The pairing of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 with processors from companies like Qualcomm and Nvidia is expected to spawn a new kind of low-cost laptop, according to IHS-iSuppli, possibly threatening Intel’s overwhelming dominance in laptops. “After more than 30 years of domination by a...

The good: The revamped Sony Vaio Z adds an inventive docking station with Blu-ray and discrete graphics. Even without it, this is a sleek, powerful, high-end laptop. The bad: The Vaio Z starts expensive and goes up from there. Between the various power connections and AC adapters, you may end up with a...

The good: The Toshiba Thrive’s very aggressive pricing gives it an advantage over most other tablets. Its grooved back, full HDMI and USB support, full SD card slot, and replaceable battery justify its very bulky design. Also, its built-in file management system makes finding and accessing files in...

The city of Orlando, Fla. has deployed 600 Chromebooks to employees and the early verdict is that they’re low maintenance devices. The Chromebook is relatively lightweight and easy to set up — and help desk calls from users have so far been mainly about lost power cords and battery charging...

The good: Improved design, Beats audio, new USB 3.0 ports, an HD Webcam, fingerprint sensor, a variety of configurations ranging from budget to high-end, and second-gen Core i-series processors are all part of the HP Pavilion dv6t’s design makeover. The bad: Underperforming AMD graphics, too many...