All posts tagged: laptops

Nvidia RTX Spark ‘Superchip’: The First AI PCs Are Here

Nvidia RTX Spark ‘Superchip’: The First AI PCs Are Here

Published by skeptic

Three months ago, Nvidia took the wraps off its RTX Spark “superchip” and a handful of future laptops that would use it. It felt like a consequential moment in the history of the PC, despite all the questions that remained. And now, as announced at the IFA 2026 tech show in Berlin, we’ve had our first hands-on look at one of these laptops, as well as some announcements around RTX Spark-powered mini desktop PCs. Demand for running agentic AI workflows like OpenClaw locally on your computer keeps rising, and these new PCs look like they are designed specifically to feed it. Nvidia Alternatives to the MacBook Pro Photograph: Les Shu Photograph: Les Shu The laptop in question is the Lenovo Yoga 9n 2-in-1, a 16-inch laptop with a 360-degree hinge. As I assumed it would, this thing looks incredibly premium, aiming to be a MacBook Pro competitor in every aspect. The OLED touch display has a sharp 2880 x 1800 resolution and a 120-Hz refresh rate. The whole chassis is surrounded by rounded metallic edges and some …

Best Labor Day tech deals: Save up to 60% on laptops, TVs, and more

Best Labor Day tech deals: Save up to 60% on laptops, TVs, and more

Published by skeptic

Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of ContentsBest Labor Day Apple dealBest Labor Day laptop dealBest Labor Day TV dealBest Labor Day headphones dealBest Labor Day smart home deal We’re still a few days out from Labor Day, but retailers’ holiday sales are already live in full force. It’s an especially good time to shop if you’ve been thinking about upgrading some older tech: For one thing, these sales offer some welcome relief from RAMageddon-related price hikes (which just keep coming, ugh). For another, they’re probably your last real chance to save on big-ticket gadgets like laptops, TVs, and premium headphones until late October, when early Black Friday festivities get going. Below, I’ve rounded up a big batch of the best Labor Day tech deals that I could find at Amazon, Best Buy, and beyond. That includes new record-low prices on devices from brands like Apple, Sony, and TCL, with discounts soaring as high as 60%. Most retailers’ Labor Day sales run through Labor Day proper on Monday, Sept. 7, so I’ll continue to …

Dell Doubles Down on Cheap Student Laptops With Lower-End Dell 14S Configs

Dell Doubles Down on Cheap Student Laptops With Lower-End Dell 14S Configs

Published by skeptic

Dell seemingly isn’t content with taking on Apple’s MacBook Neo with just the XPS 13 for student dollars and attention. On Wednesday the company brought in budget laptop reinforcements with new lower-end, more colorful versions of its mainstream Dell 14S laptop. Dell is playing coy and won’t reveal pricing until we get closer to seeing these new laptops later this fall, which is understandable given the volatility around the ongoing component shortages.  While we await pricing details, here’s what we do know about these new machines. They’ll come in four fun Neo-esque colors, offer Intel Wildcat Lake processors and start with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.  New Dell 14S models: Colorful and affordable The Dell 14S isn’t new. Dell released the 14S series along with its larger 16S sibling back in May. These mainstream laptops are based on Intel Panther Lake processors and were priced north of $1,000. Currently, the cheapest Panther Lake Dell 14S model costs $1,350 (and that’s after a $50 discount). The new Dell 14S models feature Wildcat Lake processors, …

Linux is great for laptops, but it still struggles with these 5 hardware features

Linux is great for laptops, but it still struggles with these 5 hardware features

Published by skeptic

Installing Linux on a laptop no longer feels like signing up for a weekend of driver roulette. Pick hardware with decent Linux support and the essentials will usually fall into place right away, which makes it tempting to think laptop compatibility has finally become a mostly solved problem. That confidence starts to wobble once you move past the basics. Modern laptops pile all kinds of tightly integrated extras onto their core hardware, and Linux support for those features can vary wildly from one model to another. A machine can be completely normal for everyday work while a handful of the features you paid extra for remain flaky, limited, or simply unavailable. Related Using Linux made me appreciate these 5 Windows features Using Linux reminded me how Windows quietly excels at drivers, settings, apps, and gaming without demanding constant tinkering. Fingerprint readers are still a lottery The button is right there, which somehow makes it worse Credit: Oluwademilade Afolabi / MakeUseOf Fingerprint authentication itself is mature on Linux. The fprint project provides libfprint to communicate with fingerprint …

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: A Surprising Upset

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: A Surprising Upset

Published by skeptic

Ever since the MacBook Neo was announced this spring, I’ve been looking for a serious alternative. Not a cheap knockoff that sacrifices quality for price. No, no. I was hunting for a Windows laptop with the same goal as the MacBook Neo—hiding its compromises and delivering an otherwise premium laptop at a lower cost. For months, it was crickets. Then, the Dell XPS 13 showed up on my doorstep, and it understood the assignment. For many reasons, this was the one I’d been waiting for. But the question remains: Is it actually the better budget laptop? The answer surprised me when I dug into the testing. Hidden Compromises When the MacBook Neo was originally announced, it was a shocker. Apple coming in at the $599 price point for the base configuration felt unreal. Apple had never in its history brought the MacBook to such a low price. Even at its new $699 starting price, it’s in unprecedented territory. Importantly, this encroached on the territory of Windows laptops, where it has traditionally had a monopoly. Photograph: Luke …

These Are The Best Laptops For Uni, According To Your Degree

These Are The Best Laptops For Uni, According To Your Degree

Published by Sam Flores

Apple/Backmarket So you’re about to go off to uni – if there’s one thing you want to get right in your student haul, it’s your laptop. Aside from nights out and lie ins, you’ll be spending most of your time glued to a screen, whether you’re at a lecture or lying in bed. Your bank account hates to see it, but it’s the thing you’ll spend the most money on. And it’s not just a case of buying whatever laptop is calling your name – you’ll want it to last all three or four years of your degree, and you’ll also need to consider what your coursework will ask of you. Engineering students will need a very different laptop from English literature students, so keep an eye out for things like battery life, storage, and memory, as well as whether your laptop can handle things like video editing, design projects, and juggle having multiple (read: hundreds) of tabs open at once. To help you on your search, we’ve rounded up some of the most recommended …

Dell XPS 13 Review: Move Over, Neo

Dell XPS 13 Review: Move Over, Neo

Published by skeptic

Unlike nearly every Windows laptop selling for under $1,000, the Dell XPS 13 takes that same approach. Even the base configuration comes with a 2560 x 1600-resolution touch display with a 120-Hz refresh rate, up to 427 nits, and excellent color reproduction. The touchpad is glass and feels excellent to use. In terms of build quality, it’s top-tier. It’s made out of aluminum, and there’s no flexing to be heard of in the chassis. It opens with one finger, and the hinge doesn’t wobble. The bezels around the display are tiny, giving it a very modern look. It’s also incredibly thin at just half an inch thick, matching the MacBook Neo. That’s all very attractive stuff that makes a strong first impression when handling the device for the first time. Here are some things the new Dell XPS 13 has that the Neo doesn’t: A touchscreen display A 120-Hz refresh rate A backlit keyboard Two up-to-date, 10-Gbps USB ports (one on each side!) Support for two 4K monitors (or three if the lid is closed) …

The Excellent HP OmniBook 5 Is 0 Off Its Retail Price Today

The Excellent HP OmniBook 5 Is $550 Off Its Retail Price Today

Published by skeptic

Laptops keep getting more expensive. Many of my favorite laptops to recommend for budget-conscious shoppers are hundreds more today than they were six months ago. Then there’s the HP OmniBook 5 to save the day. Don’t let the retail price of $1,300 throw you off, either. This configuration has a 14-inch OLED screen, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage, but it’s frequently discounted. And right now, it’s 42 percent off, bringing the price down to just $750, $550 off its retail price. Importantly, this is also the model that comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip inside. While HP also has Intel and AMD versions of this same laptop on offer, the Qualcomm model gets you long-lasting battery life, akin to what you get on a MacBook. I already mentioned the OLED display this comes with, which is beautiful. The range of color blows a typical IPS display out of the water, especially the ones that typically come at this price. It is a bit reflective, though, as it’s a glossy …

Alienware 15 Gaming Laptop Review: Hedging Its Bets

Alienware 15 Gaming Laptop Review: Hedging Its Bets

Published by skeptic

I did need to tweak graphics settings (such as dropping to the Medium preset) to get there, but I never felt as if I had to destroy a game’s image quality to achieve smooth frame rates. In a world where integrated graphics are increasingly powerful, the faster frame rates help make the Alienware 15 feel like a proper gaming laptop worthy of carrying around, despite its bulk. For reference, the Alienware 15 with the RTX 5050 is 77 percent faster for games than the best integrated Intel graphics, as tested in the latest Dell XPS 14. You’ll have no problem using the full extent of that 165-Hz refresh rate if you want to experiment with DLSS upscaling and frame generation. A key disadvantage of not using the latest Intel chips, however, is that the laptop’s battery life will not be as strong. Gaming laptops typically don’t have the best battery life anyway, but this one likely won’t last more than six hours on a very light load, or more than just a few if you’re …

Alienware 15 vs. LOQ Essential 15: I compared both budget gaming laptops – it was close

Alienware 15 vs. LOQ Essential 15: I compared both budget gaming laptops – it was close

Published by skeptic

Alienware 15 (left) vs. Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 (right) Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. In the throes of the RAMpocalypse, checking prices on new gaming laptops is enough to make you ragequit. Luckily, there are some good budget gaming laptops out there, and it’s never been a better time to give them serious consideration.  I compared two of the best bang-for-buck gaming laptops on the market right now: the Alienware 15 (2026) and the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15. Both of these laptops hover around the $1,200 mark, opt for lower-end (but still competitive) hardware, and forego bells and whistles like RGB lighting to keep prices down.  Also: I tested Alienware’s new budget gaming laptop, but these 3 might be smarter buys All things considered, they’re very similar laptops with similar strengths and weaknesses. They’re both around five pounds and have limited battery performance compared to consumer laptops. But each have solid performance where it counts. Either is a good option for gamers on a budget — here’s how they stack …