A week with RTX Spark: everything we’ve learned using Nvidia’s new laptops
A week with RTX Spark: everything we’ve learned using Nvidia’s new laptops

Nvidia’s RTX Spark N1X processor is finally here, and we’ve been collectively testing a small fortune’s worth of powerful laptops sporting this new “superchip.” RTX Spark is designed to be a high-performing Arm-based SoC for laptops and small desktop computers, rivaling the best from Apple, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. It has loads of cores, Nvidia […]

Surface Laptop Ultra review: a different kind of MacBook Pro
Surface Laptop Ultra review: a different kind of MacBook Pro

After setting up Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra, I spent five minutes just staring at it. I wasn’t surprised by its MacBook Pro-like design or blown away by its bright display. I was trying to work out what I’d actually do with a $5,900 laptop. This isn’t just any regular Windows laptop. Microsoft has teamed up […]

A week with Googlebooks: four notes from our testing so far
A week with Googlebooks: four notes from our testing so far

Google’s new operating system is off to a rocky start. The five newly launched Googlebook laptops have hardware that ranges from great to excellent, but the software in its current state is the weak point. There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have […]

Our first five impressions of Googlebooks — exciting but underbaked
Our first five impressions of Googlebooks — exciting but underbaked

Googlebooks are here. The first models went on sale Sunday, October 4th, and we received review units of all five Googlebooks about 24 hours ago. Since then, we’ve been in a mad dash to put the devices through their paces and get a check on what it’s like to use these Android laptops. At first […]

The Dell XPS 13 is the first real competitor to the MacBook Neo
The Dell XPS 13 is the first real competitor to the MacBook Neo

Dell’s last XPS 13 was meant to be a farewell before the company sunset the entire XPS brand. But it was a bitter ending, and an overpriced one as well. Earlier this year, Dell resurrected the XPS name with the excellent (and very expensive) XPS 14 and 16. And now, it’s reinvented the XPS 13 […]

An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it
An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it

Laptop prices are out of whack. $500 used to get you a tolerable laptop, and $900 got you a really good one. They often had similar CPU, RAM, and storage options because that stuff was comparatively cheap; the difference was often in build quality and screen rather than power. But RAMageddon has thrown everything off. […]

A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping
A RAMageddon guide to back-to-school laptop shopping

If you’re a student looking for an affordable laptop, I have bad news and I have good news. The bad news is that computer prices are out of whack due to the ongoing RAM and storage crunch, making some a little pricier than they used to be and others wildly more expensive. The good news? […]

Is this $450 laptop from an unknown brand too good to be true?
Is this $450 laptop from an unknown brand too good to be true?

Finding a good laptop under $500 was hard enough before RAMageddon. They nearly always had cheap hardware and underpowered, often outdated chips. That’s what made the MacBook Neo so disruptive: It offered great build quality and good-enough performance starting at $599. Windows laptops couldn’t touch it. Even though it’s gone up to $699, it’s still […]

HP’s HyperX Omen 15 isn’t quite the budget-friendly gaming laptop its predecessor was
HP’s HyperX Omen 15 isn’t quite the budget-friendly gaming laptop its predecessor was

The HP HyperX Omen 15, which I first saw at CES, replaces the HP Victus 15, a longtime bestselling budget gaming laptop. The Victus cost just $800, or less when on sale, and was a good entry point to decent laptop gaming. The Omen 15 has nice little upgrades over the Victus. Its RTX 5050 […]

This is my new favorite laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon the price already went up by $800
This is my new favorite laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon the price already went up by $800

Framework laptops always come with compromises in exchange for their unique DIY premise. Even though you pay extra for one compared to sleeker options from competitors, it’s easier to excuse minor flaws for modular ports, easy repairs, and an impressive range of upgradeable parts. So what happens when Framework goes “Pro”? We get a one-of-a-kind […]