Laptops with trackpads that bulge or pop out are often showing a symptom of a swollen lithium-ion battery, which sits directly beneath the trackpad in most designs including MacBooks and Surface devices. Battery swelling happens when overcharging or physical damage triggers chemical reactions that release gas, pushing outward against internal components. Apple has previously run replacement programs for MacBooks affected by this exact issue.
Google is said to be working on a new line of higher-end laptops, referred to as Googlebooks, that place its Gemini AI assistant at the center of the device's features. Details on specs, pricing, or release timing have not yet been disclosed.
WIRED published a guide identifying nine Windows laptops that compete with Apple's MacBooks on quality and performance, alongside broader advice on choosing a laptop. The guide recommends spending $750 to $1,000 for a 13- or 14-inch machine with at least 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and modern chips like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series or Intel's Core Ultra lineup. It cites models such as the Dell 14 Plus and HP OmniBook 5 14 as strong examples in this price range.
Battery endurance depends heavily on laptop category: ultrabooks can run 8-12 hours (up to 15 in ideal conditions), standard laptops last 6-10 hours, budget models 4-7 hours, and gaming laptops only 2-4 hours. The charger used also matters, since aftermarket units may deliver imprecise voltage that stresses the battery over time.
Because Windows runs across countless third-party manufacturers rather than one vertically integrated maker like Apple, laptop quality and battery life vary widely depending on the model chosen. Budget Windows machines often use plastic builds and x86 chips with weaker battery life, while premium options like the Dell XPS 13 or Asus Zenbook A16 rival MacBooks in build quality, and ARM-based Windows laptops from Qualcomm and MediaTek now close the battery gap, though at the cost of software compatibility.
Rugged laptops such as Panasonic's Toughbook 40, Getac's B360 Pro, Dell's Pro Rugged 13 and Durabook's Z14I weigh far more than consumer models because of reinforced frames, sealed ports and outdoor-ready displays built to survive drops, dust and water. Despite carrying modern Intel Core Ultra chips and even optional discrete graphics, these machines still prioritize durability features like extra Ethernet ports or serial connectors over slimness or top-tier performance.
Best Buy has launched a Labor Day sale offering steep price cuts across gaming laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and a MacBook. Highlights include hundreds of dollars off machines from Gigabyte, Acer, Lenovo and Asus, with savings reaching as high as $900 on select gaming laptops and $600 off gaming PCs.
Nvidia used IFA to confirm that PCs built around its RTX Spark Arm-based SoC will ship starting in October, with partners now including Lenovo and Acer alongside previously announced Microsoft, HP, Dell, Asus and MSI machines. The lineup includes a flagship 6,144-CUDA-core, 20-core Grace configuration with up to 128GB of unified memory, plus a lower-tier laptop-only chip with 5,120 CUDA cores and 18 CPU cores.
CrowdStrike says the China-linked group OVERCAST PANDA physically entered hotel rooms of executives attending an agricultural conference on Hainan Island between March and May 2026, booting their unattended laptops from a USB drive to install the FlowCloud backdoor while the victims were at dinner. No phishing, credential theft, or network intrusion was involved—the attackers relied entirely on physical access to unlocked, unattended devices. CrowdStrike's OverWatch team detected and disrupted the intrusions and expects the group to keep using this method.
Nvidia has officially detailed its RTX Spark chip, branding it the N1X and confirming it will ship in laptops and mini PCs starting in October. The lineup includes a top config pairing a 20-core Grace CPU with a 6,144-core Blackwell GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory, plus a lower-tier laptop-only version with 18 CPU cores, 5,120 CUDA cores, and up to 32GB of memory. Lenovo and Acer have already unveiled devices using the chip ahead of IFA Berlin, with more OEMs expected to follow.
Lenovo has introduced its new IdeaPad Vibe laptop line in 14- and 15-inch sizes, available in seven colors with interchangeable keycaps that can match or contrast the chassis. The laptops will run on either Qualcomm Snapdragon X or AMD Ryzen AI 400 processors, offer up to 32GB RAM, and include 120Hz IPS or OLED display options, with pricing starting at $699 when they launch later this year.
Lenovo has published detailed specifications for two Nvidia RTX Spark-based laptops: the Yoga Pro 9n clamshell and the Yoga 9n 2-in-1 convertible. Both use Grace CPUs with up to 20 cores and Blackwell RTX graphics with up to 6,144 cores, but differ in memory, storage type and screen size, with the Pro model offering higher-end specs overall.
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