Call-in Show: Chromebook Pixel pinch secrets
This week’s call-in podcast is all about the Chromebook Pixel: Likes, dislikes, tweaks, impressions and more information that listeners asked about. Read more »
Another Microsoft partner plays the field: HP outs a $329 Chromebook
Following Samsung and Acer, HP has thrown its hat into the Google Chromebook ring. The new $329 Pavilion may appeal to those wanting more screen and less Microsoft. Read more »
Acer’s $299 Chromebook boosts memory, battery life, and storage
Acer just joined the Chromebook market a month ago, but already has a follow up model that addresses some shortcomings. A new $299 Chromebook doubles RAM and battery life but strangely ups the hard drive storage to 500 GB as well. Does a Chromebook need that? Read more »
Acer’s C7 is part PC, part Chromebook for $199
The new Acer C7 looks more like a tradtional laptop than any prior Google Chromebook because of the Intel Core processor and 320 GB magnetic hard drive. But it’s an aggressively priced Chromebook at $199, which could sway many to give Chrome OS a try. Read more »
Microsoft Surface reviews: come for the hardware, tolerate the software
The first reviews are in for Microsoft’s Surface, its first attempt at making personal computer hardware. Though reviewers mostly like the Surface hardware, with its keyboard cover and kickstand, the software is another story. Read more »
Say hello to “GoNote”, an Android laptop you won’t likely want
Taking two successful products and combining them has to make one even better product, right? Not necessarily. Case in point: The $234 GoNote available in the UK. It crams Android 4.0 into a very low-end laptop and suggests that it’s just right for students. Not likely. Read more »
Chromebook Google Drive integration: Handy and slick
Chromebook owners have a new software update that adds Google Drive integration and offline Docs support Google previously announced. The newest Chromebook models also gain a firmware update while the original CR-48 models gain the new Chrome OS user interface and open source touchpad drivers. Read more »
Video: Why I’m enjoying Google’s newest ChromeBook
So I dropped $449 for a new Samsung ChromeBook 550 last week. And I can’t put it down! Why? Because once you don’t have native or third-party apps to rely on, you start to see a web that’s more powerful, and fun, than you thought. Read more »
How much will you pay for a Mac Retina Display option?
Based on an app in the Mac App Store gaining “Retina graphics” support, it appears that Apple will introduce higher-resolution Mac hardware next week. But the costly displays are unlikely to be in base models. How much would you pay for a Retina Display option? Read more »
Subscriber Content
New challenges for the IT organization
Cloud computing, mobile computing and the consumerization of IT combine to create another force that overwhelms IT departments: complexity, including complexity of devices and applications, physical and virtual computing environments, and related challenges for IT staff. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Why the iPad is a salesperson’s best friend
Recent studies show that Apple’s iPad is doing very well in the enterprise, with new activations soaring. One company just deployed 1,300 of the Apple tablets across its sales force, because combined with the right software, it believes there’s no better tool a salesperson can carry. Read more »
Kickstarter effort turns netbooks into robots!
Got an old netbook? For a $225 Kickstarter pledge, you can turn a netbook into a telepresence robot, remotely controlling it over from a web browser or a smartphone. Over a web connection, you could even use the Oculus robot to speak with remote workers. Read more »
How the Internet of things could make the world safer and greener
The coming era of the “Internet of Things” has many implications for the tech industry. But the shift toward total connectivity could also have lasting impacts on the broader world, making it harder to commit crimes such as theft, and raising awareness about consumer waste. Read more »
6 ways to give your Mac a thorough New Year’s cleaning
Although it’s still winter, now is the time to do some spring cleaning on your Mac to help it run more efficient and reliably. Here are six simple steps to take that will get your Mac sparkly clean and running like new. Read more »
Intel’s dilemma: Whose problem do Ultrabooks solve?
At Intel’s CES press event, Ultrabooks were the focus, as were the six “experiences” these thin and light notebooks bring. But consumers are getting such experiences from smartphones and tablets, so who has a problem that could be solved by Ultrabooks? Intel itself comes to mind. Read more »
Vizio making PCs? Not as dumb as you think
With the industry in uproar and a good reputation in TVs, Vizio has picked a great (perhaps the greatest?) time in recent PC industry history to try to make its mark on the industry by taking an entertainment-focused, Windows-based approach to laptops and desktops. Read more »
MacBook Air shipments jump as notebooks plummet overall
Apple’s MacBook Air continues to be a hot seller according to the latest sales estimates coming out of Apple’s supply chain. Shipments of the ultra-slim notebook were up to 1.2 million units in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011, up from 1 million the quarter before. Read more »
Joli MacBook Air sleeve review: Luxury, meet luxury
The MacBook Air is a very pretty piece of hardware. For that reason, I’m not too eager to hide it away in just any old sleeve. Can the hand-made leather Joli sleeve match the Air’s sense of style while also providing it with protection? Read more »
Apple’s iPad is eating notebooks for lunch
The influence of Apple’s iPad on mobile computing is made fairly obvious by the huge numbers of competitor products that we’ve seen from just about every mobile and computer company under the sun, but a new report from Deutsche Bank makes it even more apparent. Read more »
11.6-inch MacBook Air review: Petite powerhouse
With its latest update the MacBook Air inches ever closer to its high-powered siblings in the Pro line of Apple notebooks. But how does it stand up as a replacement for the MacBook Pro, and how does it compare to its predecessors? Here’s what we found. Read more »
Why a 15-inch MacBook Air is only a matter of time
Not one but two reports say Apple is now working on an ultrathin 15-inch Mac notebook, with one claiming that a 17-incher is also on the way. Apple has long been preparing for this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those preparations bear fruit this year. Read more »
Mac 101: Using External Displays With Your Laptop Closed
A lot of the time when you connect an external display to a Mac notebook, you’ll want to continue working on the large display and close the lid of the laptop. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting that working right every time. Read more »
New MacBook Air Rumors Suggest Two Distinct Models (UPDATED)
Over the weekend, we saw a slew of new rumors surrounding the new MacBook Air hit the web. The new reports suggest we might see more than one design for the ultraportable. We might also see the introduction of a new kind of notebook storage. Read more »
LapDawg Pug: A Portable Table for Laptops
Laptop computers are awfully useful, but they’re not easy to use ergonomically. The new LapDawg Pug is a portable table that’s designed to help us use laptops more comfortably. Read more »
Apple Updates MacBook Pros
Nearly a year after the last MacBook Pro update, and months after Intel launched its latest mobile CPU, Apple has added Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs to the MacBook Pro…or at least most of them. Read more »
Why I'm Not Using an e-Book Reader
Like a lot of web workers, I spend a fair amount of time traveling. I like to read books and catch up on the news while I’m away, so it seemed like a good idea to try reading electronically. Read more »
Laptop or Desktop: Which Would You Find It Harder Surviving Without?
The title of a recent Mac Night Owl column by Gene Steinberg grabbed me as a question that might have been more relevant 10 years ago. “Can You Survive Without a Desktop Mac?” Gene queries rhetorically. From my perspective, and I think that of many others […] Read more »
Get Your Laptop Really Clean In 6 Simple Steps
There are times I worry about taking my laptop out in public: it’s just not as clean as the day I got it. It’s gotten a little beat up over the years and could probably do with a little careful cleaning before it’s next trip to […] Read more »
Apple Ranks a Lackluster Fourth in Notebook Reliability Study
Apple is fairly reliable, but not the most reliable company of all when it comes to notebooks, according to a new study by research firm SquareTrade. The top honor goes to Asus, which surprised me, but I suppose shouldn’t have when I consider the build quality […] Read more »
Make Your Battery Last Longer
Over on TheAppleBlog, Liam posted “14 Ways to Be Kind to Your Battery,” a list of simple measures you can take to conserve battery power if you’re away from an outlet. Tips include things like: Dim the screen Stop playing DVDs/CDs Stop playing video/music from the HDD […] Read more »
