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The first Snapdragon Windows Laptops Offer 20+ Hours of Battery Life

Your next laptop can charge for 24 hours. When you go to bed, you can download your e-mail and connect with LTE at any time, if Qualcomm has a way. Today, chip manufacturers show the first laptop computer running Windows 10 Snapdragon 835 processor at an event in Maui, Hawaii. We first heard about the company’s “always connected” laptop computer as early as June, but today Qualcomm unveiled its first device: one pair from HP and ASUS 2 to 1.

HP’s laptop, the Envy x2, is a detachable 2-in-1 with a folio-style keyboard similar to that of Microsoft’s Surface Pro, while Asus’ device, the NovaGo, is a standard convertible. As of this writing, no final prices or release dates have been confirmed, though HP is aiming for a vague spring 2018 launch.

Qualcomm suggests that most laptops using its CPU will be some form of 2-in-1, as it’s one of the fastest-growing device categories. The company first announced that laptops would run on its CPU at Computex in Taipei earlier this year, allowing for “always-connected” PCs that let you use your device the way you treat your smartphone. Representatives from the company said that they will constantly receive new data, even while in hibernation. For example, if you use a desktop email client like Outlook, you should continue to get emails while the device sleeps, rather than downloading them all when your computer wakes up again.

These devices will work not only on Wi-Fi, but also on LTE. HP’s device has a slot for SIM cards, while Asus’ laptop has an embedded eSIM.

Qualcomm is claiming that the battery life could be game-changing, and Microsoft says you’ll measure real world use in weeks rather than days or hours. Qualcomm told us to expect Snapdragon-based laptops to last for 25 hours or more with mixed used and standby (a number we’ll be putting to the test when these machines start to arrive in our lab).

The HP Envy x2 has a 12.3-inch display, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of UFS storage, as well as a stylus. HP is claiming up to 20 hours of Hp elitebook 8530w laptop battery life, with up to 700 in standby mode. The Asus NovaGo uses a 13.3-inch screen and has similar specs, with an estimated 22 hours of Asus a32-m50 battery life and 30 days in modern standby.

Both laptops come out of the box with Windows 10 S. HP Notes a “one-time option” to switch to Windows 10 Pro, and Asus offers a free upgrade prior to Sept. 30, 2018.

Additionally, we’re told that these laptops will stay incredibly cool. The company suggests that its thermal advantage means lower temperatures that don’t throttle performance.

The first wave of laptops will use UFS storage and come with 4 or 8GB of RAM. You can expect them to cost between $600 and $800 early next year, Qualcomm told us.

The computers will run all Windows 10 apps: both UWP apps from the Microsoft Store and legacy x86 apps with custom emulation. Intel previously suggested that this emulation might be in violation of its patents.

Of course, to work over LTE, carriers need to play ball. Asus says it already has deals with T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, TIM, China Telecom and Chunghwa Telecom. HP has yet to announce carrier partners.

When Qualcomm first announced the initiative at Computex, Lenovo was listed as a partner. Qualcomm said that Lenovo will announce its Always Connected PC at CES in Las Vegas in January.

Should I buy a PS4 or a university laptop?

Back when I was in college, many students did not have their own computers, but wrote all the articles and emails in the computer lab. However, in 2017, if you don’t have a personal laptop, it’s difficult for you to spend a semester.

Forum user Andre66 is wondering whether to purchase a PS4 console or a new college laptop. They write:

“I’m going to buy a PS4 or a new laptop for me, but I don’t know which one. The laptop would be to use at college, since my last one is doing really bad. But I think it would be nice to have a new console, since my last one was the PS2. But I already have a gaming desktop.”

At first glance, the answer is obvious and it involves a value judgment on my part: always prioritize education over entertainment. However, we don’t know whether Andre66 is really using his or her gaming desktop as the primary computer for school work and, therefore, doesn’t necessarily need a great school laptop as badly as most people do. On the other hand, even if I had a great desktop at home, I’d still want a laptop to take to class and use in the library.

We also don’t know what Andre66’s budget is. On holiday sales, you can sometimes find a PS4 for as little as $199, which is a lot less than the cost of a really great college laptop. Perhaps Andre66 can afford to get both a PS4 and a laptop. From most to least expensive, here are some laptops that are great for school and relatively easy on the wallet.

HP Envy 13t: This is our favorite college laptop overall, thanks to its excellent keyboard, nearly 10 hours of Hp envy 13 series laptop battery life and lightweight design. The Envy 13t starts at under $900 normally, but as of this writing, HP.com has it on sale for $799. It comes with a Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

Asus ZenBook UX330UA (Core i5-7200U model): For just $699, you get an aluminum laptop with a 256GB SSD, a 1080p screen and over 10 hours of endurance. Best of all, the ZenBook UX330UA weighs just 2.7 pounds.

Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-575-33BM): If your laptop will spend most of its time on your desk, the Aspire E 15 (E5-575-33BM) is a great value. For under $350, this 15-inch system features solid specs such as a Core i3 CPU, 1TB hard drive and 1080p screen.

Please check out our list of Best College Laptops to see top picks for every major. Whatever you do, school always has to come first, so getting a high-quality notebook is important. However, if you budget properly, you may be able to afford both a laptop and a game console.

Holiday notebook buyer’s guide

The discount and discounts of the laptop are starting to fall from the sky during the holidays. We will help you screen the configuration options and find cheap goods sold in a $500 model and a price range of $750. We also checked some of the current notebook specifications to show what you can get.

Of course, you could always cut to the chase by picking one of the best laptops we’ve tested ourselves. For gaming, be sure to read our companion guide on how to pick the best GPU for your laptop, though we’ll touch on the basics here.

What to look for in a laptop under $500

The sub-$500 category is the most tricky, because all throughout the year you’ll find both gems and dogs for basically the same cash. That situation gets worse during sale deluges like Black Friday, when $400 laptops with negligible discounts and $700 laptops with steep discounts all mix together.

Here are the important specs to look at:

CPU

Best: Intel Core i3 or Core i5 (any generation)
OK: AMD’s E-series APU
Barely adequate: Intel N-series Pentium, Intel N-series Celeron, or Intel Z-series Atom

Why: CPUs still do the brunt of the work in a laptop, so we recommend going with the best you can afford if you want a more responsive laptop.

RAM

Best: 8GB
OK: 4GB
Barely adequate: 2GB

Why: Insufficient RAM can drag down even faster CPUs, so we recommend a minimum of 4GB. Sure, 2GB technically works, but the experience isn’t pretty. Don’t worry about DDR3 vs. LPDDR3 vs. DDR4, as you won’t be able to tell the difference when using a budget laptop.

Storage

Best: 128GB to 256GB SSD
OK: 1TB or 500GB hard drive
Barely adequate: 32GB eMMC or SSD

Why: A solid-state drive (SSD) is a game changer, but that relative speed is offset if the SSD is so small as to be virtually useless. Windows 10 on a 32GB drive is barely enough to run the OS. So get a decent-sized SSD, or go with a hard-disk drive.

Screen resolution

Tie: 720p, 1080p

Why: If battery life is important to you and you’re interested in laptops that normally sell for $400 and under, a 1366×768 screen is the better choice.

However, we tend to like 1080p screens because the higher resolution can display more information on-screen, be it in a spreadsheet or browser tab. Videos look crisper and more detailed, too. During times of heavy discounts (like Black Friday), 1080p laptops in the sale range of $400 to $500 should provide adequate ACER Aspire 5513WLMi Laptop Battery life.

GPU

Best: GeForce 940MX, GeForce MX150, Radeon M7
OK: Integrated Radeon graphics
Barely adequate: Intel integrated graphics
Why: First, it’s important to note that questions about the GPU are really for gaming. If that’s not of interest to you, Intel’s integrated graphics are actually preferred. While it’s difficult to get a discrete GeForce graphics chip into a $500 laptop, it can be done. Other than that, AMD’s integrated Radeon is the next best option for gaming.

Examples of laptops under $500

Let’s apply some of our guidelines to a few current laptops to see how they play out.

Barely adequate: The Lenovo IdeaPad 110S is a typical $200 range laptop. It comes with 2GB of RAM, a 32GB eMMC, and runs on an N-class CPU. It works, but just barely.

OK: With the Acer E 15, you get a Core-class CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 1080p screen. At $349, this is a great deal for a basic Windows laptop: It’s not that portable, but gets the computing job done well. Drop the price to $300 and it becomes even more appealing, since you can use the savings to bump up the amount of RAM.

Best: Okay, it’s actually a smidge over $500, but this upgraded Acer E 15with 8GB of RAM, a Core i5, a 256GB SSD, and a GeForce 940MX is a really good buy for general use. The only downside is its relative bulk.

Best (alternate): If portability is important, the Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA is a good buy. This budget ultra-portable gives you a convertible laptop with touchscreen, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Core-class CPU for just $500 on sale. That’s less than what people pay for a smartphone today, and a hell of a deal.

What to look for in a laptop under $750

At $750, you’ve really stepped up in hardware quality. Here’s what to consider for general-use laptops and ultraportables in this price range.

CPU

Best: 8th-generation Core i7 or Core i5
Better: 7th-generation Core i7
Good: 6th- or 7th-generation Core i5 or Y-series
Why: What’s great about this price range is there really are no bad CPUs. All are great—some are just faster. Today, Intel’s 8th-gen parts are the ones to beat.

RAM

Best: 16GB (kinda)
Good: 8GB
Why: For the average person, 8GB is more than enough. You should only shell out for 16GB if you’re a content creator. Generally, LPDDR3 is preferred for power savings, but DDR4 is fine too.

Storage

Best: 512GB SSD
Better: 256GB SSD
Good: 128GB SSD
Why: You could get a hard drive in this price range, but we don’t recommend it. With SSDs, it comes down to buying the largest one you get. For most folks, there’s no point in worrying about NVMe vs. SATA either. Both will yield excellent response.

Screen resolution

Best: 1080p
Why: Any machine that’s on sale for $500 or more should come with a 1920×1080 resolution screen at minimum. Period.

Panel type

Best: IPS
OK: VA
Barely adequate: TN

Why: At this price, it should be IPS or bust. If you’re paying between $500 and $750 for a laptop when everything is on sale (like Black Friday or Cyber Monday), you shouldn’t suffer poor viewing angles or color reproduction from what you’ll stare at most. The exception is if you find a gaming laptop with incredible hardware stuffed inside, and the one compromise is a VA panel.

GPU

Best: GeForce GTX 1050 or Radeon Pro
Better: GeForce MX150 or Radeon R9
Good: GeForce 940 MX or Radeon R7

Why: It’s pretty simple: Faster GPUs yield better graphics performance.

Examples of laptops under $750

In this price range, there are fewer piles of crap to avoid. Instead, you can focus more purely on getting the most bang for your buck—like hardware you’d normally see in laptops that sell closer to $1,000.

Good: Typically $600, the Asus VivoBook F510UA is a steal if you can find it for $500. This 15.6-inch laptop nets you quad-core power with an 8th-gen Core i5-8250U, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. Even at its normal price of $600, it’s a good buy.

Better: The 14-inch the Acer Swift 3 is a fairly portable and fairly powerful laptop with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, a GeForce MX150 GPU, an IPS panel and quad-core Core i5-8250U CPU, for just a little over $700.

Better (alternate): The Asus ZenBook 3 UX390UA has a 7th-gen Core i5 dual-core, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. At a sale price of $749, this 12.5-inch ultra portable laptop gives you luxury features at a non-luxury price.

Chromebooks vs. Windows 10 Notebooks: What Should You Buy?

Chromebooks are continuing to grow into a force that can not be ignored. To provide a simple and streamlined experience, Google’s Chrome operation system is very easy to use (if you can use the browser, you are good), it enters several affordable laptops, the cost is as low as 179 dollars.

However, Microsoft isn’t taking this threat lightly, continuing to update Windows 10 with new tricks, revolving around an ever-improving Start menu and the helpful Cortana assistant. So, which computing platform is truly the best? To answer that question, we put both Windows and Chrome OS to the test and compared them in 12 rounds of head-to-head competition.

Interface

Windows 10 is a well-polished and finished operating system that feels more integrated and seamless than its predecessors. Pressing the Start button reveals the new Start menu, filled with your most used programs and recently installed apps on the left. To the right is a wider panel, where you can pin tiles that are animated with updates. The taskbar has been updated to include a Cortana search bar next to the Start button and small icons that show which programs are open.

On the bottom right of the desktop, Windows 10 adds a notification icon that, when clicked, brings you to the new Action Center, where you can see alerts from apps that are both active and dormant. There are also quick settings in this notifications menu in the form of tiles.

In the newest version of Chrome OS, the Start-like button sits in the bottom-left corner. When pressed, the launcher pop-up features a Google search bar and a list of your most recently opened apps. Depending on if your Chromebook supports Touch or not, scrolling down may Google Now info cards, which give you information like local weather, suggested articles based on your search activity, and calendar updates. Chromebooks with support for the Play Store and Android apps have dropped the Google Now card interface.

The taskbar in Chrome OS shows icons for currently active apps, as well as shortcuts to essential Google apps, such as Docs, Drive and YouTube. Basic settings, such as Wi-Fi and Time, are accessed on the bottom right. Chrome OS was built as a Web-first operating system, so apps usually run in a Chrome browser window. The same is true for apps that can run offline.

Both Windows 10 and Chrome are great for working in side-by-side windows. For each OS, all you need to do is drag a window to one side, where it snaps to half-screen mode. However, Windows lets you snap up to four windows, compared to two for Chrome OS.

Another thing to consider is touch-friendly devices. There are Windows 10 and Chrome OS laptops with touch screens, and both benefit greatly from them, in differing ways. Windows 10 has tablet mode, which removes your taskbar icons and puts all apps in full-screen mode, leaving you with a minimalist workspace that removes a lot of desktop distractions. And with the new universal apps in the Windows app store, you’ll be able to run most of your favorite programs in both desktop and tablet modes.

Chromebook shoppers should definitely look for models with touch screens, though, as the tappable display helps them take advantage of the platform’s latest major feature: Android apps. Downloaded via the Google Play store on specific Chromebooks that support them, Android apps can run in Chrome OS, but they’re not optimized for a keyboard and mouse, so you’ll need to use a touchscreen to make the most of them.

Winner: Chrome OS. Though it’s not as great for multitasking, Chrome OS offers a simpler and more straightforward interface than Windows 10.

Cortana vs. Google Now

In many ways, the new Cortana in Windows 10 is a lot like Google Now in Chrome. Clicking on the Cortana search bar brings up a window with useful information, including the weather, your next calendar appointment and local restaurants to check out. If you have “Hey, Cortana” enabled, you can say that phrase to bring up a window and ask any question you want. I asked, “How do you get from New York City to D.C.?” and Cortana brought up a Bing search-results page with a map of the route between the two cities.

On the flip side, Chrome OS has a similar feature you can enable in Settings, called “OK, Google,” that will let you ask Google Now questions when the Launcher is open or when a blank Chrome tab is open. When asked the same question (“How do you get from New York City to D.C.?”), Google Now brought up a similar search page in Google with a map of the route. In addition, the voice assistant spoke to me, saying it takes 4 hours and 9 minutes to get to Washington, D.C., from Manhattan with light traffic. Google Now tends to speak more than Cortana does, audibly giving you related information about what you initially searched for.

However, Cortana does a lot more than Google Now. For instance, you can perform natural-language searches for files on your laptop, dictate emails, book appointments and, yes, tell jokes. If you’re lucky enough to own a Chromebook that supports Google Assistant — the Pixelbook is the only one we’ve seen so far — though, you’ve got a virtual helper that can keep pace with Cortana.

Unfortunately, some Chromebooks — such as the Acer Chromebook C731 — support Android but not Assistant, and don’t have Google Now either.

Winner: Windows 10. Cortana is more versatile than Google Now.

Apps and Software

For a laptop to be fully functional, you’ll need a few basic programs, including ones for productivity, photo editing, video editing, video playback, music playback and a browser. For Windows laptops and Chromebooks, all of that’s possible, but Google’s OS is still a work in progress, despite recent additions.

If there’s a program you want to run, chances are that Windows supports it. And that goes for most games as well. Looking for a more tablet-like experience, or have a system with a touch screen? Microsoft claims that there are 669,000 apps in the Windows Store.

Some of our favorite Windows 10 apps include Facebook, Kindle and Flipboard. All three of those options offer interactive Live Tiles to keep you updated on what’s happening in the world. The Dropbox app on Windows 10 is clean and simple to use, as is Adobe Photoshop Express.

And while Chrome OS started as a big browser — where if you wanted to run a program or play a game, you had to do it in Chrome — that’s changing. 2017 saw many Chromebooks offer Android apps. Those machines — which include the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, the Samsung Chromebook Plus and Pro and the Google Pixelbook, download these apps from the Google Play store, which reportedly houses 2,800,000 apps, in addition to those from the Chrome Web Store, which has thousands of its own titles.

This means those Chromebooks can run an ever-growing library of programs, such as productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Wunderlist, games such as NBA Jam, Fallout Shelter and Super Mario Run and even Instagram, which PCs and Macs can’t.

And while those apps can work offline, if your Chromebook isn’t on the list of those with Android apps, you’re hampered for what you can do without a signal. A few dozen of those apps offer at least some offline functionality, such as Kindle Cloud Reader and Google Drive for reading and editing on the go. Also, you can change the settings in some programs, such as Google Docs, to access them offline.

Winner: Windows 10. In this case, more is better.

Photo and Video Editing

Windows 10 offers a plethora of photo-editing programs, including support for Photoshop Elements and the rest of Adobe’s Creative Suite.

What you will find on the web-based Chrome OS platform are some basic editing options, such as Photoshop Express (for Android supporting machines) and Pixlr Editor for others. Using the latter, we took a high-resolution photo of a tiger and quickly added effects, an overlay and text, and adjusted the color for brightness, contrast, focal blur and much more. It’s an easy-to-navigate program with straightforward tools. If you’re a casual photo editor, these will probably suffice.

With Windows 10 came the introduction of Microsoft’s new Photos app, which has basic photo-editing tools. When you open a photo in the app, you can choose the option to edit it from the top-right navigation bar, which opens up tools on the right and left sides of the photo. In basic fixes, you’ll find options like auto-enhance, which bumps up the contrast and saturation and, in some cases, straightens out an image; rotate; crop; and retouch. For more controlled editing, you can manipulate light (brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows) and colors (temperature, tint and saturation), and there are filters and effects to give your photos more personality.

Anyone who has used mobile photo editors like Instagram and Afterlight will easily get the hang of the new Windows Photos app. More serious photographers will want to download programs like Adobe Photoshop to have full control over their images, which is not an option on Chrome OS.

Filmmakers — who get a ton of options on PCs, such as Adobe Premiere Pro — will likely find that Chromebooks aren’t ready for the big screen nor prime time. Adobe Premiere Clip is available for those machines with Android app support, but as its name suggests, it’s not for feature-length works. The story gets sadder over at the Chrome Web Store, which is stocked with simple, no-frills options, such as Magisto and WeVideo, that offer autocorrection and editing with a few clicks.

Winner: Windows 10. Beginners and pros alike get the most options in a Windows 10 laptop.

Web Browsing

Chrome is a great browser that offers strong performance, a clean and easy-to-use interface, and a ton of extensions. But if you own a machine running Chrome OS, you better really like it, because there aren’t any alternatives. The Chrome browser on Chrome OS cannot run Flash or other important plugins, such as Java, meaning that sometimes, you will run into compatibility problems when trying to view certain websites or select extensions.

On the other hand, Windows 10 can also run Chrome, along with pretty much every other web browser ever made, giving you the flexibility to surf the internet exactly how you want to. Microsoft’s new browser, Edge, also has some handy features not found in Chrome, such as the ability to write directly on websites and send those notes and scribbles to friends; Cortana search embedded on the same page; and a reading mode that removes distracting elements like ads and saves articles so they can be viewed offline.

Winner: Windows 10. Chrome is good, but Windows 10 lets you use Chrome along with a bunch of other web browsers. Choice is king.

File Management

Windows still provides a traditional and familiar folder of files, which appears in the simple File Explorer program. You can also save to your desktop, pin documents to the bar and create new folders in a jiffy. You can even access your Microsoft OneDrive files to see what you’ve stored in the cloud.

There’s also a Files folder in the main menu for Chromebooks. But it’s not in the Start menu by default, as it is on Windows 10. From here, you can access your Google Drive files or any files that have been downloaded and saved to the machine’s storage drive.

The main drawback for Chromebook users is the smaller amount of space you’re likely to have on your machine’s hard drive. The Samsung Chromebook 3, for example, offers 32GB of local storage, and Google offers 15GB of cloud storage for free. For two years, you can access 100GB of Drive cloud storage for free, but after that, you’ll have to pay $1.99 per month to hold onto that space. Also, you can purchase up to 1TB of online space for $9.99 per month, if you need more. People who need a lot of storage can buy up to 30TB for $300 per month.

In comparison, the Windows-powered Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-575-33BM) comes with a 1TB hard drive, and 15GB of OneDrive storage is available for free through a Microsoft account. You can access files on your Windows 10 PC via the Start menu in File Explorer. Also, with Cortana integration, you can type in commands, such as “Show me photos from last week,” and it will bring up files that fit those criteria.

Winner: Windows 10. People who keep tons of photos, videos and other files will want the local storage space that Windows offers.

Productivity

Being the go-to business-friendly operating system, Windows 10 is the standard when it comes to getting stuff done. As such, many businesses use software that is compatible only with Windows. For instance, you won’t be using AutoCAD design software on a Chromebook.

Microsoft’s own Office suite — which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint — is also the standard bearer for productivity software. But that’s not your only option on a Windows machine; you can use Google Drive, OpenOffice or any number of third-party software programs.

On Chromebooks, you can still access Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but — unless your Chromebook runs Android apps — they’re Microsoft’s web-only versions of the apps available through OneDrive. These options require you to be online to use them. You can download files to your local storage and edit them there, but your system will open them as Google Drive files.

There are third-party productivity options for Chrome OS, including Zoho and Polaris, but most of those programs require an internet connection as well. Google Drive, however, works offline, and we really like the real-time collaborative editing and number of useful add-ons. Also, Microsoft has created Chrome apps for its office suite of tools — including Word, Excel and PowerPoint — so you can create and edit those documents on a Chrome OS. In typical fashion, they are web apps you need to download and install to use, and they are available only for online use.

Winner: Windows 10. If you’re not wedded to Google Drive for all your productivity needs, Windows is the way to go.

Gaming

Most hard-core games require some serious specs, including discrete graphics chips, plenty of onboard storage and advanced processing power. That’s totally doable on a high-end Windows 10 machine, such as the Alienware 17 R3, but the lower-end machines won’t be able to handle it. There are currently no Chromebooks aimed at gaming, and AAA titles aren’t available on Chrome OS.

As such, you will not be able to download or play World of Warcraft, Dota 2, Overwatch, Rocket League or The Witcher 3 on a Chromebook. The games simply aren’t supported by Google’s operating system.

If you’ve got the Google Play Store on your Chromebook, you’re in better shape than those without it. Our favorite Android games for Chrome OS include NBA JAM, Alto’s Adventure and Pocket Mortys. If you want to game, you better get a Chromebook with a touch screen, as Chrome OS notebooks without it, which can only pull titles from the Chrome Web Store — where the best things you’ll find are Cut the Rope and Plants vs. Zombies.

Additionally, Chrome OS doesn’t support Steam, EA’s Origin, Ubisoft’s Uplay and other gaming portals.

Another perk Microsoft added is the ability to stream Xbox One games to a Windows 10 PC. With the Xbox One app installed on a Windows 10 device, you can hook up an Xbox One controller to the computer and play titles you’d normally play on your console. Just note that another person can’t use your Xbox at the same time.

Winner: Windows 10. You simply cannot run many of the games you might want to play on a Chromebook.

Media Playback

Neither Windows 10 nor Chrome OS supports every file type ever made, but on Microsoft-powered machines, you have the option of downloading codecs to play those files on your laptop. QuickTime files, among several other types, cannot be played back on a Chromebook.

For media files, Chromebooks support .3gp, .avi, .mov, .mp4, m4v, .mp3, .mkv, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga. .webm and .wav. That means there’s no .aac file support, and thus no iTunes. You also won’t find .h264 files, which is the backdrop for some 60 percent of all web videos and the default codec in which many cameras record. Chrome OS doesn’t support .tiff image files, either.

In addition to all the file types supported by Google’s OS, Microsoft’s Windows Media Center natively supports .aac, .asf, .asx, .m2ts, .m3u, .mpg, .mpeg, .qt, .wmv, .vod and .wma files. You can also play optical discs on Windows 10 with the necessary hardware, but you won’t be able to play DVDs or Blu-ray discs on a Chromebook.

You can download the VLC media player onto an Android-supporting Chromebook, but our early testing shows this app doesn’t work well on Chrome OS.

Winner: Windows 10. You’re unlikely to find a file you can’t play on Windows 10.

Security

Windows has long been a known target for hackers looking to infect PCs with viruses, malware, botnets and keyloggers. In fact, the very first thing anyone should do with a new Windows laptop is install an antivirus suite. However, Microsoft’s Windows Defender does come built in, and that’s better than nothing.

Windows Defender runs in the background and notifies you if you need to take an action, such as removing a virus. The SmartScreen feature also warns you when it doesn’t recognize an app, to help prevent phishing attacks. Plus, the secure-boot feature means that every time you turn on your laptop, it will check itself for digital certificates of authenticity before it boots. That means it will not load infected software.

Cloud customers have access to a few extra security features. Device Guard protects Windows 10 machines from any unknown software that hasn’t been approved by an official vendor or Microsoft itself. In an effort to expand on its biometric systems, Microsoft is enabling Windows Hello to unlock devices just by using fingerprint scanners. Also, if you have an Intel RealSense camera, you can use your face to access your device or Microsoft Passport without a PIN.

Chromebooks have not yet caught the eye of many hackers. But more than that, Google promotes the security of its operating system as a key selling point. A Chromebook automatically checks for and applies security updates, while including Web filters and sandboxing media. Also, Chrome OS doesn’t support Flash, so any security issues surrounding it won’t affect the system.

If something does get into your Chrome OS system, restoring it to its factory settings requires only a couple of clicks on the mouse pad. The only security problem Chromebook owners really face is thieves looking to hack the sites you use, where a lot of personal data is stored.

Winner: Chrome OS. Assuming you can keep your Google password to yourself, you’re safer in Chrome.

Hardware Options

Variety is the spice of life, and fewer types of technology offer as much variety as Windows PCs. The screens alone can range in size from 11 to 21 inches, both with and without touch capability. Eight major manufacturers create Windows laptops, offering Intel and AMD chips, onboard memory that varies wildly from 2GB to 16GB, and storage sizes that go up to the terabyte level.

Some Windows machines are plastic, and some are metal. Some come in nonstandard colors. Some are meant to be portable, while others are more deskbound. You’ll also find Windows machines dedicated to business and gamers, and 2-in-1 machines that double as notebooks and tablets. There truly is an option for everyone when it comes to Windows.

The Chromebook market is smaller but growing steadily. We’ve reviewed over 30 Chromebooks from companies including Acer, Dell, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, among others. The display size ranges from 11 to 15 inches, but most are smaller than 15 inches. Only a couple of models offer a touch screen. Chromebooks are incredibly portable, though, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds.

You’ll find some niche Chromebooks popping up for business customers. These machines, such as the gorgeous Google Pixelbook and the Gorilla Glass-enforced Acer Chromebook 14 for Work cost more, but look and feel a lot more like their PC counterparts.

Winner: Windows 10. Microsoft’s ecosystem gives you more options, which means you’re more likely to find something you really like.

Value

There was a time when the only laptops priced under $250 were Chromebooks. But with Microsoft’s initiative to make Windows 10 machines more affordable, the gap in price between Windows 10 and Chrome OS devices has been completely eliminated.

Take the 11-inch HP Stream 11. Starting at $199, this machine is a well-built PC with solid performance, great sound and a slick purple design. Then, there’s the $219 Lenovo Ideapad 120S, which features an attractive 2.4-pound design, a decent keyboard and more than 8 hours of endurance.

In Chrome OS world, you can get a laptop like the Samsung Chromebook 3 for as little as $179, and while it comes with an OK 4GB of RAM its 32GB of storage might not be enough if you want to load it with Android apps and save music and movies . If you’re willing to spend more, consider the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, which gives you a lot of laptop for your money, with a rotating 12.5-inch full-HD (a rarity on PCs in this price range) touchscreen display, 4GB of RAM and nearly 9 hours of Asus a32-f3 laptop battery life, all for just $429. Dell’s Chromebook 13 costs $100 less, while cutting storage in half and including a lower-res display.

If you can be swayed by the addition of promotional goodies, both Google and Microsoft have some attractive incentives that may help sweeten the deal. Currently, Google is offering several hundred dollars’ worth of free stuff to customers purchasing a new Chromebook, including 100GB of storage on Google Drive, 90 days of Google Play Music and three free movies from Google Play.

Deals from Microsoft vary from vendor to vendor, but budget machines often include a free one-year subscription to Office 365 (which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint), and 500GB of storage on OneDrive, a $70 value. If you want the best productivity suite, this subscription is more desirable than Google’s collection of freebies.

Winner: Tie. Prices are about the same for each OS. Windows 10 machines offer a wider range of configurations, but Google’s free add-ons are hard to ignore.

Overall Winner: Windows 10

Microsoft’s Windows came out on top in this battle, winning nine out of 12 rounds and tying in one round. It simply offers shoppers more — more apps, more photo and video-editing options, more browser choices, more productivity programs, more games, more types of file support and more hardware options. You can also do more offline. Plus, the cost of a Windows 10 PC can now match the value of a Chromebook.

If you’re comfortable living in the cloud and you want to get stuff done in a secure yet simple environment, a Chromebook will suit you nicely. However, if you need power and versatility, Windows 10 reigns supreme.

DELL display precision 5520th anniversary commemorative edition private SIGGRAPH 2017 event

In the SIGGRAPH 2017 special event, DELL revealed the accuracy of 5520 mobile workstations, commemorating the 20 year DELL Precision workstation.

Crafted in a beautiful brushed aluminum finish, the Dell Precision 5520 mobile workstation is according to Dell the thinnest and lightest 15-inch mobile workstation on the market. The laptop features a thickness of just 0.66-inches at its thickest point and a weight of just under 4lbs for the fully loaded unit.

What do you get in such a compact package? Well, you get a choice between the Intel Core i7-7820HQ or the Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6, up to 32GB of DDR4, Nvidia Quadro M1200 graphics and up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD. Standard features include a 4K (3840×2160) IGZO 10-point touch 15.6-inch screen, 802.11 AC Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2, and a 97-watt hour Dell precision m20 laptop battery, which Dell claims could provide up to 22 hours of battery life for light use.

I/O on the Precision 5520 Anniversary Edition includes a DC-In power port, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a HDMI port, a USB-C port, a SD card reader, a lock port, and a headphone/microphone combo jack. There’s also a clever battery capacity button which quickly tells you how much juice is left in the system without turning it on.

During the event, Dell showed off the Limited Edition versions of the Precision 5520 Anniversary Edition which are all signed by Michael Dell, the CEO of Dell. However, these coveted units are reserved for Dell employees and Dell partners.

Those interested can now purchase the Dell Precision 5520 Anniversary Edition at the Dell website starting at $2,179.

9 Handy Tips And Tricks To Increase Notebook’s Battery Life

These days, laptops are used by most people as a substitute for desktops because of portability and ease of use. Such as laptop camera, Bluetooth add-on, built-in Wi-Fi, etc.

However, laptops come with one disadvantage and that is the battery life. There are some tips and tricks to increase the battery life of laptops.

Here are some tips that will help in increasing the battery life of your laptop before you resort to replacing your laptop’s battery.

Adjust the settings of your laptop

The very first thing to do to improve the Hp 484170-001 laptop battery life of your laptop is to tweak the settings a little, especially when you are using keyboard and mouse.

The keyboard backlight will consume a lot of power. So ensure the backlight of the keyboard is on only when you are using the laptop in the dark. Also, adjust the brightness of the screen based on your needs.

Turn on the power saver mode setting

The power saving mode will adjust the device to function in low power mode. In this mode, your laptop will use low power and its battery life will be improved to some extent.

Disable unused ports and devices

It is a simple way to enhance the battery life of your laptop. Disable the devices that are not in use such as external drives, USB mouse, etc. Also, ensure that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off when not in need.

(Note: Remember not to disable the basic devices that are needed for the functioning of the laptop).

Disable unwanted apps and processes

Another way to improve the battery life of your laptop is to turn off the unwanted apps and processes as a few apps will consume the processor power and add more load on the processor.

As the processor is stressed with a lot of loads, the battery will be used excessively. You can control these from the Task Manager.

Minimize multi-tasking

Remember that multi-tasking will run two or more apps and processes simultaneously adding more load to the processor and consuming a lot of the battery power. So, close the unused tasks to reduce the multi-tasking that you are doing.

Hibernate is better than Standby

Standby mode will save the battery power to some extent, but it will not reduce the power consumption completely. So, you need to Hibernate your laptop.

The Hibernate function will shut down the system completely and save the Hp 593554-001 notebook battery life significantly.

Clean the laptop’s battery contacts

You need to clean the laptop’s battery contacts regularly to let better charging of the battery. It will also ensure a better power transfer to the laptop increasing the laptop’s battery life.

(Note: Use alcohol or white petrol to clean the laptop’s battery contacts)

Say no to overcharging!

This is something that many people ignore. Once the laptop is charged fully, unplug the charger. Overcharging the battery will damage it and the other system components as well.

Increase the System RAM

RAM affects the battery life of your laptop. If there is lesser RAM, then the apps that require more RAM will use the virtual memory for which access to the hard drive is necessary.

Eventually, this will increase the power consumption. So, have necessary RAM to reduce the usage of virtual memory and enhance the battery life.

6 Tips for Buying a Notebook

Whether you’re writing a term paper, teaching a course, organizing a research project, or surfing the web, you need the right laptop to meet your needs and budget. At first glance, the laptop shopping process seems a bit confusing. There are hundreds of different models, and there are at least three different operating systems, ranging in price from $150 to $5000.

Fortunately, finding the right notebook is a lot easier and less expensive than detecting the Higgs boson particle. Here are six tips to help you choose the laptop that fits your needs and budget.

1. A smaller screen means better portability. Most laptops come in screen sizes that range from 11 to 17 inches. The entire system is sized to fit the display. That means smaller notebooks are lighter and more compact, and larger ones are bulkier.

If you don’t move the laptop much, a 15-inch model is fine. But if you plan to use the laptop on your lap or carry it around, a model with a 13- or 14-inch screen, like the Dell XPS 13, may provide the best balance between screen space and portability. Children under 12 will find it easier to handle a model with an 11.6- or 12.5-inch display.  Get a 17-inch laptop only if it’s going to stay on your desk.

2. Get a resolution of at least 1080p. If you can afford one (and they are available even for under $400), get a laptop with at least a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, which is sometimes referred to as 1080 or “full HD” resolution. That number of pixels makes it easier to read web pages without scrolling and to stack two windows side by side for multitasking.

3. Choose a laptop with at least 8 hours of battery life. If you plan to spend any time away from an outlet — even if that time is spent sitting on a bed or couch at home — look for a laptop that offers more than 8 hours of Asus a32-f80 laptop battery life. A great example of a long-lasting laptop at a reasonable price is the Asus ZenBook UX330UA, which lasts for 9 hours on a charge. Because they require so much power, gaming laptops are an exception to this rule.

4. Chromebooks are good for kids, but Windows or macOS is better for everyone else. Laptops that run Google’s Chrome OS are popular with schools because they are easy for children to use and hard for them to infect with malware. The best Chromebook for the money right now is the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA. However, for most people, either a Windows 10 laptop or a MacBook will provide more functionality.

If you’re trying to decide between Windows and macOS, note that Windows gives you a lot more affordable options, including laptops with touch screens, while MacBooks tend to offer stronger security and better included software for editing photos and videos.

5. Get a 2-in-1 only if you need a touch screen. Many laptops today are 2-in-1s, which can switch between clamshell and tablet modes. These systems, like the Lenovo Yoga 920, are great if you really plan to use a touch screen, but you can usually get a better laptop for the money if you go with a traditional clamshell-style laptop. Clamshells with touch screens usually cost more and have less Lenovo thinkpad t400 battery life than configurations with nontouch displays.

6. Key specs: Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD. If you’re spending over $600 on a laptop, the minimum specs you should get include an Intel Core i5 processor (Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen Mobile are also good), 8GB of RAM, a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a 1080p screen. It’s particularly important to get an SSD rather than a hard drive, because a solid-state drive makes all of your programs load faster.

The Best Black Friday Laptop, Macbook and Chromebook deals

Notebook computers are a versatile gift. They work for all ages, whether they work or play. As Christmas approaches, to find a black Friday trading on a laptop computer can fill set aside more money for stocking, or pocket after you put more money.

These are some of the best deals we’ve spotted so far, but be sure to bookmark this page and keep checking back. We’ll be updating this page every day until Black Friday and beyond, so it’s the best spot to find great deals on computing.

Editor’s top 5 deals

Picking the perfect laptop or tablet can be tough so we’ve rounded up some of the best deals in the run-up to Black Friday.

They include 2-in-1 devices, high-spec versions of the Chromebook, and big savings on workhorse all-rounders like the HP Pavilion.

Keep checking back all week as we’ll keep updating you on the best laptop deals around.

HP Pavilion 14″ 2 in 1 – Save £222

Was £710. Now £488. Currys PC World.

A good all-rounder laptop with hinges allowing you to use it as a tablet as well.

HP 15.6″ Laptop – Save £200

Was £549.99. Now £349.99. Currys PC World.

A good all-rounder laptop with a chunky 1TB of hard drive storage. Customers like that it’s fairly slim and lightweight.

2-in-1 Android Laptop Tablet 10″ – Save £98.54

Was £199.99. Now £129.45. Amazon UK.

A bargain 2-in-1 device which, due to its size, could be perfect for on the go.

The best Laptops for Kids

These days, many children have their own movies. So when children start learning and doing homework in primary school, they may also need laptops. We have the best affordable laptop for your kids in every age segment, whether you’re looking for a primary school kid or a high school student game laptop Chromebook. For college students, please look at the list of our best college laptops.

6 Quick Buying Tips

• What’s the right age for a laptop? Forgot about age numbers. A good sign that your child needs their own laptop is that they’re already using computers — not tablets or phones — a lot at home or school.
• What’s the school’s laptop policy? Some schools provide students with laptops to take home so you don’t need to buy one. Other districts give kids computers they can use in class only, which means you may want to get a similar software and OS for home.
• Chrome OS, Windows or macOS? Chrome OS is popular with schools, because it’s easy to use and nearly impossible to infect with a virus. However, if your kid is learning how to program, needs to edit media files, requires access to Microsoft Office or wants to play PC games, Windows or macOS is a much better choice.
• Size: For children under 12, get a laptop with an 11.6-inch screen that weighs under 3 pounds. For teens, a 13- or 14-inch laptop that weighs up to 4 pounds is acceptable. Buy larger laptops only if you plan to keep them at home.
• Keep it cheap: Don’t spend over $500 on a laptop for a child under 12, because they may break it and will outgrow it. Even when shopping for a teenager, try to keep the cost under $800.
• Make it durable: Kids are clumsy, so a laptop that can survive bumps, drops or spills is a big plus.

Discharge rate of notebook battery VERY high at idle.

My DELL Inspiron 1545 used to have 4 hours battery life, as early as August 2016, when I first got it. After 3 months of use, suddenly my battery life was 1 hours and 40 minutes (1% minutes per minute) I think I’ve killed the battery or something, because I spent 16 hours on the AC the night before.

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