Lenovo Debuts Hip Laptop Line

Sales slowdown hides fact that low-cost laptops are taking over

(NEWSER) - You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met expectations so far this year, but manufacturers are turning their attention to new categories like "consumer ultralow-voltage notebooks." More»

Lenovo, Asus debut lightweights that are close, but not there

(NEWSER) - Hamstrung by poor battery life, and burdened with an overly weighty Vista operating system that makes starting up a drag, a pair of new subnotebook computers offer a glimpse of what could be—but isn’t quite, writes Wall Street Journal tech guru Walt Mossberg. Lenovo’s IdeaPad—a junior ThinkPad—and the U2E, a quirky offering from Asus, are pricey to boot. More»

Economists try to put a value on PCs in America

(NEWSER) - You can scope out the price tag of a Mac or PC at any given electronics hawker, but how much are computers really worth to us? Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta actually tried tackling that question, and they came up with $500 billion—or, on average about $1,700 per person. That's equal to about 5% of total consumer spending in 2009, reports the Wall Street Journal . More»

If it's on your lap, it's heating things up

(NEWSER) - This study involves the phrases "scrotal temperature elevation" and "scrotal hyperthermia," so you know it can't end well. SUNY researchers found that using a laptop on the lap for only 10 or 15 minutes heats up men's testicles—figure about 1-degree Celsius in 15 minutes if sitting with knees close together. Spreading them helps a bit, though lap pads make no difference. Researchers don't know if this actually affects fertility, but they're pretty sure it can't help, notes the LA Times . The study's in the Fertility and Sterility Journal . More»

Walt Mossberg reviews 3 cutting-edge laptops

(NEWSER) - Cheap netbooks aren't profitable for PC makers, so it’s logical they're trying to lure consumers toward laptops that are just as thin, but have bigger screens, more features—and a heftier price tag. Walt Mossberg reviews three such models for the Wall Street Journal, and finds pros and cons for each but no clear winner:

• Toshiba Satellite T135, $600. This model boasts the best battery life of the three and is the cheapest, but it has a slippery, hard-to-use keyboard and touchpad.