HP has started its week with a bang, announcing a ton of new devices in multiple product lines. One line getting some love today is the consumer-focused ENVY series of laptops, which in all is getting four new models this summer. While perhaps not as powerful as HP's business-centric EliteBook line, these new ENVY laptops should still serve as a good day-to-day workhorse for a lot of consumers.
Last month, HP took the wraps off a gorgeous new detachable laptop running Chrome OS. Called the HP Chromebook x2, this model features a tablet that connects to a keyboard using a magnetic hinge. The model runs the latest version of Google's OS that doesn't require a keyboard, putting it up against Apple and its newest iPad model.
It's graduation season - not to mention Mother's Day and Father's Day nearly upon us - and Lenovo thinks the new 2018 IdeaPad range should be your first port of call for a laptop gift. Starting from $249.99, and spanning 14- to 17-inches in size, the IdeaPad 330, 330S, and 530S series include features like USB-C, HDMI ports, and discrete graphics options from NVIDIA, not to mention a rapid-charge battery system that can deliver up to 2hrs from just 15 minutes plugged in.
I couldn't help but make a comparison to a MacBook right out the box when I first opened the Huawei MateBook X Pro. This is a device that's taken some definite design cues from the MacBook Pro - the latest round of MacBook Pros, at least. It runs Windows 10, though, and it has some unique features that Apple's notebook doesn't. This Huawei MateBook X Pro isn't just a notebook made by a smartphone company - it's a smart piece of hardware in its own right.
What we saw of the Dell XPS 15 at CES 2018 was promising, but now with 8th-gen Intel core tech inside, it's a real MacBook Pro alternative. Granted, large swaths of users feel obligated to stick to their chosen operating system and might never change - but herein lies the rub. The Dell XPS 15 will roll with not only Intel's newest processor, but an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics processor as well.
ASUS Republic of Gamers is back with a new gaming laptop, the ultraportable Zephyrus M GM501. This model has a slim design with a unique element you won't find in competing models: a hinge that separates a bottom chamber, opening a large gap through which air can pass. This design enables the laptop to retain a slim size while keeping temperatures down, a vitally important aspect of any gaming system.
Chinese company Xiaomi has launched a laptop designed for gamers, the Mi Gaming Laptop. The laptop has a design that seems to draw inspiration from the Razer Blade, including the multi-color keyboard backlight. The model, among other things, features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card and a seventh-generation Intel processor. Xiaomi introduced the model alongside a couple other products.
Razer has launched a trio of gaming laptops, first among them being the Razer Blade. The laptop is dark, adorned with colorful lights, sporting a design that makes it identifiable as not just any ole laptop, but a gaming laptop. Relative to other models, I wouldn't hesitate to call the Razer Blade an ultraportable offering, but what compromises were made to get this level of portability?
Chromebooks will soon offer a splitscreen function for Android apps, and that ability has recently been demonstrated in a video. The splitscreen support has arrived in Chrome OS Canary and will make the Android app experience better on Chromebook, particularly models with a detachable display that offers more tablet-like interaction.
Lenovo is back with one of its most attractive laptops to date, the YOGA 920. This model is slim, lightweight, with a design nearing luxury. The YOGA 920 isn't just a pretty face, though, as Lenovo has packed some of the latest and greatest Intel hardware into this flexible notebook. How does it compare to other ultrabooks? Read on to find out!
Lenovo is recalling its excellent X1 Carbon laptop, the reason being a screw that could potentially result in a fire. The recall announcement was made by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which posted details on the issue today. According to the CPSC, an "unfastened screw" may cause battery damage that results in it overheating, which could then trigger a fire.
ASUS has launched a smaller version of its Chromebook Flip laptop, the C101, for preorder in the US. This version of the Flip is smaller than the previously launched C302 model, and it will be fully on sale across the nation starting this weekend. The model offers, among other things, a tiny 10.1-inch display.