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Pairing Navi graphics with Zen 2 CPUs, Van Gogh looks set boost performance for the ultraportable sector (Image source: AMD)

New AMD Ryzen “Van Gogh” mobile APU details emerge: Zen 2 CPUs and RDNA2 graphics set to turbocharge 7.5W to 18W low-power notebooks

Tipster @patrickschur_ revealed new details about AMD’s upcoming Van Gogh mobile APUs. The new chips will evidently feature Zen 2 CPUs paired with Navi graphics and target a low power profile between 7.5W-18W.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 22 Aug 2020 16:25

Some Surface Book users complain of screen defects in response to normal use, and that Microsoft is all but ignoring them

The Surface Book series comprise innovative 2-in-1s that can run the buyer a pretty penny. Its support and user forums have exhibited a pattern of complaints that these devices develop cracks in their screens (often "overnight"). These defects reportedly appear as a result of doing no more than closing their lids in notebook mode.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 21 Aug 2020 22:22

The Yoga 7i and Yoga Slim 7i will be available from November. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo announces the Yoga 7i and Yoga Slim 7i as part of its Intel Tiger Lake refresh

The Yoga 7i and Yoga Slim 7i join the Yoga Slim 7i Pro as part of Lenovo's Intel Tiger Lake refresh. The machines will be available from November at various price points and configurations.

Alex Alderson, 20 Aug 2020 15:29

The new Yoga 6 convertibles powered by AMD's Renoir-U are expected to ship this October. (Image Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo launches 13.3-inch Yoga 6 convertible with Renoir-U APUs and metal+cloth hybrid design

The hybrid design that combines metal with soft textured materials help the chassis weigh in at only 2.9 lbs. Spec-wise, this model is not as impressive as the Yoga Slim 7 Pro, and the prices clearly reflect this. Still, users can equip the 13.3-inch Yoga 6 with up to a Ryzen 7 4700U coupled with up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 1 TB of NVMe SSD storage.

Bogdan Solca, 19 Aug 2020 12:44

Intel may phase type A ports out with the advent of USB4-enabled PCs

A prominent tipster has posted what may be listings for Intel's USB 4 controllers. Should this be the case, it seems they will not be compatible with the traditional type A port. The material only mentions the USB 3.2 specification, with no hint of 2.0 in sight.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 11 Aug 2020 19:05

Dell is adding 4K display options for a reasonable price. (Image Source: Dell)

Dell launches premium Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise convertible with 4K touchscreen

Dell is adding quite a few enterprise-grade features to the existing 14-inch Latitude 7410 Chromebook lineup, including low blue light 4K touchscreens, LTE and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, extended battery life up to 21 hours and a premium carbon fiber finish that keeps the total weight just above 3 lbs.

Bogdan Solca, 11 Aug 2020 17:32

The Surface Duo may be exclusive to AT&T in the US. (Image source: Evan Blass)

Surface Duo: Leaked marketing renders confirm the outdated looks of Microsoft's upcoming foldable

Leaked marketing renders have offered a closer look at the Surface Duo, Microsoft's long-awaited foldable device. While Microsoft exited the smartphone market four years ago, the bezels on the Surface Duo feel like the company never left. If that was not enough of a throwback, then the Surface Duo may be exclusive to AT&T in the US too.

Alex Alderson, 10 Aug 2020 20:35

Are Black Mirror-style displays about to mark their appearance? (Image source: InternetLab)

Huawei is reportedly working on a Black Mirror-style futuristic zero-bezel 3K laptop with a “no metal frame design”

According to a Weibo tipster, Huawei is reportedly working on a bezel-less “floating display” laptop with a 3K panel, offering a “more immersive viewing experience.” Does this mean that Black Mirror-esque bezel-less laptops are here to stay?

Arjun Krishna Lal, 10 Aug 2020 14:26

The patent drawing showcases both the high performance and low power CPUs in the design (Image source: @Underfox3)

Is this the future of AMD’s laptop CPU design? AMD files patent for hybrid computing approach similar to ARM’s big.LITTLE

A US patent uncovered by tipster @Underfox3 indicates that AMD is working on a hybrid computing design that appears similar to ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, with high performance cores paired to power efficient, low-power cores.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 09 Aug 2020 08:51

A render based on the "Book Flex 5G". (Source: LetsGoDigital)

A new leak may point to a Samsung Galaxy Book Flex with 5G

Samsung has reportedly applied for a European trademark for a "Book Flex" with an unusual new addition: 5G. Therefore, it may have a convertible PC with this connectivity in the works. This leak offers no hints as to the putative next-gen device's further specs, OS and chipset included, however.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 07 Aug 2020 18:22

Stay away from Sure View panels on the latest Spectre x360. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

HP Spectre x360 13 with Sure View - What a way to ruin a great laptop

HP has done a great job with the Spectre x360 13, but give the 1080p Sure View display a wide berth. With poor viewing angles and image quality even with Sure View switched off, we cannot fathom why HP does not offer a regular 1080p display in the UK.

Column by Alex Alderson, 06 Aug 2020 01:02

The UBook X comes with a keyboard cover and an active stylus. (Image source: Chuwi)

Chuwi UBook X: A detachable and 2-in-1 tablet that comes with a pen and keyboard for US$399

The Chuwi UBook X is a 2-in-1 Windows tablet for those who are operating on a budget. At US$399, Chuwi has included a 12-inch 1440p IPS display, an active stylus, 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 256 GB SSD. The tablet has a 38 Wh battery, a quad-core processor and comes bundled with a keyboard cover for orders placed by August 8.

Alex Alderson, 05 Aug 2020 13:34

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook with 4K AMOLED, Core i5, 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB RAM already down to $800 USD (Source: Amazon)

Deal | Samsung Galaxy Chromebook with 4K AMOLED, Core i5, 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB RAM already down to $800 USD

The premium Samsung convertible Chromebook is barely four months old and price cuts are already in effect. Originally launched for $1000 USD, Amazon is now offering the model for $200 less.

Allen Ngo, 31 Jul 2020 20:01

The Surface Neo won't be sitting under anyone's Christmas tree this Holiday season. (Image: Microsoft)

Microsoft confirms its Surface Neo will miss its original Holiday 2020 launch window

Microsoft has confirmed, albeit indirectly, that its eagerly anticipated dual-screen Surface Neo has been delayed. Following a blog post that indicated Windows 10X would debut first on single-screen devices, it became clear that plans for Windows 10X for dual-screen devices would be pushed back. However, it was only in the past day or so that Microsoft removed the “Coming Holiday 2020” timeline from the device’s webpage.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 29 Jul 2020 13:18

Comes with a loud power adapter: The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 13.3

Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 13.3: Minor improvements to be desired

With the Galaxy Book Flex 13.3, Samsung has an extremely attractive Windows convertible in its range. Minor inconsistencies cloud the otherwise good overall impression a bit, though.

Mike Wobker, 29 Jul 2020 06:37

Testing out the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2020 Laptop with a Comet Lake U SoC

The 5th generation of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga laptop series offers new Comet Lake U processors, Wi-Fi 6 and brighter displays. With a price tag of 2300 Euros, the convertible is no bargain, but offers a well-rounded packages.

Sebastian Bade, 23 Jul 2020 21:28

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 with Radeon graphics. (Source: AMD)

AMD claims a new Premiere Pro update can get better 4K video exports out of some Ryzen 4000 notebooks

Adobe's Premiere Pro 14.2 update added hardware-accelerated encoding support for AMD GPUs. This, as the same chipmaker now claims, can reduce 4K video export times by up to 43% on the Ryzen 4000 H-series platform with Radeon RX 5000 GPUs compared to the CPU in question alone. This may make PCs such as the Dell G5 15 SE more appealing to content-creators

Deirdre O'Donnell, 22 Jul 2020 19:31

Kano PC: New DIY 2-in-1 convertible is now purchasable for US$299.99

The second-generation Kano PC is now purchasable for US$299.99. The device, which is based around a Gemini Lake processor, comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The device has a distinctive design and is geared towards design, coding, science and music creation.

Alex Alderson, 21 Jul 2020 18:19

HP is now #1 in the US PC market. (Source: HP)

PC shipments show positive growth for the second quarter of 2020

The latest report from Gartner on the PC market shows that it had grown by 2.8% in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020). This may not sound like a lot, but is more encouraging in light of 1Q2020's -12.3% performance. This change suggests shipment volumes are recovering from the deleterious effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 12 Jul 2020 17:38

Durabook re-launches the fully-rugged Durabook R11 tablet for a starting price of $1849 USD

The "easy-to-clean" 11.6-inch rugged tablet comes with three-year warranty as standard and a relatively bright 500-nit 1080p touchscreen designed for outdoor use and environmental abuse.

Allen Ngo, 09 Jul 2020 05:15

Coming with a very good touchscreen and a robust case: the Fujitsu Lifebook U939X

Fujitsu Lifebook U939X: A touchscreen should look like that!

Regardless how well or badly the manufacturers of tablets and convertibles design their screens, most of them keep the glass surface, which is very reflective and not always suitable in everyday usage.

Mike Wobker, 08 Jul 2020 02:30

Would you be keen on purchasing a second-generation Eve V? (Image source: Eve Distribution)

Eve V 2020: Eve-Tech offers design and keyboard visions of its second-generation Microsoft Surface alternative

With the Eve Spectrum monitor apparently set for release next quarter, Eve Distribution is continuing to prototype its next Surface alternative with fans. Now the company, formerly known as Eve-Tech, has offered glimpses of several design proposals for its next 2-in-1.

Alex Alderson, 06 Jul 2020 21:02

Despite the low price, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 is not a stunner

A small, affordable convertible that does not have a fan sounds like a good second laptop or a recommendable notebook for schoolchildren, but the impression is deceptive: To push the price down, the manufacturer makes too many compromises with the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 11IGL05.

Benjamin Herzig, 04 Jul 2020 21:36

The Lenovo Flex 5 has returned for US$599.99. (Image source: Lenovo)

The Lenovo Flex 5 with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U and 16 GB of RAM is purchasable again for US$599.99

The Lenovo Flex 5 is back for under US$600. Available on Amazon, the device comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U APU, a Radeon RX Vega 6 GPU, 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 RAM and a 256 GB SSD. An Active Pen is included in the box, too.

Alex Alderson, 03 Jul 2020 14:03

AMD hitting Intel where it hurts: 2020 Ryzen 5 HP Envy x360 13 vs. Intel Core i7 Spectre x360 13

The Ryzen 5 4600U-powered Envy costs hundreds of dollars less than the Core i7-1065G7 Spectre and yet it is able to run longer and faster while being just as thin and light. Maybe it's time for HP to add the same Ryzen options for its flagship Spectre series.

Allen Ngo, 03 Jul 2020 06:58

The new translucent Start menu picks up automatically on the system theme. (Image: Microsoft)

New Windows 10 Start menu design official, plus other UI tweaks in the pipeline

After hinting at upcoming changes to the Start menu, Microsoft has officially announced that it is coming to Window 10 in the near future. Currently only available in Windows 10 Preview build 20161, users can start to play with the new Start menu and other design and UI tweaks coming to the shipping build soon.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 02 Jul 2020 12:29

Microsoft launched the Surface Pro X last year. (Image source: Wired.jp)

Geekbench lists possible upgraded Microsoft Surface Pro X with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Plus and 16 GB of RAM

Geekbench has presented a possible upgraded Microsoft Surface Pro X. Paired with 16 GB of RAM, the device appears to be based on Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8cx Plus chipset. The mystery device is running Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit too.

Alex Alderson, 01 Jul 2020 18:44

Still unique: The hinge of the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Is it worth switching from the previous model?

With the third edition of its convertible, Microsoft has given the Surface Book 3 13.5 an Ice Lake CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 in Max-Q design. But does the hardware really have an advantage over the Surface Book 2?

Mike Wobker & Christian Hintze, 29 Jun 2020 20:58

Lenovo Yoga: Two screens, more productivity. (Image source: Lenovo via @h0x0d)

Leak confirms new Lenovo Yoga dual-screen device running Windows 10X

A new leak has confirmed that Lenovo has developed a Yoga dual-screen device running Windows 10X. The device, which resembles the Dell Concept Duet and Microsoft Surface Neo supports pen input and has a detachable keyboard.

Alex Alderson, 26 Jun 2020 13:03

Surface Book 3 15 reviewed: Predecessor achieves similar results

We just finished our review of the current 15-inch Surface Book generation. While Microsoft has done many things right, we take issue with one particular choice and there are one or two things we hope to see in future iterations. Depending on your preferences, it also does not have a clear advantage over its predecessor.

Christian Hintze, 25 Jun 2020 17:23

Latest HP Envy x360 13 with Ryzen 7 4700U, 512 GB NVMe SSD, and 8 GB RAM now on sale for $750 USD (Source: HP)

Deal | Latest HP Envy x360 13 with Ryzen 7 4700U, 512 GB NVMe SSD, and 8 GB RAM now on sale for $750 USD

It may not be a super-fancy Spectre, but it's still a solid deal especially since this is HP's newest Envy chassis design and not some older last generation model. The sale will last until July 19.

Allen Ngo, 24 Jun 2020 21:24

Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel offers flexible usage modes for content creators. (Image Source: Acer)

Acer offers the new ConceptD 3 in Ezel and Notebook form factors with Intel 10th gen Comet Lake-H and NVIDIA Quadro T1000 options alongside the ConceptD 100 desktop

Acer is introducing the ConceptD 3 in the Ezel convertible mobile workstation form factor featuring 10th gen Comet Lake-H and Quadro T1000 (Ezel Pro) and GTX 1650 Ti GPU options alongside a refreshed ConceptD 3 Notebook with a similar configuration. Also being introduced is a ConceptD 100 small form factor desktop PC powered by 9th gen Intel processors.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 23 Jun 2020 16:28

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713. All images via Acer.

Acer announces two new convertible Chromebooks, the Chromebook Spin 713 and Chromebook Spin 311

Acer announced two new convertible Chromebooks today. The Chromebook Spin 713 is a premium Chromebook with a 2K 3:2 13.5-inch screen aimed at enterprise users and those in search of a high-end Chromebook. The Chromebook Spin 311 is a smaller 11.6-inch Chromebook designed for students and the education market.

Sam Medley, 23 Jun 2020 15:45

More affordable Ryzen 4000U laptops are coming later this year from Asus. (Image Source: Asus)

Asus quietly introduces new ZenBook UM425 and VivoBook Flip TM420 14-inch laptops with Ryzen 4000U CPUs

Asus is expanding its Ryzen 4000 portfolio with the ZenBook 14 UM425 ultrabook and the VivoBook Flip 14 TM420 convertible. Users can choose among the Ryzen 3 4300U, Ryzen 54500U and Ryzen 7 4700U processors plus there are PCIe NVMe SSD options. What sets these models apart are features like LPDDR4x-3733/3200 memory support, bright high quality screens and Wi-Fi 6 support.

Bogdan Solca, 23 Jun 2020 15:32

Dell appears to be giving the Inspirion 15 2-in-1 a Tiger Lake refresh. (Image source: Dell)

UserBenchmark confirms Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 Tiger Lake refresh with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 and a 4K display

UserBenchmark has confirmed that Dell is planning a Tiger Lake refresh of its 15-inch Inspiron 2-in-1 series. The company will at least offer the Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 and a 4K display. The 16:9 aspect ratio from previous generations remains, though.

Alex Alderson, 18 Jun 2020 18:39

Google is partnering with Parallels to bring virtualized Microsoft Office apps to Chrome OS Enterprise devices. (Image: Notebookcheck)

MS Office apps coming to Chrome OS enterprise devices thanks to deal with Parallels

If there has been one thing holding back companies from going all in on Chrome OS devices is the lack of support for Microsoft’s Office suite. That is set to change with the announcement that Google is teaming with Parallels to run virtualized versions of Microsoft’s desktop productivity apps.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 17 Jun 2020 11:58

Verizon launches the Lenovo Flex 5G in the US

The Lenovo Flex 5G is the first "Always On, Always Connected" ultrabook to launch with the connectivity that gives it its name. It is capable of the ultra-wideband (UWB) variety of the same, which covers a lot of the mmWave band. Accordingly, it will be sold through the carrier Verizon in the US.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 16 Jun 2020 21:35

The Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 2-in-1 laptop used a cloud-based Chrome OS. (Image source: Dell)

Rumor | Dell XPS Chromebook could be in the works; 10nm Tiger Lake-based Dell Chromebooks also a possibility

It has been reported that Dell is developing some Chromebooks to add to its extensive lineup, and there has been speculation that a Dell XPS Chromebook could be in the works, too. The same source states that at least three machines are being developed, with Intel’s 10nm Tiger Lake microarchitecture featuring in the Dell Chromebook mix.

Daniel R Deakin, 12 Jun 2020 22:53

Is an AMD-powered successor to the Surface Go 2 in the works? (Image source: Microsoft)

Leak suggests that Microsoft is working on another AMD Surface product

Rumour has it that Microsoft could well be planning to use AMD Ryzen APUs for a new Surface product. Codenamed Pollock, the APUs will be low-powered chips. Commits have suggested that Pollock APUs bear resemblances to AMD's Dali architecture.

Alex Alderson, 11 Jun 2020 19:46

PineTab: Detachable and 2-in-1 tablet will start shipping next month from US$99.99

The PineTab will begin shipping next month, PINE64 has confirmed. Priced at US$99.99 for the tablet or US$119.99 for the keyboard bundle, the detachable 2-in-1 tablet is available to pre-order now.

Alex Alderson, 11 Jun 2020 18:08

Apple's stock is at an all-time high. (Source: Pixabay)

Microsoft and Apple are the first companies to cross the US$1.5 trillion market-cap threshold

Some of the world's biggest tech companies have recently returned positive gains as stock markets in general start to rebound from the effects of Covid-19. However, Apple and Microsoft were the biggest winners this week, as their market caps now exceed half a trillion US dollars. They are also the first firms to do so in history.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 11 Jun 2020 16:49

Convertible / 2-in-1

New AMD Ryzen “Van Gogh” mobile APU details emerge: Zen 2 CPUs and RDNA2 graphics set to turbocharge 7.5W to 18W low-power notebooks

Some Surface Book users complain of screen defects in response to normal use, and that Microsoft is all but ignoring them

Lenovo announces the Yoga 7i and Yoga Slim 7i as part of its Intel Tiger Lake refresh

Lenovo launches 13.3-inch Yoga 6 convertible with Renoir-U APUs and metal+cloth hybrid design

Intel may phase type A ports out with the advent of USB4-enabled PCs

Dell launches premium Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise convertible with 4K touchscreen

Surface Duo: Leaked marketing renders confirm the outdated looks of Microsoft's upcoming foldable

Huawei is reportedly working on a Black Mirror-style futuristic zero-bezel 3K laptop with a “no metal frame design”

Is this the future of AMD’s laptop CPU design? AMD files patent for hybrid computing approach similar to ARM’s big.LITTLE

A new leak may point to a Samsung Galaxy Book Flex with 5G

HP Spectre x360 13 with Sure View - What a way to ruin a great laptop

Chuwi UBook X: A detachable and 2-in-1 tablet that comes with a pen and keyboard for US$399

Deal | Samsung Galaxy Chromebook with 4K AMOLED, Core i5, 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB RAM already down to $800 USD

Microsoft confirms its Surface Neo will miss its original Holiday 2020 launch window

Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 13.3: Minor improvements to be desired

84% Galaxy Book Flex 13.3 in review: Samsung convertible with bright display

86% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020 Business-Laptop Review: 4K display costs battery runtime

Testing out the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2020 Laptop with a Comet Lake U SoC

AMD claims a new Premiere Pro update can get better 4K video exports out of some Ryzen 4000 notebooks

Kano PC: New DIY 2-in-1 convertible is now purchasable for US$299.99

89% Dell Latitude 9510 2-in-1 Review: A 5G 15-inch Convertible That Isn't Huge Or Unwieldy

PC shipments show positive growth for the second quarter of 2020

Durabook re-launches the fully-rugged Durabook R11 tablet for a starting price of $1849 USD

Fujitsu Lifebook U939X: A touchscreen should look like that!

Eve V 2020: Eve-Tech offers design and keyboard visions of its second-generation Microsoft Surface alternative

85% Fujitsu Lifebook U939X Review: A business convertible with a lot of functionalities

Despite the low price, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 is not a stunner

The Lenovo Flex 5 with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U and 16 GB of RAM is purchasable again for US$599.99

AMD hitting Intel where it hurts: 2020 Ryzen 5 HP Envy x360 13 vs. Intel Core i7 Spectre x360 13

New Windows 10 Start menu design official, plus other UI tweaks in the pipeline

Geekbench lists possible upgraded Microsoft Surface Pro X with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Plus and 16 GB of RAM

86% 2020 HP Envy x360 13 Convertible 2-in-1 Review: Ryzen 5 Beats a Core i7

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Is it worth switching from the previous model?

87% Surface Book 3 13.5 review: Microsoft convertible is slowly getting old

Leak confirms new Lenovo Yoga dual-screen device running Windows 10X

Surface Book 3 15 reviewed: Predecessor achieves similar results

Deal | Latest HP Envy x360 13 with Ryzen 7 4700U, 512 GB NVMe SSD, and 8 GB RAM now on sale for $750 USD

Hands-on: The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is outstanding value for money

Acer offers the new ConceptD 3 in Ezel and Notebook form factors with Intel 10th gen Comet Lake-H and NVIDIA Quadro T1000 options alongside the ConceptD 100 desktop

Acer announces two new convertible Chromebooks, the Chromebook Spin 713 and Chromebook Spin 311

Asus quietly introduces new ZenBook UM425 and VivoBook Flip TM420 14-inch laptops with Ryzen 4000U CPUs

88% Microsoft Surface Book 3 15 Convertible Review: Still great, but is it better than its predecessor?

UserBenchmark confirms Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 Tiger Lake refresh with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 and a 4K display

MS Office apps coming to Chrome OS enterprise devices thanks to deal with Parallels

Verizon launches the Lenovo Flex 5G in the US

Hands-on: The Lenovo Flex 5 promises Ice Lake-shattering performance at an affordable price

Rumor | Dell XPS Chromebook could be in the works; 10nm Tiger Lake-based Dell Chromebooks also a possibility

Leak suggests that Microsoft is working on another AMD Surface product

PineTab: Detachable and 2-in-1 tablet will start shipping next month from US$99.99

Microsoft and Apple are the first companies to cross the US$1.5 trillion market-cap threshold

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