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Lenovo is selling a high-end configuration of its IdeaPad Slim 5x—16GB RAM, 512GB storage, a high-resolution OLED display, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Plus chip—for $900, a $250 discount. A lower-resolution version of the same laptop is also available directly from Lenovo.com for $800.
A hands-on review of the Dell XPS laptop running Googlebook OS praises the same screen, keyboard and build quality found on the Windows version of the XPS 13, crediting Dell's hardware design. However, the reviewer reports that the software experience is inconsistent, citing poor Android app support through the Google Play store, including a stripped-down Slack app and the complete absence of Evernote.
Android Authority surveyed readers on which of Google's five newly announced Googlebooks they would purchase. The Lenovo Googlebook 15 led with 19% of votes, followed by the Dell XPS Googlebook at 16%, the Acer Googlebook 14 at 14.1%, the ASUS Googlebook 14 at 12.7%, and the HP Googlebook 14 trailing at 9.8%. Roughly a third of respondents, combining those who skipped a pick and the 15% awaiting more options, did not commit to any current model.
HP and Asus have reportedly moved portions of their PC manufacturing back to China after previously diversifying to countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and India, according to Nikkei Asia. Dell is said to be considering a similar move, as these companies look to curb rising component costs that have squeezed profit margins.
A reviewer used the Acer Googlebook 14 and Dell XPS Googlebook as primary computers for two weeks, starting at $899. The first week revealed frequent slowdowns, unreliable basic features, and extensive troubleshooting, though a batch of software fixes in week two resolved some early issues, including setup problems with Better Together cross-device features and initial lack of Samsung phone support.
Amazon is selling a Dell 15.6-inch laptop at a 22% discount, cutting $130 off its price. The configuration includes an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 8GB of RAM, a Full HD display, and a 512GB SSD.
Dell's XPS 13 and Apple's entry-level MacBook still ship with 8GB of RAM, but prices have risen sharply this year—Dell's base configuration climbed $100 and Apple's MacBook went from $599 to $699 amid broader June price hikes. TrendForce reports that memory, storage and CPUs now account for 68 percent of a mainstream laptop's bill of materials.
A tech newsletter digest compiles several items: a report on espionage concerns in Silicon Valley's AI industry, comments from Michael Dell on surviving a potential AI bust, news of Apple's new HomeView tablet, and details on Meta's latest move into advanced AI development.
Michael Dell said Dell Technologies relies on just-in-time manufacturing rather than accumulating long-term debt to fund AI infrastructure projects, unlike many other tech firms. He drew on his experience surviving the dot-com bust to explain the company's approach to managing risk amid heavy industry investment in AI.
A writer describes running Quake's original CPU-based software renderer at 800x600 locked to 60fps on a Dell OptiPlex 380, far beyond resolutions possible in the 1990s. The piece contrasts this approach with 3D-card-accelerated versions such as GLQuake and 3dfx modes for Blood and Tomb Raider, noting software rendering draws every pixel via the CPU with no graphics card involved.
Tom's Hardware tested Googlebooks from Dell, Lenovo and HP, built on a new operating system called Googlebook OS that resembles Android more than Chrome OS. The platform aims to merge Android phones and laptops and includes AI features such as Rambler, with Acer and Asus also signed on as hardware partners. The reviewer found the hardware solid but said the OS still feels underdeveloped and centered mainly on the web browser.
Dell Technologies stock fell 11% on Wednesday, pulling down Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Oracle, Super Micro and NetApp amid worries that enterprise AI spending won't match the scale of the ongoing data center buildout. Barclays analysts cut ratings on Dell, HPE and NetApp from buy to hold, saying they see no 'meaningful AI inflection' in enterprise demand and attributing recent revenue gains largely to a global memory shortage rather than AI adoption.