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Latest by M. Smith

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Acer Aspire E1 review

The $599 Acer Aspire E1 is an every man’s laptop that offers good build quality and strong performance at a low price, but it’s held back by a discrete GPU which isn’t as quick as we had hoped.
Origin Genesis gaming desktop review front face angle 2

Origin Millennium (2014) review

The previous Origin Millennium, which we reviewed last year, still holds several of our records for best processor performance, best 3DMark scores, and fastest SSD. Now a new model has emerged with customizable, proprietary hardware, and Nvidia’s latest hardware. Can it defeat its predecessor and push performance to new heights?
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Apple Mac Pro vs Falcon Northwest Talon: Which is the better super-charged desktop?

The Mac Pro has been completely revamped, while the Falcon Northwest Talon has been produced since 1999. Which is a better workstation desktop?
Acer K272HUL review monitor

Acer K272HUL review

A 27-inch 2560x1440 monitor for $450? Yes, it’s true, courtesy of Acer’s budget-priced K272HUL, the least expensive name-brand WQHD monitor around. Is this monitor a blessing to buyers who want to go big on a budget, or should you save your money for a more expensive competitor?
Acer Travelmate X TMX-M-6824 front full

Acer Travelmate X313 review

The $949 Travelmate X313 goes toe-to-toe with other PC tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro 2, Samsung Smart PC Pro and HP ElitePad, but is there really a need for yet another entry in this struggling category?
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Five important laptop innovations you probably don’t think about

The processors, video cards and displays found in laptops are better than ever, but they're not the only innovations that impact the future of portable PCs.
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Falcon Northwest Talon review

Falcon Northwest’s mid-sized tower desktop, the Talon, has been in production continuously since 1999. Over the years, it has been reinvented several times, but with competitors like Origin and Maingear hot on Falcon’s heels, there’s no shortage of alternatives. Does the Talon reign supreme here, or have newcomers passed it by?
Cyberpower Zeus Mini review side angle 2

Cyberpower Zeus Mini review

Cyberpower’s Zeus Mini is the company’s response to small form-factor computers from competitors like Falcon Northwest and Digital Storm. Unlike those alternatives however, the Zeus Mini starts at around $600 and, even when impressively equipped, rarely exceeds $2000. Is this a case of “too good to be true”?
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook front

Dell XPS 13 (2014) review

The Dell XPS 13 has earned praise in the past, but its core design is nearing two years old. Can an update to a 4th-gen Intel Core CPU grant this Ultrabook a few new tricks, or is it time for this aging design to retire?
Toshiba Kirabook 2014 review screen front

Toshiba Kirabook (2014) review

Toshiba was the first to market a high-resolution PC Ultrabook with the Kirabook, a slim system boasting a 2560x1440 display. The original suffered from an incredible MSRP and merely average performance, but the revision boasts the latest 4th-gen Intel processors and sells for several hundred less. Is that enough to make the Kirabook king of premium notebooks?
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Happy Birthday, Steve Jobs! A look at the life of a tech luminary

Steve Jobs, one of the tech industry's most influential figures, would be celebrating his 59th birthday today. Here, we take a brief look at his life and legacy.
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Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Retina vs. HP Spectre 13t x2

The HP Spectre 13t x2 is one of the best 2-in-1 computers sold so far, but can a PC convertible stand up to Apple's excellent MacBook Pro 13 with Retina?
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Acer C720P-2600 review

The C720P's specifications are strong given the $299 price, but can this system defeat recent releases from HP and Toshiba?
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Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Retina vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 Carbon has everything business travelers want, but is it enough to peel them away from Apple's MacBook Pro 13 with Retina?
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HP Spectre 13t x2 review

Is HP’s new Spectre 13t x2 a do-it-all powerhouse, or does this system’s versatility come with unwanted baggage?
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Common Windows XP problems and how to fix them

Microsoft's looming discontinuation of support for Windows XP has some worried. So here are common issues XP users experience - and how to fix them.
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10 Satya Nadella Quotes That Tell Us What He’ll Do As Microsoft’s CEO

Satya Nadella is now in the driver's seat at Microsoft, but what will he do with the company? We take a look at some of his more notable quotes.
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As PC sales dwindle, high-end builders find that gamers aren’t going anywhere

Think the PC is dead? Just talk to these three CEOs.
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Why 2014 will be a great year for Chrome OS

Chromebooks have, in just one year, seized a notable chunk of the PC market. Despite the skepticism, I think Chrome OS is here to stay. Here's why.
Satya Nadella Microsoft

5 ways Satya Nadella could fix Microsoft as its next CEO

Rumors suggest that Satya Nadella, the head of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise group, will be the company's next CEO. What might he do if hired as CEO?
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Common Windows 7 problems and how to fix them

While many users swear by Windows 7's reliability, some common problems remain even after the release of multiple service packs. Here's how to fix them.
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HP EliteBook 820 G1 review

Can the new HP Elitebook 820 solve the problems that plagued its predecessors?
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Asus Transformer Book Trio TX201LA review

The Asus Transformer Book Trio attempts to combine Windows 8 and Android. Is this a match made in heaven, or a pact forged in hell?
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4K may make sense on TVs, but what about your next PC?

4K monitors and laptops will become more widely available and affordable throughout 2014, but should you spend your hard-earned money on the Ultra HD fad?
mac pro vs origin genesis ultimate computer showdown pc originvsmacpro

Mac Pro vs. Origin Genesis PC: Ultimate Desktop Showdown

The new Mac Pro is both fast and reasonably priced, but what happens when it goes toe-to-toe with a PC maker that specializes in high end desktop hardware?
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How to fix common Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 problems

Like any new OS, Windows 8 and 8.1 have suffered from a variety of bugs that can confuse unsuspecting users. Here's how to solve the most common problems.
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Happy birthday, Mac! Remembering the original personal computer, 30 years later

Apple's Macintosh debuted thirty years ago today at $2,495, starting a PC revolution with its advanced, yet intuitive, graphical interface.
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30 years ago, Apple threw the hammer at IBM with the infamous 1984 ad

Apple's "1984" Super Bowl, defined the company as an underdog that would deliver personal computers from the clutches of IBM. But has Apple lost the point?
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Reality check: Razer’s Project Christine will be expensive, but not impossible

One of Razer's most exciting displays at CES 2014 was Project Christine, the first fully modular desktop PC.
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5 ways Microsoft could salvage its empire with Windows 9

A new version of Windows is rumored to be in development, but Windows 9 will have to be great to repair the damage caused by its predecessor.
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5 PC trends we noticed at CES 2014

While CES 2014 didn;t focus on computing, it's still important to the PC industry. Here's five trends that will determine the path of PCs for the next year.
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Captherm Systems builds PC phase-change cooler with explosions

Captherm Systems came to CES 2014 packing the MP1120, a high-end CPU cooler so extreme it could only be built with explosives.
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FINsix shrinks your laptop adapter to the size of a lighter

While laptops have shrunk dramatically, power adapters haven't gone on the same diet. That may change, however, thanks to a new adapter from FINsix.
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Origin reveals new Millennium and Genesis with modular case

Origin's new PC case, shipping with its Millennium and Genesis desktops, features a modular internal layout and expansion for up to 19 hard drives.