The most reliable Windows laptop is a Mac, says Soluto

Soluto's PC troubleshooting Web service has saved many a forehead from banging against a desk. By scanning computers for installed software and crowdsourcing problems, Soluto's consumer service helps with everything from boot times and app crashes to remote configuration. Soluto used the wealth of data it collected in this way to compile a list of the ten most reliable Windows laptops currently on the market, dominated by a surprising star...and it's not a PC.

It's Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The list published today is based on information collected from 150,000 laptops since January 1, 2013. Analysis took into account application crashes, hangs, and blue screens. Soluto believes the MacBook Pro 13" may have gained its spot at the top of the list because of its clean Windows installations: When users install Windows on a MacBook, it comes as Microsoft intended, completely free of any OEM extras.

Second on the list is the affordable Acer Aspire E1-571, which costs a third as much as the MacBook Pro 13" yet was nearly as stable and trouble-free. The Acer comes out slightly ahead of the much fancier Dell XPS 13, which comes with an SSD and costs more than twice as much. Soluto notes that a full 32% of Soluto users removed the version of Windows that shipped with their Dell XPS, opting to start out with a clean Windows installation instead.

Soluto's "big-data frustration analytics" are based on objective metrics such as the number of crashes per week and the number of processes running in the background. The company used a formula to interpret the numbers and arrive at a single, simple grade for each computer tested. The list, which is published in the April 2013 edition of "Soluto's PC purchasing guide for small businesses," contains the raw scores for each computer as well, making further analysis (and alternative interpretations) easy.

SMBs, you can simmer down now

Along with the rankings, Soluto also made a product announcement today. The new Soluto for Business service, which is aimed at small businesses and IT service providers, builds on the popular consumer software. For $8 a month, Soluto for Business supports up to ten PCs, letting IT experts (formal or otherwise) remotely troubleshoot them. Soluto has created a video illustrating the process. Future editions of the purchasing guide will be available to subscribers only.

Going up against established competitors in the remote control arena like GoToMyPC and TeamViewer, Soluto drastically undercuts prices while offering additional services. Soluto will keep offering a free version of the service that supports up to three computers, aimed at home users or small businesses who want to evaluate it.

Soluto's agent runs in the background as the computer operates, collecting data about application crashes, blue screens, hangs, and other annoyances often encountered in daily work. Administrators can then view this information in an online dashboard, taking action remotely to eliminate sources of frustration.

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Android laptops: The $200 price is right, but the OS may not be

When Intel said recently that its Bay Trail chips will power a wave of $200 touchscreen laptops, the company wasn't talking only about Windows.

Those $200 notebooks will predominantly run Android, Intel Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer David "Dadi" Perlmutter told CNet. Windows laptops could reach the $200 mark, but that "depends on how Microsoft prices Windows 8," Perlmutter said. "It may be a slightly higher price point."

An earlier report by The Wall Street Journal claimed that Microsoft may slash licensing costs for small, touch-equipped notebooks. The lower cost of Windows, combined with lower resolution requirements and low-end Intel processors, could make for some cheap Windows 8 devices later this year.

Even so, Android laptops will likely be even less expensive, because Google doesn't charge a licensing fee for the operating system.

But is Android a good fit for laptops? Some companies have tried the Android notebook before--most notably Asus, with its Transformer and Slider hybrids--but these have been niche products at best.

To make Android more practical as a laptop operating system, Google needs to make some tweaks. Although Android supports external mice, the operating system and apps aren't really optimized for trackpad input. The things you'd expect from a trackpad, like right-click context menus and hover-over functionality, aren't supported. Android would also need more desktop-like features, such as a version of Chrome that supports windowing and a more robust version of Google Drive.

Besides, Google already has a notebook operating system in Chrome OS, and already it's much better suited for productivity than Android. It fully supports trackpads and other pointing devices and it offers the full desktop Web. One Chromebook has already reached the $200 mark.

In the past, Google has said that Chromebooks and Android devices serve separate purposes, but their respective user experiences will merge over time. That hasn't really happened yet, so at this point, throwing Android onto a laptop seems like jumping the gun.

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Samsung rationalizes PC naming scheme

In an attempt to rationalize its Windows PC lineup, Samsung announced Friday that it will gather all its Microsoft boxes under the ATIV brand.

The move will affect Samsung's Series 3, 5, and 7 all-in-one computers and more than half a dozen of its laptops.

The all-in-one models, which were announced last summer, will be called the ATIV One 3 (Series 3), ATIV One 5 (Series 5) and ATIV One 7(Series 7).

Samsung's laptop models will be renamed the ATIV Book 2 (the Series 3 300), ATIV Book 4 (the Series 3 370), ATIV Book 4 (the Series 5 510), ATIV Book 5 (the Series 5 Ultra), ATIV Book 7 (the Series 7 Ultra), ATIV Book 6 (the Series 5 Chronos), ATIV Book 8 (the Series 7 Chronos), and ATIV Book 9 (the Series 9).

Samsung apparently didn't want to totally rationalize its lineup, since the company is renaming the Series 3 370 and Series 5 510 both as the ATIV Book 4.

Tablet line also renamed

Prior to the renaming splurge on Friday, the ATIV designation was reserved for Samsung's Smart PC line--itself a bit of confusing nomenclature

"Whether Samsung is trying to confuse buyers into thinking they're buying a laptop, or can't make up its mind what it is, the Samsung ATIV Smart PC is (mostly) a tablet," wrote Lloyd Casein a review of the product in PCWorld.

With its new renaming scheme, Samsung appears to be addressing that confusion. The ATIV Smart PC Pro is becoming the ATIV Tab 7, for example, while the ATIV Smart PC is now the ATIV Tab 5.

In addition to re-christening its PC line, Samsung also announced something it calls SideSync.

The feature enables you to switch from working on your PC to your Android-based Samsung smartphone by simply connecting the two devices via a USB cable.

When connected, you can respond to a text on a mobile phone from the PC keyboard, as well as view maps, photos, and multimedia from your phone on your PC screen.

You can also make edits to files on your phone via your ATIV PC and even drag and drop files from one unit to another.

Samsung's president Jun Dong-Sun has been critical of Windows 8 in the past -- even comparing it to the much maligned Windows Vista. Whether this new naming scheme will have any impact on PC sales or is just putting lipstick on a pig remains to be seen.

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Microsoft Surface Pro gets May UK release date

Surface Pro release date arrives but still no UK price

Microsoft has finally announced that its Surface Pro tablet will go on sale in the UK by the end of May.

So far, the more powerful Surface tablet running Windows 8 Pro has only been available in the US, Canada and China. However, Microsoft has confirmed it will be released by the end of May in the UK and a number of other countries. See also: Microsoft Surface Pro vs Surface RT comparison review.

Microsoft said: "We know it took us a while to get back to you, but we hear you, and are excited to be able to provide an update on the countries where Surface RT and Surface Pro will be launching in May and June."

The software giant said more details will be provided on exact launch dates, retail partners and prices via the Surface Twitter account. We think the Surface Pro could be priced from ?749 in the UK for the 64GB model. See also: Microsoft Surface Pro price in the UK.

The Surface Pro will be released in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland by the end of May. It will reach Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand before the end of June.

Meanwhile, the Surface RT will be released in Malaysia on April 25th, in Mexico by the end of May and in Korea and Thailand in June. See also: Microsoft to launch 7in Surface.

"The enthusiasm for Surface has been fantastic, and we love hearing the stories of people who are making it the one device they use to work and play. This is what Surface was designed to do – simplify your life while letting you do more!" added Microsoft.

Follow Chris Martin and @PCAdvisor on Twitter.

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What happened to iPad 3? Why the third-generation iPad disappeared

What happened to Apple's third-generation iPad, the first one with a Retina display? We reveal all...

When the fourth-generation iPad 4 arrived the iPad 2 was retained but the third-gen iPad 3 disappeared. So what happened to the iPad 3? (See all iPad reviews.)

In the beginning, there was the original iPad (well, in April 2010, to be exact). The world saw it, and it was good. The second generation 'iPad 2' then launched almost exactly one year after the original, and was then followed a further year on in March 2012 by the third-generation iPad. But this wasn't called the 'iPad 3'. Not officially anyway. The third iPad was known only as 'iPad'.

Confused? We haven't yet started.

Just a few months after the launch of the third-generation iPad, or iPad 3, Apple called back the world's press to announce the long-expected iPad mini. It then threw everyone a curveball by announcing an upgrade to the full-sized iPad. The third-generation 'iPad' would now be replaced by, well, the fourth-generation 'iPad'. Now known as the iPad with Retina Display.

If you wanted a cheaper option you could and still can buy the iPad 2, but the iPad 3 was no more. It had disappeared from Apple's shelves overnight.

So what happened to the iPad 3? Why did Apple announce a good product in March only to have it disappear in November? And why can you still buy the iPad 2 but not the iPad 3?

Here we answer the question: what happened to the iPad 3? (And for simplicity's sake I am going to refer to them as iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4. Apologies to Apple employees.)

The clue to all of this is to look at the iteration of iPads from the iPad 2 through the subsequent two generations. You'll see that the iPad 3 was a big step up from the iPad 2, but the iPad 4 only a gradated development of the iPad 3. In fact, the iPad 3 became the iPad 4. That's what happened to it.

 

The third-generation Apple iPad built on the staggering success of iPads 1 and 2 and added in an HD screen, as well as a camera that can capture 1080p footage, an improved processor and a bigger battery. It was a big step forward at the time. (For more, see: Apple iPad 3 vs iPad 2 comparison review.)

Physically there was little to distinguish the iPad 3 from the iPad 2. The newer iPad was a fraction thicker and around 60g heavier. But the noticeable difference was in the display: Apple uprated the new iPad screen's resolution fourfold. Gone was the iPad 2's PC-like 1024 x 768 resolution, to be replaced by the HD-punishing resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The result was described by our reviewer as 'breathtakingly sharp typography and cunningly crisp images... writ large across a 9.7in rather than 3.5in phone touchscreen, the upgrade in image quality is quite extraordinary on the new iPad.' (You can read more about this here: iPad 3 vs iPad 4 comparison review.)

Thus the iPad 3 was a winner. But it lived for only a few months when along came the fourth-generation iPad: what changed? 

The fourth-generation iPad brought with it only a handful of key upgrades, at the same prices and storage options as the iPad 3, with the same dimensions and weight. And, critically, that same great display. The iPad 4 is very much an iterative update of the iPad 3.

The biggest update from iPad 3 to iPad 4 was the new Apple A6X processor, a dual-core chip featuring quad-core graphics that Apple said could be twice as fast as was the iPad 3's.  The numbers are certainly impressive. In GeekBench 2 we saw a then record of 1769 where the iPad 3 scored 'only' in the region of 750. We also found graphics performance impressive with a frame rate of 39fps compared to the iPad 3's 22fps. In real-world testing, however, the iPad 4 is a nippy device but it doesn't feel that much quicker than the iPad 3. It's certainly not twice as fast. A solid upgrade, but not a different device.

In other upgrades Apple also added the new Lightning connector to the iPad 4 - making it incompatible with older peripherals, but offering future-proofed compatibility with newer Apple speaker docks and chargers. This was the only change to ports and buttons from iPad 3 to iPad 4, however. So again it's an upgrade and not a redesign.

There was an updated 4G LTE modem, too. This largely righted the wrongs wrought by the iPad 3 in the UK and elsewhere when it turned out that the '4G' frequencies that tablet used weren't compatible with many 4G networks. The iPad 4 supports 1800MHz - a crucial number since this is what EE and other telcos use for their 4G networks in the UK.

This was a problem solved by the iPad 4, but not a new feature. (Apple also said that the iPad 4 has 'advanced Wi-Fi technology - up to twice as fast as any previous-generation iPad' but actual details of how this is achieved are sketchy to say the least.)

One bigger change was that the front camera of the iPad 4 became a 'FaceTime HD' snapper, with support for up to 720p video and 1.2Mp photos. This is a big step up from the iPad 3's VGA camera. The back camera was largely unchanged, a few teaks notwithstanding.

So, in the end, the iPad 4 is the iPad 3 with a handful of updates - most of which you cannot see. It's like the sort of software update you are told you have received, but you barely notice. (See also: Nexus 10 vs Surface RT vs iPad 4 tablet comparison review.)

Here's what I think happened to the iPad 3: in early 2012 Apple wanted to launch a Retina-display iPad and keep to its yearly upgrade cycle. It hadn't yet completed the design or couldn't get the stock for the new, faster processor, and it wasn't yet ready to move the iPad to the Lightning connector - although that was clearly on the cards. It also wanted a 4G tablet to take to market. Finally, Apple wanted to retain a less expensive iPad option, but give value to those paying more to upgrade to the new iPad.

So it launched the iPad 3, called it just 'iPad', and retained the iPad 2. The iPad 3 was largely well received, with the exception of the international 4G problem.

But when Apple could make the incremental upgrades it did so, keeping the nomenclature vague to reduce the urge of early adopters to upgrade again (technically the iPad 4 is known as 'iPad with Retina Display', despite the iPad 3 also having the HD display).

So what happened to the iPad 3 is it had a few bells and whistles added, and it was relaunched as the fourth-generation iPad. Annoying if you bought one? Perhaps: if you own an iPad 3 you have a great product, but your peers who waited for the iPad 4 have a marginally better one. That's life in Apple's world, I guess - Apple could have rushed out the iPad 4 before it was ready. Instead of which it launched a product which was entirely fit for purpose, but quickly superceded it.

See also: what's the best iPad?

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Lenovo ThinkPad L

Lenovo's business laptops range from big, powerful machines to small, portable devices. The standard options available on these business laptops, unfortunately, leave a lot to be desired, and the Lenovo ThinkPad L Series fares in a similar way. While it does have impressive aspects, you will likely need to upgrade several components of this business laptop.

The features on this business laptop are adequate. The 1366 x 768 15.6-inch display complements its large size. That large size – 1.3 inches thick at its largest point – translates to a heavy weight at just under 6 pounds. Thankfully, this size leaves room for a large enough battery to provide up to 8.1 hours of usability. The Lenovo ThinkPad L Series features a 0.9-megapixel HD webcam along with Dolby Advanced Audio integrated stereo speakers.

Despite its large size, the standard model of this business laptop could use some improvement in the performance department. Issued with the base model is an Intel i3-3120M processor with speeds up to 2.5GHz. We would have liked to see the entry-level L series model outfitted with at least an i5 processor. Thankfully, you can upgrade this component to an Intel i7-3520M with speeds up to 2.9GHz. The built-in Intel HD Graphics chip is nothing special and unfortunately cannot be upgraded.

The Lenovo ThinkPad L series has 4GB of RAM, which can be upgraded up to 8GB. We've found that 8GB is typical for most business laptops, and is almost necessary by today's standards. We would have liked to see this Lenovo business laptop equipped with at least 8GB out of the gate. Another area in which the L series could use some improvement is the available storage space. This device comes with a 320GB hard drive, which can be upgraded all the way to 1TB of space. Alternatively, you can choose to install up to a 256GB solid-state drive.

The connectivity options available on the Lenovo ThinkPad L Series business laptops are good, but a few key components are missing. There are three USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port available on this device. We were impressed with the total count of USB ports, but we would have liked to see more 3.0 ports available, as the speed boost from 2.0 to 3.0 is very noticeable. This business laptop is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled and features an SD card reader. The VGA connection on this device is handy, but it is missing an HDMI port, which many external displays utilize. The optical drive does not offer DVD writing ability, but this feature is available at an additional cost.

Lenovo's support offerings are solid. The company's website contains guides and manuals, as well as online tools that may be able to help you diagnose and repair your issues. If you are still unsure of how to solve your problem, Lenovo representatives are available by phone, email or live chat.

The Lenovo ThinkPad L series business laptop is a big machine with plenty of room to house both a powerful processor and impressive battery. However, unless you choose to upgrade several components, you might be unimpressed with its performance. The specs on this Lenovo business laptop almost necessitate an upgrade, and the connectivity options could be better. The display size and battery life are impressive, but without the power to back it up, this business laptop falls a bit short.

The available memory and processor on this business laptop could be better.

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Vizio

Vizio Co-Star is one of the few home media servers still using Google TV. This works in its favor in some respects, but overall Google TV still has a few bugs to work out. There is still a tendency toward the occasional system crash and freezing app. But still, it is much improved over previous versions.

The other problem is that major services like Hulu Plus, Google Music, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, MLB.TV, Spotify and even Google’s own TV and Movie rental service have been blocked and are therefore missing dedicated apps on the Vizio Co-Star. The Amazon button on the remote is misleading and simply takes you to Amazon.com in the Chrome browser.

The Vizio Co-Star looks very much like many of its competitors – it’s a small black box that connects to your TV via your cable box. It enhances your cable watching experience by joining your cable content and that of the internet into a single interface, powered by Google. A Google TV overhaul should involved making the interface easier to navigate. Since the cable and Vizio box share the same HDMI input, you don't have to switch inputs when you toggle between live TV and Vizio's apps and services.

Google TV has come a long way recently and the Vizio Co-Star has earned its place on our lineup, even if it can't quite compete with the best media players on our list. It’s compatible with resolutions up to 1080p, but the network connection often determines the real quality of the picture. It has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth and supports 3D playback.

The remote is clunkier than the remote included with other media servers. The main buttons like play, pause, fast forward and rewind are too small and located in a non-intuitive location above the touchpad. The QWERTY keyboard on the back help you navigate through Google TV’s many features, and there has a directional pad on the left and ABXY game buttons on the right for use with the online streaming game service.

As for connections, the Vizio Co-Star has both HDMI input and output, USB and Ethernet ports and a power cord receptacle in the back. These ports will allow you to access some of your personal media files.

Vizio's customer support is somewhat limited and can only be reached by phone or email, but the company’s website does have FAQs and user manuals online.

The Vizio Co-Star home media server provides a wealth of web content on your TV. While it has a way to go before it truly competes with the best home media servers on the market and needs to work out some issues with Google TV, it's still a decent streaming device with the ability to access loads of internet content.

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Panasonic

With the DMP-MST60, Panasonic enters the home media server scene in style. This media player allows you to stream media directly from the internet to your living room, and it also gives you access to digital home media content.

The MST60 provides full access to Panasonic's proprietary Viera Connect services so you can access all of your favorite online services from the box. You can also check on your Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as play your favorite games and access movies and sports online. It's also 3D capable and has a web browser for easy internet navigation.

A number high profile apps are available on this device like Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube, but there are also limitations. Sports apps are limited to MLB.TV, Fox Sports and MLS MatchDay Live at this point. And app availability overall is somewhat lacking, though for a device brand new to the market the selection isn't bad. Another challenge with being a brand new device is it really hasn't proven itself, but by all appearances, it has a lot of potential.

This home media server has built-in Wi-Fi with access to such high profile apps as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube. The MST60 also gives you a web browser, 3D capability and the ability to stream content from an Android device.

With the MST60, you can convert your 2D videos into a 3D format, so you'll have a fresh experience watching videos you've seen a dozen times. The built-in web browser will allow you to take full advantage of the mirroring feature. You can search for content from a smartphone or tablet and stream videos, images and music onto your large screen TV. You can share photos with friends, play games or enhance presentations with videos or complementary images.

If you have any issues after purchasing this home media player, Panasonic has a great support system. You can use any method of contact you prefer, including live chat, phone, email and even regular mail if you're so inclined. When we contacted live chat with several questions, the representatives were very helpful. The MST60 comes with a one-year warranty and you can purchase additional years of protection for your streaming media player.

Panasonic enters the home media streaming market with an impressive, feature-loaded product that should compete well in its price range. This is a solid choice if you're looking for a healthy selection of apps and some extras like enabling you to access your personal computer files.

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HP Spectre

One of the first things you will notice about the HP Spectre business laptop is its sleek design. With a chrome finish and thin profile, the appearance of this device is stunning. However, when you're considering a business laptop, good looks are secondary to powerful performance. With a strong battery life and thin, lightweight design, the portability of the HP Spectre is without question, but its other features may leave you wanting a bit more.

As we mentioned, the design of this business laptop is a big selling point. It weighs in at just over 3 pounds and is only 0.7 inches thick. The 13.3-inch display features a native 1366 x 768 resolution, which is fitting for a display of this size. The HP Spectre can be used for up to 7.5 hours on a single charge, which is just about enough to get through a typical business day. This business laptop also features a 0.9-megapixel webcam, as well as built-in Beats Audio speakers.

Performance-wise, the HP Spectre could use some improvement. Housed within this device is an Intel i5-3317U processor with speeds up to 1.9GHz. This was quite a bit slower than the majority of the business laptops we reviewed, but it can be upgraded to an Intel i7-3667U with turbo-boost speeds up to 3GHz. However, the built-in Intel HD Graphics chip is not upgradeable.

The memory and storage available on the HP Spectre are lacking as well. The standard model is outfitted with 4GB of RAM and cannot be upgraded. This business laptop has a 128GB solid-state drive and can go as high as a 256GB SSD. While the solid-state drive is nice, you should be aware of the likelihood that 128GB of space will fill up quickly. We would have liked to see an option for at least 500GB of standard HD space.

Unfortunately, the connectivity options of the HP Spectre fare no better. This business laptop has one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are standard on this device, but that's about where the options end. While this device does have an HDMI port, it lacks an SD card reader, a VGA port and an optical drive. The missing optical drive may be the biggest issue with this device, as its absence can prove dire in many circumstances.

With the HP Spectre, you may be drawn in by the slick, thin and lightweight design. While these are excellent features, the device simply lacks too many necessary attributes to be a solid choice for a business laptop. The processor is decent and the battery life is impressive, but the small amount of RAM coupled with little to no connectivity options takes this business laptop down a few places in our ranks. The lack of an optical drive seals the deal. The solid-state drive ensures speedy access to files, but when all is said and done, the HP Spectre can't earn our full recommendation.

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Dell Inspiron

The Dell Inspiron business laptop is just about as entry-level as you can get. With less-than-stellar standard features and plenty of room for upgrades, this device can be as powerful or as lowbrow as you want. Its memory and storage options are slightly above average in the base model, but a few weak features and lacking connectivity options keep it from being a top-ranked option for a business laptop.

This device is 1 inch thick and features a 15.6-inch display. The 1366 x 768 default resolution is not upgradeable. The Dell Inspiron features a 1 megapixel HD webcam with Waves MaxxAudio integrated stereo speakers, which give it a slight edge over the competition in sound and video capabilities. Another advantage to the Inspiron is its weight, coming in at less than 5 pounds for the standard model. Adding a battery pack can increase this weight and may be necessary, as the standard battery will only last five to six hours on a full charge.

Powering this business laptop is an Intel i3-3227U processor with speeds of up to 1.9GHz. This performance is especially weak compared to other business laptops, but thankfully, you can choose to outfit this device with up to an i7-3517U CPU that is capable of speeds up to 3.0GHz. However, you cannot upgrade the built-in Intel HD Graphics chip on this device.

The Dell Inspiron enjoys a slight edge over the competition with its storage and memory options. This business laptop offers 6GB of RAM and 500GB of hard drive storage space, which can be upgraded to 1TB. Sadly, 6GB is the maximum amount of RAM available on this device. While 6GB should be enough for most users, an extra 2GB could make the difference when performing multiple high-demand functions on your device, such as rendering video or making in-depth presentations.

For those presentations, you'll likely need to be prepared with a good selection of connectivity options on your device. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron offers few means by which to connect to other devices. While it does have an HDMI port, it lacks Bluetooth capabilities and does not have a VGA connection. On the bright side, we were impressed by the four USB 3.0 ports on this machine, and the SD card reader is a useful inclusion. The lack of a DVD writeable optical drive was disappointing, as well as the absence of a Blu-ray option.

The Dell Inspiron has enough to get the job done, but it does nothing beyond the call of duty. While the available RAM and USB connectivity impressed us, this business laptop falls short in several key areas. Having the option alone to upgrade these devices is critical, and Dell falls short in providing these choices with the Inspiron.

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Wall Street Beat: Weak PC sales rain on tech stocks' parade

Just as tech stocks were starting to rise this week, dismal PC sales reports for the first quarter burst the very short-lived bubble, causing shares of IT companies to fall back to earth Thursday.

As market indices hit milestone after milestone this year, PC stocks have lagged behind. This week, however, tech stocks climbed and led the markets to record highs Wednesday. After the markets closed, though, the bad news came: both Gartner and IDC reported a nosedive in first quarter PC sales.

IDC said the 13.9 percent year-over-year drop in PC sales was the worst decline it has seen since it started tracking the PC market in 1994. Both Gartner and IDC noted it was the fourth consecutive quarter of declining PC sales.

On Thursday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard and Poor's 500 index hit yet new nominal (not adjusted for inflation) highs, the Nasdaq Computer Index dropped 0.79 percent. Some of the biggest losers were companies with exposure to the PC market. Hewlett-Packard dropped US$1.44 to $20.88, Microsoft fell $1.35 to $28.93 and Intel declined $0.43 to $21.83.

In its report, IDC said global PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter, down 13.9 percent year over year and worse than the forecast decline of 7.7 percent.

On its part, Gartner said PC shipments totaled 79.2 million units, an 11.2 percent decline and below 80 million units for the first time since the second quarter of 2009.

"Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, in the report.

Windows 8 has hurt the PC market, according to Bob O'Donnell, an IDC analyst. "While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the UI, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices," O'Donnell said, in the IDC report.

IDC also attributed the drop to PC buyers' unease with HP, which has undergone various leadership and strategy changes, and with Dell, which is weighing a controversial plan to go private.

Heading into earnings season, the weak PC data means potential trouble for HP, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, according to Sterne Agee analyst Vijay Rakesh ."Even after the weak February, we are lowering our estimates to represent continued challenges in the PC market," Rakesh wrote in a research note Thursday.

Weak PC sales could continue into the second quarter with, for example, notebook shipments flat to down by 2 percent to 5 percent, Rakesh said.

Looking at the entire hardware market, though, some industry analysts see a silver lining: While the PC market implodes, other computing devices such as tablets and smartphones are selling well.

Despite a "miserable" year for semiconductors in 2012, smartphones and tablets will help drive growth in 2013, according to a research report from IHS.

Global semiconductor revenue in 2012 declined by 2.2 percent from 2011, according to final results from an IHS iSuppli report, issued Wednesday. There were a few bright spots, however.

"Robust growth in smartphones and media tablets was key to driving growth opportunities for logic ASICs, CMOS image sensors and sensors essential to enabling new and attractive features in the exciting wireless market," said Dale Ford, senior director at IHS, in the report. Growth in CMOS image sensors hit 38.8 percent, followed by logic ASICs at 19.0 percent.

Some industry analysts are taking a broad view. "We are watching the resizing of the computer industry into different slices. Yesterday it was just one big pie with two slices, desktops and notebooks," noted tech analyst Jeff Kagan, in an email. "The computer industry is not going away. It's just changing, resizing. "

This sort of positive spin on tech will be put to the test next week, when tech bellwethers including IBM, Intel, AMD, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft report earnings.

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Windows 8 takes blame for 'brutal' PC sales slide

Microsoft's Windows 8 took another knock Wednesday as research firm IDC laid much of the blame for the first quarter's historically-horrible PC numbers at the feet of the beleaguered operating system.

Yesterday, IDC and rival Gartner released their estimates for 2013's first-quarter PC shipments. The former painted a gloomy picture of the industry, saying that the 14% decline, year over year, was the largest ever in its nearly two decades of tracking.

Gartner pegged the global downturn at 11%.

While the drop was expected -- IDC, for example, had forecast an 8% contraction year over year -- yesterday's figures had one analyst searching for words. "It's brutal," said Bob O'Donnell of IDC. "These are disastrous numbers. Huge."

O'Donnell was one of the IDC analysts who blamed Windows 8 for the unprecedented fall-off in consumer PC purchases during the quarter. "Not only has Windows 8 not helped, but it's actually hurt PC shipments," he said in an interview.

In a statement that accompanied the firm's estimates, O'Donnell ticked off a now-familiar litany of Windows 8's confusing traits that caused consumers to shy from new PCs, including the bold-but-radical move to the tile-based "Modern" user interface (UI), the removal of the Start button and menu from the "Classic" desktop UI; and the touch-first strategy Microsoft's taken.

"The costs associated with touch PCs have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices," O'Donnell said in the statement. "Microsoft is going to have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if they want to help reinvigorate the PC market."

Jay Chou, another IDC analyst, also tapped Windows 8 for contributing to the decline in PC shipments. "Users are finding Windows 8 to offer a compromised experience that doesn't excel either as a new mobile interface or in a classic desktop interface," he said in the same statement. "The result is that many consumers are worried about upgrading to Windows 8."

David Daoud, however, said that Windows 8 is only one of several factors that suppressed PC shipments. "This was a perfect storm, and Windows 8 was just one issue among many," IDC analyst Daoud contended in an interview.

He ticked off several other contributors, including a general saturation of PCs, especially in developed countries like the U.S.; the fact that PCs bought since 2008 or 2009 remain "good enough" for what consumers want out of a desktop or laptop; and in some parts of the world, stagnant economic conditions.

But like his colleagues, Daoud agreed that Windows 8's lackluster acceptance played a part. "There's a disconnect between what the OS wants to do and what the end user sees," said Daoud, referring to the touch features of Windows 8 and the higher price of touch-ready PCs.

Daoud expected that the bad news for the PC business -- and Microsoft, which largely relies on sales of new systems to fuel Windows revenue -- won't be over soon, although he was optimistic that things would improve in the second half of the year.

"There is a correction the industry has to go through," said Daoud. "The addressable market going forward will certainly be smaller than this industry has been used to from 2002 until 2012. And that correction is likely to continue."

In some places, the downward turn is the new normal: The U.S. has posted smaller shipments year-over-year in nine of the last 10 quarters. Globally, the first quarter is the fourth consecutive to record fewer shipments than the year before.

Daoud rejected the idea that the industry is seeing the death rattle of the PC. "Do we need the PC? Definitely. They're going to be around for a while."

Gartner's numbers were a bit brighter in that it estimated worldwide PC shipments at 79.2 million for the quarter, compared to IDC's 76.3 million. And although Gartner did not call out Windows 8, it implicitly said that the new OS hasn't helped boost PC shipments.

"Similar to other mature markets, the U.S. will see the installed base of consumer PCs decrease going forward," said Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa in a statement. "This is because many of these systems will not be replaced with PCs; they will be displaced by other devices, or simply retired."

Last week, Gartner's Carolina Milanesi said declining PC sales and booming business for tablets and smartphones were putting the heat on Microsoft. The Redmond, Wash. developer, she said, must manage to grab consumers' attention with its tablets and phones in the next 20 months, or see its influence and relevancy wane.

The quarter's PC shipment estimates add fuel to Milanesi's argument, as Gartner's previous bet was that the PC market would contract by 3.5% in 2013, less than a third as much as the first-quarter drop.

Microsoft will hold its quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts next week, on April 18, starting at 2:30 p.m. PT, when it will reveal revenue figures from its Windows division.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@ix.netcom.com.

Read more about pcs in Computerworld's PCs Topic Center.

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Windows XP's looming retirement won't shake PC business out of sales funk

The looming retirement of Windows XP won't stem the dramatic drop in PC sales this year, but it may help bolster Microsoft's revenue, analysts said today.

Although experts expect some business laggards to buy new hardware as they try to replace the 12-year-old XP before it's retired in April 2014, the quantities won't be enough to move the PC shipment needle to the positive side of the meter.

"Replacements for Windows XP won't be enough to offset the declines on the consumer side," said David Daoud, an analyst with IDC.

Earlier this week, both IDC and rival Gartner released estimates of PC shipments for the first quarter. Both said sales had plummeted, with IDC pegging the contraction at 14%, a record in the 19 years since the firm began tracking shipments. Much of that decline was due to consumers ignoring new Windows 8 PCs, said IDC.

Microsoft has said it will not issue security updates for Windows XP after April 8, 2014, and shows no sign of bending on the date.

"They've drawn a line in the sand," said Matthew Casey of Technology Business Research.

IDC, which has already integrated potential replacement PC sales into its forecasting model, said that the new wares will contribute to a slightly better second half of 2013, along with the usual back-to-school and holiday sales seasons.

The retirement of XP "will help the commercial PC market, but it will do zero for the consumer," said Bob O'Donnell, another IDC analyst.

But while PC makers suffer, Microsoft software will come out smelling much sweeter: It's likely to reap more revenue from the disappearance of XP than will system builders, as many corporate customers will do in-place upgrades to Windows 7 on current hardware.

In February, CFO Peter Klein said that while Microsoft was seeing a mix of in-place upgrades and hardware refreshes by companies moving off XP, to date "a lot of these upgrades [are] happening on existing hardware."

That's feasible for two reasons. First, few of the machines still running XP are as old as the operating system -- corporate refreshes have taken place since XP debuted, even if many of them were downgraded to that OS to keep corporate environments as homogeneous as possible. Second, Microsoft has reduced the hardware requirements of Windows 7 to the point where the OS can run on old-but-not-ancient PCs.

Two months ago, Klein credited Windows 7 upgrades on existing hardware for boosting volume licensing revenue. In fact, Microsoft earns considerably more from an upgrade license sold to customers than it does for a new license it sells to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), or computer makers, for equipping new systems with an OS.

Rod Helm of Directions on Microsoft could not put a figure on the difference -- in part because what Microsoft charges OEMs for a new license is one of the Redmond, Wash. developer's most closely-guarded secrets -- but said that the System Builder version was the priciest OEM license Microsoft sells, and so a maximum for what it charges computer makers.

Microsoft will probably post Windows revenue figures during 2013 that outperform the PC business because of in-place upgrades, Helm said.

In a purchase of 1,000 upgrade licenses for Windows 8 Pro -- which include downgrade rights to Windows 7 Professional -- each license costs $184 under Microsoft's Open Licensing program, one of its most expensive. Meanwhile, a copy of Windows 8 Pro System Builder costs $96 on Amazon.com.

In other words, Microsoft makes about twice as much from a corporate in-place upgrade than it does from a sale to an OEM. No wonder the company's happy to see businesses move off XP by upgrading existing hardware.

But not all XP users will bother to upgrade. IDC's Daoud said that many businesses have downsized to the point where they have a surplus of PCs, and will simply set aside older systems running XP. Consumers, on the other hand, are even less likely to buy a new PC to replace their aging XP machines, instead steering toward smartphones and tablets as substitutes.

Microsoft will hold its quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts next week, on April 18, starting at 2:30 p.m. PT, when it will reveal revenue figures, signaling whether in-place upgrades helped offset the drop in income from OEM licensing.

Read more about windows in Computerworld's Windows Topic Center.

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Design innovation: The PC's secret weapon in the war for relevance

As laptop and desktop sales plummet by record amounts, some PC manufacturers are wading out of their comfort zones in hopes of breathing life back into the market.
Two prominent examples have reared their heads recently. On the Wednesday of last week, Toshiba, a manufacturer perhaps best known for midrange PCs at competitive prices, took a swing at the ultrapremium market with the Kirabook, a thin and light laptop with an ultrahigh-resolution display on a par with Apple's Retina-packing MacBook Pros. And just one day earlier, HP placed a big bet on futuristic motion controls, announcing that it will bundle Leap Motion controllers with select PCs, and will embed the technology directly into future devices.
Other PC makers are trying their own experiments. Acer, for one, has teased about a "unique notebook" that may be able to convert into a desktop with a raised touchscreen. And Asus has launched a desktop that transmogrifies into a gigantic detachable Android tablet, while Lenovo is preparing a tabletop touchscreen PC designed with digital board games in mind.
These are early signs of a sea change among PC makers, companies that for years subsisted on selling unremarkable products--essentially, spec lists and price tags--with no major distinguishing features. That strategy no longer works in the age of tablets.
What we're witnessing now is an attempt to adapt.
Why humdrum laptops won't fly anymore
PC makers are being forced to experiment because the traditional laptop and desktop markets are drying up. It's not just unit sales that are in decline, it's revenues as well. HP, for instance, saw its PC revenues fall 8 percent last quarter, and Toshiba saw a 16 percent PC sales decline in its 2012 fiscal year due to falling demand in the United States.
But don't blame Windows 8 alone for the PC industry's woes. The reality is that PC sales were on the decline before Microsoft's operating system went on sale, largely because tablets have tweaked people's purchasing decisions.
As Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawanoted in January, most households no longer feel the need to have one laptop or desktop for everyone. Instead, people are buying tablets for consumption uses, and hanging onto one or two household PCs for productivity. Computers, in that sense, have become like microwaves. Users replace them only when absolutely necessary.
"The PC's not going to be an everyday device for most consumers," Kitagawa said in an interview. "Tablets will probably take that position."
As a result, PC makers are changing their focus. Instead of trying to sell lots of cheap computers, they're turning more attention to premium PCs, designed to attract shoppers who want a product built to last.
Toshiba's Kirabook and Acer's upcoming laptop-desktop crossover are examples of that trend, Kitagawa said. But selling on these new premium brands won't be easy. Acer, for example, cemented its reputation for dirt-cheap laptops in the netbook era. That may explain why the company is using a Star Trek tie-in to promote its next premium PC.
"It's been their strength, of course, to be a low-price leader, but that market is not going to go anywhere going forward, so they have to make changes," Kitagawa said.
That's not to say that PC makers are ignoring the low-end of the market. Later this year, consumers can expect touch-enabled Windows 8 notebooks running on Intel's Bay Trail processors, with prices as low as $200, along with touch-enabled Ultrabooks in the $500 to $600 range.
Still, whether these budget Windows 8 devices can compete with Apple's iPads and cheap tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire is unknown.
But while the traditional PC market is on the decline, it's still a mammoth business, with 76.3 million units sold last quarter alone, according to IDC. As the market flattens out and tablets gobble up an increasing slice of the low end, however, PC makers will likely compensate by trying to sell more expensive machines--which is why we'll see more interesting products aimed at grabbing shoppers' attention.
To sell, a high-end PC needs to stand out.
Desperate times, desperate measures
Granted, PC makers have always offered expensive products, but in the past, the differences in prices have typically come down to component speeds. The higher the price, the heftier the hardware inside--it was as simple as that. But now PC makers are focusing on unique features, rather than raw performance, to justify higher prices.
Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, sees PC makers' newfound experimentation as an offshoot of what began last year with Windows 8 hybrids and convertibles. HP's upcoming Leap Motion devices, and Acer's convertible notebook, are part of a "second wave" intended to make the PC cool again.
"I think what they're doing is trying to get a jump on this next wave of innovation, but also to find some sort of advantage that they can put out there competitively," Moorhead said in an interview.
Over the next year or so, he expects PC makers to refine those hybrid designs, while also introducing new technologies, such as eye-tracking, voice commands, and wireless connectivity to larger displays.
"In times of pain, new tech will tend to get more creative and take more risks," Moorhead said, though he also acknowledged that some companies go the opposite way, avoiding risky bets and trying to protect their core business.
To boldly go where no man(ufacturer) has gone before
While it's true that PC makers are taking risks by investing in fresh designs and new technologies, sticking to the status quo could be even more fraught with peril. PC makers have survived for years by doing little aside from pushing prices ever lower on barely distinguishable, borderline commodity products. Hey, it's what sold.
It's not what's selling any more, though. Unexciting, low-cost laptops don't catch the public eye as ferociously as tablets. Mix that meh
with the fact that tablets often undercut cheap notebooks on price, and you have a recipe for future disaster.
On the other hand, tablets can't compete with the power or profit margins of high-end laptops, making pricier products a possible safe haven for PC makers. But first, manufacturers must convince consumers that dropping the extra bucks in these cash-strapped times is a worthwhile investment. Current luxury features such as backlit keyboards and beefy processors are nice and all, but they simply don't drive mass sales the way that eye-popping features might--repeat, might
--be able to.
The winds of change are indeed a-blowing throughout the industry, but experiments like the Kirabook, the Asus Transformer AiO, and HP's Leap Motion support show that PC makers are well aware of the challenges they face, and are actively innovating to rise to the occasion.
Will such gambles pay off? We won't know for sure for some time. One thing is certain, however: PC makers, finally, are thinking outside the ho-hum black box.

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Windows 8 touch laptop prices to hit $200 by the holidays, Intel CEO says

Intel held its first quarter earnings call for 2013 on Tuesday, and the Q&A with analysts afterwards was full of bold declarations about how cheap touch-enabled PCs and other Intel-loaded touchable gadgets were going to get.
Intel executives love to talk about how the next generation of PCs powered by Intel processors is going to be surprisingly cheap. And there's no better time to throw around price predictions than after a round of dismal reports about the future of the PC.
The most interesting price prediction came from outgoing CEO Paul Otellini who said touch-enabled laptops could get as low as $200 by the holidays.
"If you look at touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-Core processors ...Those prices are going to be down to as low as $200, probably," Otellini said. Otellini's $200 price prediction followed earlier statements from both Otellini and Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith claiming Bay Trail-powered devices would get into the $300 range. Bay Trail is Intel's Atom system-on-a-chip that's due later this year.
"Because of Bay Trail coming into the marketplace, you'll see touch-enabled thin notebooks with really good performance that are hitting kind of $300 price points," Smith said.
Ultrabook prices predicted to fall
The pair also reinforced statements that Ultrabooks would be priced less than $600 in time for the holidays. "As we get into the Christmas selling season, our expectation is you will see touch-enabled Ultrabooks that are $499 and $599 pretty commonly out there--$599 commonly, and $499 as kind of special SKUs," Smith said Tuesday.
Before getting too excited about the future of touch-enabled PCs, keep in mind Intel is the same company that predicted the first generation of thin and light Ultrabooks would be priced under $1,000. That's a price point that early Ultrabooks largely failed to meet, although there were some priced as low as $900-$999.
Intel may really like it if PCs got priced as low as $200, but the company's dreams for PC pricing have recently ended up in conflict with the real products that computer manufacturers release.
While Intel is talking up the future of the cheaply-priced touch PC and the promise of improved sales, market research analysts are painting a pretty dismal picture for the traditional personal computer.
Earlier in April, research firms Gartner and IDC both said worldwide PC shipments hit record lows during the first three months of 2013. IDC set the drop at 13.9 percent, while Gartner said the dip was around 11 percent. (Disclaimer: PCWorld and IDC are both owned by International Data Group.)
If the figures prove to be accurate, Intel's predictions of lower prices may help buoy declining PC sales as both Gartner and IDC pointed to price as a major contributing factor--along with the undesirability of Windows 8.
Blame game
Blaming the lull in PC sales on high prices for touch-based PCs is a theme we've been hearing for months. In January, PCWorld reported that Windows 8 notebooks didn't sell well during the 2012 holiday season partly due to price. Then, in early April, we saw Windows 8 hybrid and tablet prices slashed, Windows RT device pricing also fell during that time, and we even caught some Windows 7 PCs priced higher than their Windows 8 counterparts.
On Monday, financial news site MarketWatch went so far as to say PC prices were hitting "Black Friday-style deals."
All of this cheaper pricing, we're told, should help prop up the sagging PC market, especially later in the year when touch-based PCs running Windows 8 become more commonplace. But what if that's not the case at all? With PC computing power and speed hitting a wall, what if all the excitement has finally gone out of the PC market as everyone turns to tablets and smartphones for everyday computing?
What if the PC really is turning into the microwave: just another home appliance you replace only when it breaks down? Forty percent of the global PC population, after all, is still using Windows XP, an operating system that has seen three major refreshes since XP debuted in 2001.
Intel may have a tough time predicting prices for future PCs but, even if the company's predictions hold true, cheaper PCs may not be enough. There's no guarantee, after all, that holiday shoppers will prefer a $200 Windows 8 laptop just because it has a touchscreen. Not when you can pick up an equally priced Android tablet such as the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire that can fit in your back pocket.

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Windows 8 laptops can't command Windows 7 prices

Tepid enthusiasm for Windows 8 is bad news for Microsoft, but it's good news for laptop shoppers.
Notebooks with 15-inch displays and running Windows 8 with Intel Ivy Bridge processors have been spotted in the wild selling for as cheap as $299, according to the bargain hunter site DealNews.
That price, which includes 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive, is $100 less than the best deals available during last year's Black Friday weekend.
Many of the Windows 7 laptops still available are priced higher than their Windows 8 equivalents, an examination of several online retailers reveals. At the 10-month mark in their lifecycle, Windows 7 laptops with Core i5 Sandy Bridge processors and 15-inch displays were selling for around $400, a 34 percent drop from their introductory price, DealNews reports. By comparison, the price of similarly configured Windows 8 systems have dropped a whopping 46 percent at their 10-month mark.
Many of the Windows 7 laptops still available are priced higher than their Windows 8 equivalents, a glance at several online retailers reveals.
Some shoppers are seeking older systems in order to avoid Windows 8, which sports a new user interface that those buyers don't want to be compelled to learn. "This hesitation to adopt--and adapt--to the touchscreen-happy UI of Windows 8 may also explain why we're seeing such steep discounts on Windows 8-equipped Ivy Bridge laptops," DealNews asserted.
Discounts on Windows RT and hybrid-style systems have also been spotted at Microsoft's online store, but those discounts aren't at the extreme levels spotted by DealNews.
Adding to the woes of Windows 8 is the news that a new version of the operating system, code name Windows Blue, will be arriving this summer in time for back-to-school buying sprees. That could ignite even further deals on Windows 8 systems.
With a possible hardware refresh in sight, it's not surprising to see deals appearing for Windows 8 systems, according to Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with the Enderle Group in San Jose, Calif.
As for tales of Windows 7 hardware selling at a premium over newer Windows 8 systems, that's a simple case of supply and demand. "There's a massive shortage of Windows 7 hardware because the OEMs were asked to stop making it last year," Enderle explained to PCWorld.
"For the folks who want to continue the old interface, they're seeking hardware that's becoming more scarce," he said.
Meanwhile, he continued, there's no shortage of the newer hardware that was produced in large quantities.
Windows Blue isn't improving matters, either. "Whether Windows Blue will be an update or new release hasn't been clearly articulated by Microsoft and that confusion doesn't help matters," Enderle noted.
He predicted that the next generation of Windows 8 hardware will be a lot better than the first systems running the OS. The processors will be more efficient and the machines will be lighter and cheaper.
"Typically, the first hardware out with a new operating system feels rushed," he said. "The second and third waves tend to be more refined."
"Folks that really want Windows 8 probably should wait until the second half of the year when the new stuff comes out," he added.

Medion Erazer X7819 review

You can get passable gaming performance from a laptop for around ?700 – as long as you don’t mind keeping down the resolution and graphical settings a bit. But if you really want to enjoy smooth graphics at a high resolution, you’ll currently have to pay around ?1200 or more.

See: more laptop reviews.


However, Medion’s Erazer X7819 (MD98392) throws down an impressive-seeming gauntlet to its gaming rivals. It’s not the most powerful gaming laptop we’ve seen, but its performance could satisfy all but hardcore gamers while still coming in under ?1000.
Like most gaming laptops the Medion Erazer X7819 is something of a beast in girth and mass, sporting a large 17.3in screen and a weight so great it broke our scales. Medion specifies it at 3.9kg, not including another kilo for the mains charger.
It looks impressive though, as the sturdy plastic chassis has a smart fake-metal finish, joining the gratuitous glowing lights that usually go with the shoot-’em-up territory
There are several models in the Erazer range, wielding either 15.6in or 17.3in displays, with prices going as far as ?1400. We tested the entry-level model, which costs ?899 and had a quad-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM processor, 16GB memory, and 750GB hard drive.
We noticed that the current model on sale lists only 8GB of memory though.
As well as the built-in Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics there’s a dedicated nVidia GeForce GTX 670MX processor with 1.5GB of video memory.
We were pleased to see that the Erazer’s screen has a non-reflective matt finish; but disappointed to find that it’s been downsized to 1600 x 900 pixel dimensions, where 1920 x 1080 is the natural fit for a screen this size. Model with an HD display are available, busting the ?1000 barrier.
The brightness and viewing angle aren’t good, with the image darkening noticeably if your head moves more than about 45 degrees to the side.
The Medion Erazer X7219 scored a downbeat 3375 points in the PCMark 7 benchmark test. The hard-disk drive also means this laptop boots sluggishly – around 45 seconds to get up enough steam to launch Windows programs (with no anti-virus installed).
But once the Erazer hits its stride it does provide very good gaming performance for a machine in this price range.
With Batman: Arkham City the Erazer managed a comfortable 40fps at 1600 x 900 resolution with DirectX 11 and High graphics settings.
Stalker: Call Of Pripyat ran similarly well, hitting 50fps with its High graphics settings. We were even able to nudge Batman up to 50fps using DX11 graphics after dropping down to Medium detail settings.
The cooling fan did hum noticeably, even with the graphics switched to integrated. You could always use the loud speakers to try drowning out the fan when playing games or watching films. You’ll also have to contend with their tinny sound though.
The keyboard and trackpad are large and firm enough to take a pounding during gaming sessions, and several keys – including the WASD gaming control combo – are highlighted in red to enhance visibility. The main mouse click buttons, left and right attached to one pivoted bar – proved too stiff for comfortable use.
Battery life is a mixed bag. We were able to get a little over four hours use, when streaming video with the Intel HD Graphics 4000; and just 90 minutes when gaming.

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Apple Mac mini (Late 2012) with Fusion Drive review

Its now-famous square aluminium unibody sets a standard in build quality and design which is still many strides ahead of all the competition. It’s delightfully minimal, with all connecting ports tucked away around the back. Notable among these are four USB 3.0 ports – which Apple just couldn’t bring itself to colour blue – as well as HDMI and Thunderbolt connections. If you’re hooking the Mac mini up to a display without speakers, fear not, for there’s a basic mono speaker built into the PC itself. See all Mac reviews.

Our review model was packed with options, including the fastest processor of the group, in the form of the quad-core Intel Core i7-3270QM. Subtract ?80 and you can configure it with its standard 2.3GHz quad-core Core i7. Performance-wise, the Mac mini is pretty hard to beat. See also Group test: what's the best PC for under ?1,000?

It’s PCMark 7 score of 3286 points was beaten only by Chillblast’s Fusion NUC. However it’s important to note here that the latter is using purely solid-state storage – and there's only 128GB of that included. The Mac mini’s Fusion Drive provides over 1TB of storage space, and when functioning in its native OS X operating system, is able to take advantage of a 128GB SSD to boost performances still further.

Gaming performance is also superior to the Chillblast PC – and nearly all other comers – thanks to its considerably faster integrated processor.

This Mac mini is one of the more power-hungry of the group, with a power draw of 12.5W when doing nothing at the Windows 8 desktop. This increased to 76W under load – well over double that of any other mini PC we’ve tested. This is the price you pay for stuffing such a powerful processor and two drives into a tiny case.

Although the Mac mini features a cooling fan it is, for the most part, blissfully quiet in operation. However, when we hit it with some really hard sums there was plenty of loud whooshing in evidence as the fan worked to keep the temperature down below 100 degrees celsius.

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Chillblast Fusion NUC review: tiny PC with good performance

The Fusion NUC is Chillblast’s take on Intel’s unusual movement into complete PCs, called the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) platform. This tiny square-shaped PC incorporates a fast, low-power processor, 8GB of memory and 128GB of solid-state storage. See Group test: What's the mid-range desktop PC?

It’s a very cute-looking device, constructed from plastic but never feeling cheap – as well it shouldn’t for the ?549 price. The outer packaging consists of an Intel-branded box which plays the cheesey Intel tune whenever the box is opened. See all mid-range PCs.

A single USB 2.0 port graces the front of the PC, while the rear adds a further pair along with HDMI and Thunderbolt and a Kensington security slot.

The 1.8GHz Intel Core i3-3217U processor helps the Fusion NUC to deliver some surprisingly high performance results. Its PCMark 7 sore of 3993 points exceeds that of any other mini PC reviewed here – even quad-core systems running at higher clock speeds, such as the Mac mini. It also makes for some impressive power consumption figures, with the PC requiring only 9W to idle and 19.5W at full tilt. Internally, it’s fan-cooled but it remains very quiet indeed as only minimal cooling is required.

However, the true key to this performance lies in the blisteringly fast 128GB Intel 525 Series mSATA SSD which delivers storage performance in a different league to any other mini PC in the group. This isn’t a large amount of storage though, so you’ll almost certainly have to supplement this with an external drive or NAS. At which point much of the SSD advantage will evaporate.

We appreciate the small size of the Fusion NUC, but there are some key features missing. Where are the USB 3.0 ports? Built in 802.11n Wi-Fi is great, but why no ethernet? What about a card reader? Zotac’s even smaller Zbox Nano XS AD13 Plus shows that size is no excuse for omitting these near-essential features.

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Dell OptiPlex 9010 review - touchscreen Windows 8 all-in-one PC for business

The launch of the touch-centric Windows 8 spawned a host of new all-in-one (AiO) designs, most of which leave something to be desired. But with a little patience and forethought, Dell has delivered a considerably more usable touchscreen AiO: the OptiPlex 9010. And all they had to do was to put the touchscreen within easy reach.

Dell worked this minor miracle by engineering a double-jointed stand that allows you to move the display up and down and slightly forward, along with the tilt adjustment most AiO's provide. Even better, the 9010 has a standard VESA mount point, so you can also use a fully articulated wall- or desk-mounted arm for truly versatile placement. Add a minor landslide of options, top-notch security features, excellent service and warranty options, and you have an AiO that UKPLC can embrace.

Dell also remembered something that many vendors seem to forget: It's not just about looking sexy; reducing cable clutter and wasted space are equally important. In a market filled with AiOs that block the usable surface area behind them, the 9010's minimal footprint leaves all the surrounding area accessible. This allows you to either fill it up with other stuff, or to enjoy the serenity delivered by an uncluttered vista.

To keep cables to a minimum, Dell ships the 9010 with a wireless mouse and keyboard. This keyboard is one of the first Chiclet-style units we've seen on a desktop. Its action is just a hair soft, but thanks to the support of the surrounding plastic, the keys don't have the sloppy feel that you get with some Dell units. The mouse tracks well and has a nice heft, thanks to the battery inside.

Any doubts that the 9010 all in one PC is aimed at the corporate world are dispelled by the presence of PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports found on the back of the unit. The back is also home to VGA and HDMI video outputs, gigabit ethernet, an audio output, two USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports to meet more modern peripherals needs. Take a look at Group test: what's the best all-in-one PC?

On the left side of the PC are two more USB 3.0 ports, headset and microphone jacks, and a 8-in-1 card reader. On the lower right hand side of the display, you'll find the eject button for the optical drive, on-screen display, and power buttons. The absence of an HDMI input renders this system less attractive to consumers, because you can't use it as a display for a gaming console or a set-top box. Visit Busines Advisor.

Our test 9010 AiO came configured with most of the top-of-the-line component options including an Intel Core i7-3770S, 8GB of DDR3/1600 memory, and a Samsung PM830, 128GB SSD. Needless to say, the machine was fast, scoring 113 on our WorldBench 8 test suite. Gaming was nothing to brag about, but the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics did manage playable frame rates at about 1024-by-768 and lower resolutions. We didn't receive a Blu-ray player, but got a DVD-RW burner in the bay.

The 9010 AiO's display is a 23.6-inch, 1920-by-1080 widescreen that provides a very sharp picture, and even behind the thick digitizer, plenty of usable brightness. The speakers deliver adequate volume, a tiny amount of bass, and a generally sonorous experience. The unit also has a 1.3-megapixel webcam, plus dual-array mics designed to reject background noise.

The 9010 is fully secured via Intel's Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and Intel Standard Manageability provides out-of-band management capabilities (Intel vPro Technology is available as an added option). Out-of-band management enables a remote admin to take control of the system whether or not it's powered. A three-warranty with onsite service after remote diagnosis is standard. Four- and five-year warranties are also available.

The 9010 AiO is available in a ton of configurations: Drives range from 3.5-inch 250GB mechanical models to the 128GB SSD that our test model used. CPUs run the gamut, from Pentium Dual-Core to Core i3's or the Core i7-3770S that we tested.

Dell got touch right with the OptiPlex 9010. The design of its stand makes using the computer via touch a lot easier than most other AiOs we've seen, and the inclusion of a VESA mounting point renders it suitable for almost any work environment. From a purely practical point of view, it's one of the best AiOs on the market. Take a look at Group test: what's the best all-in-one PC?

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MSI Wind Box DC110: very cheap and small PC

The Wind Box DC110 is a more competitively priced mini PC with a home-user focus. Unusually, our sample came with Windows 8 pre-installed, although examples we've seen for sale have Windows 7. It’s ready to plug-and-go and is useful for desk use where space is at a premium. See also Group test: What's the best budget PC?

When held aloft by its optional stand, its white irregular parallelogram shape appears to stick out of the desk like a dagger thrown into a floorboard. Its upward tilt angles its ports towards you and improves air flow from below. See all budget PC reviews.

It’s an undeniably plastic creation, although certainly not unpleasant to look at. A squeeze of the corner-mounted power button brings the unit to life and you’re greeted by a Windows 8 desktop with a small bundle of pre-installed software, including Office 2010 Starter Edition.

Connectivity isn’t as good as we might have hoped. There are six USB 2.0 ports, but none of them USB 3.0 or eSATA. And Thunderbolt isn’t an option. There's 320GB of internal storage provided but all external drives will be limited to dawdling USB 2.0 speeds.

HDMI and VGA ports are provided, along with analogue and digital audio, while the top of the unit features a handy flash card reader.

For the low price of ?275, you get a considerably less-powerful processor than you’d find in other PCs though. There’s no Core i7 or even Core i3 processing to be found here. Instead you get a really slow 1.1GHz Intel Celeron. Worse, this Intel chip comes with an inferior version of Intel’s HD graphics, which we found wasn't even able to run our Windows benchmark game Aliens vs Predator. It simply aborted with an error message.

So you can forget gaming, but the tasks of web surfing, office applications and viewing HD video should all be served quite adequately by the Wind Box DC110. Creating HD media is another matter entirely.

With low performance comes low power consumption, and this unit will use only around 10W at idle or 23W when pushed.

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Sapphire Edge VS8 review: a mini PC with plenty of storage

The Edge VS8's black rubberised-plastic housing contains a PC based on AMD’s 1.6GHz A8 processor which features integrated Radeon 7600G graphics, giving it considerably better graphics performance than any of the competition. See also Group test: What's the best budget PC?

The Edge VS8 offers a well-balance set of features: its large 500GB hard drive is slower and more power power-hungry than an SSD, but also considerably less expensive and offers enough storage space for many to use the PC without the need to connect up external USB drives. See all budget PC reviews.

However, should you need to, there are two USB 3.0 ports provided, along with four USB 2.0. Dual monitor outputs are also provided in the form of HDMI and Mini DisplayPort connectors. Mini DisplayPort to HDMI and Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters have been included in the box.

There’s also digital and analogue audio, an SD card reader and a gigabit ethernet port. Annoyingly, the front-mounted USB 3.0 ports are located behind a small removable tab which we managed to lost.

Our system was supplied without an operating system. All the required drivers were supplied, but these were on optical media which the PC doesn’t support. An installation of Windows 8 went without a hitch however and we were easily able to download the required drivers from Sapphire’s website.

Performance-wise we were expecting more from the Edge VS8. The PC Mark result of 1150 points seeming uncharacteristically low, especially when considering relatively high scores in many sub tests.

Where the Edge VS8 shines however is in gaming. While it’s by no means a gaming PC, it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the competition and will give you by far the best gaming experience available. Power consumption was a little higher than the rest, but even under full load, the system cooling fan remained relatively quiet – you won’t have to sacrifice your peace in order to get faster gaming graphics.

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Tiny Green PC Intense PC Pro review

At ?791 the CompuLab/Tiny Green PC Intense PC Pro is well over double what many would be expecting to pay for such a device. But it does have some unique features combined with industrial-strength (literally) build-quality.

It also majors on being an entirely fanless design. See Group test: What's the mid-range desktop PC?

The system is based on a dual-core Intel Core i7-3517UE processor which runs between 1.7GHz and 2.8GHz depending on load. It delivers a useful level of performance, as revealed by a PCMark 7 score of 2628 points, while still retaining low power consumption.

Power draw was pushed up somewhat by the use of a spinning hard drive rather than an SSD, but the passive cooling system is so well engineered that even under full load the processor temperature never exceeded 73 degrees C. See all mid-range PCs.

The Intense PC’s ridged body is designed to radiate heat away without the need for an internal fan. However the system isn’t completely silent as, if you listen hard, you can hear the 500GB 2.5in hard disk whirring away inside. But when under stress, no competing fan-cooled system is as quiet as the Tiny Green PC Intense PC.

An impressive range of connection ports is provided, including two gigabit ethernet ports, S/PDIF in and out, HDMI, DisplayPort, two eSATA and a total of six USB ports – two of which are USB 3.0. There’s also built-in Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi with external antennae.

A unique feature of the Intense PC is its support for interchangeable FACE modules. These front panels can replace the standard four USB 2.0 ports with enhanced options.

Options include a module with four ethernet ports plus four USB 2.0 ports, and another featuring two full-size mini-PCIe sockets for expansion. You can also have bespoke FACE modules built to your own specification for specialist industrial uses.

Anders Electronics has asked us to clarify that neither it nor Tiny Green PC are the original designer or manufacturer of the Tiny Green PC Intense PC reviewed above.

At the prior request of UK distributor Anders Electronics, trading as Tiny Green PC, we had published our review of the Intense PC Pro with the Tiny Green PC website listed as the sole contact URL.

The Intense PC was designed and built by Israel company CompuLab Ltd, the same company behind the Fit PC 2 and Fit PC 3 we reviewed previously.

Anders Electronics has the exclusive distribution rights to sell the Fit PC and Intense PC mini computers in the UK, and is now doing so under the brand name Tiny Green PC.

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The most reliable Windows laptop is a Mac, says Soluto

Soluto's PC troubleshooting Web service has saved many a forehead from banging against a desk. By scanning computers for installed software and crowdsourcing problems, Soluto's consumer service helps with everything from boot times and app crashes to remote configuration. Soluto used the wealth of data it collected in this way to compile a list of the ten most reliable Windows laptops currently on the market, dominated by a surprising star...and it's not a PC.
It's Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The list published today is based on information collected from 150,000 laptops since January 1, 2013. Analysis took into account application crashes, hangs, and blue screens. Soluto believes the MacBook Pro 13" may have gained its spot at the top of the list because of its clean Windows installations: When users install Windows on a MacBook, it comes as Microsoft intended, completely free of any OEM extras.
Second on the list is the affordable Acer Aspire E1-571, which costs a third as much as the MacBook Pro 13" yet was nearly as stable and trouble-free. The Acer comes out slightly ahead of the much fancier Dell XPS 13, which comes with an SSD and costs more than twice as much. Soluto notes that a full 32% of Soluto users removed the version of Windows that shipped with their Dell XPS, opting to start out with a clean Windows installation instead.
Soluto's "big-data frustration analytics" are based on objective metrics such as the number of crashes per week and the number of processes running in the background. The company used a formula to interpret the numbers and arrive at a single, simple grade for each computer tested. The list, which is published in the April 2013 edition of "Soluto's PC purchasing guide for small businesses," contains the raw scores for each computer as well, making further analysis (and alternative interpretations) easy.
SMBs, you can simmer down now
Along with the rankings, Soluto also made a product announcement today. The new Soluto for Business service, which is aimed at small businesses and IT service providers, builds on the popular consumer software. For $8 a month, Soluto for Business supports up to ten PCs, letting IT experts (formal or otherwise) remotely troubleshoot them. Soluto has created a video illustrating the process. Future editions of the purchasing guide will be available to subscribers only.
Going up against established competitors in the remote control arena like GoToMyPC and TeamViewer, Soluto drastically undercuts prices while offering additional services. Soluto will keep offering a free version of the service that supports up to three computers, aimed at home users or small businesses who want to evaluate it.
Soluto's agent runs in the background as the computer operates, collecting data about application crashes, blue screens, hangs, and other annoyances often encountered in daily work. Administrators can then view this information in an online dashboard, taking action remotely to eliminate sources of frustration.

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Zotac Nano XS AD13 Plus review:

If you’re looking for the smallest PC possible, then the contest is over. All the Nano XS has to do is work, and you’ll be satisfied. However, it does rather more than that. See also Group test: What's the best budget PC?

Despite its almost ridiculous size, it’s smart plastic and aluminium body manages to pack in far more ports and connectors than the most other mini PCs. Somehow, the case finds room for six USB ports: two of which are USB 3.0 spec and one of which doubles as an eSATA connection. See all budget PC reviews.

It also includes a gigabit ethernet connector, card reader, HDMI and optical digital audio. Zotac has cheated slightly by providing the 802.11n Wi-Fi as an external USB adaptor, but it’s included in the price, so we’re inclined to forgive them.

Inside, the Nano XS AD13 Plus uses a dual-core 1.7GHz AMD E2-1800 processor and manages to outperform both the MSI Wind Box DC110 and the Sapphire Edge VS8 – no mean feat for a PC of this size.

However, one crucial area which has been compromised is that of storage: only 64GB has been included in the form of an mSATA SSD card. You’re really going to need some external storage to make the most of this PC and this must be factored into your budget.

The bundled Windows Media Center remote control gives us a clue that Zotac is expecting many users to set up the PC as a media centre, probably storing the bulk of the multimedia content on a NAS or taking advantage of streaming services. If you do wish to use Microsoft's Media Center, don't forget to factor in an extra ?100 for Windows 8 Pro.

With only 7.5W required when idle, rising to 23.5W under full load, the Zotac Nano XS AD13 Plus can be left on without stressing over electric bills. Turning it off isn’t a problem either as we found it very quick to reboot. When hot, its cooling fan does become audible, but you really have to push it quite hard for this to happen.

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Rain Design mStand 360 review: lifting your MacBook with strength and style

The post-PC world in which we live isn’t really devoid of PCs of course. The sorry Wintel box is on the endangered list but every personal device that computes is a PC, whether phone, tablet or laptop.

And it’s laptops that are now the heavy lifters, carried from home to office and back and used as de-facto replacements for the desktop PC.
See: Apple MacBook reviews.
In this role the notebook is typically hooked up to outboard keyboard, mouse and an external monitor, its own display pressed into service as a second screen alongside the main desktop display.
It’s vital that the laptop should then be perched correctly above the desk if you’re to avoid neckache, at the very least. Fulfilling that job are many laptop stands, built to raise the laptop and support it safely. Some like the Rain Design mStand 360 here will even proffer the laptop’s own keyboard and trackpad by tilting the whole notebook gently downwards towards you.

Rain Design mStand 360, now with the power to turn heads
In the case of recent MacBooks with their generous multi-touch trackpads, this makes it a doddle to reach out and touch with OS X gestures such as three- and four-finger swipes.
Filling the laptop stand role with great aplomb is this new version of the Rain Design mStand. Unashamedly Apple-inspired to blend with some of the finest notebooks in the business, the mStand is a solid aluminium U-shaped stand that echoes the appearance of the Apple Cinema Display foot, now the Apple Thunderbolt Display, and that of recent iMacs.
It’s a solid chunk of folded metal, weighing nearly 1.4kg, and measuring a uniform 4mm thick. That’s only half the thickness of the iMac pillar, although the mStand has a lot less mass to support. And the 4mm gauge does look right.

An upturned lip at the front prevents your laptop from sliding down – that, and the four small rubber pads on the top surface of the mStand.
These are 2mm thick, separating a MacBook from the hard stand, so we’d beg to differ on one feature that Rain Design highlights: ‘aluminum [sic] panel cools laptop by acting as heat sink’. Those rubber pads ensure there’s no metal-metal contact, so little or no heat will get sunk this way.
However the inclined tilt does mean that convection currents are more likely, increasing airflow along the underside, which can't be a bad thing.
The Rain Design mStand 360 adds one distinct feature from the original, and that’s of course the swivel stand. This is a lazy-susan affair, a round plate on the bottom with eight small steel balls locked around the circumference to serve as a stable bearing.
In practice, it works wonderfully, with no play or wobble or apparent, yet enabling the whole stand-plus-notebook ensemble to be effortlessly rotated whenever required. The usual instance could be to swivel your laptop around a few degrees to share what’s on-screen with a colleague.
Build quality of the Rain Design mStand 360 is first class, notwithstanding some wrinkling in the metalwork around the large cutout hole at the rear.
Like the iMac and Cinema Display, this aperture – here 53 mm across and plastic-rimmed – enables cables to be snuck through to tidy desktop cable looms.

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