EVGA UV Plus+ UV16 Review
By Joseph Moran - Published September 7, 2008
Got a shiny new monitor? Don't throw away the old one -- this $80 gadget offers a quick and easy way to add more screen real estate to your system (or even a third display to a notebook with an external monitor), plugging in a USB adapter instead of installing a second graphics card. [more Peripherals]

Platform Trends: Budget GPUs Galore
By Vince Freeman - Published September 1, 2008
We're used to reading about AMD's and Nvidia's fastest, fire-breathing graphics cards, but the rivals are now hunting bargain hunters -- Nvidia putting its GeForce 9 Series technology on a $59 diet, AMD revving up a fast integrated-graphics chipset while preparing new ATI Radeon HD 4400 cards. How do these strategies stack up against each other -- or against simple price cuts on last year's cards? [more Chips & Upgrades]

Acer Aspire One Review
By Eric Grevstad - Published August 26, 2008
When does a netbook become a notebook? Windows XP and a 120GB hard disk give Acer's 2.3-pound productivity partner an edge over Linux lightweights when it comes to adding software (though there's a Linux version too). The Intel Atom-powered ultraportable also boasts a sunny 8.9-inch screen, a not-too-small keyboard, and a price below even the 7-inch Eee PC that started the netbook craze: $349. [more Computers]

Platform Trends: Intel Gets Up and Atom
By Vince Freeman - Published August 18, 2008
Suddenly, no small, light, low-priced notebook -- a.k.a. netbook, a.k.a. Asus Eee 901, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, or Dell Comingsoon -- is complete without Intel's battery-sipping Atom N270 processor. Actually, that 1.6GHz, Hyper-Threading CPU is just one of seven Atoms, with thermal design power as low as 0.65 watt, and they're destined for more than just netbooks. Here's a look under the hood. [more Chips & Upgrades]

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 Review
By Eric Grevstad - Published August 9, 2008
"Why don't you put a little hot-rod red in there?" -- Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), designing his super-suit in the movie Iron Man. "Why don't we make a red little hot rod?" -- Lenovo engineers, designing an 11.1-inch, 2.5-pound notebook that brings the swanky style of the company's ThinkPad X300 or of Apple's or Sony's high-priced ultralights to a lower-priced consumer laptop. Okay, slightly lower-priced. [more Computers]

Platform Trends: Nvidia Reseeds its Mainstream Line
By Vince Freeman - Published August 4, 2008
Though its flagship GeForce 200 Series holds the spotlight, Nvidia Corp. has taken the opportunity of a switch to 55-nanometer-process engineering to perk up its formerly-elite-now-everyday GeForce 9 lineup of graphics processing units. You'll see some graphics cards that look awfully familiar, others that will put a grin on the faces of gamers with only $100 to spend, and still others in between. Vince Freeman helps you keep score. [more Chips & Upgrades]

Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Review
By Jamie Bsales - Published July 29, 2008
The advent of Intel's Centrino 2 mobile platform gives Lenovo an excuse to replace the ThinkPad X61 with a 12.1-inch widescreen ultralight with better performance, a slew of configuration and communication options, and a keyboard to die for. SmallBusinessComputing.com's Jamie Bsales takes the mini for a spin. [more Computers]

HP Officejet J4680 All-in-One Review
By Eric Grevstad - Published July 22, 2008
You know you can get a versatile inkjet printer/scanner/copier for $300 or $400. But for a fraction of that ($130)? In a fraction of the size (9 inches high)? HP's small-business breadbox is full of surprises -- yes, it has fax as well as the usual three functions; yes, it has built-in WiFi; no, they didn't forget the automatic document feeder. It's a one-person office's one peripheral. [more Peripherals]

Platform Trends: The Year of Serious Storage
By Vince Freeman - Published July 21, 2008
One and one-half terabytes, people! Most of us remember when such storage capacity stretched the limits of a server RAID array, but next month Seagate will ship a 1.5TB desktop hard disk. Meanwhile, both old-fashioned and newfangled storage tech heats up the notebook market -- and PC enthusiasts and upgraders are getting their hands on the speedy solid-state drives once reserved for the most exotic, elite laptops. [more Chips & Upgrades]

Montevina Mania: Intel Unveils Centrino 2 Notebook Platform
By Eric Grevstad - Published July 15, 2008
New 45-nanometer CPUs are only part of the story as Intel revamps its dominant laptop processor/chipset/WiFi bundling program. The nearly 250 new notebooks slated to wear the Centrino 2 sticker will flaunt faster, more far-reaching wireless; more game-worthy graphics (plus the option of switching between integrated and discrete graphics), and multimedia enhancements designed to let travelers enjoy a high-definition Blu-ray movie -- on one battery charge. [more Computers]

Platform Trends: AMD's Massive Retaliation: The Radeon HD 4000 Series
By Vince Freeman - Published July 7, 2008
Just nine days after Nvidia's launch of a new flagship GeForce GTX 200 series, AMD grabs the spotlight with formidable -- and more affordable -- ATI Radeon HD 4850 and 4870 graphics cards, packing a whopping 956 million transistors, 800 stream processors, and (for the 4870) unbelievably fast GDDR5 memory. The company also dusts off the classic All-in-Wonder name for a new DirectX 10.1 graphics/HDTV tuner combo. [more Chips & Upgrades]

Mini Mobile PCs: Now Comes the Hard Part
By Eric Grevstad - Published July 1, 2008
It's a myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but what are the odds against catching lightning in a bottle twice? The ultralight, ultra-affordable subnotebook PC category that the Asus Eee ignited last winter will soon see a second generation of what are now called netbooks -- but this time around, it might be Eee II: The Laptop Strikes Back. [more Opinions]

HP Color LaserJet CP1215 Review
By Eric Grevstad - Published June 23, 2008
A color laser printer for $300 is a pretty good deal, but depending on where and when you buy (hint: there's a rebate offer that expires at the end of this month), HP's colorful compact can be yours for as little as $200. Don't expect onboard Ethernet or blazing speed -- the USB desktop device is rated at 12 ppm for monochrome and 8 ppm for color, with minimal paper-handling and software options -- but expect to be tempted. [more Peripherals]

Platform Trends: The GeForce GTX 200 Series: Big, Bad, and Proud of It
By Eric Grevstad - Published June 20, 2008
As the Incredible Hulk rampages across movie screens, Nvidia introduces a giant of a graphics processor -- the GeForce GTX 280 (and only slightly tamer GTX 260), bringing 1.4 billion transistors, 240 stream processors, and over 240GB/sec of bandwidth to smash even current dual-GPU gaming, 3D rendering, and video-encoding graphics cards. But should you wait for a smaller, less power-hungry sequel? [more Chips & Upgrades]

Gateway M-1626 Review
By Eric Grevstad - Published June 17, 2008
Retail laptop prices are so low these days that Gateway's 15.4-inch notebook looks like a prestige model at $850 as opposed to $599 or $699. And the six-pound, AMD dual-core-powered portable does indeed exceed the run of the mill with a spacious 4GB of memory and the 64-bit version of Windows Vista as opposed to the usual 32-bit. But do its battery life and graphics performance suit its suitable-for-power-users positioning? [more Computers]

Eee, Atom, Aspire, Wind: It's a Small (Notebook) World at Computex
By Eric Grevstad - Published June 3, 2008
What comes after Eee? Everybody from HP and Acer to Dell and MSI, not to mention class leader Asus, wants to star in the second generation of compact, low-cost, just-right-for-traveling-light laptops. This week's Computex show is packed with the ultraportable notebooks known as netbooks, with Intel's new Atom CPU in a prominent supporting role -- and Nvidia and VIA waiting in the wings. [more Computers]