Desktops

Windows 8: The complete new PC launch list

Dozen of new PCs are launching alongside Windows 8. Some are inventive new designs with sliding keyboards and removable screens, others are simple retreads of existing products, occasionally augmented by a new touch screen.

Here you'll find links to all the major new Windows 8 hardware being released this holiday season, sorted by brand. Many of these systems are available to preorder now, and most will ship when Windows 8 launches on October 26 (a handful have yet to even be announced, so we'll add those to this list when they are).

Full coverage: Windows 8

We've … Read more

Tap 20 desktop tablet, Vaio Duo 11 lead parade of Sony Windows 8 PCs

The time has come for each Windows PC manufacturer to announce its unusual and frequently convertible offerings for the launch of Windows 8 at the end of October. Sony's announcement of new Vaio laptops and desktops puts a square focus on touch and multipurpose use, with two brand-new desktop and laptop products, the Vaio Tap 20 and the Vaio Duo 11, as the centerpieces.

There are other, less exciting revisions as well: the E Series now offers a touch-screen aluminum E Series 14P, and the Vaio S Series now comes in burgundy red. We had a chance to test … Read more

Vizio updates its PCs for Windows 8, touch

TV manufacturer Vizio made a splash earlier this year with the launch of a line of laptop and desktop PCs, showcasing designs that felt high-end and unique compared with the competition. Its latest updated lineup of PCs timed for the Windows 8 launch doesn't change the equation much, but the desktop systems finally get touch-screen displays that they lacked before.

Vizio's new 24- and 27-inch All-In-One Touch PCs add 10-finger capacitive multitouch to their 1080p displays, whereas previously these desktop PCs relied on wireless touch pads and remotes. These new desktop systems start at $998, although deeper specs … Read more

Maingear introduces first boutique gaming all-in-one PC

Mainstream vendors, Lenovo in particular, have attempted gaming-oriented all-in-one desktops. Maingear's Alpha 24 Super stock is the first from a true boutique PC vendor.

For starters, here are the highlights of the Alpha's spec sheet:

Intel Core i3 3240 3.4GHz, upgradeable to Intel Core i7 3770K Up to 256GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD Up to 3TB mechanical HDD Full-size, Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Graphics, up to GeForce GTX 680 Expansion slots that include two mini PCIe slots and one PCIe x 16 slot Starting at $1,349

You don't normally find full-size graphics cards, and PCI-Express … Read more

PCs hit a high for customer satisfaction -- boosted by tablets

Driven by the popularity of tablets, personal computers grabbed a new high in customer satisfaction in the September report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Labeling desktops, laptops, and tablets all as personal computers, the ACSI gave the category a grade of 80 out of 100. That proved a 2.6 percent gain over the 78 score earned last year and in 2010. Though some may disagree with the tagging of tablets as PCs, the iPad and its brethren were partly responsible for the bump in satisfaction among computer buyers.

"The recent stall in demand for desktop PCs comes … Read more

USB cables could power PCs, peripherals

Today, you likely charge your phone with a USB cable. Tomorrow, you might well use one to charge your laptop and other devices.

With a new Universal Serial Bus technology called Power Delivery (USB PD), Intel and its allies hope the ubiquitous cable will become even more widespread. "One USB cable does it all," said Brad Saunders and Bob Dunstan, two Intel architects in a presentation at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week.

USB 2.0 can carry 2.5 watts of power. USB 3.0, which is just catching on now, can handle 4.… Read more

Steam's Big Picture aims to revitalize computer gaming on TV

Move over, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Valve Software today revealed a new television-friendly version of its massive Steam digital video game distribution service.

Aptly named Big Picture, the new view transforms Steam into a more polished experience for the big screen. The optional redesigned interface represents a departure from the traditional Valve design used in the Steam application for Windows and Mac, instead falling in line with the easy-to-navigate layouts commonly seen in streaming media devices. … Read more

HP adds Windows 8-ready Envy, Pavilion, and Spectre all-in-ones

You might know HP's Spectre product best as a home for the company's high-end, high-concept laptops. With the SpectreOne, announced today, HP brings an all-in-one PC into that fold. The question is whether its features match its high-price.

HP says the SpectreOne will begin at $1,299 when it launches in the U.S. in November. In addition to the stylized design, the SpectreOne includes a non-touch, 23.6-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel display, a touch pad, and near-field communication (NFC) technology, dubbed HP TouchZone. It also has no built-in optical drive.

The touch pad makes HP the second … Read more

Upgrading to Windows 8: What you need to know (FAQ)

Even if you're excited for Microsoft's new OS, you might not be planning to buy a new computer. If you have an existing Windows PC, Microsoft has made the upgrade process more or less simple, but there are still some things you might want to think about before making the switch. Here are a few key points to consider.… Read more