Articles by Brian Westover
Samsung Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA
When shopping for a laptop, it’s easy to find a PC that offers all of the necessary performance and features—it’s find all that at an affordable price that’s difficult. As affordable mainstream laptops go, the Samsung Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA ($699), available in Canada, manages to balance the demands of performance and pricing fairly well, offering…
Lenovo IdeaPad N581
The Lenovo IdeaPad N581, for sale in Canada, is a 15-inch desktop replacement with a price that’s hard to beat, making it a top pick for value-priced laptops. With a design that looks understated rather than cheap, and performance to get work done or browse the Web, it’s a smart buy for anyone shopping on…
Acer Aspire V5-571P-6627
It’s not easy finding a great value when laptop shopping. Weighing all the different factors, from performance to price, or parts to portability, can be tough, but the Acer Aspire V5-571P-6627 (available in Canada) does a pretty good job. This slim laptop offers a portable design, a touch display and large touchpad, and a solid…
Kupa UltraNote X15 Ultra
If you’ve been waiting to see a Windows 8 tablet made for the demands of business, take a good look at the Kupa UltraNote X15 Ultra, the Core i7-powered followup to last year’s Kupa X11 Pro Tablet. Equipped with laptop-grade components to rival the likes of the Microsoft Surface Pro and with a modular design…
Lenovo IdeaPad Y500
Lenovo may not be a name that perks up the ears of gamers the way that MSI or Alienware might, but it has a well-deserved reputation for quality, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is bringing that same reputation to gaming. Don’t be put off by Lenovo’s straight-laced, business-friendly image—the IdeaPad Y500 casts perceptions aside with…
Imation Personal S250 16GB Secure Drive
When it comes to securing data, few names carry as much weight as IronKey. Developed in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, and the first choice of actual government agencies, IronKey’s reputation is well-earned. It’s also now owned by Imation, so there’s a slight change of name. That government-grade encryption is available to citizens…
Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse
Logitech has been a household name for years, well known for its quality computer mice and keyboards. But it’s not just the mundane peripherals where Logitech has made a name for itself. The company’s G-series of gaming peripherals is a perennial best-seller, and the latest mouse to join the party is the Logitech G500s Laser…
Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard
Makers PC gaming peripherals are in the unenviable position of having to meet gamer’s simultaneous demands for top-of-the-line products and innovative products that offer new and better ways to interact with technology. Finding the balancing point between these two concerns is a tricky business. For example, Logitech G19s gaming keyboard showcases the latest trend, the…
Acer Aspire V5-571PG-9814
We’ve seen a lot of systems come through the PC Labs with touch screens—tablets, convertible PCs, all-in-one desktops, and touch-friendly ultrabooks—but for a lot of these systems, touch was the crowning feature, the shiny bit of flash to draw a buyer’s attention. The Acer Aspire V5-571PG-9814 does things a little differently. While it does have…
Steiger Dynamics LEET Reference
The next frontier in PC gaming isn’t about bigger, better processors and graphics cards. Premium components will always find their way into elite gaming machines, to be sure, but PC gaming is moving to the living room. With PC-to-HDTV integration becoming simpler than it has ever been, and PC gaming gaining steam with online distribution…