Laptop

Windows 11 Beta build 26220.9606 puts Weather first on the lock screen, adds widget controls, and fixes an msmpeg2ac3dec.dll crash that hit some PC apps and games.

HP has released a new 16-inch laptop internationally. Configurable with up to 128 GB of RAM, the OmniBook Ultra 16 also contains a 99 Wh battery, a 1,100-nit OLED display and a choice between two Nvidia RTX Spark N1X chipsets.

HP has released a new 14-inch laptop containing a 1,100-nit OLED display. Also featuring an 80 Wh battery and up to 128 GB of RAM, the new OmniBook X is one of the first 14-inch laptops to feature Nvidia's RTX Spark platform, too.

Lenovo has started selling a new 14-inch laptop internationally. Equipped with an optional 120 Hz display, the IdeaPad Slim 5 Ultra 14IWC11 also boasts significantly longer battery life than Lenovo's original model thanks to its power-efficient Intel Wildcat Lake architecture.

Week 41 was all about local AI, new hardware, and the next generation of smart devices. Microsoft and Asus are pushing AI PCs forward with powerful hardware, while new flagship smartphones and tablets are beginning to emerge. At the same time, Meta and Google are working to integrate AI assistants more deeply into everyday digital life. Here’s our editorial roundup of the week’s most important developments.

Courtesy of an ongoing sale on Best Buy, the Lenovo LOQ Essential gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch 144 Hz display and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU is now available with a sizeable $650 discount.

Enshrouded 1.0 leaves early access on October 15, 2026 for PC and PS5 with PS5 Pro support, though Keen Games delays the Xbox Series X|S version until spring 2027.

Unless the recent Asus ProArt P16 series, the refreshed MSI Stealth 16 is lacking an integrated SD card reader that was previously available on the 2023 Stealth 16.

Dell has launched its first XPS laptop powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark platform. The XPS 16 combines an 18-core N1X chip, 5,120 GPU cores, 32 GB of unified memory and a 16-inch 3.2K Tandem OLED touchscreen.

Global PC shipments plunged 20.1 % in Q3 2026 as supply constraints, higher prices and earlier inventory stockpiling weighed on demand. Lenovo remained the market leader, while Apple and Asus saw smaller declines than most major rivals.

Courtesy of an ongoing sale on Lenovo's official online store, the well-equipped IdeaPad Slim 5x laptop with 16 GB RAM and a powerful ARM-based processor is now available with a sizable $850 discount.

In the budget space, manufacturers mostly like to sell old technology. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X is a bit long in the tooth, but not yet outdated. Still, it can beat the newest Intel options, as our review of the HP OmniBook 3 16 shows.

Microsoft claims the Surface Laptop Ultra delivers AI responses twice as fast and generates video six times faster than an M5-generation MacBook Pro. The company has not disclosed how it arrived at those figures. Early comparisons have painted a different picture thus far.

Lenovo has now released a new budget laptop with an optional 120 Hz display. Also said to last 33 hours in official battery life tests, the IdeaPad Slim 3x 15Q7X11 boasts over 45% longer battery life than its predecessor, even when the latter contains a larger battery capacity.

MSI has now released a new 16-inch laptop internationally. Sporting Nvidia's most powerful RTX Spark N1X chipset, the Prestige N16 Flip AI also contains a 120 Hz Tandem OLED display, a 99 Wh battery and up to 128 GB of RAM.

The Lenovo Yoga 9n 2-in-1 with Nvidia RTX Spark is now available for preorder globally. Featuring a convertible 2-in-1 design with an OLED display, it starts at $2,999.99 for the base model and can be configured with the full-fat 20-core RTX Spark N1X and up to 64 GB of memory and 2 TB of storage

Asus has launched its new ProArt P14 and P16 laptops globally with the Nvidia RTX Spark N1X. The creator laptops combine a 20-core Grace CPU, Blackwell graphics and up to 128 GB of unified memory, with the first US units arriving on October 16.

The Lenovo Pro 9n is now available to preorder from $2,999.99, with Nvidia RTX Spark configurations offering up to a 20-core Grace CPU and 128 GB of RAM. The new MacBook Pro rival also features a 2.5K 165 Hz OLED display, a 92.5 Wh battery, and a slim aluminum chassis.

The live Microsoft event in San Francisco this week focused on the Surface Ultra powered by the Nvidia Spark platform. However, a good chunk of it was devoted to a feature that both the Surface and MacBook series have had for years.

The HP OmniBook 3 is down to $399.99 in Best Buy’s Techtober sale, with a Snapdragon X processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It undercuts the MacBook Neo while offering an OLED display, plenty of ports, and longer battery life. Upgrading to 16GB RAM and 512 costs $599.99, still less than the base Neo.

In our review, the current Surface Laptop 15 proves to be a solid multimedia device. However, it still reveals significant weaknesses that Microsoft urgently needs to address in the successor to avoid falling behind strong competitors in a fiercely contested market.

Microsoft has launched the Surface Laptop Ultra, a 15-inch flagship powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X platform. It starts at $2,599 and offers up to 128 GB of unified memory and Microsoft's magnetic USB-C charging port.

Microsoft once again offers its Surface Laptop 15 for business customers with Intel processors - including the powerful Core Ultra X chips, which outperform their ARM rivals in graphics performance as well as battery life.

Intel's Raptor Lake architecture could return yet again under the Core 2000HX banner. Leaker Golden Pig Upgrade says the Raptor Lake Next chips will target HX-class laptops, while Intel's newer Nova Lake-HX processors are expected to use Core Ultra 4000-series branding.

HP has started selling a new 16-inch workstation laptop with up to 128 GB of RAM. Also featuring an optional 120 Hz display, the ZBook Ultra G3a also leverages AMD's powerful Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 processor, all within a sub-2 kg chassis.

Lenovo has released one of its new 15-inch laptops in more countries. Now sold in the US and Canada, the IdeaPad Slim 3i 15IWC11 combines a 120 Hz display with up to 19 hours of battery life thanks to Intel's power-efficient Wildcat Lake architecture.

HP is gearing up to launch its new OmniBook Ultra 16 and OmniBook X 14 laptops with Nvidia's new RTX Spark super chip. Ahead of launch, the two models have briefly appeared on the company's US store, revealing a higher starting price than anticipated.

Microsoft Defender security intelligence update 1.459.576.0 is rolling out under KB2267602. Here is how to check your version and force an update via command line.

Dell has released a new 13-inch laptop with up to 32 GB of RAM. Also packing a 120 Hz VRR display, the XPS Googlebook is now significantly cheaper in the US compared to September's launch, too.

Microsoft will be officially launching the Surface Laptop Ultra on October 7. In the meantime, multiple sources have revealed release details ahead of schedule.

XMG has launched the PRO 18 and PRO 18 VE with Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus processors, RTX 50-series GPUs and 18-inch 1600p displays. Both laptops can be bought now with a 5% early-bird discount available until October 20.

Googlebooks have only just reached stores, but plans for rooting them are already taking shape. Google has officially documented bootloader unlocking support, while John Wu Magisk has confirmed that Magisk support is also being prepared, bringing root access and customisation to Googlebook.

HP has released a new 16-inch laptop across Europe and North America. Featuring a choice of AMD Ryzen processors, the OmniBook 5 16 is also configurable with up to 32 GB of RAM, multiple OLED display options and a choice of four launch colours.

The first Googlebooks are already shipping. Google is now explaining some of the more unusual features of the brand-new laptop category in detail – and warns that some apps and features are unavailable when using a Googlebook with an Intel processor or an older smartphone.

HP has released a new 14-inch laptop with an optional 1,100-nit OLED display. Also sporting a 120 Hz variable refresh rate, the display is complemented by Intel's power-efficient Wildcat Lake platform. The OmniBook 5 (14t-kf000) can be configured with up to 32 GB of RAM, too.

Echo Weaver launches October 8 for PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC. Explore time-loop mechanics, knowledge-based metroidbrainia gameplay, and complete PC system specs.

If you travel a lot for your job, you need a lightweight, enduring and reliable laptop. Lenovo's ThinkPad X13 Gen 7 AMD is such a compact companion with a powerful AMD CPU as well as flexible connectivity options.

Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 version 26H2. Explore Copilot File Explorer AI tools, system settings, NLP controls, lightweight enablement packages, and IT security.

HP has finally updated one of its 16-inch laptops to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 architecture. Combining a 1200p OLED display and the Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-64-100, the new OmniBook 5 16 should easily outperform its predecessor while still delivering over 30 hours battery life in official tests.

MSI has quietly updated its latest ROG Zephyrus G16 rival. Still featuring Intel's Panther Lake architecture and a 240 Hz OLED display, the latest MSI Stealth 16 can now be configured with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 12GB laptop GPU, too.

Asus has expanded the availability of a new 16-inch gaming laptop to more countries. Equipped with a 144 Hz display and an 85 W GPU, the TUF Gaming 16 2026 also boasts upgradeable RAM and storage to expand the laptop beyond its factory limits.

Acer has released a new 14-inch laptop in the US. Priced at $749, the new Aspire Lite combines a Snapdragon X Plus X1P-26-100 chipset with 16 GB of RAM and a 1200p display into a package weighing just 1.2 kg (2.65 lb).

Lenovo has updated one of its recent laptop lines with a new model. Now sporting Intel's Wildcat Lake platform, the new IdeaPad Slim 5 Ultra is also said to last over 50% longer than Lenovo's older model in official tests. The refreshed laptop maintains a lightweight build too, as well as an optional 120 Hz display.