Hardware

Major electronics firm Toshiba has been nailed with a massive $87 million fine for fixing the prices of its LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens. The fine is part of a widespread crackdown on such activity in the LCD market. According to reports, ... the fine was imposed by the US District Court in San Francisco. The charge: working with other LCD makers to maintain an artificially high price for these devices. (Source: bloomberg.com ) LCDs are used to display images in televisions as well as computers and mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. Consumers Ripped Off by TV Makers The ... (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)

According to a new survey, almost one in every three American Internet users owns a tablet computer of some kind. If the trend continues, by next year nearly half of U.S. web users will own an Internet device in this category. The report also showed ... that Amazon's affordable Kindle Fire tablet has Android surging in popularity. That means Apple's share of the market appears to be in serious decline. The survey was performed by the Online Publishers Association (OPA), which summarized the results in a report stating that tablet adoption is "exploding" among American Internet users. ... (view more)

American television manufacturer Vizio has revealed a collection of new Windows 7-based laptop and desktop PCs. This launch marks the company's first venture into building stand-alone computers for the PC market. Included in the recently unveiled ... products are two thin, lightweight laptop computers, one larger and more powerful laptop, and two all-in-one desktop PCs. Pricing starts at $898. Bloatware Banned from Vizio PCs Vizio's plan to set itself apart from major rivals, like Dell, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Acer, is a subtle but potentially effective one. The company's most visible ... (view more)

PC hardware companies Dell and Asus have doubled-down on their enthusiasm for Microsoft's upcoming operating system (OS), Windows 8. Both firms recently revealed plans for new devices running the much anticipated OS. In a recent presentation at ... research firm Gartner's annual security and risk management conference, Dell chief executive officer Michael Dell expressed serious excitement about Windows 8. He made clear that Dell will have a number of Windows 8 devices ready when the new Microsoft OS launches later in 2012. Dell "Super Excited" Over Windows 8 Dell told the crowd that he ... (view more)

Samsung has launched a complete desktop computer priced at just $329. Samsung says the new device, called a "Chromebox" because it runs Google's Chrome operating system (OS), will never get a virus or lose performance. Chrome OS is an operating ... system designed by Google that closely resembles the company's Chrome browser. Instead of a Windows or Mac style desktop, the user accesses services through a web browser. For example, rather than launch Microsoft Word, the OS provides direct access to the Google Docs online service. As a result, much of the processing work required to run ... (view more)

If you are confused by the differences between a laptop, notebook, and netbook, you may soon find the situation a whole lot more baffling: New portable computer models now carry titles like 'Ultrabook,' 'Sleekbook,' and 'fauxtrabook'. To help you ... break through some of the mystery, here's a quick guide to some of the terminology: Tough Terminology Explained A laptop is a personal computer that combines a screen and keyboard in a single unit designed to be portable. Most of the other computers described here are laptops, too. The only major form factor for a portable computer that isn't a ... (view more)

Microsoft is reportedly taking a more active role than ever before in the development of hardware for planned touchscreen Windows 8 ultrabooks. It's a change of strategy for a company that usually keeps to the software side of the business. ... Ultrabooks are slowly emerging as a popular new form factor for consumers who are showing remarkable interest in a light, portable laptop but who are not willing to compromise on performance and storage space. Although Apple's MacBook Air fits the description, the term 'ultrabook' is most often associated with Windows-based computer systems. Clamshell ... (view more)

According to a new report, by the end of this year consumers should be able to choose from more than thirty different tablet computers running Windows 8, with a wide variety of form factors and capabilities, and prices ranging from $300 to $1,000. ... Taiwanese technology blog 'Digitimes' reports that tablet makers Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Asus, and Toshiba should be offering some thirty-two different Windows 8 tablets by the 2012 holiday shopping season. (Source: informationweek.com ) ARM-Based Tablets to Wait Until 2013 Digitimes doesn't name its sources, but claims that every ... (view more)

The tablet market has developed into a surprisingly lucrative hardware niche for major manufacturers. One reason is that tablets fill a void between full-size laptop computers and smartphones. So Toshiba's recent unveiling of a rather massive ... 13.3-inch Android 4.0 tablet computer has taken a great many industry experts by surprise. Toshiba has now unveiled not one, not two, but a total of three brand new tablet computers for the home market. Together, these new Toshiba tablets -- known as the "Excite" line -- offer a wide range of display sizes, from a 7.7-inch model, to a 10.1-inch model, up ... (view more)