Hasta La Gadget!

We admittedly didn’t initially get the point of HP’s new “Recline” family of all-in-ones. Sure, we understood the concept well enough; these machines use a patent-pending hinge allowing the touchscreen to hang off the table, close to your lap. But we couldn’t understand why HP would opt for such a funky design, other than the fact that its research team concluded a good deal of people would prefer to use their desktops this way. (We’re skeptical of marketing departments, can’t you tell?) It turns out, a lap-screen is the sort of feature you really do want, even if you don’t know it yet.

Setting aside that onscreen piano example in the above photo — now that’s a gimmick — we found we had a much easier time interacting with IE and Maps app than we would have if the screen were upright. In part, that’s because having the 1080p display sitting lower and at that particular angle makes it easier to type on the onscreen keyboard, which in turn takes the pain out of entering URLs and search terms. Also, though, the lower the screen is, the more you’re likely to interact with it like a tablet — a very big tablet, but a tablet nonetheless. That means you might even find yourself using two hands at once, as opposed to reaching up occasionally to swipe with your finger. Our only gripe? There’s no physical Start button, so you’ll have to either swipe the Charms bar or pause to hit the shortcut on your keyboard. Not a big deal, but it does mean the tablet experience might not feel as seamless as what you’d expect from a proper slate. If we’ve convinced you to take a closer look, the Recline 23 and 27 are both available today, though if you’d rather have it with a red hinge (and even more Beats branding than usual) you’ll have to wait until November. %Gallery-slideshow83364%

Filed under: Desktops, HP

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It’s pretty much a given that everything we love about flagships will eventually make their way into more affordable products. And why shouldn’t that include the form factors themselves? In addition to unveiling the Yoga 2 (as well as the ThinkPad Yoga for business), Lenovo is trotting out two additional convertibles, with prices that put them squarely in the middle tier. Meanwhile, the company also announced the Flex 20, a 19.5-inch, battery-powered all-in-one that’s basically a smaller, cheaper version of the Horizon PC announced earlier this year.

Starting with the laptops, the Flex 14 and 15, as they’re called, each resemble the Yoga in that the screen folds backward, allowing you to use the notebook in different positions. Here, though, it only goes 300 back degrees, not 360, meaning you can’t use these products in tablet mode. Basically, then, your choices are to use it as a traditional notebook, or fold the screen over into “Stand” mode (pictured above), with the screen facing outward, and the keyboard planted face-down. %Gallery-slideshow73860%%Gallery-slideshow73861%

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Lenovo

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Sony’s tabletop Windows 8 slate, the VAIO Tap 20, made its debut at last year’s IFA, so it’s only fitting that we’re back in Berlin to meet the successor. Dubbed the VAIO Tap 21, the follow-up packs a slightly larger, 21.5-inch display, and its design is more sophisticated, to boot.

In addition to boosting the PC’s dimensions by an inch and a half, Sony’s bumped up the touchscreen’s resolution from 1,600 x 900 to a full 1,920 x 1,080. It’s still an IPS panel, as the impressive viewing angles made clear in our hands-on time, and it still offers software programs such as Family Paint to take advantage of the 10-point multitouch. What’s more, the company says it made the Tap 21 50 percent thinner than its predecessor, and we’re looking at about eight pounds versus ten. Processor options include Core i5 and Core i7 Haswell chips, and the Tap 21 will be available with an SSD or hybrid hard drive.

Interestingly, though the Tap 21 is a far cry from “portable,” Sony plans to sell a carrying bag. (Okay, an especially good packer could probably wedge this guy into a sizable carryon — and the machine’s internal battery does make it suitable for a trip away from the outlet.) On the price front, all we’re getting is “comparable with the Tap 20.” That mobile desktop launched with an $880 base price, so draw your own conclusions.%Gallery-slideshow74024% %Gallery-slideshow79437%

Dana Wollman contributed to this report.

Filed under: Desktops, Tablets, Sony

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Granted, tablets are getting up there in size, but even after a couple of Android all-in-ones (including, in fact, one from Acer early this year), we’re still not fully used to playing Angry Birds on a glossy 24-inch display. We’re sure we’ll get a better handle on it, but these things take time. For those who want their Android games and apps in full, giant HD, there’s the DA241HL. We’ve got to admit, while it’s still an odd space, Acer’s doubling down here, with a pretty nicely designed all-in-one that looks a bit nicer than the current DA220HQL.

Along the bottom, you’ll find one long speaker grille with four buttons: input, monitor settings, volume up and down and power. Flip the device around to find the the hinged stand and a removable panel that hides three USB ports, an SD slot, a headphone jack and HDMI and micro-USB sockets. The USB in particular will come in handy when you want to connect up a keyboard and mouse, and you’ll be using the HDMI and micro-USB should you decide to connect a phone or PC to use it as a secondary display.%Gallery-slideshow77229%

Filed under: Desktops, Acer

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After helping Lenovo thrive in the wretched PC industry — while also making it the number one Chinese smartphone maker — CEO Yang Yuanqing earned a sizeable bonus. And like last year, he’s sharing the wealth with front-line employees, giving $3.25 million of his $14.6 million salary to 10,000 workers in 20 countries. Lenovo grabbed a record $34 billion during its last fiscal year, along with an all-time high $653 million in profit. While the sum he shared may be small compared to that, it’s almost a month’s pay for the 85 percent who work in China. And we can’t say we’ve seen too many CEOs stateside willing to part with their personal private jet fuel stash.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Lenovo

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Source: Bloomberg