Articles by Joel Santo Domingo
Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon ($1,849 list) is the largest of the portable all-in-one desktop PCs that we’ve seen. Its 27-inch screen houses the notebook-class components of a Windows 8 PC, in a large semi-portable desktop system. The system’s touch screen is the centerpiece of what could’ve been a good argument for merging the portable and…
Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch
The Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch desktop replacement laptop gains many of the features that ultrabooks have brought to the market, including a backlit keyboard, 10-finger touch screen, and—unfortunately—a sealed chassis. It follows the traditional laptop format, with a single hard drive, single optical drive, and a good number of I/O ports around the system’s chassis….
HP Pavilion G6-2248CA
The HP Pavilion G6-2248CA ($449.99), available in Canada, is a good, not great, buy for the price. It’s a full-featured 15.6-inch laptop for under $475. It has decent battery life, but otherwise has mediocre performance numbers. It’s designed to be a workhorse alternative to the inexpensive tablets of the world. It’s not a perfect value…
HP Pavilion 15-B168CA
The HP Pavilion 15-B168CA ($699.99 (CA) list), available in Canada, is a mainstream touch-screen laptop with a large 15.6-inch screen. It comes with a relatively thin chassis, thanks to the omission of an optical drive like a DVD burner. With an AMD A8 processor, 8GB of memory, 1TB hard drive, and integrated AMD Radeon graphics,…
HP Pavilion M6-1188CA
The HP Pavilion M6-1188CA ($699.99), available in Canada, is a mid-priced performance laptop made for enthusiasts. It’s got 3D gaming prowess and bundled Adobe multimedia software going for it, along with a sense of style that’s sometimes lacking at the mid- to entry-level. It makes a few tradeoffs to stay under $700, but on the…
Sony VAIO Fit 14 (SVF14A15CXB)
The Sony VAIO Fit 14 (SVF14A15CXB) ($849 list) is an almost-ultrabook. Coming in at a hair over the 21mm thickness specification, the VAIO Fit 14 is a mainstream laptop that doesn’t qualify as an ultrabook, even though it shares its Intel Core i5 processor, SSD+Hard drive configuration, and quick wake from sleep capabilities with systems…
Acer Aspire A5600U-UB13
The Acer Aspire A5600U-UB13 ($999.99) is a decently priced all-in-one desktop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB of memory, a 1TB hard drive, and a responsive 23-inch touch screen. It’s a good introductory PC for Windows 8, since it has good ergonomics, really nice design, and a nice price tag. However, a gimmicky gesture…
iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ-17
The iBuypower Valkyrie CZ-17 ($1,399 list) is a large, purpose-built performance laptop, and there’s no doubt that you’re carrying a lot of performance hardware with you. It’s a true desktop replacement, with upgradable components, space for multiple hard drives, and a huge 1080p screen. If you need a big performance system for not a lot…
Acer Aspire S7-191-6640
The Acer Aspire S7-191-6640 ($1,199.99) is a road warrior’s ultrabook. It has high-end features like a 128GB SSD, 1080p ten-point touch screen, and weighs less than 2.25 pounds without accessories. The ultrabook comes highly recommended as a commuter or jet traveler who must have a full Windows 8 PC with her at all times. Only…
Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 92z
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 92z ($1,093.99) is a very good midrange all-in-one desktop, built for business. It has the chops to quickly take care of many of the tasks you’ll need to do in a small to medium business, and it has a measure of upgradability, something sorely lacking in sealed all-in-one desktops. It’s a…