hardware

Not willing to compromise when it comes to your home router? For those of us who stream a lot of music and video content or play demanding video games online, reliable and fast networking equipment is a necessity. That's why it's hard not to be ... impressed with Netgear's new Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router (Model R7000), which appears to be the fastest router on the market right now. Serious Hardware for Serious Streamers The Nighthawk is part of Netgear's attempt to establish an in-demand piece of hardware using the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. This device is powered by ... (view more)

Microsoft officially unveiled its first major update to Windows 8, Windows 8.1, at the recent Build 2013 developer conference in San Francisco, California. Leading the presentation was company chief executive officer Steve Ballmer , who also ... discussed Internet Explorer 11 and new Windows 8.1-based hardware. Although there was much for Ballmer to talk about, the focus was clearly Windows 8.1 , otherwise known as 'Windows Blue.' The first big update to the Windows 8 platform will bring back the Start button and also offers users the option of booting directly to the desktop. Microsoft Sets Out ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed that its newly-released Surface Pro tablet computer will receive hardware support for roughly four-and-a-half years. However, the firm says it will support the Windows 8 Pro software for much longer. Microsoft's announcement ... that it will support Surface Pro hardware until July 2017 is in line with a similar announcement made about the Surface RT tablet last year. The Surface RT will be supported until April 2017. Hardware Repairs to End in 2017 Microsoft says that it will offer hardware repairs for the Surface Pro during that 4.5-year window. Those repairs won't cost ... (view more)

On paper, Microsoft's upcoming Surface Pro tablet computer is a whole lot more enticing than the version of the Surface currently available in stores: it boasts more processing power, memory, and storage. It also runs the full version of Windows 8, ... whereas the current Surface uses only the less-impressive Windows RT operating system (OS). Up until recently, the only problem with the Surface Pro appeared to be its price: $899 and up. The current Surface sells for $499 and up. Twice the Price, Half the Battery Life But now there's another reason to worry about the Surface Pro's viability in the ... (view more)

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer says businesses are reacting well to the Windows 8 operating system (OS). He also suggested that the company's Surface tablet won't be its last home-grown hardware device. Speaking at a business and ... technology event at the Churchill Club in California, Ballmer said that's he's been surprised by how well business users have reacted to the way Windows 8 focuses on touchscreen users. Before Microsoft released the new operating system, many analysts argued that businesses would be frustrated and angry with the its new interface, tailored to ... (view more)

Update 2013/05/08: We've contacted Uniblue and have finagled a generous 33% discount for DriverScanner 2013 for our readers (deal ends May 24, 2013). The discount link is at the end of the review; the discount is also enabled if you download the ... trial and purchase directly through the program. If you're in a hurry and know this software to be as useful as I do, you can go straight to the discount page by clicking here . Otherwise, please take a few minutes to read the review below, and then decide. -- Ever wonder why your PC gets balky, slows down, or fails to operate the way you want? One of ... (view more)

Lenovo says it's not concerned about the upcoming release of Microsoft's 'Surface' tablet computer. Instead, the firm says it plans to stay competitive by developing and selling better hardware. It's tough talk for a company known to build products ... that for many years have relied on the Windows operating systems. Making the comments: Lenovo Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing. During an earnings report on Lenovo's first fiscal quarter 2013, Yuanqing said his firm was not concerned about the upcoming release of Surface, even though the device will compete with any future Lenovo tablet ... (view more)

Samsung is reportedly working on a Windows 8-based tablet computer that will be ready for the new Microsoft operating system's (OS) launch in October, 2012. The device will reportedly utilize the mobile version of the OS, called Windows 8 RT, and ... will run on the speedy ARM chip architecture. The report on Samsung's plan to introduce such a tablet for this fall's Windows 8 launch comes from Bloomberg news, which cites "people with knowledge of the matter" as the source. (Source: bloomberg.com ) Samsung Product Seen As Good News for Microsoft The news of Samsung's new tablet should help ... (view more)

Hardware producer Hewlett-Packard (HP) says it has no interest in building tablet computers based on a special, mobile version of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS). Because HP has been one of Microsoft's most important hardware ... partners in recent years, the news comes as a shock to many industry insiders. Of course, HP may still use Windows 8 in the future. At present, the announcement means only that the hardware manufacturer has decided not to build tablet computers using Windows 8 "RT." That's a special version of the new Windows 8 OS designed specifically for mobile ... (view more)