PC and Components: Reviews

Reviews

  • Enterprise guide to Windows 10

    Windows 10 is now available for consumers, but for IT executives thinking about enterprise deployments, here's what the upgrade path from Window 7 or Windows 8/8.1 looks like.

  • Windows 10 review: It's familiar, it's powerful, but the Edge browser falls short

    We may as well refer to Windows 10 as a date, or an hour, as much as an operating system. It's a moment in time. A month from now, it will have changed, evolved, improved. But right now? Microsoft has shipped an operating system that was meticulously planned and executed with panache, but whose coat of fresh paint hides some sticks and baling wire.

  • Microsoft Word for iOS review: This classic word processor shines on every device

    A few months back, when Microsoft first released Word for iPad, there were wildly varying responses, from, "Who cares and who uses Word any more?" to "I've been waiting forever for this!" to "Wait, what? I have to pay to use this app?" But, no matter what camp you were in, there was one reality: Word for iPad was (and is) an excellent iOS word processor--an Office app for your iOS device that offers substantial document creation and editing tools, with an interface that's clutter-free, so creating and editing documents on your iPad is a cinch.

  • Hands on: The new 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display shows stunning detail

    We live in a high-resolution world--our phones have been shooting HD video for years, and 4K-capable cameras are finally within reach of regular consumers. And now Apple's new iMac with Retina 5K display will let you push those pixels with maximum efficiency. With a native resolution of 5120x2880 pixels, this iMac shows a ridiculous amount of detail in everything you look at.

  • Samsung ATIV Book 9 (2014 Edition) review: This laptop sounds as gorgeous as it looks

    Based on the way most laptops sound, I'd venture a guess that audio is the last thing engineers think about when they design laptops. In fact, I'd go one step further to speculate that marketing efforts drive most laptop builders' decisions to collaborate with audio companies. But I won't lump Samsung's 2014 ATIV Book 9 in that crowd, because it sounds absolutely divine--especially with headphones.

  • HP Pavilion x360 review: A mediocre hybrid laptop in a pretty red case

    As any bloviating tech pundit will tell you, tablets are poised to take over the mobile computing space. Meanwhile, back in the real world, few of us are willing to part with actual keyboards. Lenovo recognized this early and rolled out the Yoga. HP is the latest manufacturer to follow its lead with the Pavilion x360, a laptop with a hinge that allows its keyboard to fold all the way to the back of its display to become a chunky tablet.

  • Toshiba Satellite P50t-BST2N01: The first laptop to boast a 4K display

    Toshiba's Satellite P50t boasts two important firsts: It's the first laptop to feature a 4K display, and it's the first to be Technicolor Color Certified. You likely have at least a passing familiarity with 4K video, but I would argue that the latter claim to fame--which you might never have heard of--deserves more praise.

  • Dell Latitude E7440: Hefty to carry, but a joy to use

    While taking notes for my review of Dell's latest business notebook, I repeatedly found myself saying "Well, on the other hand..." The Latitude E7440 is bulky for a 14-inch Ultrabook-- it's almost a pound heavier than Lenovo's X1 Carbon Touch. On the other hand, it's super tough. You could drop it on the sidewalk and it'd still deliver the sales projections for tomorrow's meeting. It's outfitted with both HDMI and DisplayPort. On the other hand, you'll need to carry a VGA adapter to connect it to the old video projector in the boardroom. Its battery croaks after just 4.5 hours. On the other hand, it's removable, so you can swap in a spare.

  • Toshiba Portege Z10t review: The best detachable so far

    I'm not completely sold on the 2-in-1 hybrid concept. A laptop that becomes a tablet when detached from its keyboard? Who really needs that? But if you're smitten by the idea, Toshiba's Portege Z10t is the best execution I've seen. It's not too big, it's not too heavy, and it packs some serious computational horsepower.

  • Dell XPS 13: A small, sexy, and durable Ultrabook

    This third iteration of the Dell XPS 13 is definitely the best. It's a bit pricey at $1299 as configured, but that buys a sharp, nimble, and durable laptop with a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, an SSD, and a 13.3-inch touchscreen display. If you're considering an Ultrabook--or a 13-inch MacBook Air--this machine should be on your short list.

  • Hands On: Nokia's Lumia Icon cuts the phablet down to size

    Sanity has been restored to Nokia's Lumia smartphone lineup with the release of the Nokia Icon. This Verizon exclusive pulls the best features from Nokia's massive 6-inch phablets--the Lumia 1520 in particular--and tucks them behind a manageable, 5-inch OLED display.

  • Lenovo ThinkPad X240: A no-nonsense business laptop

    If Lenovo's spendy ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the laptop every corporate drone craves, Lenovo's thrifty ThinkPad X240 is the laptop their employer is more apt to spring for (assuming, of course, that the company's IT department has standardized on Lenovo and not Dell, HP, Toshiba, or some other commercial laptop builder).

  • The Toshiba Q Series Pro SSD delivers top performance at a discount

    Many capable SSDs are out there, but don't overlook a relative newcomer: Toshiba's Q Series Pro. Toshiba's drives are among the very fastest we've tested, and in an unusual development, we saw no drop in performance in its smaller capacities. Throw in heavy online discounts, and you have an excellent bargain in a top-performing drive.