Computers and hardware

Meet the HP Slate 500

Thanks to an e-mail CNET received, we have images and detailed specs for the long-awaited Windows 7 slate that Hewlett-Packard originally promised at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. We hear that it will be formally introduced on Monday.

There have been some leaks here and there, but now we know, based on this HP document, that it's officially called the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC. As HP had said before, it comes with Windows 7 and is aimed at corporate customers. We've listed all the specs below, but some of the ones that popped out at us: … Read more

Apple not committing to Java support in Mac OS X 10.7

First Flash, now Java?

In a quiet update yesterday, Apple indicated that its support for Java on Macs isn't long for this world. Apple released an updated version of Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, but warned that they won't be doing that again:

As of the release of Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 3, the version of Java that is ported by Apple, and that ships with Mac OS X, is deprecated.

This means that the Apple-produced runtime will not be maintained at the same level, and may be removed from … Read more

Tools and techniques for printing folder contents

There aren't many of us left who remember using PCs before Windows arrived. While I don't pine for the good old days of DOS, I was comfortable operating those old machines from the command line.

Back then, I frequently had to print a list of the files in a folder. Doing so was as easy as copying the list to a text file that I opened in my text editor and printed from there. This trick still works via the command prompt built into Windows.

Instructions for using commands to print the contents of a folder--including various command … Read more

The flash future of the MacBook

The new MacBook Air offers a window into the future of Apple's laptops. And if you ask Steve Jobs, it's the future of all laptops.

During his 90-minute presentation at Apple headquarters yesterday, Jobs introduced two models of a redesigned MacBook Air, an 11-inch and 13-inch. Both are supremely skinny (less than .11 inches at the tiniest point) and weigh in at just under three pounds. Two very explicit feature choices enabled that: leaving out the optical drive for loading discs, and the decision to drop the hard drive. Instead, there's just a flash-based solid-state drive. And … Read more

Apple gets 'Back to the Mac' with iLife '11, Mac OS X Lion (live blog)

Editor's note: We used Cover It Live for this event, so if you missed the live blog, you can still replay it in the embedded component below. Replaying the event will give you all the live updates along with questions and commentary from our readers and CNET editors. For those of you who just want the updates, we've included them in regular text here. You can find a brief summary of what was announced in our followup article here.

CUPERTINO, Calif.--Fresh off of crowing about strong iPhone sales, and unloading on Google and Android, Apple is turning its attention to one of its smallest businesses: the Mac.

Join us live as we find out for sure what Apple has in store. Our coverage begins just before 10 a.m. PDT today. You can follow the blow-by-blow account in the Cover It Live module below.

Those of you on Apple devices can watch Apple's own live stream of the event here: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1010qwoeiuryfg/event/index.html. The stream requires Safari 4 or 5 on Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Safari on iOS 3 or later. It can also be watched on non-Apple products by using a media player called VLC (download here) and inserting the URL into the Open Network Stream option under the media tab.

9:52 a.m. PDT: Hi everyone, thanks for joining us! We're just getting settled inside Town Hall here on the Apple campus. The event should begin in about 10 minutes.

9:56 a.m. (Josh Lowensohn): Hey, Josh here. I'm on photo duty this morning. Ina will be on in a second to corral your comments.

9:59 a.m.: Lights are lowering. Here we go. … Read more

How To: Clean malware from your PC

There's little out there that can cause a rage seizure like a malware infection. Yet as annoying and dangerous to your privacy as they are, malware infections can be removed from your computer. We've written up a FAQ to help guide you to safety, and in the How To video above, we'll show you some concrete steps first for making sure that you actually have been infected, and then for how to eradicate the infection.

Don't hold your breath for 7-inch iPad

Steve Jobs thinks you're fat. Or at least your fingers are.

Jobs dialed in to Apple's earnings call this afternoon and took on, among other topics, the usability of a 7-inch touch-screen tablet. Though many of Apple's competitors are introducing or plan to introduce tablets in that size, it's not ideal for a touch-screen device, he told investors.

"It's meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size," he said.

Normal-size human fingers are too big to be … Read more

New iPad docking mode on the horizon?

A subtle but important change could be in store for the iPad.

Though the touch-screen tablet can be used in both portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) mode, it can only be placed in its charging dock in portrait mode. There's just one 30-pin connector on the bottom of the short side of the rectangular iPad.

But according to documents Apple filed with the Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office of the European Union earlier this year and made public last week, a horizontal docking option may be on its way. The blog Patently Apple found the documents submitted by … Read more

Help! My PC is infected with malware (FAQ)

Has your computer been acting funny, crashing, running slow, or displaying unusual error messages? Have you been promiscuously clicking on Web links and opening up attachments from strangers? You could have a malware infection.

I get questions all the time from readers and friends asking what to do when they think their computers are infected. Here's a primer that should help. It's focused on Windows-based PCs because that's where most of the malware is targeted.

What are the warning signs of an infection? An infection may cause the computer to run more slowly than normal, stop responding, … Read more

Source: Smaller MacBook Air on Apple's agenda

Apple is expected to introduce a new, smaller MacBook Air at a press conference next week.

Everything about the new Air will be smaller, including the price. The exact final price isn't known right now, but it will be "significantly lower" than the current $1,499 starting price, said a source familiar with the event's agenda. We're confident in our information, but the final details of Apple's announcement could change.

In terms of size, the new Air is described as "smaller and sleeker," but exact dimensions were not known. The current rumor … Read more