. Microsoft has been pretty good about making sure their own basic set of apps works on Windows RT, and you do have access to the NVIDIA TegraZone Windows RT Edition as well – however limited that may still be. If Judge Dredd VS Zombies and Hydro Thunder are enough to wet your whistle, then by all means go for it – NVIDIA is also growing this collection too as the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor (found inside this device) stays strong through 2013.

Up against the Competition

Your big question might be at this point what the benefit is in having this device over any other – especially one so inexpensive as, say, a Chromebook. When it comes down to it, this device has that same acceptance curve as a Chromebook has – you just can’t run everything you run on your full-powered PC. We’d even thought about trying to work with this device as a sort of top-tier Chromebook too to test how it’d be, but again, Chrome doesn’t work on Windows RT.

If you’re comparing this device to a full Windows 8 Lenovo notebook, you’ll be in for a trick – working with Windows 8 on the IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a good enough to feel a bit left out with the Yoga 11′s relative lack of oomph – and it’s certainly not a device you’re going to want to compare to a MacBook Air unless you only need it for word processing and browsing the web (on Internet Explorer). The price for this machine does remain enticing: anywhere from $599 to $849 USD and you’ve got a real draw. Compare it to the relative greatness of the Yoga 13, on the other hand, and you might as well drop the extra few bucks to work with full Windows 8 and the larger display.

Wrap-up

You’ll have to think this one through – unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, you’ve not got a full-powered PC on your hands here. This device is made to be a traveler, and certainly not your one single machine if you’ve got a computer-based job. Should you want to use your PC for nothing but social networking and play, this is a good choice – it’s relatively inexpensive and it’s good for travel.

Lenovo has created a bit of a bitter winner here. While many devices in this category are pretty awesome from top to bottom save their end product, the IdeaPad Yoga 11 is rough and tough and is something I’d put in my backpack for a trip. If I were going on a business trip with my SlashGear compatriots, I’d have to leave it at home.

Inside each of these bits of architecture you’ve got the graphics power to take your notebook to the next level. With the GeForce GT 750M, 745M, and 740M, NVIDIA will be aiming for a higher performance segment – not your everyday laptop machine, that is. The two smaller bits, the GeForce GT 735M, and 720M, will be heading to high-powered gaming notebooks this year.

Each of these GPUs is based on Kepler and works with NVIDIA Optimus technology so if you’re all about both next-generation power and long life in batteries, you’ll be set. You’ll have GPU Boost 2.0 technology and all the most fabulous NVIDIA innovations to roll with as well. Have a peek at the GeForce Experience to see what you’ll be working with in the near future on a GeForce-packing notebook near you.

“Every leading notebook manufacturer will be introducing notebooks with GPU Boost 2.0 technology, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba.” – NVIDIA

Also meanwhile have a peek at our NVIDIA GeForce tag portal and our Tegra hub to see how the desktop and mobile gaming universes will be converging more and more as the year goes on. We’ll be rolling out with high powered hand-held adventures sooner than you think!

[via NVIDIA]

The ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T hybrid features a 10-point tablet component with a detachable keyboard. There’s S Pen to make taking notes and sketching on the 11.6-inch display enjoyable, and it is joined by an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. Battery life is touted as lasting up to 8 hours, and the entire unit weighs in at just under 2-pounds.

The Series 9 Premium Ultrabook, meanwhile, is model NP900X3E-A03US and offers a 13.3-inch full HD LED display, its biggest claim to fame. Inside users with find an Intel Core i7 and Intel HD Graphics 4000, as well as 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The entire laptop weighs a tad over 2.5-pounds, and is available in black.

Samsung’s Senior Vice President of its Enterprise Business Division Tod Pike said, “With the introduction of the new professional ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T and the full HD resolution Series 9 Premium Ultrabook, Samsung is continuing its focus on innovation while delivering on the needs of a growing number of mobile professionals. Samsung is providing business professionals on-the-go with the necessary tools for increased connectivity, productivity and ultimately success.”

[via Business Wire]

Hardware

This notebook, also known as model NP540U3C-A01US, is not the thinnest beast on the block, nor is it the lightest. But it’s no monster, either. Instead what you’re getting is a 12.4 x 8.6 x 0.6-inch notebook made from a mix of aluminum and plastic parts, certainly sturdy enough – and aesthetically pleasing enough on the outside – to be your daily driver in a public place. As an Ultrabook such as this will likely be used by you for doing work first and foremost, it’s important to take a peek at the keyboard right out of the box.

What you’ve got here is a top-class keyboard that’s not unlike what we’ve seen from the generation of Samsung notebooks that’ve come out over the past year. If you’re used to working with a MacBook, not a PC, you’ll still feel rather at home with this layout and pressure sensitivity. The keyboard features a real no-nonsense set of keys as well, so no worries pecking away at the bits you’re not wanting to hit.

The display is certainly nice looking, and if you’re not used to the ultra-high-definition eye-shattering screens that are also out there on the market today, you’ll have a great time with the 1366 x 768 resolution here with LED HD technology and 10-finger touch. That means that if you’ve got an app that needs every single one of your fingers at once, you’ll be able to do it here. Covering this display you’ve got Corning Gorilla Glass – resistant against scratches and damage like a pro. This display is also 300 nits bright, working with SuperBright Technology so you know you’re backed up by a brand that means business.

Inside you’ll be working with 8GB of system memory, a hard drive of 128GB (SSD), and a find little web camera peeking up at you above the screen. You’ve also got Intel HD Graphics 4000, perfectly generous for your everyday movie watching, and you’ll be connecting to the web either wirelessly with Intel WiDi and Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 802.11 a/b/g/n or wired with this machine’s built-in ethernet port.

Next to your ethernet port (which pops open or closes down for a more compact experience, mind you), you’ll see one USB 3.0 port, HDMI out, and your very own headphone/microphone jack. Lucky you! On the right you’ve got another two USB 2.0 ports and a multi-card reader (SD/SDHC/SDXC). Altogether you’ve got a really solid package, certainly one you can bring home to mother.

Hands-on

This device is only surprisingly heavy because I’m so very used to handling computers now that are lighter than they have any business being. When you’re working with Ultrabooks and MacBook Airs and the like every single day of the week, having one like this UltraTouch will seem like a slight change. But as it is with most notebooks and such, the weight and the shape of this machine feels natural rather quickly.

The location of each of the ports feels quite natural, and though it does still feel a bit odd to be pulling open the ethernet port on the left hand side whenever it’s needed, it’s not been a burdon in any way. Toss this and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the GALAXY S 4 in your pockets and backpack and you’re set!

Software

Samsung is particularly proud of its collection of apps made specifically for Windows 8, including such winners as Quick Starter. With Quick Starter, you’re able to grab your own toolbar and start button (otherwise willfully yanked from your life by Windows 8) so you’ll have a more familiar user interface if you’ve never used Windows 8 before. You’ll also have all kinds of awesome AllShare Play action going on – particularly awesome if you’re a Samsung Galaxy S III or GALAXY S 4 or Galaxy Note user.

With AllShare Play you’ll be connecting with your mobile devices with ease, sharing your media from device to device in a personal mobile network instantly. This interface also works with Samsung Smart TVs and tablets as well as smartphones.

Above and you’ll also find some read-outs we’ve taken of the notebook. You’ll see some additional details about what this Ultrabook is packing as well as some benchmark results from our standard test: Geekbench. Feel free to head back to our archive of reviewed devices to compare and contrast as well!

Battery Time

Off the wall connection we’ve found the Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch to be getting a little over 5 hours of battery life. That’s without streaming video – if you’re going to be doing heavy processing tasks, this may not be the workhorse for you. Instead you’ll find this device best for daily work on-the-go without demanding a full 8-hour workday spread without power.

That said, battery life on this device isn’t all that different from the rest of the Ultrabooks out there right now. You’ll find a machine like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 working with essentially the same amount of battery time where the newest era of MacBook Air units are some of the only mobile notebooks we’ve worked with that last longer in the field. Choose wisely!

Wrap-up

With the Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch you’ve got an Ultrabook that’s ready to be your best buddy in college, your friendly office companion, or your coffee shop cohort. While the Samsung notebook line doesn’t hold quite the “cool” factor their smartphones and tablets have earned over the past few years, they still connect in more ways than any other machine – particularly if you want to work with the oddity that is AllShare.

The model we’ve reviewed here will cost you a cool $859.99 USD and is available everywhere fine Ultrabooks are sold. We’d recommend, as always, heading out to your local notebook dealer to see how this unit feels before picking one up for yourself. Samsung has made a fabulous notebook here, and you’re going to want to take it out for a test drive before you make the big jump.

The analysis shows that since 3 months ago, over 9 million more people made the change from regular cell phones to smartphones. It also showed that 18 million more consumers have purchased a tablet device. The number of connected devices per U.S. Internet household has grown from 5.3 internet devices per home to 5.7 internet devices. The study also shows that unsurprisingly, most of those devices are Apple or Samsung branded devices.

Smartphone adoption rose up 5% since 3 months ago, and tablet adoption rose up about 18%. The PC still remains the most commonly used internet-connected device in households, with over 93% of households owning at least one PC, a number that hasn’t changed in the past 3 months. John Buffone, director of devices at NPD Connected Intelligence, stated, “It’s hard to believe that tablets and smartphones are still somewhat in their infancy. But as we have seen in just the past few months, there is significant potential for this market to develop further.”

Consumers are adapting to mobile devices at a rapid pace, especially with the help of Android and its low-budget tablets. Android tablet sales are forecasted to dominate the tablet market this year thanks to the cheap options offered, such as Amazon’s line-up of Kindle Fires, Google’s high-end, yet affordable Nexus 7, and HP’s upcoming Slate 7. The IDC predicts that over 190 million tablets will be shipped worldwide this year.

[via NPD]

In the UK, meanwhile, the T431s will start at £1,119; it’s unclear why there’s such a significant price disparity between US and UK pricing, but one possibility is that Lenovo won’t offer the more entry-level spec variants in every country. Either way, the core specs are the same: up to 12GB of memory, a choice of HDD or SSD storage, and a 1600 x 900 display with useful anti-glare finish.

Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports and a docking port, for dropping the ThinkPad into one of Lenovo’s desktop hubs. There’s also a 720p HD webcam, optional integrated WWAN with mobile hotspot feature, and Bluetooth 4.0, together with up to 9hrs of battery life.

However, it’s in the general design that the notebook has seen the most departure from ThinkPads of before. Lenovo says the refreshed aesthetic – which features a “streamlined” keyboard, thinner display bezel, and larger, smoother trackpad – are the result of thousands of hours of customer research spread over nine months.

Foxconn wants to be one of Sharp’s investors as well, and the two parties have been in talks for quite a while. However, Sharp had stated at a press conference held on March 14th that talks with Foxconn are falling through. Foxconn responded by saying that its trying everything it can to secure a deal with Sharp. The two have been very satisfied with their joint LCD fabrication plant located in Sakai, Japan.

Many have speculated that Sharp is hesitant in sealing any deal with Foxconn because it’s currently looking to obtain loans from banks. With Samsung’s and Qualcomm’s investments behind it, Sharp believes it has a much higher chance to convince banks that giving it a loan is a great idea. With the bank loans, Sharp doesn’t necessarily need another investor on its back telling it what to do.

Sharp’s business is very important to many manufacturers. It provides displays for a variety of technology, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Apple had spent $2.3 billion more on Sharp’s displays than it had expected in Q4 2012. Horace Dediu, an analyst whose primary focus is Apple and mobile phones, stated that if Sharp did file for bankruptcy, Apple’s production capacity may be jeopardized. He believes that “Apple’s late and unprecedented expenditure was to secure this asset.” Sharp’s investors have helped the company stay up-and-running, despite the huge losses it had suffered last November.

[via Tom's Hardware]

The malware attacks have knocked several oil rigs and platforms offline. A facility in the Gulf of Mexico has their systems locked up due to the malware. Misha Govshteyn, co-founder of Alert Logic – a network security company, says “They literally had a worm that was flooding their network, and they’re out in the middle of the ocean.”

Jack Whitsitt, the principal tactical analyst for the National Electric Sector Cybersecurity Organization, stated that typical malware infections may not seriously affect the systems, but there could be a tailored attack, that involves widely distributing malware, that could cause extreme damages. A good example would be the Stuxnet worm that infected computers connected to centrifuges at an Iranian nuclear facility. The worm used the infected computers to manipulate and destroy many of the centrifuges. Because of an incident like that, Whitsitt wants to take all of the steps necessary in ridding the malware from the oil rigs’ systems and protecting the systems from future attacks.

Many of these malware attacks could have been prevented with anti-virus systems and updated system software. However, it seems that many of the infected oil rigs opted against investing into cyber-security systems, which is why an outbreak of malware like this was able to occur. The infected oil rigs, and many rigs who currently don’t have cyber-security protection, will begin to take cyber threats seriously in the future in order to prevent an incident like this from occurring in the future.

[via Houston Chronicle]

GAAP earnings were $0.30 per share for Q4, and $1.35 per share for the whole year. The GAAP earnings were down 30% from Q4 2012, and down 28% for the fiscal year. Its non-GAAP earnings totaled $0.40 a share in the quarter, and $1.72 per share for the full year. The non-GAAP earnings were down 22% from Q4 2012, and 19% for the fiscal year. Dell’s GAAP operating income was $698 million, 4.9% of Dell’s revenue, and its operating income for the entire year was $3 billion. The non-GAAP operating income was $954 million, 6.7% of Dell’s revenue. The non-GAAP operating income for the year was $4 billion.

Dell ended Q4 with $15.3 billion in cash and investments, with $3.3 billion for the entire year. Dell’s server revenue increased 5%, and it’s networking products and solutions saw a 42% revenue increase. Dell’s Quest software brought in revenue that went well over Dell’s expected $180-$200 million mark for the quarter. Unfortunately, Dell’s desktop and mobile sector revenue decreased 20% in the quarter.

Dell wasn’t able to provide an outlook for Q1 2014 or for the full fiscal year due to its pending merger agreement to make the company private. The company will be buying back its stock for $24 billion, with a $2 billion loan from Microsoft. While Dell’s consumer revenue fell 24% in Q4 to $2.8 billion, and its operating income saw an 87% decrease to $8 million, Dell’s financial results are much higher than they had expected.

Hardware

With an ASUS piece of hardware you know you’re getting a machine whose creators spent some time perfecting its casings, and here we’ve got a design that’s been perfected several times over. This notebook will not look unique to you if you’ve worked with an ASUS laptop in the last few years. It’s certainly thin at between 6-19mm from its thinnest to its fattest, and it’s light enough to fit in your standard backpack at just 1.55Kg.

The panel you’re looking at is 13.3-inches of Full HD IPS LCD at a 16:9 aspect ratio. The front-facing camera you’re working with is HD 720p for video chat and you’ve got a standard integrated microphone so you can chat without additional accessories. If you do want to plug in, on the other hand, you’ve got 3x USB 3.0 ports, a Mini VGA port, full-sized HDMI-out, and an SD card reader so you can rock and roll.

The keyboard here is a really standard ASUS setup – working with a bit more breathing room than we’ve seen on the slightly smaller Transformer tablet units over the past couple of years with a touchpad that’s also had some usability improvements. Of course if you continue to compare an Android tablet user experience to a Windows user experience here with full Windows 8, you’re going to feel that this device is rocking and rolling in the hardware department – it does have a bit to do with the fact that Windows 8 is made for a desktop environment, of course.

Inside you’ve got a choice between 2.5῀ 7mm 500 GB HDD and 2.5῀ 7mm SSD 128GB as well as DDR3 1600MHz 2GB (on board) with either 2GB or 4GB Slot DIMM. It all depends on what you need to keep you kicking. You’ve also got a choice between AMD Radeon HD7600G and AMD Radeon HD7620G graphics on either AMD A8-4555M or A10-4655M Quad-Core APU processors. All this magic comes clean with the AMD A70M Hub Controller – your only choice for chipset.

You’ll also find that you’ve got a built-in Bang & Olufsen ICE Power audio system that’ll make dorm room video watching a successful venture without a doubt. Each speaker is 2.5 W and you’ve got the guarantee that Bang & Olufsen worked with the ASUSA special Golden Ear team for an “exclusive” SonicMaster Technology experience. In short: this laptop sounds very, very nice.

Software & Performance

With Windows 8 you’ve got a fully touch-friendly experience ahead of you from start to finish, and with the 5-finger touch functionality of the ASUS U38N series, you’ll be tapping all day long. To keep you running strong, you’ve got AMD to keep you warmed up nice and toasty, complete with several AMD-exclusive features. Have a peek here first at a system readout for this unit:

With this build of Windows 8 you’ll be seeing a fairly clean design with not one whole heck of a lot of extra software pushed by ASUS. That said, there are some interesting additions you’re going to want to see in our hands-on with the system coming up next. Note while you’re watching how sleek the system is and how well touch is responded to right here with this basic out-of-box build.

Finally have a peek at our basic benchmark result from Geekbench. This notebook is certainly not the most powerful we’ve come across, but it definitely gets the job done for your everyday computing needs. If you’re looking for some notebooks to compare to, feel free to head down into our Laptop Reviews tag portal for machines from each of the finest manufacturers on the market. AMD does seem to be holding its own against some of the more visible names in the public today!

Wrap-Up

With the ASUS VivoBook U38N you’ve got a rather well-rounded solution for your school or everyday home use. With the high-quality audio system and the Full HD picture right in front of your face, you’ll also do well to work with this machine as a home entertainment blaster, especially if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t use a giant TV. If you DO use a giant TV, you’ve also got the option to output via HDMI as well – easy as pie!

This is easily one of ASUS’ finest efforts to date, and with AMD under the hood you know you’ll have a unique solution that your best buddy will be interested in fiddling around with. ASUS also works with a collection of their own accessories that work with this notebook, and the manufacturer continues to support their ever-growing line of products with both hardware and software upgrades into the future. Let us know if you’re onboard!

As for the specification bump to the Retina-blessed MacBook Pro line-up, they see Intel’s latest processors slotted inside. The $1,699 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display kicks off with a 2.6GHz processor paired with 256GB of flash storage, for instance.

There are more changes for the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, with the entry-level model now getting a 2.4GHz quadcore processor instead of the 2.3GHz chip previously used. Its more expensive sibling now gets a 2.7GHz quadcore processor and 16GB of memory, up from the 2.6GHz and 8GB of RAM previously specified.

All of the new models are available to order from Apple’s online store, retail stores, and resellers from today, with customization options also available if you build-to-order online. More on the notebooks themselves in our 2012 reviews; you can find them in the timeline below.

With the MacBook Air you’ve got an 11.6-inch display while the Surface Pro works with a 10.6-inch display – you could also get a 13-inch MacBook Air, mind you, but here we’ll compare the display that’s nearest the Surface Pro. The display on the Surface Pro works with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution while the MacBook Air’s native resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels. It’s also worth making the distinction between these two displays in the fact that the MacBook Air does not work touch.

Windows 8 is an operating system that makes full use of the 10-finger touchscreen display on the Surface Pro while the MacBook Air is a machine that relies on its touchpad to mouse around, select items, and make gestures. The Surface Pro works with a cover that doubles as a keyboard, too. And in that point is the biggest differentiation point between these two machines – one is a tablet, the other a notebook.

While the Macbook Air is a notebook computer that made and continues to make a point of its ultra-thin nature and how it can work as a full-function notebook computer with as tiny an amount of bulk as possible. You’ll see from the images above and below as well as the hands-on video we’ve got prepared that the MacBook Pro is a significant amount thinner than the Surface Pro – or so it might seem at first.

MacBook Air (11-inch)
Thickness: 0.11-0.68 inches
Width: 11.8 inches
Height (front to back, while closed) : 7.56 inches
Weight: 2.38 pounds

Surface Pro
Thickness: 0.53 inches
Width: 10.81 inches
Height: 6.81 inches
Weight: 2 pounds

Both devices have the ability to store a massive amount of data, with the Surface Pro having two iterations, 64GB and 128GB. Those are the amount of internal storage the Surface Pro has in its two different iterations, each of them with their own cash cost – that’s also one of the only things that differentiates the different versions of the Surface Pro at this very moment. The MacBook Air comes int two different iterations (with several different modifications available therein), one of them 64GB, the other 128GB.

The power you’ll be able to work with in a MacBook Air is either an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. The Microsoft Surface Pro works with one configuration at the moment for processing power, that being an Intel Core i5 – and all of the processors here are 3rd gen Ivy Bridge, mind you, regardless of Apple or Microsoft surroundings.

The MacBook Pro has a lovely collection of ports and connections including:
720p “FaceTime” HD camera
2x USB 3 ports
Thunderbolt port
MagSafe 2 power port
Microphone
Headphone port
Wifi
Bluetooth
Stereo Speakers

With the Surface Pro you’ll also be connecting with ports and wirelessly like mad:
2x 720p HD “LifeCam” cameras (front and rear-facing)
USB 3 port
microSDXC card slot
power port
Microphone
Headphone port
Wifi
Bluetooth
Stereo Speakers

You’ll notice that the 11-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t have an SD card slot – the 13-inch version of this device does, but the 11-inch version does not. The Surface Pro also benefits from its form factor in that it can make use of such sensors as an Accelerometer, a Gyroscope, and a Compass. With these you’ll be about to, for example, steer a car in a racing game, while the MacBook Air is meant to stay stationary while you’re using it.

The MacBook Air also benefits from the fact that it’s a notebook computer, able to stand up on its own with its keyboard attached, while the Surface Pro works in an entirely different way for stationary standing. The Surface Pro uses a kickstand on its back that’ll keep it upright while you tap away and also has a keyboard cover that, like a notebook computer, folds up and protects the device’s display or down for everyday typing use.

The Surface Pro also works with its own pen that sticks to the side of the tablet when not in use, utilizing an active digitizer in the display to make more than just standard capacitive moves galore. The pen creates a rather unique experience for you with the Surface Pro while the MacBook Air really isn’t the same universe – the only other place you’re going to get a digital pen experience in a mobile sense like this right now is in the Samsung Galaxy Note series – have a peek at our Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review for more on that environment.

And this is only part of the story – for more information on both machines, you’ll want to check our full reviews of both devices. Have a peek at our MacBook Air (mid-2012) review as well as our Microsoft Surface Pro review for everything you could ever want to know!

Also be sure to let us know which of these two devices seem like they’d suit your needs given what you know today. Is there one that strikes your fancy more than the other?

The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook with Full HD display option takes on a massive 1920 x 1080 resolution across its 13-inch display, this containing almost twice the amount of pixels compared to what Dell calls a “typical 720p display”. The image you’re seeing below comes from Dell and shows the XPS 13 in both of its non-developer editions. It’s made clear instantly how much more you’re going to be able to see in the same physical display size – hot stuff!

Also note above that yes, the physical machine sizes are the same, it’s no optical illusion. The amount of pixels inside the display allows for more to be shown from a standard app like Excel from Office 2013 (see our review of Office 365 for more info on that iteration of Excel). Dell also lets it be known that this version of the Dell XPS 13 offers a 72% color gamut vs the 45% color gamut on the “standard” panel.

Viewing angles have been bumped to 178 degrees up from 80 degrees on the standard panel – and it’s worth noting that each of these measures comes from Dell comparing the standard and the Full HD panels on the Dell XPS in a general way. They’re all just a little bit subjective when it comes down to it since it’s really up to your own eyes to decide how much more excellent one panel is compared to its predecessor. The display has also been amped up to 350 nits in its Full HD iteration, this “up to 75% brighter than a typical 200-nit display.”

Dell notes in their press materials for the Full HD XPS 13 that the unit is “often judged against the MacBook Pro 13, but in terms of size and weight, the MacBook Air 13 is a more realistic comparison.” The folks at Dell note that the XPS 13 is smaller than the MacBook Air 13 “as it fits a 13-inch screen into something barely bigger than an 11-inch footprint.” This machine is getting ready to be unleashed upon the public this Spring, aka “in the next few weeks” – stay tuned for more details, pricing, and hands-on action.

Bonus! This device is also offered from Dell starting at $1,449 USD working with Ubuntu – fun stuff for all!

The Helix was shown off at CES 2013 last month, where we got a hands-on look at the device, which you can check out here. The convertible laptop is a mix between tablet and laptop, with it easily switching from one to the other and back again. Not surprisingly, it runs Windows 8, and has an attractive, distinctly Lenovo design.

Inside the Helix, users will find an Intel 3rd generation Core i7 CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The IPS display is 11.6-inches offering full HD resolution at 1920 x 1080 with pen input support. One of the hybrid’s best features is its battery, which is reported to last up to 10 hours, depending on the user’s activities.

The Helix features a digitizer pen, which can be used like any other stylus on a tablet – to swipe, write, and everything in between. Depending on which model you’re looking at, it will feature either 3G connectivity, or 4G and NFC, with 4G LTE being available for North America only. We’ll be keeping an eye out for those coming details, so stay tuned.

[via Facebook]

Lenovo ended the quarter – as of December 31 2012 – with 15.9-percent of the PC market share worldwide, and was the fastest growing “major PC company.” Profit was up 15-percent year-on-year, to $1.1bn, while the contribution from smartphones, tablets, and smart TV rose 77-percent year-on-year.

However, it’s not all good news. Lenovo’s desktop PC business showed signs of the malaise across the industry, sales only climbing 1-percent, though shipments were up 5.8-percent worldwide. Lenovo is keen to point out that the PC industry as a whole saw a 6.8-percent decrease in shipments overall.

Lenovo now claims 12.3-percent of the Chinese smartphone market, while its smartphone, tablet, and smart TV group made $998m – 11-percent of the total quarterly sales. But it’s notebooks which are the real winners, with 15.8-percent market share and contributing over half of Lenovo’s total sales revenue. Sales in fact rose 8-percent year-on-year, to $4.8bn.

Acer saw a 28-percent drop in Q4 2012 shipments, year on year, and blames Microsoft’s new platform for its PC shortfall. “The whole market didn’t come back to growth after the Windows 8 launch,” Wong argues, “that’s a simple way to judge if it is successful or not.”

What particularly impressed the Acer chief was how well Chrome OS has done despite Google’s relatively low-key marketing of the platform. Unlike the Windows 8 gush in advance of Microsoft’s launch late last year, Google’s promotional work was “not as broad” Wong points out, describing it as “encouraging” how much consumer attention Chromebooks nonetheless garnered.

Likely to be helpful is the average price of a Chrome OS device, which – in part because Google gives away Chrome OS licenses free, rather than charging for them as Microsoft does for OEMs using Windows 8 – undercuts most regular notebook models. The C7, for instance – which we reviewed last year - is priced at just $199, though Wong says Acer spent some of the money it saved on licensing fees on marketing and promotions instead.

Acer now intends to launch Chrome OS devices more broadly, with particular hopes for the potential of the low-cost machines in developing markets. Unfortunately for Microsoft, that’s not the strategy Acer will be taking with Windows RT, the version of Windows intended for use on ARM-based tablets and notebooks. The company is still evaluating the platform, Wong says.

Meanwhile, Acer hopes to triple its smartphone sales in 2013, aiming for 1.5m sales globally and targeting individual carriers with specific devices, rather than blanketing the market. It’s likely that will involve Android, Google’s better-known OS.

Specifics as to what’s under the hood are unavailable, but Lenovo confirms that the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook uses an Intel processor, rather than the ARM chip Samsung used in its Series 3 Chromebook. The laptop will have a 1366 x 768 antiglare display, as well as a webcam and three USB ports.

The 3.92-pound notebook won’t, seemingly, be targeted at individual users, however, but rather at schools themselves. Lenovo will offer multiple customizations of the Chromebook – exact details are unknown at this stage – from February 26.

Lenovo’s entrance of the Chromebook market follows Google’s own moves to push Chrome OS in education settings. The search giant announced a $99 Chromebook for Schools project late last year, and it appears that the two companies may well work together to offer the X131e Chromebook as part of that scheme.

“Lenovo has a great reputation in schools for making durable and reliable laptops,” Caesar Sengupta, director of Chrome OS product management, said of the new model, “so we’re excited to partner with them to introduce the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook.”

The new Lenovo Chromebook will be priced from $429 with volume pricing.

[via ZDNet]

The larger model, the Gigabyte U2442, has a 14-inch 1600 x 900 display and a 2.5GHz Core i5-3210M processor paired with up to 16GB of memory. There’s NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M 2GB graphics, and a choice of either 128GB mSATA, a duo of 128GB mSATA and up to 1TB HDD, or a single 256GB SSD. Ports include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI and VGA, ethernet, and an SD card reader, plus there’s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

Finally, the Gigabyte P2742G is the company’s new gaming monster, with a 17.3-inch Full HD display, 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM processor, up to 24GB of DDR3 memory spread over three slots, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 2GB graphics. It can be fitted with either a 750GB hybrid HDD (with 8GB of flash caching memory) or a 128GB SSD/1TB HDD duo.

A Blu-ray drive, ethernet port, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and an 8-cell 5200mAh battery round out the key specs in what’s a 3.2kg machine. No word on pricing or availability for any of the three.

The touchscreen works well, though we’ve still got mixed feelings about the usability of reaching over the keyboard and stabbing at the display. We’re also left thinking that Sony’s decision to carry over the ultrabook branding to the T15 Touch might be a bit ambitious; it’s not exactly a light machine, though in return you get plenty of connections (USB 3.0, both HDMI and VGA, and an ethernet socket) and an integrated optical drive.

The T14 Touch makes far more sense, ditching the separate numeric keypad but still retaining a solid-feeling ‘board and a sizable trackpad. Sony’s choice of materials can’t be faulted, either; the soft-touch composite strip that runs along the upper outer edge of the lid – where the antenna are – is a particularly nice compromise between tactile feel and wireless performance.

Unfortunately, the T14 Touch doesn’t share its bigger sibling’s 1080p Full HD display; instead, it makes do with a more humdrum 1366 x 768 panel. Sony isn’t saying when the new VAIOs will go on sale, nor for what price.

The Chronos – shown below – runs Windows 8 on a Core i7-3635QM processor with up to 16GB of RAM and AMD Radeon HD 8870M 2GB graphics. There’s up to 1TB of internal storage, a 720p webcam, backlit keyboard, and 4Wx2 JBL speakers.

The whole thing is surprisingly lightweight, given it’s a 15-inch notebook, and the keyboard feels crisp and responsive. The brushed metal finish is suitably premium, but the display is incredibly glossy; true, we were playing with the Chronos in a well-lit hall, but even sunlight from a nearby window could prove more than distracting. It only gets worse when you start to add in greasy fingerprints, too.

As for the Series 7 Ultra, shown below, that runs a choice of Core i5 or i7 processors with AMD HD8570M 1GB graphics and up to 16GB of RAM. It opts for a 256GB SSD rather than an old-school hard-drive, though the smaller form-factor means it makes do with half the speaker power. Samsung will offer both touch and non-touch variants; both will have a backlit keyboard, which is usable despite the smaller size.

It’s a lightweight machine, with easily accessible ports – including USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 – and both HDMI and mini VGA. Samsung reckons up to eight hours can be squeezed from the battery, and there’ll be optional 4G LTE. The portability box is ticked straight off, then, and Samsung’s quoted 178-degree viewing angles work out to a screen you can see clearly, without inversions or blurring even if you’re sat off to one side of the notebook.

Unfortunately, Samsung isn’t talking pricing or availability for either the Series 7 Chronos or the Series 7 Ultra.

The Series 7 Chronos features RAMaccelerator, which gives it up to a 150-percent speed boost. There’s a ten-finger multitouch full HD 15.6-inch display and aluminum body. Inside you’ll find a quad-core Intel i7 3635QM 2.4GHz processor and 4GB of RAM, with the option of boosting it up to 16GB. There are two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, as well as headphone out and microphone in. The entire unit weighs in at 5.18lbs, and has a battery life up to 11 hours.

The first model in the Series 7 Ultra line, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch display will a full HD resolution with ten-finger multitouch support. The ultrabook can be nabbed with either an Intel i5 or an Intel i7, depending on preference. There’s AMD HD8570M graphics and up to a 256GB SSD. Ports include 1 USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, HDMI, mini VGA, as well as headphone/out and microphone/in. The keyboard is backlit, and it offers a Slim Security Slot.

Samsung’s Senior Vice President of IT and Mobile Communications David Song offered this statement. “In 2013, we will continue to focus on innovation delivering products that fit into customer lifestyles while maintaining Samsung’s high-end design and performance standards. The new Series 7 Chronos and Ultra products are just two examples of what you can expect to see from us throughout the year.”

The most massive category for us this year was Accessory Reviews by a rather sizable margin. With 68 audio products, device cases, power units, and oddities galore, we’ve been working with a set of the coolest tiny (and sometimes massive) products that either assist you in working with your much more expensive products or stand alone as amazing products on their own! One category that broke out this year was Storage Reviews, another was Camera Reviews – never again will we categorize these items as accessories on their own!

The mobile sector continues to bust out as a massively review-friendly sector with Phone Reviews and Tablet Reviews being two more of our largest categories. Every single phone in the phone category was a smartphone, of course, and our total hit 61 while the number of Tablet Reviews we knocked out was a solid 26.

We worked with 20 lovely Laptop Reviews in 2012 while our Desktop Reviews numbered up to 16. In the Software Reviews section we’ve got our epic Windows 8 review as well as 19 other bits of excellent software. This section crosses over into the iOS Review section which this year had a whopping 39 entries on its own.

Another new category for us this year was Sci-fi Movie Reviews with 5 hot-hitting entries. We’re getting into the Entertainment industry with movies galore, too, with not just movies but beasts in gadgety with 14 eye-melting Entertainment Reviews. Another cross-over category this year was Gaming Reviews with a cool 14 entries.

Then one of the most exciting new spaces we’ve got is Car Reviews which stems from our brand new Car Portal – expect one whole heck of a lot more automotive action in 2013 as well!

This year the authors with the most units reviewed through the 12-month period were Chris Davies with 22 reviews, Vincent Nguyen with 28 reviews, and Chris Burns with 178 reviews. In addition to thanking the PR groups, manufacturers, and developers this year, we’d like to thank you, the readers, for making it possible for us to get our hands on these wonderful products so that we might show you what they’re all about.

What we’d like to ask you at this point is what you thought about our reviews this year and what you think we could do better in 2013 – did we leave anything out? Are there products or services you’d like us to cover more extensively in the future? Let us know!

Windows 8 already supports speech recognition, with spoken commands being used for dictation, for navigating around the UI, and for triggering features like cut/copy/paste and opening apps. The nature of Intel’s hardware/software mix – and which elements it would provide to OEMs, and which would be sourced from third-parties – is unstated, given Microsoft has the software side under control.

One possibility, however, is that Intel could specify a certain type of digital microphone array, with active noise cancellation for better performance. The chip company already has certain criteria which manufacturers must meet if they’re to use the ultrabook branding, such as around thickness and storage.

In that respect, the new focus on voice control could be more about marketing than new technology. Given Apple is expected to add Siri to OS 10.9 next year, bringing natural speech recognition across from iOS devices to the company’s mainstream Mac line-up, reminding ultrabook owners that their svelte laptops can do something similar (and making sure they have a reasonable experience using it) would be a useful tick on the product sheet.

Shark Bay – aka Haswell – will also include extended battery life, and Intel is supposedly pushing for Full HD display support, at least on ultrabooks priced at $800 or above. Always-connected WWAN and facial-recognition are also tipped to be key selling points for new models.

The X1 Carbon Touch features a 14-inch HD+ display with 10-finger touch support, as well as a multi-gesture touch pad. The machine weighs in at only 3.4lbs, and is 20.8mm thick, making it a nice combination of portable and durable. The AC adapter is designed to be light and portable as well, boasting a weight 235g, about 53-percent less than your average laptop charger.

Inside you’ll find an Intel Core i5 (or i7, depending on configuration) processor, as well as Dolby Home Theater v4 audio technology. The Carbon Touch boasts the title of first ultrabook that is certified as Microsoft Lync optimized. It offers an HD face-tracking camera and dual-array mics for high-end video conferences and recordings.

Lenovo Product Group’s President Peter Hortensius offered this statement. “Bringing touch gesture control to our best ThinkPad ever is a natural evolution of the portfolio and a big step towards fulfilling our promise to bring computers into a new PC+ era. We are excited to be able to offer customers the best experience in a thin and light business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon Touch is the Ultrabook to beat.” The laptop is available now starting at $1,499.

[via Lenovo]

The EliteBook Revolve offers an 11.6-inch HD display, and weighs in at a svelte 3lbs. Users can grab either a Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8 Pro version, although given the touchscreen, it’s probably best used in conjunction with Windows 8. The Revolve is constructed to be durable, and includes Gorilla Glass 2 cornering and a chassis made from magnesium.

As far as hardware goes, the EliteBook Revolve runs on an Intel processor, and features USB 3.0 and DisplayPort, a 256GB SSD, and a camera that can record in up to 720p HD. There’s a dual-microphone for high-quality audio, as well as DTS Studio Sound. There’s NFC tossed into the mix, and Intel Rapid Start, which allows the notebook to conserve battery life.

Vice President and General Manager for HP’s Commercial Managed IT Segment Dan Forlenza offered this statement. “Employees want computing devices that work the way they do – flexibly and able to adapt to any situation. HP is committed to ensuring its Elite portfolio of tablet solutions will provide customers the features their employees need for maximum productivity, with a design they’ll be proud to carry everywhere they go, all without sacrificing the enterprise services and protection that take the headache away from IT.”

If your gift target has a preference for Windows or Mac, they’ll probably have been vocal about it already. If you’re going in blind, whether you opt for a machine running Microsoft’s or Apple’s OS may well depend on your budget. Apple’s MacBook Air line starts at $999, the cheapest portable in the company’s line-up (though there are official refurbs – which the SlashGear team has had good experience with from Apple in the past, being almost indistinguishable from new machines – from $749, albeit from the 2011 range), whereas Windows notebooks can be had much cheaper.

Our budget pick, however, doesn’t run either Windows or OS X – instead it uses Google’s Chrome OS. The $249 Samsung Series 3 Chromebook is a huge step forward over the first-gen Chrome OS machines, delivering Apple-a-like design and lengthy battery life at an impressively low cost. If your gift recipient doesn’t mind living their life in the cloud – and, if most of their time is spent browsing, using Gmail, Facebook, and other popular sites, as most people do – then Chrome OS makes an excellent low-cost option.

If a full OS is essential, then around $500 gets you the Acer Aspire V5 11.6-inch, a good mobility choice. Running Windows 8 and with 500GB of internal storage, the Ivy Bridge powered Aspire V5 starts out with a Core i3 processor, but we’d be tempted to spend the twenty bucks or so more and step up to the Core i5 chip for that bit of extra speed. 5hrs of real-world battery life isn’t segment-leading, but it’s a solid showing for a low-cost ultraportable.

For the mid-range, we have a choice of machines. We thought HP’s Spectre XT ultrabook, with its 13.3-inch display, was great for road warriors, and with the street price now around $800 it addresses our key criticism of price. Those who want a larger display, meanwhile, will find HP’s Envy 4 and 6 (with 14- and 15.6-inch displays respectively) more to their liking, with street prices around $750 and $570. Sony’s VAIO S series is another stylish option, with a 13.3-inch display and a street price around $950.

A 13-inch Windows 8 machine for upward of $1,000 and with an over-rotating hinge might not sound like much, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is perhaps the perfect machine to deliver on Microsoft’s Windows 8 touch experience. Flipping from a great notebook, to an easel-format for comfortable media consumption, and then all the way round to a slate tablet, it ticks all the right mobility boxes with the flexibility of a full copy of Windows 8.

If OS X is the platform on your shopping list, our picks would be the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. The MacBook Air 13, from $1,199, balances extreme portability with decent battery life and performance, with details like flash storage as standard helping keep things moving swiftly. Those looking for a more impressive gift – and an impressive laptop all-round – should look to the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, from $2,199. Its eye-searingly beautiful screen ands powerful specifications are wrapped in a surprisingly portable chassis, and it’s our pick of the top notebooks.

More laptop options in our laptop reviews hub!

The XPS 13 features a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Inside you’ll find an Intel Core i7-3517U 3GHz processor and 8GB of RAM. There’s Intel HD 4000 graphics, and a 256GB SSD. The operating system is the latest and greatest Ubuntu version 12.04. It weighs in at a svelte 2.99lbs. Included with the purchase is one year of ProSupport.

ProSupport can be bumped up to 2-year and 3-year service plans for an extra $215 and $330. The machine itself is made from carbon fiber and aluminum, and offers Gorilla Glass for durability. The battery is a 6-cell unit, while the audio is Waves Maxx Audio 4.0. The laptop measures in at just 6mm on its thinnest edge, and 18mm at its thickest point, which is still less than 3/4 of an inch.

Dell offered this statement: “We’re super excited about the XPS 13 Laptop, Developer Edition, and want to thank all the developers who have been actively participating in helping us create a laptop designed specifically for them. Basically, we loaded a super sleek Dell machine with Ubuntu to give developers the essentials they want while staying true to our core values of openness and affordability. But the power of the community input really helped make this a big success.”

[via Dell]

According to System76′s CEO Carl Richell, the new Bonobo Extreme is the fastest Ubuntu laptop available. The base model runs an Intel i7 quad-core 2.6GHz processor. If that’s not powerful enough, users can spend approximately another $500 to get an i7-3940XM Extreme 3GHz CPU. This is accompanied by 8GB of DDR3 RAM.

As far as graphics go, the Bonobo Extreme boasts an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX with 3GB of RAM and 960 CUDA cores. As with the processor, you can shell out $134 more for an upgrade, bumping the system to a GeForce GTX 680M with 4GB of RAM and 1344 CUDA cores. Other hardware includes a DVD drive, a 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and an 8-cell battery.

The display measures in at 17.3-inches with a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. Ports include HDMI, Display Port, Ethernet, a media card reader, and 5 USB ports. There’s a Kensington lock for security, and the entire system weighs in at a hefty 8.6lbs. You can pick one up now for $1,499, saving you $100 via a Christmas discount.

[via OMG Ubuntu]

If you couldn’t already tell, I haven’t used very many convertibles. I was never really sold on the idea of a tablet/laptop hybrid, but with what I’ve seen of the IdeaPad Yoga 13, I might be singing a different tune by the time everything is said and done. The Yoga 13 impresses right out of the box – the silver chassis looks sleek, and I was actually surprised by how light it is. I was certainly expecting heavier than 3.3 pounds, though with that weight, the Yoga 13 still has some heft that you won’t find in traditional ultrabooks.

The screen is really nice as well, though again a little unconventional as far as ultrabook screens go. Instead of running at the 1366×768 resolution we’re all so bored with, the Yoga 13′s touch screen is running at 1600×900 resolution. It’s an odd resolution that we don’t see to often in notebooks, but it’s a welcome change. The visuals are sharp and touch is responsive. This plays hand-in-hand with the touch-friendly tiles in Windows 8; even when using the Yoga 13 in notebook mode, I’m finding myself using the touch screen instead of the track pad. I said in my Windows 8 review that the operating system was clearly geared toward touch screens, and the Yoga 13 backs that assertion up.

There are four different “modes” Lenovo has been pushing with the Yoga 13: notebook mode, which is self-explanatory; stand mode, which allows the user to place the keyboard face-down with the screen angled upward; tent mode, which has the user standing the laptop up on its ends like a little mini tent; and tablet mode, achieved by folding the screen all the way around to the underside of the notebook. Tablet mode feels a little strange at first due to the fact that the keyboard is exposed on the slate’s backside, but thankfully the keyboard and trackpad are both disabled when you’re using a mode other than the traditional notebook setup. This means that you don’t have to worry about hitting keys and screwing everything up while using the machine in tablet mode.

On the inside, there isn’t too much deviation from the hardware found in other ultrabooks. We’ve got a third-gen Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.7Ghz – essentially the industry standard for ultrabooks – working alongside 4GB of DDR3L RAM, making the Yoga 13 quite the little speed demon. That’s all helped along by the 128GB SSD, so if it’s speed you want, the Yoga 13 probably isn’t going to disappoint. On the outside, the pickings are a little slim, as you’ve only got one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 port to take advantage of. Those are joined by a 2-in-1 card slot (SD and MMC), a headphone jack, a full-size HDMI port, and of course, the jack for the power adapter.

I’m impressed with what I’ve seen of the IdeaPad Yoga 13 so far. There are certainly aspects that are going to take some getting used to, but I’m looking forward to spending more time with the Yoga 13 and seeing all that it and its 360-degree hinge have to offer. My full review of the IdeaPad Yoga 13 will be coming up shortly, but in the meantime, let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like me to touch on.

First up are the consumer notebooks. The HP ENVY x2 is an ultrathin hybrid with a detachable screen for those times you need a tablet. It’ll be available in the US on November 14th starting at $849.99. Next is the SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook boasting a 15.6-inch multitouch Radiance Full HD ISP display. This laptop will be available in the US in December starting at $1,399.99. The ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 has a 14-inch multitouch HD display and subwoofer audio; it’s available for preorder starting at $799.99. The HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15 models are available in the US, and start at $499.99 and $579.99. The HP ENVY m4 is available from Best Buy starting at $899.99. Finally, the Pavilion dm1, which offers 200MB of free mobile broadband data sans-contract, is available now starting at $499.99. You can check out our hands-on reviews of the ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, SpectreXT, and ENVY x2 here.

Next up are the all-in-ones and desktops, starting with the HP ENVY 23 (23-inch display, $999) and the ENVY 20 TouchSmart (20-inch display, $799). Both devices feature a 10-point multitouch HD display, and are currently available for purchase. The SpectreONE is a 23.6-inch non-touch all-in-one PC; it’s slated for release in November starting at $1,299. The Pavilion 20 AiO is a value system, currently available starting at $449. Finally, the ENVY Phoenix h9 desktop is aimed at those needing a bit of power, and is available starting at $899.

As far as business notebooks go, HP has included the EliteBook Folio 947m ultrabook, which is slated for launch on October 26th starting at $1,049. Last but not least is the HP ElitePad 900, which is the only tablet (excluding hybrid laptops) in the lineup. This slate is aimed at businesses, and comes with a free 50GB Box account. It’s slated for release in January 2013, with no pricing information currently available.

This new MacBook Pro will be significantly thinner than its predecessor. It’ll have some downward and outward-facing head vents and will be working with a Thunderbolt port, of course. You’ll be working with USB 3.0 (one or two ports, we shall see) and a full-sized HDMI port as well. This version of the MacBook Pro will be working with the newest version of the power cord that Apple presents as as the most advanced and physically sensible version yet.

You’ve also got a full-sized SD card reader and a headphone jack – and remember, all of this information comes from the look we’ve had at the MacBook Pro with Retina display we’ve already had a look at – all 15 inches of display that it is. This device has a whole new fan system inside, it’s got a whole new upgraded processor under the hood, and some lovely NVIDIA GeForce action for graphics, too. Benchmarks on the 15-inch version we’ve reviewed already showed the newer version to out-do the older version by a significant margin in several areas.

The battery time will be the same as the previous model, the design will replicate the 15-inch model, and the unit will more than likely be up for sale well in advance of the holiday season. Have a peek at our recent posts regarding this unit in the timeline below and feel free to bet on it being shown off next week. Join us on the 23rd to see how it all goes down, we’ll be covering the Apple event live!

The Stylistic Q572 also has a choice of solid-state drives – from 64GB to 256GB – and digital pen input with a dual-mode finger/stylus touchscreen running at 1366 x 768. Connectivity includes optional 4G LTE, standard WiFi, optional Bluetooth, gigabit ethernet, HDMI and both a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port.

There’s also a docking connector, memory card slot, two digital microphones, audio in, audio out, and a pair of webcams: HD resolution up front, and 5-megapixels on the back. The Q572 measures in at 273.5 x 176 x 13.9 mm and weighs 820g.

Meanwhile, the existing Fujitsu tablets each get an upgrade to Windows 8, with the Intel powered Stylistic Q702 – shown above – running the new OS on an 11.6-inch docking hybrid form-factor, complete with a detachable keyboard. Alone, it will run for over 4hrs, but when docked it will last for up to 9.5hrs, Fujitsu claims.

Finally, the Lifebook T902 is a convertible 13.3-inch model with a choice of Core i5/i7 processors, a swiveling 1600 x 900 touchscreen, integrated optical drive, and optional 4G LTE. It’s more powerful than the other models, though the compromise is weight and bulk: at 1.89kg, it’s a hefty notebook to carry around in your arms all day.

Fujitsu’s updated range will go on sale alongside Windows 8, on October 26. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.