Teardown experts play spot-the-difference with new MacBooks and last year’s models

Refreshed notebooks are ‘largely identical’ to their predecessors The teardown experts over at iFixit have got their hands (not to mention Torx screwdrivers) on Apple’s refreshed MacBook and MacBook Pro which were recently unveiled, and have reported back that there are hardly any changes inside these new models. On paper, the new versions of Apple’s laptops were only a minor spec bump anyway – introducing Kaby Lake processors was the biggest move, alongside some more minor storage and memory upgrades – but it’s still quite surprising just how little the hardware internals have changed. When iFixit took these machines apart, the website found that they were ‘largely identical’ to their predecessors, with just very slight tweaks like the color of the fans. The only real notable change was that the MacBook 2017 has been given a keyboard revamp with the introduction of the improved second-gen ‘butterfly’ switches that Apple brought in with the MacBook Pro 2016.

Butterfly effect

Apparently these switches have been further honed for both machines this time around, and according to iFixit: “The keyboard trigger looks like a more classic switch this go-around. The plastic butterfly mechanism appears to have thinned out to accommodate the new switch form factor.” The website speculates that this could possibly be a change to boost durability levels, as the actual typing action of the keys feels much the same as the MacBook Pro 2016. For many, the real question with this new keyboard configuration will doubtless be whether it solves some of the issues that were reported with last year’s MacBook Pro keyboard, including a non-uniform feel across the keys, and keys which make a loud clicking sound when the laptop gets warmer. If these sort of problems are still in evidence, then the refreshed keyboard may not be such a great upgrade for the MacBook 2017. iFixit further noted that the Touch Bar of the new MacBook Pro still remains “difficult to replace”, and with all of the core components – processor, RAM, storage – soldered to the logic board, and the battery glued solidly into the case, it’s a very unfriendly machine to repair. It’s the same story with the MacBook 2017 with the soldered core components and liberal use of glue on the battery. Both laptops received a rather woeful 1/10 repairability score from iFixit, although that’s nothing new for Apple’s notebooks. Bear in mind that if you are concerned about buying a MacBook and having something go wrong with the device, Apple has just started to offer AppleCare+ insurance with its notebooks.

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Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air Refresh Brings Kaby Lake Processors, Fingerprint Sensor

HIGHLIGHTS

• New Mi Notebook Air feature 7th-gen Intel processors
• Also feature Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics
• Fingerprint sensor added to the trackpad
• 
  

Xiaomi launched its first laptop in July last year, the Mi Notebook Air. Seen as a direct competition to Apple's MacBook Air, the Mi Notebook has now been refreshed with some performance upgrades, which now see Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors inside three new 13.3-inch variants. The new Mi Notebook Air with 13.3-inch display now comes with a seventh generation Intel Core i7 processors for the top-end variant with clock speed peaking at 3.0GHz, while the two other variants get a seventh-gen Intel Core i5 chip. This is said to boost performance by up to 10 percent over the previous version. Meanwhile, the 12.5-inch model now gets a seventh-gen Intel Core M3 processor, which boats a 12 percent performance improvement over its predecessor. All of these models also carry forward the support for 4G LTE modems announced in December last year. Notably, the new Mi Notebook Air now gets a fingerprint sensor on the top right corner of the trackpad, which can be used to unlock the notebook, and as an added security feature for when you make online payments, for example. Rest of the specifications have been untouched. The 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air claims a battery life of up to 9.5 hours, while the 12.5-inch model promises to deliver up to 11.5 hours of battery life on a single charge. Memory is at 8GB of DDR4 RAM for all three 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air variants, which will be offered along with 128GB or 256GB PCIe SSD storage. Graphics also get a boost with Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB GDDR5 memory. The new graphics chip is tuned to deliver up to three times better performance-per-watt when compared to the previous 940MX GPU. The starting price of the new 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air remains the same at CNY 4,999 (roughly Rs. 51,400) for the seventh-gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB PCIe storage variant. Meanwhile, the 256GB PCIe storage variant is priced at CNY 5,499 (roughly Rs. 52,100) and will be available starting June 18 on mi.com. Price and availability for the top-of-the-line model with seventh-gen Intel Core i7, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB PCIe storage have not been revealed yet.

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Razer debuts new triple-screened laptop as its latest CES innovation

Razer has established a reputation for building crazy, out-there CES inventions that sometimes ship (but mostly don’t). The Razer Switchblade (for handheld mobile gaming) debuted at CES 2011, the Razer Edge (a gaming tablet) actually did ship in 2013, and Project Christine (a custom PC system with modular components and liquid cooling) never materialized beyond the prototype phase. Now the company is demonstrating Project Valkyrie — a three-screened laptop with 17-inch displays and 4K panels. Multi-screen laptops are nothing new — Lenovo had a W700ds with dual screens back in 2008 and I’m certain it wasn’t the first company to take a shot at the idea. But Razer has gone all-out on this one, with 4K displays, multiple 17-inch panels, and a GTX 1080 packed in to power the entire system. You won’t be playing any surround games in 4K that way, at least not any graphically intense titles; as powerful as the GTX 1080 is, it’s nowhere near enough to drive 24.9 megapixels of screen at once. Still, 5760×1080 would be no problem, and Razer says the entire system is compatible with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, despite the unusual monitor configuration. All three displays use Sharp’s IGZO technology to cut power consumption, and the system tips the scales at 12 pounds. On the one hand, that’s more “transportable” than portable. But on the other, you aren’t going to build a desktop that can deliver this kind of configuration in the same weight class.

Other features include a Core i7-6700 quad-core CPU, 32GB of DDR4, a low-profile mechanical keyboard, Razer’s Chroma lighting system, and a trackpad sitting alongside the keyboard (that seems to be the hip new feature to add these days). There’s no word on battery life; with three 4K displays to power, it’s not even clear putting a battery in this system makes any sense, beyond giving it a few minutes of hibernation time while you sprint between outlets. That’s a bit of a joke — I’m sure the rig has some kind of battery — but given that desktop replacement systems typically have trouble pushing much past two hours, tossing two more displays on this thing will have a significant impact on how much time you actually get to use it. There are also questions about longevity and repair. If one of the panels goes bad, how easy would it be to swap them out? What would Razer charge for that kind of work? Is the laptop light enough to use for hang-gliding if all three displays are extended and affixed to some kind of frame? Everything aside, it’s not hard to see some use cases for this kind of product. A triple-wide workstation might go over well with 3D graphics designers or workstation users who want this kind of transportability in a more mobile form factor than your average tower. It’s a niche product, but smart niche products that address user needs can still be quite popular, even if they don’t appeal to a large group of people. Whether Razer will bring it to market is a different story, since the company has historically focused on consumers rather than business professionals, and the multi-monitor case for 4K surround might appeal more to people working in CAD/CAM than in gaming.

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HP Spectre x360: HP’s latest laptop is a jack of all trades

HP’s latest laptop is the Spectre x360, a variant of the Spectre we reviewed earlier this year. The latter is one of the best-looking computers with a metal and carbon fiber build and the former is the new kid on the block that is being aimed at the middle of the laptop market.

The HP x360 comes with a super-thin design that weighs just 2.8 pounds but has a 12.5-inch Full HD touch display. It also hits the sweet spot between pushing toward the future but still being useful today with two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports and a single USB 3.1 port. This means you can avoid the impending dongle future—at least for now.

If you didn’t guess by the name, you can maneuver the display all the way back in a 360-degree angle to put it in tablet mode and make great use of the touch display.

The x360 also has top-of-the-line specs with a 7th-gen Intel Core i7 chip and 8GB of RAM. The specs can also be configured to something beefier if that’s what you need. The battery, meanwhile, is one of the x360 best features. The 57.8-watt-hour battery will get you over 10 hours of usage, meaning you won’t have to worry about charging throughout the day.

There’s no question, the HP x360 is a sweet machine. It is the perfect blend of power and design. If you are in the market for a laptop, the x360 is one that deserves your consideration.

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MacBook Pro 2016 review: Apple's almost-perfect laptop

Apple has been remarkably consistent in two areas over the years. Firstly, it has invented new technologies and ways of using its products that wow its users. And secondly, it has often exasperated vocal sections of its user base by ditching tried-and-tested standards, from the CD drive to the headphone jack.The new MacBook Pro follows tradition in this regard.
As the first significant update to Apple’s range of high-end laptops in four years, it packs in a host of upgrades, including a thinner design, higher-quality screen, new trackpad and keyboard, as well as a power boost. It also has two things never seen on a laptop – a touchscreen strip above the keyboard known as the “Touch Bar” and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that iPhone and iPad users will recognise.

But true to form, it has also been controversial. It is not as powerful as many users would like, it can’t be upgraded, and there is no traditional USB port or SD card slot (the only ports included on the new MacBooks are the USB-C standard). This has irritated many creative types, including musicians and video editors, whom Apple has always championed, and means most people using the new MacBook Pro will need to invest in additional dongles or wires.
This is not to mention the price, which starts at £1,449, goes to £1,749 for the Touch Bar version and rises to £2,699 for the most expensive model: a stretch even by Apple’s standards.

Design and display
There are three main models of the new MacBook Pro: a 13-inch model without the Touch Bar or Touch ID, and 13-inch and 15-inch versions that do have them. In place of the Touch Bar, the entry-level model has the familiar row of function keys atop the keyboard, as well as two USB-C ports instead of four, and a less powerful processor.

All three models are thinner and lighter than their predecessors, although at 1.4kg for the 13-inch version, they are not quite ultraportable. The screen, though, is gorgeous: even at two-thirds brightness it looks fantastic. The laptop comes in the traditional silver as well as space grey, and as you'd expect, look and feel great.

Keyboard and Trackpad

For all the excitement about the Touch Bar, it would be worth nothing if the new MacBook Pro didn’t have a decent keyboard and trackpad. Luckily, both are fantastic. The keyboard borrows the “butterfly” design from last year’s 12-inch MacBook: the keys are fairly shallow and don’t travel very far, but it is a joy to type on and I took to it instantly.

The computer’s compact form means the up and down arrow keys are a little small, and while the keyboard is a little louder than you might be used to, neither are huge issues. The glass trackpad has always been one of the MacBook’s biggest advantages over Windows laptops, none of which come close to matching it, and this is as true as ever on the new MacBook. The trackpad is enormous, making it easy to scroll from one side of the screen to the other and make multi-finger gestures. It also has special thumb-detection technology that stops it from responding when you rest your hands on it while typing. The trackpad has the same “Force Touch” technology as last year’s 12-inch MacBook and last year's MacBook Pro, so you click it to select and click harder for a different action – preview a web page in Safari or drag a section of text in Microsoft Word. For newbies, it’s a similar effect to the iPhone’s 3D Touch, and is very useful once you master it. Ultimately, the fundamentals of a good laptop – screen, keyboard and trackpad – are all executed flawlessly, but at this point we expect that from Apple. What’s more interesting is what’s new, which brings us to…

The Touch Bar

The main selling point of the new MacBook Pro is the Touch Bar, which is a thin LCD touchscreen above the keyboard where the escape key and function keys usually are. While physical buttons are static, the Touch Bar is infinitely flexible and customisable – the idea is that whatever you are doing, it will give you a useful set of controls. When typing, it can suggest your next word; in iMessage it will show you a strip of emojis; when watching a video it displays a slider you can move back and forth to pick a point in the video; open a new tab in Safari and it will show your favourite websites.

The traditional controls for volume, screen brightness and music haven’t gone away; they’re just collapsed into a section on the right side of the Touch Bar, which you can expand by toggling a button on the side. While the Touch Bar is easy to use, I haven’t found it that useful and the kindest way to describe it is a work in progress. Although it is open for developers to use, because it’s brand new, few non-Apple programs support the Touch Bar at present. If you spend all day in Chrome or Microsoft Excel, nothing happens (although Microsoft Office is coming soon).
As for those programs that do support it, such as Safari and iMessage, in testing I’ve found myself using it for the sake of using it, not because it is genuinely useful. A lot of its functions – switching tabs in Safari, for example – are more quickly accomplished using keyboard shortcuts, which are now part of my muscle memory. And, truth be told, some of the Touch Bar’s functions are just not that practical. Take word suggestions – while they can be useful on the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, when you have a full set of QWERTY keys in front of you it’s simply quicker to type than to take your fingers off the keyboard to tap at the Touch Bar.

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Which Windows laptop could replace a MacBook Pro?

Now that Apple Macs have gone up rather steeply in price, they are finally out of my price range. I would like to replace my MacBook Pro with a PC that matches it as closely as possible: well-built, robust, reliable, fast, and with a good, sharp screen. I use my Mac for all the usual surfing, watching videos, listening to music and so on. I also use Adobe Photoshop pretty heavily and video-editing software more lightly. I’m open to either a laptop or a desktop. Patrick
As the old saying has it: “Good, cheap, fast – pick any two.” This is particularly true for Windows laptops, where dozens of companies are competing mainly on price.
Things are different for Apple. As the only supplier of MacBooks it can do what it likes. This includes doing things its users don’t like, such as soldering SSD and memory chips to motherboards and dropping MagSafe, SD slots and standard USB 3 ports from its latest MacBook Pros. This would be suicidal in the Windows market, where buyers can switch suppliers in seconds.
Of course, different users want different things, so the big suppliers – Lenovo, Dell, HP, Asus, Acer etc – have different ranges for different market segments. Dell, for example, makes three ranges for consumers (Inspiron, XPS, Alienware), three ranges for business users (Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision), and the Vostro range for the soho (small office/home office) market. It therefore caters to budget/price-sensitive buyers (Inspiron and Latitude), prestige/quality conscious buyers (XPS, OptiPlex), and performance-oriented/pro buyers (Alienware games machines, Precision workstations).
MacBooks don’t fit this kind of scheme. They’re over-engineered consumer laptops with enough performance for most professional purposes. Not many Windows laptop manufacturers can charge pro prices for consumer designs, though Microsoft is having a go.
As a result, you will have to compromise. However, you can find Windows laptops that are comparable to MacBooks in many respects, but cheaper. Just look for the various “prestige” consumer ranges such as Dell’s XPS, HP’s Spectre and Asus’s ZenBook.

Apple prices

Apple has just released new MacBook Pro laptops. There are three versions of the 13in MacBook Pro with Intel Core i5 processors and 8GB of memory at £1,449, £1,749 and £1,949. There are also new 15in MacBook Pros with Core i7 processors and 16GB of memory for £2,349 and £2,699. All prices include VAT but not port adaptors or AppleCare support.

You haven’t given me a budget, but halving Apple’s cheapest new MacBook Pro prices would suggest a range of £725 to £1,200. This is in the same ballpark as the survivors from the old ranges – 13in MacBook Airs at £949 and £1,249, plus the MacBook at £1,249 – which I assume you will also consider.

Laptop options The Dell XPS 13 and 15 are the most obvious alternatives to MacBooks. Unfortunately, they are at the top of this price range. You can still get an old-model XPS 13 (9350) for £899, but that has a Core i5-6200U with only 4GB of memory. The latest 9360 version has a 2.5GHz Core i5-7200U, 8GB of memory and a 128GB SSD for £999. If you go for a 512GB SSD at £1,099, you’re only saving £400 on a new 2.0GHz MacBook Pro.
The Dell XPS 15 is better value. You get a Core i7-6700HQ, 8GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M graphics with 2GB of video memory, and a 256GB SSD for £1,249. It has a Thunderbolt 3 port, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and an SD card slot. It’s also small and light for a machine with a 15in screen. It measures 357 x 235mm (roughly 14 x 9in) and weighs 1.78kg (3.9lbs). This compares with 349 x 241mm and 1.83kg (4.02lbs) for the new “thinner and lighter” MacBook Pro 15, which costs £1,100 more.
HP’s Spectre x360 range offers similar features to Dell’s XPS range, except that all the x360 laptops have touch screens that you can rotate to enable “tent” (eg for movie viewing) or tablet operation.
The cheapest model is the HP Spectre x360 13-4126na. This has a 13in screen, a Core i5-6200U processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD for £999. You can upgrade to an HP Spectre x360 13-4129na with better screen resolution – 2560 x 1440 instead of 1920 x 1080 – plus a 2.5GHz Core i7-6500U and 512GB SSD for £1,199. Again, this is not much cheaper than a 2.0GHz MacBook Pro 13.
Yet again, the 15in HP Spectre x360 15-ap007na is better value. For only £100 more, you get a 4K (3840 x 2160) screen, a Core i7-6560U with Intel Iris Graphics 540, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD in a 1.82kg machine. Even at £1,299, it’s still £1,050 cheaper than the new MacBook Pro 15.

Cheaper and cheaper

You could also look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T560, which is a robust, professional 15.6in laptop that starts at £751.19. The main attraction is that you can customise it from a menu with a huge range of options. You could get one with a Core i5-6200U, 8GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce 940MX with 2GB, a 256GB SSD and Windows 10 Home for £901.19 – and that includes three years of on-site service. Upgrading the second battery from 47WHr to 72WHr would add another £12. Upgrading the RAM to 16GB would add £52.80. Upgrading the CPU to a Core i7-6600U would add £260. The Asus ZenBooks may also appeal because of their Apple-style aluminium unibody construction, though they’re really aimed at MacBook and MacBook Air users. The ZenBook UX330UA-FB025T with a 3200 x 1800 screen, Core i5-6200U, 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD is good value at £749.99. PC World has the similar UX310UA for £649.99, and you can find many other models if you shop around. Possibly the cheapest just-about-viable option is the 14in Lenovo IdeaPad 510S, which is a step down from the ZenBooks. All the various models have 1920 x 1080-pixel screens and 8GB of memory. The cheapest on Lenovo’s website has a 2.4GHz Core i3-7100U and a 128GB SSD for £509.99, while the most expensive has a 2.9GHz Core i5-6267U and a 256GB SSD for £599.99. However, John Lewis has a silver one with a Core i7-6567U for £599.99, so that might be worth a look. Of course, there are hundreds of cheaper Windows laptops, starting at less than £150. It just depends how far you are willing to drop your standards. Chips cost money, so below a certain point, price reductions may be coming from compromises on the quality of the case, keyboard, trackpad and screen. If they break, you just buy another.

Why not a desktop?

You mention that you’re “open to either a laptop or a desktop”. If so, you could get more power and better ergonomics by buying a desktop. I covered this last week in Which desktop PC should I buy for working from home? If you went for a Lenovo ThinkCenter M800, you would have many of the same options as when configuring a ThinkPad T560 laptop. You would also be able to add your own upgrades immediately or after another five years or whatever.
If you don’t need to replace your laptop in a hurry, you could wait to see whether Apple brings out a new version of the Mac Mini next year. The current model was launched in 2010 and hasn’t been updated for more than two years. It’s not really expandable – the memory is soldered in – and not very good value (£479 to £949), but it’s small and it runs MacOS. A 21.5in iMac (£1,049 to £1,449) could be an option too.

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Barnes & Noble is back with a $50 NOOK tablet

Barnes & Noble spent a number of years going toe to toe with Amazon in the e-reader market and actually produced some pretty nice devices in the process. The last few years, however, have been pretty meager for the bookseller as far as hardware goes, with most of its announcements revolving around reading tablets co-branded with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab stamp.
The latest product from the company, not coincidentally announced a couple of weeks ahead of Black Friday, looks to be competing with Amazon on price, as well — a tough proposition when you’re going up against the reigning champion of consumer hardware subsidies. But well, at the very least, B&N has done a good job keeping the price down on the thing, priced the same as the Fire 7.
The banally named NOOK Tablet 7” is just $50. That price will get you a seven-inch Android tablet (Marshmallow) with all sorts of NOOK software loaded on its 8GB of storage (expandable via microSD). The display is a pretty meh 1024 x 600 (171 ppi) and there are two cameras on board — two-megapixel in the front, five in the rear.
The battery promises up to seven hours on a charge, and the rear sports a somewhat familiar soft touch design with a big NOOK “N.” All in all, pretty unremarkable specs at best, but hey, $50, right? It’s up for pre-order on the Barnes & Nobles site, and starts shipping on Black Friday.

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New Macs, Lenovo laptop make traditional keyboards touchy

NEW YORK -- Can the venerable laptop keyboard get more touchy-feely — and in a good way? We’re about to find out. Higher-end models of Apple’s MacBook Pro now come with a narrow touch screen above the regular keyboard for quick access to common settings and tasks, while Lenovo’s Yoga Book laptop loses the physical keyboard entirely. The traditional keyboard has never struck me as needing much improvement, although people who’ve grown up on touch screens might well feel differently. These touch innovations, in fact, may mostly be aimed at luring such users to laptops. So how do the new touch features improve typing and computing? Touch screens, not keyboards Many Windows laptops and tablets with physical keyboard accessories have long had touch screens. You still type primarily on a traditional keyboard, but you can poke screen icons and menus directly with your finger instead of navigating with a mouse or trackpad.
This can be useful for basic tasks such as opening apps, moving the cursor to the search bar and rebooting the machine. But when fixing typos in documents, selecting email to delete and even editing photos, my trackpad is generally more precise than my fat fingers on the screen. A stylus helps, but I’m prone to misplacing it. It’s also generally faster to just keep your fingers on the keys.

Touch keys

Largely for these reasons, Apple has shunned touch screens on its notebooks. But its high-end MacBooks are getting a separate, narrow strip that replaces the top row of function keys you’ll find on most keyboards. This Touch Bar offers the same functions, but instead of hitting F11 or F12 to change volume, for instance, you tap the speaker icon to bring up a volume slider.

You can fix up to four icons in place; the initial defaults are brightness, volume, mute and the Siri voice assistant. The rest of the strip changes based on context.
When you’re using the Safari browser, for instance, you typically get thumbnails of individual tabs for easy switching between websites. But that changes to play and pause if you’re watching Netflix, while your name and address pop up as choices when filling out online forms. Apple’s Maps app offers one-touch access to nearby businesses or directions. Mail and Messages offer auto-complete suggestions as you type, plus a button for emojis, similar to what you’d find on iPhones and iPads.
You get touch access to system controls, such as “cancel” and “save,” so you don’t have to move your cursor. Third-party apps can add their own functionality, too, though the ones I use regularly have yet to do so.

Habits and discoveries The new volume and brightness sliders are much easier to use than tapping the appropriate function key multiple times to get the level I want. In Photos, I can scroll through my library more quickly than using arrow keys. And the Touch Bar does make it easy to include emojis in messages. Because I use it frequently, I made the screenshot function a default icon. No more opening Grab, navigating a menu and returning to the window I’m trying to preserve. I’ve also discovered functions I never knew existed, such as the ability to highlight text in Preview with different colors. This may matter less if, like me, you’re a pretty good typist with a command of keyboard shortcuts. The Touch Bar will be more useful for those who look down at the keys when typing. One suggestion: The mute icon stays the same regardless of whether the Mac is already on mute. How about a distinct icon to unmute, now that the options are dynamic?

Fingerprints

The Mac now turns on automatically when you open the lid. In place of a power button is a fingerprint scanner, similar to what’s found on mobile devices. You still have to type in my password occasionally as a security measure, but you can avoid doing so most of the time when resuming a session or installing new software. People sharing a computer can instantly switch profiles with their own fingerprints.

What else

The MacBook Pro has a larger trackpad and is lighter and thinner than previous models, thanks in part to shorter keys that don’t feel awkward.
You no longer get regular USB ports or an SD memory card slot for photos. That means buying adapters to connect older printers, scanners and your iPhone to the new USB-C ports. On the plus side, you can now connect the power charger on either side, depending on where the outlet is. And the MacBook retains a headphone jack, something the latest iPhones dropped.
If you don’t need the Touch Bar or the fingerprint scanner, you can save $300 with an entry-level MacBook Pro, but it is slower and has ports only on one side. The Touch Bar models start at about $1,800 for a 13-inch screen and $2,400 for 15 inches.

Disappearing keyboard

Meanwhile, the 10-inch Yoga Book (about $500 for Android, $600 for Windows) retains the clamshell design of a laptop but has a second touch screen where the keyboard normally goes. Unlike pop-up touch keyboard in tablets, this one doesn’t block the main display as you type. Without physical keys, the device is just 0.38 inch thick, or about two-thirds the thickness of the new MacBooks. The touch keyboard also doubles as a handwriting pad for notes and doodling with the included stylus.
The Yoga provides both tactile and audio feedback when you hit the keys, although it’s still easy to miss the ones you’re aiming for. It takes longer to type because of all the typos, which gets annoying very quickly.
You would think that with a touch keyboard, the Yoga could reconfigure the keys to toggle between upper and lower cases and switch languages, much the way a touch keyboard on a phone or tablet does on the screen. But the keys themselves always appear in standard English and in upper case, even when you’re typing in Thai. Call it a missed opportunity.
An Australian startup called Sonder is already planning to ship such a keyboard for $199 this year, but who wants to carry around an extra accessory? If it makes it onto a future laptop, it could mark a true revolution that goes well beyond the minor changes the Touch Bar and the second touch screen offer.

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MacBook Pro 2016 Updates: Some Latest Developments In Apple's New Laptop

The most anticipated new MacBook Pro is available for pre-order today. However, As for when you'll get it should you pre-order, that's another story, Also, the 13-inch version, with standard function keys and two fewer USB-C ports, will ship the day you pre-order it

On November 2, Philip Schiller (Senior VP of marketing at Apple) was interviewed by The Independent, where he revealed the company's plans and reaction to the MacBook Pro's announcement. A key point to take from his interview is that Mac and iOS devices will always be separate from each other, where the California-based company won't try to integrate the two together.

He also talks about the removal of the SD card and why Apple chose to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack. That bar also houses a Touch ID sensor, meaning the MacBook Pro is the third Apple product after the iPhone and iPad to include the technology, according to Macworld. However, based on the latest news, a decrease USB-C accessory prices was announced by Apple last week to help out new MacBook Pro users who might need adapters for a while. Apple has now started automatically crediting customers who bought the reduced products just prior to the announcement. Today, we'll be examining the $1,499 version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the version with the row of function keys in place of the ballyhooed Touch Bar. We'll be examining the other 13- and 15-inch model thoroughly when we can get them, of course, but the $1,499 version still tells us a lot about the design, the keyboard, the new Thunderbolt 3 ports, and about Apple's design priorities and the Pro's target audience, mentioned from Ars Tecnica.

Apple, on the other hand, stops shipping pre-ordered devices prior to shipping estimates, as was the case for some customers with the recent iPhone 7 released. Though we'll have to wait until Apple starts changing orders to "Shipped" to find out which end of its original shipping window it will come to a halt on.

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How to watch the presidential election results from your laptop, phone, or streamer

No cable? No problem. Here's how you can get the results of the presidential election with only your computer or phone.

The 2016 presidential election that's been obsessing the nation for months culminates tomorrow, November 8. Election Day has become a charged event characterized by polarized views of the candidates, and while all eyes will be glued to the results, the good news is that you don't need to be glued to your TV to watch the states' votes trickle in.
If you're out and about as the numbers tally, or you've cut the cord and don't own a TV, there are some excellent options for getting the election results straight to your computer, phone or streaming device.

Streaming TV news stations

Traditionally, broadcast news stations have been the place to go for election coverage, but even if you don't have a TV or you want to watch on the go, you can still get news from your favorite station.
Most of the broadcasters that have been giving the presidential election TV airtime will also post overviews of their coverage, along with a live stream, online. Because these stations are broadcasters and can be picked up by anyone with a TV antenna, you don't need a log-in to get started. Just go to the website and press "play."
For example, networks like CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox all have dedicated landing pages for the elections, and they'll all live-stream their news coverage for free. Not only will you find access to live streams here, but you can also find articles, video clips, and further analysis (Disclaimer: CBS is CNET's parent company).
These live streams work great on your laptop, but you can also watch on your phone. Many of these broadcasters have optimized mobile versions of their websites, and while the look of the site may be slightly different, the content is usually the same. If you want an even more seamless mobile experience, download the broadcaster's news app. CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC all have news apps, and you can access their streams straight from the app. In the case of the CBS News and ABC News app, you don't even need to create an account. Just download the app and tap the live icon for instant access.
If you prefer local news, you may be in luck. Local news stations that provide TV coverage of the election are likely to post coverage on their websites. In the past, this has also included live streams of the election results. Because local news differs depending on location and there are too many to name, just head to the station's dedicated election or live stream section on its website on Election Day. From there it'll be clear if that specific station will post results.

Sling TV

If you aren't a subscriber to Sling TV's paid service, you don't have to rule it out as a way to watch election results. Sling TV offers a free 7-day trial that doesn't require any contracts and can be canceled at any time. With Sling TV's most basic subscription package, Sling Orange, you get over 25 channels, including news stations like CNN, where you can watch election coverage remotely.
Sling TV has been a go-to source of live television for cord-cutters. If you haven't already considered it, here's everything you need to know about Sling TV. Sling TV stands out for stripping away all the contracts tied to traditional cable TV. You can download the Sling TV app for Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One. That means you can watch on your computer, phone or anywhere with internet access. If you were already mulling it over, you could try it out for Election Day coverage, enjoy a free week of TV, then decide if its worth keeping.

Twitter and Buzzfeed

What you get: Live stream, articles
If you think Twitter or Buzzfeed would be a weird place to watch voter results, think again. Come Election Day, reporters from Buzzfeed will be covering the incoming results, which the site will stream live on Twitter. This isn't the first deal of its kind -- recently Twitter live-streamed events including the presidential debates and NFL games.
The live stream will be accessible on both Twitter's desktop version and the phone app. On Election Day, head to the Moments tab in the Twitter app to view the live stream. If you have an Apple TV, Xbox One, or Amazon Fire TV, you can also view the live stream on your TV, thanks to Twitter's new TV app.
The live stream will be available on at 6pm ET by going to election.twitter.com. You can also access the stream on Twitter's Moments page.

VoteCastr

What you get: Live stream, interactive data
This real-time election startup is hoping to change the way we get our election results. Traditionally, major news networks embargo the polling results and don't release the final numbers until they have all been counted. The thinking is that early results could influence people who have yet to vote.
But VoteCastr does things differently. The startup has teamed up with Slate to give everyone a look into the number of votes in a few key states as they come in. If you want some early information on the election, or want to place bets with you friends, this is the place to go.
On Election Day, you'll be able to view these results in VoteCastr's app. This data will also be discussed by VoteCastr's very own live broadcast that will start when the first poll opens and end when the last poll closes. To get more information about the apps and updates, go to the VoteCastr website and enter your name and email.

Politico

What you get: Live stream, articles

If you want to get a breakdown of voting results without having to watch a live stream, Politico has you covered. The political media site has an interactive map on its website that will show the election results and break it down state by state. This is great if you want to pull up the map on your computer or phone, and check every so often while it gets updated. Plus, the state-by-state data is broken down in a chart that is quiet pleasant to look at. Politico also offers its own live stream on its website in case you think the map isn't enough.

NPR

What you get: Live radio, articles, audio clips, interactive data
If radio is your thing or you'll be stuck in your car on Election Day, tune in to NPR through your radio for its live election coverage. NPR has teamed up with PBS to deliver election news to audiences across digital, television, and radio outlets. NPR will have election coverage and a special live broadcast on the night of the election.
If you want to listen but don't have a radio, you can tune into NPR by going to its website and listen on your computer. NPR's website also has a mobile version that will allow you to listen to its live broadcasts from your phone's browser. Otherwise, you can always download a radio streaming app like TuneIn Radio and access the radio on your phone.

While you are on the NPR website, be sure to check out its professional analysis on all things election-related. Information will come in all forms, including live blog posts, data graphics, and an interactive map. The election night broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and go all the way until 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT, transitioning right into a one-hour recap starting at 4 a.m. ET /1 a.m. PT and then regularly scheduled morning programming on November 9. NPR will also be live on its Facebook page and NPR One App.

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What can you get in a $99 laptop this holiday season?

Dell will put a $99 Inspiron 11 3000 laptop on sale on Black Friday, in limited quantities.

If you’re looking for dirt-cheap Windows 10 laptops, many will be available this holiday season, but don’t expect superior hardware. Dell appears to be the first major PC maker making a move in the holiday price wars. In the U.S., the company will sell its Inspiron 11 3000 for $99.99, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 24. It’ll be available in limited quantities, and the price will go back up to $199.99 after the sale period ends. The Inspiron 11 3000 has an Intel Celeron processor, Windows 10 Home, 2GB memory and 32GB storage. It also has an 11.6-inch 720p display, which is being phased out of laptops. The Dell laptop won’t be able to store many large data or video files, so it could be used for basic computing and web-based tasks. It is configured much like a Chromebook, which is targeted for people who surf the internet, use online services and store files online. If you don’t snap up the Dell laptop, such low-cost models will undoubtedly also be on parade from other PC makers. Expect other low-cost laptops to have similar configurations with limited memory, storage and low-end processors. PC prices are going up, as new features are added to laptops. But every year, PC makers try to clear out excess PC inventory by selling them at fire-sale prices during the holiday season. No doubt this year will be the same. “It’s better to sell a product than to keep it in a warehouse,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates. Moreover, low prices could reinvigorate interest in PCs, Gold said. Some users may be looking to buy tablets, but low prices could draw them to laptops. “It’s been pretty bad for PCs over the last two to three years, even over the holiday time,” said Gold, referring to the continued decline in PC shipments. Dell’s also going to sell a $99.99 Inspiron Micro Desktop, which will have specifications similar to the Inspiron 11 3000. Some inexpensive PCs may have low-end processors from AMD, which is coming out with new Zen-based chips in the coming months. High-priced PCs with superior hardware, like gaming systems, have actually been doing well as the general PC market declines. So if you are willing to up your budget, Dell on Nov. 25 will sell a full-powered Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake Core m3 processor for $299.99. That laptop will have an 11.6-inch touchscreen, 4GB and a 500GB hard drive. It can be a tablet in a pinch, but the hard drive could slow down and reduce the battery life of the hybrid PC. Like some Windows 10 PCs, Chromebooks are also already available for close to rock-bottom prices, and they may fall a bit further during the holiday season. IDC, however, doesn’t expect Chromebook sales to be overwhelming this holiday season considering they are bought more by educational institutions than consumers.

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LastPass Now Provides Password Sync Across Devices for Free

HIGHLIGHTS

• Some features kept exclusive to the premium version of app
• Cross-platform sync was earlier available only with premium version
• Free version will come loaded with ads

It seems like a trend is about to start as after Instapaper, which made its premium features available for free recently, LastPass has decided to provide some of its premium services across platforms for free. However, it should be noted that unlike Instapaper, which made all premium features free, LastPass has still kept some of the features reserved for its premium subscribers. LastPass, like most password managers, helps users to store passwords and sync them across devices for easy availability. Earlier, users had to pay a subscription fee of $1 (roughly Rs. 67) per month in order to sync passwords across their devices but from here onwards, they will be able to get this service for free.

"By offering LastPass for free across all your devices, we're making it that much easier for everyone to make good password habits the norm. Because when you have a password manager that goes everywhere you do, you have a strong foundation for securing and taking control of your identity," the company said in its blog post on Wednesday. Notably, LastPass Premium subscribers will continue to enjoy exclusive services such as priority customer support, family password sharing with up to 5 other people, desktop fingerprint identification, and additional two-factor authentication options like YubiKey, the company said. Premium subscribers will also get 1GB of encrypted file storage.

The free version of LastPass app will come loaded with ads but the premium subscribers will get the ad-free version of the app. It is important to note here that even though password managers provide additional security to users; they are not breach-proof and can be potentially hacked. LastPass itself suffered a hack last year, where hackers made off with email addresses, password reminders, and encrypted master passwords.

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MacBook Price in India Increased by Up to Rs. 10,000

HIGHLIGHTS

• The 12-inch MacBook now starts at Rs. 112,900
• The faster variant is costlier by Rs. 10,000
• The MacBook was last updated in April

While the entire world was focussed on the launch of the new MacBook Pro, Apple India decided to quietly increase the price of the MacBook by as much as Rs. 10,000. The change happened last week, and Apple India’s website has been updated to reflect the new prices.

The 12-inch MacBook now starts at Rs. 112,900, an increase of Rs. 6,000 from last October, when prices across the entire Mac line were revised. The variant with a faster processor and double the SSD storage now retails at Rs. 129,990 139,900, an increase of Rs. 10,000. The US price of the MacBook remains unchanged, as does the India price of other Mac desktops and laptops, so the move is curious to say the least. As always, these are maximum retail prices, and the products may be available at lower prices online as well as offline.

The MacBook was last updated in April with sixth-generation Intel Skylake processor as well as slightly faster RAM and PCIe-based flash storage. A new Rose Gold colour option was also added, to go with the Space Grey, Gold, and Silver variants available at the time. With the 11-inch MacBook Air discontinued, the MacBook is the smallest portable Mac that Apple currently offers. If the 13-inch MacBook Air is discontinued in the near future as well, it is likely that the MacBook will get a makeover and be repositioned to become the new entry-level portable Mac - when that happens is anyone’s guess.

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$100 laptop is the highlight of Dell's Black Friday deal slate

Dell wasted no time rolling out a massive eight-page ad announcing discounts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2016.

We're still three weeks out from Black Friday, but the deals are already starting to roll in.

Dell on Tuesday sent us a massive eight-page breakdown of all the products discounted for the November 24 event, but if you're trying to get a head start on your holiday shopping this year, there's also a special 24-hour flash sale happening right now with 30% off select PCs, laptops and monitors

For example, you can save $300 today on the new Alienware 15 gaming laptop, a 15-inch machine with a Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 chip, 16GB RAM and a dual 256GB PCIe solid-state drive + 1TB hard drive for $1,499.

Dell's Black Friday deals day is already underway and only lasts until 8 a.m. ET on November 2nd, so be sure to head over to take advantage of the discounts.

You'll have to wait until Black Friday (November 24-25) and Cyber Monday (November 28) to grab the company's "doorbuster" price cuts on big ticket items, but there's plenty to get excited about in the coming weeks.

Highlights include a pair of Sony wireless headphones for $78, an LG 43-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV for $300, and a 500GB Xbox One S Battlefield 1 bundle with Gears of War 4 and a wireless controller for just $250.

The hallmark of the offering is certainly the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 laptop, an everyday ultraportable hybrid with an 11.6-inch HD display for $100 on November 24. Sure, it's two years old with midrange components, but you won't find another PC with a 360-degree hinge for less. Plus it has a long battery life to boot -- it achieved an impressive 7 hours and 41 minutes in our video playback drain test.

The good news about the Black Friday sale is that you don't have to bundle up and wait outside in the cold to get what you need -- the deals will be available on Dell's Black Friday and Cyber Monday online storefronts on Thanksgiving Day.

The bad news? Well, that means you're up against a lot more competition, but you can get an early pass by signing up to be a member of Dell's Advantage Loyalty Rewards Program. It's free to join, and in addition to free expedited delivery on all purchases, you'll also gain access to the discounts earlier than everyone else, starting at 11 a.m. ET on November 16-18 and 21-23.

Dell's entire Black Friday ad is available online and you can get started shopping the company's Black Friday Flash sale here.

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MacBook Pro 2016 review: First look at Apple’s latest laptop

APPLE releases its thinnest, fastest and most powerful range of MacBooks to date, and Express.co.uk is one of the first to get our hands on one - here’s our early impressions.

After months of rumours and speculation Apple has finally lifted the lid on its all-new MacBooks. These laptops are the thinnest, fastest and most powerful portable Pro computers the US tech giant has ever created and they also feature a display that’s 67 per cent brighter than previous generations. Along with these major upgrades Apple has also included a new feature called the Touch Bar. This clever multi-touch Retina display replaces the function keys that usually run across the top of the MacBook Pro keyboard. Unlike these traditional keys, the Touch Bar adapts and changes to the app you're using – bringing interactive ways to adjust or browse through content. For example, loading the Safari web browser triggers the Touch Bar to summon a slew of helpful shortcuts, including on-screen buttons to load new tabs, search the page, or refresh the page.

The Touch Bar is compatible with almost all of Apple’s applications and companies such as Microsoft and Adobe are also allowing it to be used with their software. Express.co.uk has had an exclusive play on the Touch Bar and think it could be game-changing feature. Using it is incredibly intuitive and it makes tasks such as editing photos, replying to messages and even taking a screen shot a lot quicker, easier and far more fun. The Bar also includes Touch ID which unlocks the MacBook with your fingerprint and allows you to securely pay for goods online.

There’s also a new Force Touch trackpad which is larger than anything Apple has previously shipped on a laptop and it gives you more surface area for Multi-Touch gestures and tracking. And because there’s no actual moving parts inside this trackpad, you get the same experience no matter where you press on it. The keyboard has also been given a makeover and now features the second-generation butterfly mechanism, which is four times more stable than traditional laptop keys. It’s certainly nice to type on and feels more sturdy than the keyboard you’ll find on Apple’s super-skinny MacBook. We’ve been left pretty impressed by the new keyboard and Force Touch trackpad with both offering a good experience that’s enjoyable to use. Positioned on either side of the keyboard are newly designed speakers which offer a decent level sound. These speakers aren’t going to replace your home stereo but they’re fine for watching the odd movie on the move.

Powering the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a dual-core Intel i5 chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. We’ve not fully tested its power yet and we'll update this article once we’ve put the Pro through its paces. One thing we have been able to try straight out of the box is the display and this screen is crystal clear and seriously bright. Apple says it's actually 67 per cent brighter than previous generations and from the minute you tap the power button you’ll instantly notice the difference. The MacBook Pro’s display has always been good but this latest model takes it to a whole new level.

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Apple Pay Volume Up 500% In Latest Quarter

The mobile payment service is adding one million new users each week.

Apple’s mobile payments wallet, Apple Pay, had a record quarter, said CEO Tim Cook on the company’s fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday afternoon. Users of the mobile payments service completed more transactions in the month of September than the entire year of 2015, he added. Transaction volume was up 500% in the fourth quarter, compared to the same quarter in 2015.

The Apple Pay’s growth is likely the result of the service’s international expansion over the past six months. During the quarter, Apple Pay was available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with many of those launches taking place in 2016. In the past month, Apple also brought the payments service to Japan and Russia. Cook added on the call that Apple Pay will soon expand to Spain.

In the fall, Apple also expanded the payment service to the web, allowing customers on mobile phones and desktop computers using Apple’s Safari web browser. According to Cook, hundreds of thousands of websites are using Apple Pay for the web. Consumers can also use Apple Pay for goods and services purchased within mobile apps like Uber or Starbucks.

Noticeably missing from Cook’s call was the number of Apple Pay users, revenue from Apple Pay, or what dollar amount the transaction volume grew to over that quarter. Apple hasn’t revealed exact volume or usage numbers in the past two years, but it has said the service adds one million new users each week. Without a baseline usage number or an amount of transactions, it’s impossible know whether the record volume is significant.

Apple Pay was launched in 2014 as a way to let shoppers load their credit card and debit card information onto iPhones’ “mobile wallets.” Customers can then use either their iPhone (or linked Apple Watch) to pay at retail stores equipped with point-of-sale registers supporting near-field communication (NFC) technology, which enables frictionless payments between smartphones and registers. Apple Pay users simply place their phones or watches near the registers’ sensors for payments to be made without swiping a card.

Cook said earlier in the year that according to retailers, Apple Pay now represents 75% of all contactless payments made in the U.S. Apple also faces competition both in the U.S. and internationally from Google’s rival service Android Pay and Samsung Pay.

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Apple could ditch USB ports on new MacBook Pro models

Apple is expected to reveal the new MacBook Air and Pro shortly. While we’ve heard quite a bit about the company’s intentions to implement a new touch OLED panel and a Touch ID sensor with the MacBook Pro, we’re now coming across a report which says that the company will probably ditch the USB ports on the new MacBook Pro.

Further, it is said that Apple will only release a 13.3-inch model of the 2016 MacBook Air, meaning that the 11.6-inch model is getting the boot. This could be major for Apple considering the fact that the MacBook Air is one of the most popular MacBooks selling in the market right now.

These reports have stemmed from speculations and word from insider sources, so it’s not set in stone yet. However, given how accurate Apple sources are, we have no reason to dispute these claims at the moment.

Apple’s MacBook Pro and Air refreshes have been long overdue now with the market expecting to see some new hardware underneath. It is said that the Pro models will be available in 13.3 and 15.4-inch variants. In addition to the aforementioned Touch ID and OLED bar, we expect there to be the latest Intel silicon to be on board, although there have been conflicting reports on this matter.

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Will new MacBooks finally make it easier to pick the perfect Apple laptop?

Will new MacBooks finally make it easier to pick the perfect Apple laptop?

Now that invites for the October 27 Apple event have seen sent out, there's much speculation about what we will, and won't, see from a purported new generation of MacBook Pro laptops.

Thus far, the generally agreed-upon predictions -- as rounded up by Macrumors -- are:

New MacBook Pros with a thinner, lighter design and a secondary touchscreen at the top of the keyboard. That tiny screen is said to be replacing the function key row and providing context-based commands -- different "soft" buttons which would vary depending on the app in use. Possible minor updates to the MacBook Air, which is one of the longest-standing designs in the Apple universe. A minor spec bump may be in store for the iMac desktops. The elevated level of interest in new MacBooks, especially with an expected major redesign such as this, is reflected in many of the messages I receive from CNET readers. Among the most common email topics is a variation on: "When will product X get updated?" And, more often than not, the product in question is one of Apple's MacBook laptops.

With their distinctive aluminum bodies and (sometimes) glowing Apple logos, MacBooks are a familiar sight everywhere people compute on the go, from coffee shops and airports to college campuses.

But if it feels like you've been seeing the same MacBooks floating around for a while, you'd be correct. And that's why interest in next week's Apple event is so high. The current iterations of most MacBooks have been around for longer than many competing laptop lines, and the lone non-retina display 13-inch MacBook Pro is still on sale with the same basic configuration it's had since 2012. (Yes, Apple still sells a computer with a DVD drive.)

That's an outlier, but it's emblematic of a larger issue: the pace of design innovation on the Mac platform has slowed considerably. The last truly new model was the 12-inch MacBook in 2015. Apple's other laptops, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, haven't seen anything other than minor spec bumps -- stuff like newer Intel chips, faster Wi-Fi, more memory -- in the past several years, although that may change by next week. Before the upcoming event, the only "new" Mac so far in 2016 has been the refreshed version of that 12-inch MacBook -- again, just a faster chip dropped into last year's body.

Editor's note, October 19, 2016:A version of this article was originally published August 12. It has been updated with new information about Apple's upcoming October 27 media event.

If you're looking for the latest and greatest in the never-ending race toward newer and better system specs, that slow pace of change might be important. New technologies, including the latest Core i-series Intel processors, USB-C ports, OLED displays, 4K-resolution screens, and new graphics chips, are regularly turning up in new laptops from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and others. For the most part, MacBook owners have been left out of many of these innovations.

So, as we head into a near-certain refresh next week, here's a look at where we stand right now on each of Apple's laptop lines.

MacBook Pro

With Apple confirming a "special event" for next Thursday with the tag line "hello again" -- recalling Mac events of yore -- it's widely assumed a new version of the MacBook Pro will make its debut. That would be the third major iteration, after the 2006 original and the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Besides the presumed thinner bodies, these new systems will reportedly replace the familiar function key row with an OLED touch strip, which may also include a Touch ID fingerprint reader borrowed from the iPhone. New AMD graphics options and a larger touchpad are also part of the current speculation.

For the MacBook Pro, that would be the first real system update since May 2015. But, the actual look and feel of the current Retina-display MacBook Pro 13 and 15-inch models really dates back more than four years. Except for the CPU and a few other component and port tweaks, the Retina-screen MacBook Pro you'd buy today is essentially the same as the one you'd buy in 2012. That it's still one of the most universally useful laptops you can buy is a testament to its forward-looking design.

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Best gaming laptops 2016: top gaming notebooks reviewed

Gaming laptops we recommend

Update: The MSI GT72S Tobii has lost its ranking to yet another ostentatious gaming device (albeit for different reasons), the latest Razer Blade. Read on to find out why! Don't even bother telling your friends you want to buy a gaming laptop. "Just build a desktop," they'll suggest. But you know better. You have the money to spare and putting time and effort into building your own desktop is more trouble than it's worth. You want to get to the fun part: playing games. A warranty that covers the entire product rather than a small set of parts is simply an added bonus. Being able to take your rig on the go, complete with a built-in monitor and keyboard, however, isn't cheap. A decent gaming laptop starts at about $1,400 (about £900). That's on the low end. If you want to play 4K games at a consistent frame rate, you can expect to pay over $3,000 (around £1,900, AU$4,000) for qualifying hardware. Fortunately, this could soon change thanks to AMD's low-cost Polaris GPUs and Nvidia's insanely powerful-for-the-price Pascal cards. Factor in the cost of your monitor, keyboard, mouse and potential hazards, and a gaming laptop might be more suited to your needs. We know you eat, sleep and breathe gaming, but fiddling with cables and being tied down to a desk sporting an encumbering brute of a machine can be intimidating. Gaming laptops are sleeker and more powerful than ever, with many of them featuring full-fledged desktop GPUs. What's more, some of them even have the battery lives to support the massive workload. Here you'll find the gaming laptop that's best for you, from the ever-evolving Razer Blade to the ostensibly immortal Alienware 17.

1. Origin EON15-X

A desktop-grade CPU in an unbeatable gaming laptop CPU: 4GHz Intel Core i7-6700K | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M (8GB GDDR5 RAM), Intel HD Graphics 530| RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 LED Backlit Matte Display | Storage: 256GB SSD; 1TB SSHD Great value Desktop-grade performance Razor thin viewing angles The Origin EON15-X is a real head turner. Packing a desktop Skylake processor into a fairly compact 15.6-inch notebook that, Origin's greatest offers even more performance than some full-size gaming rigs. This extra CPU power is handy for users who need to edit video and other processor intensive tasks that a mobile chip can't handle. You'll also get an extra kick of performance no matter what game you're running. Combined with a powerful GPU and a not-so-shabby battery life, the Origin EON15-X is definitely worth consideration over all others.

2. Gigabyte P35X v5

Underneath the plain exterior lies a 4K gaming beast CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M 8GB GDDR5, Intel HD Graphics 530 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 SDRAM | Screen: 15.6-inch, UHD 3,840 x 2,160, IPS LCD | Storage: 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD See more Gigabyte P35X v5 deals Splendid performance at 4K Surprisingly decent battery life Poor ergonomics Pointless optical drive The Gigabyte P35X v5 is a monumentally capable, 4K gaming laptop equipped with specs nearly high enough to support it. While even most desktops lack the strength to pull off 4K gaming, this 15-inch rig is as close as you'll get with a laptop. Donning an Intel i7 processor paired with an 8GB Nvidia GTX 980M, the P35X v5 may sound like a workout technique, but it can actually handle 4K gaming if you're willing to tone down the graphics settings. Plus, it even packs a battery life longer than the considerably less powerful Ghost Pro and Acer Predator 17. If Ultra HD gaming without being tied to a desk is your goal, look no further.

3. Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15-inch

An attractive and long lasting 15-inch gaming laptop CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M (4GB DDR5 VRAM), Intel HD Graphics 530 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,133MHz) | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD LED AntiGlare Backlit Multitouch (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD (5,400 RPM) See more Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15-inch deals Stylish look Ample battery life Gets hot Terrible trackpad buttons Entry-level gaming laptops are a great introduction into the glorious world of PC gaming, and from performance to looks, it's hard to beat the Lenovo Ideapad Y700. It's an inexpensive machine that stands out amongst other budget gaming machines with its all metal chassis and included SSD. It also comes packed with enough power to run modern games at decent settings.

4. Gigabyte P55W v5

High-end graphics on a low-key laptop CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GTX 970M | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD 1,920 x 1,080 IPS anti-glare LCD | Storage: 128GB SSD; 1TB SSD See more Gigabyte P55W v5 deals Decent power Good battery life Slightly chunky Pedestrian design For the most part, the Gigabyte P55W v5 gives you the meat of the company's P57W v5, but in a smaller form factor. Everything about this laptop is subtle. Even the tiger stripes color scheme, which you would imagine to be quite flashy, is discreet and subdued, perhaps even passing as a workstation if you're so inclined. In addition to an affordable price tag, the P55W is a capable, yet surprisingly portable machine with an appearance that might fool you into thinking otherwise. Its use of a GTX 970M gives it an edge over laptops with more unruly, boisterous exteriors and with only a 15-inch chassis to boot.

5. MSI GS60 Ghost Pro

The best thin-and-light gaming laptop CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 6700HQ | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Intel HD Graphics 530 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 eDP Wide View Angle | Storage: 128GB SSD; 1TB HDD See more MSI GS60 Ghost Pro deals Performance pusher Stupendous keyboard Fleeting battery life A bit expensive High on mature styling and light on weight, the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro is one of the thinnest gaming laptops you can buy. Don't think this svelte machine has sacrificed performance for the sake of cutting weight. It still comes packed with a high-end Intel Skylake processor and graphics card to make it a one of the strongest platforms we've ever tested. Just make sure to stick with a 1080p resolution and medium to high visual settings.

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HP Stream 14 Budget Windows 10 Laptop Launched

HIGHLIGHTS

• The HP Stream 14 replaces the HP Stream 13 laptop
• It comes with improved battery life and specifications
• It has been priced at $219 (roughly Rs. 14,600)

HP has hit a sweet spot with its budget Stream laptops. Introduced two years ago, the Stream series was built for cloud computing and its laptops packaged with basic specifications, a large battery, and sleek design, all at a pretty affordable price tag between $199 to $250. After Stream 11 and 13, HP has now introduced Stream 14, which as the name suggests, is a 14-inch laptop starting at $219 (roughly Rs. 14,600) and is expected to go on sale from September 7.

The Stream 14 replaces the Stream 13 and bumps up some under-the-hood specifications as well as a refreshing the design. The Stream 14 comes with a fast dual-antenna 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a new Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB flash storage, 100GB OneDrive Cloud storage and 1366x768 resolution, which doesn't sound so exciting on paper but is still worth buying at its meagre asking price.

While the original Stream laptops shipped with Windows 8.1, the Stream 14 will come with Windows 10. The new HP laptop will be available in Blue, Purple, or White colour options in certain regions.

A welcome improvement is the battery life which now stands at 10 hours and 45 minutes, which is great for a primarily online-only laptop. Other Stream laptops also receive an upgrade. The new Stream 11 launches on August 24 with faster Wi-Fi, upgraded processor, and slimmer body compared to its predecessor, and will be priced at $199 (roughly Rs. 13,300).
The 11.6-inch Stream x360 laptop/ tablet hybrid will receive similar hardware upgrades with a price starting at $249 (roughly Rs. 16,600) and expected to come out in September. There is also an educational model called the Stream 11 Pro that features improved security and an optional 64GB storage.

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