pc

Hewlett-Packard is making a quick comeback in the global client PC market share race.

After just one quarter, the Silicon Valley giant has retaken the lead just a few months after it slipped behind Apple at the end of 2011, according to the latest report from analyst house Canalys.

HP's lead in the first quarter of 2012 was a close one, outshipping Apple by roughly only 40,000 units.

Apple skirted past HP in the fourth quarter, mainly thanks to iPad sales. However, if you paid attention to Apple's recent quarterly earnings announcements, you'll remember that iPad … Read more

Image Comic's "The Walking Dead" series has seen explosive success over the past few years even though the monthly comic book has been in production for nearly nine years with its 97th issue due out mid-May. It's been licensed out in almost every way imaginable, highlighted by an adapted television drama that just concluded its second season on AMC.

As a longtime fan and reader of "The Walking Dead," I've realized that what makes the franchise so good is that it focuses more on the human reaction to a worldwide outbreak rather than the carnage an apocalyptic zombie narrative could more easily weave. It's not without a fair share of gore, but its black-and-white pages force you to consider emotions first and bloodlust second.

So while it's no surprise then that "The Walking Dead" has now found its way into a video game, I was curious to see how developer Telltale Games would convert the character-driven series into a game, especially since Telltale's story focuses on a main character not yet discovered in the comic or TV show.… Read more

A mere six months ago, Battlefield 3 was all the rage of the game world. Said GameSpot: "In the realm of online combat, Battlefield 3 provides thrills that few games can match."

Of course, I don't care how thrilling a game is: I won't spend $60 on it. Not now, not ever. But $30? At that point I'm more likely to reach for the credit card.

For a limited time, Gamersgate has Battlefield 3 (PC) for $29.98. Shop around and you'll still find the game selling for $50-plus nearly everywhere else.

In case … Read more

Windows users who want to access and control their Macs can set up a connection using the free Splashtop Remote app.

Accessing a Mac from a PC has always been doable by setting up VNC (virtual network computing) sharing on the Mac and installing a VNC client on the PC. But many people may find it quicker and simpler using Splashtop to create the connection.

Setting up access requires installing the Splashtop Remote app on your Windows PC and the Splashtop Streamer app on your Mac. Both are free and easy to install.

First, download and install the Splashtop Remote app … Read more

Is your computer slowing you down from getting things done? Does it take forever to reboot? Do you find yourself waiting for your letters to show up on the computer monitor when you are typing? Could it be that a computer is actually slower than you?

Magix PC Check & Tuning 2012 offers all the important features to help you manage important settings and speed up your computer without having to use a number of individual programs. In one easy step, it performs a complete system overhaul by analyzing the entire system, detecting and solving unwanted issues, and defragmenting your … Read more

Cord-cutters of the world, this one's for you.

If you're looking to tap those sweet, sweet TV signals that get broadcast over the airwaves for free, and you want to watch and/or record them on your PC, there's one important ingredient: a tuner.

Most PC TV tuners are single-system affairs, meaning they plug into a USB port and deliver the goods to just that system.

Wouldn't it be great if you could plug a tuner into your router, then share the over-the-air TV goodness with all your computers?

Ta-da: IceMonkey has the recertified SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual TV tuner for $69.99 shipped. … Read more

Want to see how Windows 8 looks and feels on a tablet? Now you can tap into the experience on your iPad via an app called Win8 Metro Testbed.

Designed by the folks at Splashtop, the new app lets iPad users drive the current Windows 8 beta in all its touch-screen glory by remotely controlling the OS from a desktop. All of the Windows 8 tablet features and gestures are fully accessible on the iPad.

The app will set you back $24.99 in the App Store. And that's a special introductory price; it will normally cost $49.99. … Read more

The only thing better than a dirt-cheap software bundle is a dirt-cheap software bundle for a worthy cause.

An outfit called Groupees is offering the Be Mine 2 bundle, which includes five solid indie games and a boatload of extra content, all for a minimum donation of $4.

Here's the worthy-cause part: Every $2 pays for a meal courtesy of Feed Them With Music, a charitable organization that organizes concerts and other events aimed at feeding the hungry. So if you pony up, say, $10 -- a more-than-fair amount given what you're getting -- you're covering five … Read more

The Flashback Trojan that found its way onto more than 600,000 Macs isn't the first bit of malicious code that has hit an Apple computer, but it sure has the casual Mac user thinking twice. It's the most significant malware in recent memory that dents the otherwise unrealistic reputation that Macs are somehow invulnerable to viruses.

The truth is, there are more PC/Windows viruses because there are more Windows machines. The more popular Macs get, the more OS X-based viruses will surface.… Read more