Hasta La Gadget!

Dell’s Yoga competitor, the flexible XPS 11, has made its way into availability in the US and other select countries, with the refreshed XPS 13 also tagging along. As we mentioned in our hands-on, the 11.6-inch ultrabook’s keyboard folds all the way back to transform into a tablet with an impressive 2,560 x 1,440 IPS display. The updated XPS 13 laptop, on the other hand, has gained a touchscreen option, as well as new Haswell processors like those in the XPS 11. Both devices are now up for sale on Dell’s own site for at least $1,000, depending on specs. As always, the bigger the SSD storage space and the RAM, the more expensive it is. Almost all the laptops will ship with Windows 8.1 preinstalled, except the non-touch XPS 13 that’s keeping things dated with Windows 7 Home Premium. If you like your PC hardware a little cheaper (or costlier), the company’s also releasing the OptiPlex 3020 desktop ($499) and the Precision M3800 business laptop ($1,799). For a reminder of the XPS 11’s acrobatic ways, we’ve added our hands-on video right after the break.

[Thanks, Louis]

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

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Source: Dell (1), (2)

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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If you’ve been actively waiting to pre-order a brand new operating system on DVD, then a) We’re glad this article found you, and b) You might be gratified to hear that boxed copies of Windows 8.1 are currently available to purchase at the source link, for delivery on October 17th. Unlike Windows 8.0, which came with all manner of introductory deals and discounts, pre-ordering 8.1 on DVD will set you back the regular, final price of $119. Of course, if you’re already running Windows 8, your resurrected Start button will be offered as a free-of-charge download on the same day as everyone else.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software

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Source: Microsoft Store

Kicking off this week’s CEATEC show in Japan, Sharp has played to its strengths with its new Windows 8 tablet, the Mebius Pad, factoring in a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution display. That puts it pretty far ahead of the current crowd of 1080p Windows 8 tablets, including Microsoft’s incoming Surface 2, although we admit, we’d have loved to have seen another incredible 4K tablet. Regardless, that’s the highest resolution Windows 8 tablet we’ve seen yet. Alongside the company’s 10.1-inch IGZO panel (known for their low-power credentials), the Mebius Pad runs on a slightly less-exciting Intel quad-core Atom processor (the Z3370), which we’ve had mixed feelings on when it comes to the Windows tablets its powered in the past. The basic Windows 8.1 model will arrive with Office for free, although you’ll have to pay extra if you want it for the Pro edition. Also, following Japanese trends for practically any device, the slab is both water and dust-proof (it’s in the midst of being certified for IPX5, IPX7, IP5X), while you’ll be able to buy it with LTE radios on board, at least for Nippon, as the device is unlikely to leave Japanese shores once it launches in early 2014.

Unsurprisingly, in the flesh the screen looked good — Sharp even provided a magnifying glass so we could get up close to those pixels. The 10.1-inch display is also satisfyingly bright — if we’re honest, it’s unusual to see such a capable screen powered by an Atom processor. The tablet is headed towards business use (which explains the optional stylus) and the extra resolution found on Sharp’s first Windows 8 tablet means there’s more space for your spreadsheets and documents. The hardware itself is suitably thin and light, with the rear of the device bearing a passing resemblance to recent Sony hardware — possibly due to the understated camera lens in the corner. We’ll let you know if Sharp has plans to offer the tablet to global business types. %Gallery-slideshow99502%

Filed under: Tablets

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Windows users rejoice: the days of only being able to install apps on five different devices will soon be over. Starting October 9th, apps purchased with a single Windows Store account will be sharable among up to 81 devices. If you recall, we learned back at Build that Microsoft would be increasing the app roaming limit, but today’s announcement clarifies some key details nonetheless. Says the company in a blog post: “The change we’re introducing will reduce the friction that most active customers have in being able to access their favorite apps from any device, and will give developers additional opportunities to monetize.” This of course means one other thing: you’re going to need a bigger backpack.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Source: Windows App Builder Blog