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PCs hit by an ugly quarterly drop as Windows 8 flops

It's really ugly in the PC market right now. How ugly? About the worst it has ever been, according to new reports from a couple of tech research firms.

First-quarter global computer shipments dropped 14 percent from the previous year, said International Data Corp., much worse than its forecast for a 7.7 percent decline. The pullback marked the worst-ever quarter since IDC began tracking quarterly PC shipments in 1994, and it's the fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year shipment declines.

Rival tech research firm Gartner, meanwhile, said its data showed an 11 percent decline in first-quarter global PC … Read more

Microsoft Store slashes prices on Windows 8 tablets, hybrids

In what could be a sign of things to come, the Microsoft Store is slashing prices on a variety of hybrid laptop-tablet models.

Here are some of the highlights now appearing on the Microsoft Store "Tablets and Convertibles" page:

Toshiba Satellite U925t-S2130 Convertible Ultrabook: Cut to $799 from $1,149. 12.5-inch screen, Core i5 Intel chip, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). ( Read the CNET review.) Acer Iconia W510-1674 Tablet: reduced to $399 from $499. 10.1-inch display, Intel Atom 1.8GHz "Clover Trail" Z2760 chip, 32GB SSD. ( Read the CNET review.) HP ENVY x2 11-g012nr Touchscreen: … Read more

Windows 8 touch-screen laptop price cuts coming

Expect to see significant price cuts on Windows 8 touch-screen laptops if Microsoft's expected Windows 8 discount on licensing fees for PC makers is implemented.

Those price cuts could range between 10 percent and 20 percent, according to a report in Digitimes, which cites sources at Taiwan's retailers.

Those same sources indicated that touch-screen laptops now account for about 10 percent of sales, but this could jump to 20 percent in some cases with discounts from Microsoft.

Reports Tuesday in Digitimes and the Wall Street Journal indicated that Microsoft will lower the price of Windows 8 for PC … Read more

Tablet Tuesday: Get a 10-inch Acer Iconia for $199.99 shipped

Looking for a big tablet? The iPad famously (or infamously) starts at $499. The Google Nexus 10: $399. Even the comparatively affordable Kindle Fire 8.9 will set you back $299.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Acer (via Ebay) is selling the refurbished Iconia Tab A210 10.1-inch Android tablet for $199.99 shipped. Deal? More like steal.

The Iconia A210 features a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 processor, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards), the aforementioned 10.1-inch screen (running at a competitive, if not spectacular, 1,280x800), and Android 4.0. Acer will push out … Read more

An affordable Android with fancy audio

BARCELONA, Spain--Acer's new Liquid E1 is proof that an Android Jelly Bean handset doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. At an unsubsidized price of 199 euros (about $260, or £175), this midrange smartphone comes with a respectable list of components to match its modern software.

Powered by 1GHz dual-core MediaTek processor paired with 1GB of RAM, the Liquid E1 offers a pleasantly quick if not blisteringly swift Android experience. And while its 4.5-inch screen has a lower than average qHD resolution (960x540 pixels), it's large, bright, and uses IPS technology for acceptably … Read more

Acer's Liquid Z2 built for Android newcomers

BARCELONA, Spain- Don't dismiss the Acer Liquid Z2 because of its small stature. This new handset showcased at MWC 2013 may be on the petite side in terms of many Android smartphones, but the gadget manages to squeeze Android 4.1 Jelly Bean plus support for dual-SIM cards in its compact frame.

If you're expecting a massive screen here, the Liquid Z2 will disappoint. That's because the device uses a miniscule 3.5-inch LCD with a low 480x320-pixel resolution. The phone's other components won't prove thrilling to mobile computing mavens, either, such as a 3-megapixel … Read more

Intel Atom-powered Acer Liquid C1 to head to rest of Asia

BARCELONA, Spain--Launched two weeks ago in Thailand and making its first appearance outside of Asia is Acer's latest Intel Atom smartphone, the Liquid C1. The U.S. $331 handset sports a single-core Intel Atom Z2420 1.2GHz processor, a 4.3-inch qHD LCD display, 1GB RAM, and only 4GB of storage (but it does have a microSD card slot).

The quad-band C1 weighs just 140 grams, and also features an 8-megapixel camera. It also packs a 2,000mAh battery that should last you a day of use.

Meant for the Asia market, the Liquid C1 will soon head to … Read more

Google said to release touch-screen laptop this year

As the divide between laptops and tablets continues to shrink, word is that Google has already developed its first Chrome-powered touchscreen laptop.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the tech giant's new device would come with cloud computing and could go on sale as soon as this year.

This endeavor would put Google in closer competition with Microsoft, which has already developed its own Windows touch-screen laptops. According to the Wall Street Journal, 25 percent of all Windows 8 laptops sold in the U.S. last month had touch screens.

Microsoft also has a major claim on the low-cost … Read more

Acer introduces H6 series of affordable and sleek monitors

Acer has announced its new H6 series of budget friendly yet sleekly designed monitors. The 21.5-inch H226HQL and the 23-inch H236HL monitors are the first models released in the line, and sport 1080p HD IPS panel displays.

The monitors are designed with what Acer is calling a "zero frame" construction. The displays have a small frame measuring 0.08 inch to make for a less distracting border around the screen. Both monitors have HDMI, DVI, and VGA ports.

The series appears to have only basic features and specifications, but the lower-than-average price and 1080p IPS displays for … Read more