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Lenovo's Yoga 920 touts a quad-core chip and long-range voice control
Lenovo's convertible laptops and tablets haven't always been known for brisk performance, but you definitely won't have that problem this year. The PC maker is launching three new machines, two of which (the Yoga 920 convertible and Miix 520 tablet) make use of 8th-generation Intel Core chips whose quad-core power should handle most tasks with grace. They're better for voice commands, too -- the 920 and 520 have far-field microphones that let you talk to Cortana as far as 13 feet away. If you want to check the weather while you're on the other side of the room, you don't have to move an inch.
Acer's Switch 7 hybrid tablet has dedicated graphics without a fan
Acer's Switch 5 tablet wasn't something to write home about. The kickstand was clever, but what else was there to lure you away from, say, a Surface Pro? The company has a better answer today. It's launching a slew of new PCs at IFA 2017, and the headliner has to be the Switch 7 Black Edition. While the 13.5-inch slate is larger and heavier (2.5lbs) than the Switch 5, it's also the first fanless 2-in-1 to pack dedicated graphics -- in this case NVIDIA's GeForce MX150. You probably won't be playing Destiny 2 on this machine, but the extra visual oomph should help with video streaming and creative apps while giving you enough peace and quiet to concentrate.
Mercedes uses art deco inspiration for electric car concept
Luxury vehicles from the 1930s were nearly aircraft carrier-long. It was the art deco era dominated by seemingly never ending clean lines. So it's no surprise that the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is over six meters long (about 20 feet) and has a single line that runs the length of the vehicle. Hell, the back the car is inspired by yachts and called a "boat tail." In other words, it's going impossible to find parking for it.
The Eve V came from nowhere to challenge the Surface Pro
The Eve V convertible has become something of a media darling lately, mostly because it claims to be the first PC to be developed by consumers, not a massive corporation. The idea of the populist PC was intriguing enough that Microsoft and Intel both worked with Eve to make the V happen, but c'mon -- we've seen countless, less ambitious projects fail after building loads of hype. (Especially on Indiegogo, where Eve raised over $1.4 million last year.) After spending a little time with the V at Computex, though, the hype is starting to seem warranted.
Samsung Galaxy Book review: You're better off with a Surface Pro
It took a few years, but Microsoft's Surface Pro line is an undeniable hit. It also popularized the convertible tablet category: touchscreen-driven devices you can hold in your hands that also have power and attachable keyboards for getting "real work" done. The Surface Pro's success means it has its fair share of imitators, from Apple, Google and the swath of Windows PC makers out there. Naturally, Samsung produced its own, last year's Galaxy TabPro S. That device features a great screen and solid battery life but was hurt by a terrible keyboard and slow performance. With the new Galaxy Book, Samsung appears to have fixed those issues -- this convertible has a more spacious keyboard and Intel's seventh-generation Core i5 processor on board. But all that power introduces some unfortunate trade-offs.
ASUS ZenBook Flip S is the thinnest convertible yet
If you're shopping for a new laptop for the back-to-school season, get ready to be spoiled for choice. At its Computex keynote in Taiwan today, ASUS showed off a slew of new laptops and convertibles, leading with the ZenBook Flip S, which the company says is the "world's thinnest 2-in-1 convertible laptop." At 10.9mm thin and weighing 1.1kg, the 13-inch Flip S certainly has a smaller footprint than other similarly sized systems from Apple, HP, Acer and Lenovo. That thin profile, along with new minimal display bezels that ASUS is calling "NanoEdge," is the clear focus for the company's laptop refresh this year.
Samsung's pricey Galaxy Book is a flawed powerhouse
Samsung's Galaxy Book isn't the company's first attempt at taking the Surface Pro head-on: Last year's TabPro S was clearly inspired by Microsoft's convertible. But sluggish performance and a cramped keyboard made the whole experience a bit painful, despite a great screen and battery life. At first glance, it seems that Samsung has learned from its mistakes -- the new Galaxy Book features a number of improvements. Most notably, the Galaxy Book features a Core i5 processor rather than the weaker Core M in last year's model. The keyboard is larger, too. But the things that we liked about the TabPro S, including its stunning, pressure-sensitive display, appear to still be intact. That said, after a couple days with the Galaxy Book, I'm at once impressed and infuriated with what I've found so far.
It looks like Microsoft has a new Surface Pro after all
Microsoft VP Panos Panay recently said that "there's no such thing as a Surface Pro 5," and we now know what he meant by that. Images from uber-leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) and his article in Venture Beat show a device simply called the Surface Pro, without a model or series number in sight. Other than rounded edges on the screen, it strongly resembles the current Surface Pro 4, including the lack of a USB-C port.
Panasonic’s Toughbook 33 is designed for extreme field work
Let's be real: The computers we use in our daily lives are too flimsy for seriously harsh environments like war zones or construction sites. For those who need machines that can survive those situations, Panasonic has the Toughbook range of rugged devices. The latest in the series -- the Toughbook 33 -- is a tablet that attaches to a keyboard, and it's the most full-featured of its kind. Not only is it the "first fully rugged product" to use a 3:2 screen ratio for business applications (more on why that is important later), it also offers a comprehensive array of tools that will support workers in even the most extreme environments.
The TravelMate Spin B1 is Acer's first Windows 10 S laptop
Microsoft's newest Surface laptop and shiny new Windows 10 S operating system weren't the only highlights of the company's Education event in New York on Tuesday. Acer was also on hand to show off its latest student-centric laptop offering, the TravelMate Spin B1.
A kickstand is the most interesting feature on Acer's new 2-in-1
Of all the new Switch laptops and convertibles that Acer unveiled in New York today, the most eye-catching is the Switch 5. It's a slick 12-inch Windows 10 hybrid with what the company calls an "auto-retractable" kickstand that lets you adjust the angle at which it's propped up by pushing it with one finger. Everything else about the convertible is pretty much par for the course, but I'll get to that later. At the crowded demo area, I was taken by how easy it is to shift viewing angles on a Switch 5: It works just like a laptop's lid.
Lenovo's convertible Chromebook is built with Android apps in mind
Convertible Chromebooks are all the rage lately, but you wouldn't have known it by looking at Lenovo's offerings. It did release the Chrome-powered ThinkPad Yoga 11e, but that was aimed at schools. Now, however, Lenovo is building a 2-in-1 Chromebook aimed at the mainstream -- it just launched the Flex 11 Chromebook, a budget 11.6-inch hybrid designed to run Android apps. It can't actually use Android apps yet (Google Play support is "coming soon," Lenovo says), but its combination of a tablet mode with a quad-core, 2.1GHz ARM processor should make it well-suited to your favorite mobile titles. Just don't expect it to be speedy compared to Chromebooks using Celeron or Core chips.
HP introduces new Pavilion laptops at... Coachella
HP has picked an unlikely event for the launch of its new Pavilion laptops: Coachella. As wacky as it sounds, the company actually has a somewhat logical reason for the choice. It's showing off the laptops' new stylus input support, and is betting that this feature will appeal to the (presumably) expressive, artsy folks at the music festival. And it's luring them in by setting up DIY bandana-designing stations at its air-conditioned spot in the festival's Colorado Desert venue.
Lenovo's latest Yoga 2-in-1 packs uncommonly fast graphics
With most 2-in-1 laptops, you're giving up any hope of running games or other graphics-intensive apps -- if there are dedicated graphics at all, they're usually too slow for more than the basics. Lenovo thinks it can do better. It's unveiling the Yoga 720, and its 15-inch variant is supposedly the most powerful convertible in its class. Max it out and you can get a 4K display, a 7th-generation Core i7 processor and (most importantly) GeForce GTX 1050 graphics. It's still not a powerhouse, but it's uncommonly gaming-friendly for a PC that can double as a tablet.
Lenovo's latest Android tablet is really a budget laptop
The tablet market is increasingly skewing toward laptop replacements, but what if you want a replacement for a low-cost laptop? Lenovo thinks it has the answer. It's introducing the Yoga A12, a 12.2-inch tablet that's really a budget convertible laptop for the Android crowd. Think of it as a lower-priced but larger alternative to the Yoga Book. You won't find the earlier model's pen input or Windows 10 option, but you'll still get a very portable design (it's 0.21 inches thick at its slimmest point) that can fold into a slate when you're watching Netflix, or a laptop when you need to get work done. The trick, as with the Yoga Book, is a flat touch-sensitive keyboard that eliminates some of the usual physical bulk. We found the Book's keyboard hard to get used to, but it might be easier on the A12's larger, more comfortable surface.
Samsung's leaked Chromebook Plus is built for Android apps
Samsung is getting ready to release a convertible, stylus-equipped Chromebook, judging by an apparently accidental Best Buy listing. It bears a striking similarity to another leaked model, the 12.5-inch, 1080p ASUS Chromebook that appeared last month on Newegg. Samsung's device is reportedly called the Chromebook Plus, but there are no specs accompanying the images. However, we can see that it's a thin, all-metal laptop, probably in the 12- to 13-inch range, equipped with USB-C and an SD card reader.
HP's revamped 15-inch Spectre x360 packs a 4K display
We generally liked HP's redesigned Spectre x360, but it had a few flaws: It dropped some particularly useful ports, and there was no 15-inch model for people who need more screen real estate. Consider those issues solved. HP has unveiled a 15.6-inch edition of the new Spectre x360, and it's a lot more than just an upsized version of a familiar 2-in-1 PC. To start, you're getting much nicer visuals. The larger Spectre ships with a 4K IPS-based touchscreen and dedicated graphics (albeit an older GeForce 940MX chip), both of which are miles ahead of the 1080p display and integrated video on the 13-inch system. However, it's the subtler additions that you might appreciate the most.
Dell preps a 2-in-1 version of its iconic XPS 13 laptop
Dell's XPS 13 has a loyal following for a good reason: it's a solid mix of portability and speed framed by that eye-catching, near-borderless display. It's 'just' a conventional laptop, however, which rules it out if you want a 2-in-1 like Lenovo's Yoga series or HP's Spectre x360. You won't have to give up that design to get tablet functionality in the future, though, as a Dell product page discovered by Windows Central has spoiled the existence of an "XPS 13 2-in-1." There's little there beyond the name and an image, but it's clear that Dell won't be reinventing the wheel here -- this really is the portable you've come to know, just reworked to let the display fold all the way for presentations.
Lenovo is bringing Chrome OS to its Yoga Book next year
Lenovo already debuted Android and Windows versions of its Yoga Book and it's planning to add a Chrome OS option next year. Laptop Magazine reports that the third version of the hybrid gadget that ditched a traditional keyboard in favor of a touch surface for both typing and scribbling was confirmed during an interview with Lenovo vice president Jeff Meredith. Meredith oversees Android and Chrome devices for the company.
Lenovo's futuristic Yoga Book is a novelty item not worth buying yet
At a time when Apple, Microsoft and Google are pairing their new tablets with keyboards, Lenovo has done the unthinkable. It's completely ditched a true keyboard for a digital sketchpad, trading snappiness, travel and actuation for a smooth, futuristic touch surface. The idea is to offer a note-taking experience that's so effective you'd feel comfortable leaving the keyboard behind. The Lenovo Yoga Book, available in Android ($500) and Windows ($550) versions, is inventive. But Lenovo claims that the Yoga Book is the "ultimate tablet for productivity and creativity," and that's where the company is wrong. Despite plenty of well-intended enhancements, such as multi-window support in the Android model, Lenovo still failed to make device that truly facilitates productivity.
