Welcome to a Laptop AC Adapter specialist
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I’m still not entirely sure when it actually happened, but at some point over the last couple of years the crossover between tablets and laptops stopped being an idea and became a real thing. Perhaps it was Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, which came out as an x86 Core architecture tablet that was finally thin enough to no longer be an awkward laptop without an attached keyboard. Or maybe it was the more recent release of Intel’s Core M family of CPUs, which brought the Core architecture to a sub-5W design for the first time while making the overall SoC thinner than ever before.

But either way you cut it, the line between tablets and laptops with adapter such as Dell Latitude D600 AC Adapter, Dell Latitude XT AC Adapter, Dell Inspiron 6000 AC Adapter, Dell Inspiron 1501 AC Adapter, Dell inspiron E1505 AC Adapter, Dell inspiron 6400 AC Adapter, Dell studio 17 AC Adapter, Dell Latitude X300 AC Adapter, Dell Latitude LS AC Adapter, Dell Latitude X1 AC Adapter, Dell Inspiron 2000 AC Adapter, Dell Inspiron 1526 AC Adapteris blurrier than ever before. The performance of tablets is continuing to improve through faster CPUs and unexpectedly powerful GPUs, all the while laptops and high-performance x86 tablets are getting thinner, lighter, and lower power. There are still some important differences between the devices, and this is a consequence of both current technological limitations as well as design differences, but clearly the point where traditional tablets end and traditional laptops end is no longer a well-defined one.

This brings us to today’s review and today’s launch of Apple’s latest ultra-thin laptop, the simply named MacBook. Though Apple’s device is distinctly a laptop in terms of form factor and design, you’d none the less be excused for mistaking it for a large form factor tablet if you took a look at its overall size and internal configuration, both of which are far closer to a tablet than a laptop. Apple may not be doing any kind of wild 2-in-1 transforming design, or even pushing the concept of a touchscreen OS X device, but they have clearly tapped their immense experience with tablets in putting together the new MacBook.

The 2015 MacBook is an interesting take on building a Mac, one whose outward appearance hides just how much Apple has done under the hood to make it possible. Ostensibly the MacBook is an ultra-thin, ultra-light laptop, pushing beyond even the standards for Ultrabooks as first established by the MacBook Air. Retaining many of the qualities of Apple’s MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro lines, the MacBook delivers the Mac laptop experience in a device that is at its largest point just 1.31cm thick, and whose overall footprint is even smaller than the 11” MacBook Air, despite the fact that it includes a larger 12” screen.

From an end-user standpoint then the focus on the MacBook is going to be on its size, especially its thinness. It’s how Apple is choosing to promote it and it’s by far the laptop’s most distinctive attribute. At the same time however is the story of how Apple got to this point, and what trade-offs and sacrifices they had to make to get a laptop into this form factor. The laws of physics enforce a pretty clear trade-off between size and performance, so in creating the MacBook Apple has not only created a new size category of Macs, but a new performance category as well. It’s smaller than even the MacBook Air, but it also follows a different performance curve, and ultimately is targeted at a somewhat different user base than the now-traditional ultrabook.

We’ll get back to the MacBook’s design in a bit, but first let’s talk about specifications and pricing. With the MacBook Air having transitioned from Apple’s ultra-premium ultra-portable laptop to their entry-level ultra-portable laptop over the last few years – killing the original MacBook in the process – there has been a lot of demand for a premium MacBook Air, particularly one implementing a Retina display. In releasing the new MacBook Apple looks to be addressing at least some of those demands by finally putting together an ultra-portable laptop with just such a Retina display, but in the process they have also re-established the MacBook as a line of premium laptops, along of course with all the differences that come from making such a thin and light laptop.

This makes the new MacBook more expensive than the larger MacBook Airs, with the entry level MacBook starting at $1299, versus $899 for the 11” MacBook Air. What that $1299 gets you is access to the first of Apple’s laptops based on Intel’s Core M processor, which in turn is a big part of what has allowed Apple to make such a little laptop.

Welcome to a Laptop AC Adapter specialist
of the Fujitsu Ac Adapter

Transphorm Inc., Transphorm Japan Inc., and Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited announced today that Fujitsu Semiconductor group's CMOS-compatible, 150mm wafer fab in Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan, has started mass production of Gallium Nitride (GaN) power devices for switching applications. The large-scale, automotive-qualified facility, which is providing exclusive GaN foundry services for Transphorm, will allow dramatic expansion of Transphorm's GaN power device business. This stepped up production can satisfy the increasing market demands for GaN devices, thereby enabling the next wave of compact, energy-efficient power conversion systems.

Transphorm has established the industry's first and only qualified 600V GaN device platform, backed by its world-leading GaN power IP portfolio. The world's first photovoltaic power conditioner products using the GaN module from Transphorm was launched in January, 2015. Other applications include ultra-small AC adapters with like Fujitsu LifeBook A6020 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook C1020 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook E6180 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook S7000 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook S6420 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook T4210 AC Adapter, Dell LifeBook V1020 AC Adapter, Fujitsu LifeBook E8210 AC Adapter, Dell LifeBook A1120 AC Adapter, Fujitsu Amilo V2085 AC Adapter, Fujitsu Amilo V1000 AC Adapter, Fujitsu Amilo A6660 AC Adapter, high-density power supplies for PCs, servers and telecom equipment, highly efficient motion control systems, and more.

In 2013, Fujitsu Semiconductor and Transphorm announced the business integration of their GaN power device solutions. Since then, Transphorm's JEDEC-qualified process has been combined with Fujitsu Semiconductor's basic technology and ported to the CMOS-compatible, 150mm fab of Aizu Fujitsu Semiconductor Wafer Solution Limited, with key improvements for high-volume, silicon-compatible device manufacturing. Understanding that a highly reliable manufacturing production line is one of the essential requirements of any business expansion, the companies have successfully finished the development in Aizu-Wakamatsu and have now started mass production.

"The start of the mass production in a CMOS-compatible fab is a significant step forward toward achieving the widespread use of GaN power devices, as well as a demonstration of the successful integration of both companies' strengths," said Haruki Okada, President of Fujitsu Semiconductor. "We will continue to enhance our high-quality manufacturing technology to support the stable supply of the products and bring the new value of GaN power devices to the world."

"Manufacturing Transphorm's GaN power devices at the Fujitsu Aizu-Wakamatsu facility will assure our customers a scalable, stable supply of products with the stamp of Fujitsu's proven, high-quality standard in mass manufacturing," said Fumihide Esaka, CEO of Transphorm. "We will continue to expand our GaN power device portfolio with continued partnership with Fujitsu Semiconductor."

Panasonic has joined forces with Tesla Motors to build a large-scale battery manufacturing plant, known as the Gigafactory (pictured).

While Tesla does the heavy lifting—preparing, providing, and managing the land, buildings, and utilities—Panasonic will step in to manufacture and supply the all-important cylindrical lithium-ion cells. It will also invest in associated equipment, machinery, and other manufacturing tools as part of the agreement.

Tesla chief Elon Musk has been eyeing this $5 billion electric car battery "Gigafactory" for a few months. The aim: reduce the cost of lithium-ion cells, therefore decreasing the price of Tesla vehicles.

"The Gigafactory represents a fundamental change in the way large scale battery with like V-Bot M8 Battery, V-Bot RV-9 Battery, V-Bot RV-10 Battery, V-Bot RV13 Battery, V-Bot RV88 Battery, V-Bot TRV10 Battery, V-Bot TRV11NB88 Battery, Evolution Robotics Battery, Evolution Robotics 837986 Battery, Evolution Robotics Mint 5200 Battery, Evolution Robotics Mint 5200C Battery, Evolution Robotics Mint 4200 Battery production can be realized," Tesla Motors co-founder and CTO JB Straubel said in a statement. "Not only does the Gigafactory enable capacity needed for the Model 3 but it sets the path for a dramatic reduction in the cost of energy storage across a broad range of applications."

Earlier this month, Tesla said its next-gen Model 3 Tesla electric car will go on sale in 2017 and retail for about $35,000.

As for the location of the Gigafactory, Tesla says that sites in Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas are under consideration; California is also reportedly in the running. A selection is expected sometime this year.

Tesla intends to manage the factory while Panasonic serves as a principal partner. A number of other suppliers will join the assembly line, as well.

The Gigafactory, which will employ about 6,500 workers by 2020, is expected to produce 35GWh of cells and 50GWh of packs annually over the next six years. By co-locating suppliers on one site, Tesla can eliminate the packaging, transportation, duty, and inventory carrying costs typically associated with manufacturing.

"We have already engaged in various collaborative projects with Tesla toward the popularization of electric vehicles," Yoshihiko Yamada, executive vice president of Panasonic, said.

"And I believe that once we are able to manufacture lithium-ion battery cells at the Gigafactory, we will be able to accelerate the expansion of the electric vehicle market," Yamada added.

Paul Harrison, 31,800 block of Cavem Avenue, Port St. Lucie, resisting an officer with violence; disorderly intoxication; battery.

Adam Hartseil, 27, 1000 block of Bellevue Avenue, Port St. Lucie, felony battery.

Ieshon Tubbs, 34, Fort Pierce, burglary; grand theft; grand theft auto; dealing in stolen property; dealing in stolen property.

Carmen Davis, 47, 1000 block of 27th Circle, Fort Pierce, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Royce Harrison, 29, 6600 block of Samba Street with battery such as Samba JNB-XR210 Battery, Samba JNB-XR210C Battery, Samba XR210 Battery, Samba XR210C Battery, KV8 Battery, KV8 210C Battery, KV8 210XR Battery, Neato Battery, Neato XV-11 Battery, Neato XV-12 Battery, Neato XV-15 Battery, Neato XV-21 Battery, grand theft; burglary; giving false information to a pawnbroker.

Lance Townsend, 31, 2500 block of Avenue F, Fort Pierce, public order crimes against a public servant; driving under the influence.

Celidieu Kelly, 28, 1900 block of Avenue D, Fort Pierce, dealing in stolen property.

Lawson Oliver, 52, 300 block of Floresta Drive, Port St. Lucie, felony driving on a suspended license.

Jonathan Martin, 31, Holiday, grand theft; dealing in stolen property.
Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Earlier this week, Tesla founder Elon Musk hinted that he had a surprise up his sleeve for those still skeptical about the viability of electric cars. Last night, at a jam-packed event in Los Angeles, he unveiled a new way to power up a car in less time than it takes to fill a tank up with gas.

In the video (below), uploaded by Tesla this morning, Musk embraces the Tony Stark/Iron Man characterizations, appearing on stage in a flashy blazer with microphone in hand, sans any detailed charts or diagrams. Musk kicked things off by explaining his thinking behind the battery-swapping initiative, which is to essentially mainstream electric car usage.

Then Musk summoned a Tesla Model S on staged to have its battery with such as Ecovacs 8 Series Battery, Ecovacs 520 Battery, Ecovacs 526 Battery, Ecovacs CR130 Battery, Ecovacs BP-54 Battery, Ecovacs XR210 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 580 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 570 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 560 Battery, Ecovacs CR120 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 540 Battery, Ecovacs Deebot D54 Battery swapped out with a fresh one while an overhead video displayed an employee filling up another car's gas tank at a local filling station in real time. Framed by techno music and occasional commentary from Musk, the video shows the Tesla vehicle sitting in place as automated nut runners remove its undercarriage paneling and swap out the car's battery with a new one in roughly 90 seconds. Adding to the showmanship, Musk then called up another car to have its battery swapped while the gas-powered vehicle was still waiting for its tank to fill up.

Tesla's edited video offers little in the way of detail on the battery swap program, but in another, unedited video of the event captured by an attendee Musk said with the battery-swapping program, Tesla will match the price a driver would pay to fill up with gas.

"The way it will work is you'll return the [battery pack] on your return journey," Musk said. "So it's just like having rental skis or a rental car, or you can keep the pack and we'll bill you for the difference in value [between the old and new battery]."

During a post-demonstration question and answer session, Musk explained that if a driver doesn't want to keep the swapped-in battery, Tesla will travel to their location, put their old battery back into the vehicle, and they will only be billed for the transport cost of that process.

And while the event was filled with the excitement of innovation, battery-swapping technology for electric cars is not necessarily a new twist. That dynamic was recently popularized by Israel's Better Place, a company that, after a very auspicious start, filed for bankruptcy last month, stoking concerns that battery swapping might not be a viable solution for electric cars.

When asked about Better Place, Musk said, "they were better at marketing than they were at engineering."

In the end, the announcement from Tesla appears to be less about groundbreaking battery technology and more about deploying an easy-to-use system around the country that would make battery swapping more convenient than filling up with a tank of gas. "Hopefully, this is what convinces people that electric cars are the future," said.

By now, most of us have seen the little robots that vacuum your floor so you don't have to. The latest trend in robotic cleaning is bots that clean big windows and mirrors -- and I finally got my hands on one. It's called Winbot, by a Chinese company called Ecovacs Robotics. Retail price? Around $350.

Winbot weighs about two pounds and runs on electricity with a back-up battery with like Ecovacs Deebot D56 Battery, Ecovacs DeeBot D58 Battery, Ecovacs 730-5 Battery, Ecovacs Deebot D73 Battery, Ecovacs Deebot D77 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 620 Battery, Ecovacs Dibea X500 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 650 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 660 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 680 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 720 Battery, Ecovacs Deepoo 760 Battery-- in case the power cord gets unplugged, or the power goes out during use. The unit comes with a special cleaner and two cleaning pads that attach to the front and back of the undercarriage. The larger, front pad is sprayed with the cleaner, while the smaller back pad dries the glass as the bot moves over the window.

For our test, we smudged two 12' X 4' windows (previously sparkling clean) with water, dirt, vacuum dust and hand lotion. Then, following instructions, placed the unit onto the window with the switch under the handle turned to the on position. The unit made loud humming sound as we held it to the window, 4 inches from the lower corner. When the indicator light turned blue the humming stopped and we were able to let go. The bot was security attached to the window using suction.

Next step -- press the start button. The Winbot immediatly turned and went to work, up, down and across the window in a controlled pattern that almost seemed like it knew where the dirt was. When it missed a dirty area or left streaks, it actually circled back up, down and across and cleaned the areas in question.

It took about 10 minutes to clean one glass panel. When finished, the bot moved back to it's original position and made an audio alert to let us know it was time to release the suction and remove the unit from the window. Overall, Winbot did a good job of cleaning. So yes, it works. But you have to work too.

As our partners at Consumer Reports pointed out during their tests- it not a matter of set it and forget it. You must spray the pad, move the bot from one window to the next, and be there when the Winbot stops to detach it from the window. You need to be in the vicinity in case it becomes necessary to interrupt the process for some reason. We also found you'll likely need to wipe away residual water that's left behind when you take it off the window.

The instructions make it clear that the Winbot is not intended to replace heavy duty or first time cleaning- only maintenance. That means you'll need to do an initial cleaning first the low-tech way. Some people report streaking with the Winbot, but we did not have that experience. Winbot is not designed for small windows. And where height is concerned, you can only use the unit on windows the unit can easily clean without straining the attached power cord. The Winbot is not designed to be used with regular household power cords but the company does sell its own power cords designed specifically for the unit.

With bigger, sharper displays and faster processors, today's smartphones can do just about anything. But all those spiffy new features are absolute power hogs—even some of the best phones can barely last a full day, especially if you're working through a Netflix queue or logging a few miles on Temple Run. If you live in constant fear of that blinking red battery indicator, maybe it's time to trade up for a smartphone that can keep up with your daily needs.

We test nearly every phone from every carrier here at the PCMag Labs, and every phone goes through a round of battery testing. Our base benchmark is continuous talk time, and though we recognize that people use their phones for actual phone calls less and less, it's still a reasonably reliable measure of a phone's endurance relative to competitors. Luckily, most of today's smartphones use cellular radios that sip on power, so we're seeing talk times in excess of 15 hours, which is excellent. We can't always test call time due to carrier limitations on call length, in which case we also test playing back a video until the battery with battery like Husqvarna Automower AU-18C Battery, Husqvarna Automower AU-18V Battery, Husqvarna Automower 210C Battery, Husqvarna Automower 220 Battery, Husqvarna Automower 230ACX Battery, Husqvarna Automower 260ACX Battery, Husqvarna Automower G2 2004-2006 Battery, Husqvarna Automower SH Battery, Husqvarna Automower 540059601 Battery, iRobot Roomba 4905 WC Battery, iRobot Roomba APS 4905 Battery, iRobot Roomba Tenergy 11701 Battery is drained.

The good news is that there are a ton of phones out there that can get most people through most of the day on a single charge. Even better, there are a few options out there that can extend that battery life to two or three days based on usage. A new feature we've also seen in some recent releases is an extended "ultra power saving" mode, which throttles performance and optimizes the display to squeeze out every last minute for your smartphone.

Below you'll find our six favorite endurance champs, each offering at least 15 hours of talk time on a single charge.

The U.S. is preparing a report that will discuss security issues, technical feasibility, costs, and safety benefits of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication as a first step towards requiring this technology in new vehicles.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, V2V technology is the wireless exchange of data between nearby cars to improve safety. The Department's report will include two interesting new fields of study, including Left Turn Assist and Intersection Movement Assist. Together.these technologies can prevent up to 592,000 crashes and save 1,083 lives each year.

Left Turn Assist warns drivers not to turn left if there is another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction with battery such as iRobot 4978 Battery, iRobot iTouchless AV001A Battery, iRobot iTouchless AV002A Battery, iRobot Roomba 400 Battery, iRobot Roomba 4000 Battery, iRobot Roomba 4100 Battery, iRobot Roomba 4210 Battery, iRobot Roomba 5210 Battery, iRobot Roomba Dirt Dog Battery, iRobot Roomba Intelligent Robotic M-288 Battery, iRobot Roomba Pro Elite Battery, iRobot Roomba Scheduler Battery,The second technology improves safety during one of the most dangerous parts of driving, alerting drivers if is unsafe to enter an intersection.

"Safety is our top priority, and V2V technology represents the next great advance in saving lives," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a recent statement. "This technology could move us from helping people survive crashes to helping them avoid crashes altogether – saving lives, saving money and even saving fuel thanks to the widespread benefits it offers."

Other technologies that the Department is studying include forward collision, blind spot monitor, stop light warnings, and "do not pass" warnings. The Department is gathering public opinions on its report and will use these findings for proposing rules, which should be ready by 2016. According to the Department, V2V technology will pave the way for driverless vehicle technology in the future. Source: NHTSA

For serious details, you consult the companion "Magic Synched" iPhone app. Shine glows for six months between battery swap-outs, a far cry from clunky wearables that require daily recharging. You also can slip a circular Shine into custom socks, T-shirt pockets and alternate jewelry-style holders, including a necklace.

A laptop computer many students will encounter this fall, the super-slim $200 Acer C720 Chromebook is a bargain parents will also covet for themselves. Keeping costs and weight down, Chromebooks run strictly on Google software (but can read Microsoft Word files, PDFs, etc.) and presume that most resources (including homework assignments) will be pulled down as needed from "the cloud" (Internet). Work can be done offline, too.

A C720 starts up in seven seconds, runs 8 1 / 2hours per charge. Has a full-size keyboard, 11.6 inch HD LCD screen and Intel processor sharp and fast enough to enjoy Netflix and YouTube in down time. Also boasts a webcam, accessory ports with battery like dell Inspiron 1564 battery, Dell Inspiron 1764 Battery, Dell Studio XPS 1645 Battery, Dell W004C Battery, Dell Studio XPS 1340 Battery, Dell PP17S Battery, Dell W6617 Battery, Dell Latitude D410 Battery, Dell Inspiron 1370 Battery, Dell G3VPN Battery, Dell Vostro V130 Battery, Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 Battery, 16GB SSD (solid state drive) and lots more storage potential in the cloud (100 GBs free for two years, 15 GB free forever). Google's automatic updates take care of security threats.

Throwing a pricey tablet into a bookbag? Wrap that tab in a protective case. The relatively trim and inexpensive ($50 at radtech.us and Apple stores) STM Dux case for iPads has a flip-around (and power switching) cover, serious (Department of Defense grade) shock-absorbing protection and a see-through plastic backing that allows the user to insert custom artwork and "this belongs to" identification. STM offers free registration and a reward for the return of a lost tablet - or one of the brand's nice carry bags.

Given the dearth of ports on most tablets and smartphones, a user will rejoice in Kingston Technology's workaround — the MobileLite Wireless G2 media reader ($50-$60). A USB thumb drive or smart card loaded with files, pictures, music and movies can be streamed wirelessly from this mobile Wi-Fi hot spot to as many as eight tablets and phones simultaneously, for viewing and posting to social media. Conversely, you can free up a smartphone or tablet's memory by off-loading pictures, videos, etc. to a card or drive installed on a MobileLite. The device functions as a portable router, too. And when fully charged, its 4640 mAH battery can re-energize a phone two full times.

>> Give your student a Duracell Powermat Wireless Charging Kit for his/her iPhone 5 and you'll never hear the excuse "Gee mom, I meant to call but my phone ran out of juice." This newly upgraded product ($119.95 exclusive at Apple.com) features a relatively slim, phone wrapping Power Case with built-in 2000 mAH lithium battery, plus a wireless (induction charging) Powermat upon which a user will simply "rest" the phone every night. (Hey, you gotta put it down someplace!) When the phone's internal battery runs low, press a button on the case and the aux battery kicks in.

It's back-to-school time and a brisk season for new computer sales. This season, you have a third option beyond a pricey Mac or a standard Windows laptop — a Chromebook. Although the streamlined devices have been around for just over three years, it is only now that they're poised to take off.

Launched by Google in 2011, the laptops were designed to be used with an Internet connection, running Google's Chrome operating system. They were designed for people accessing documents and services from the cloud — well before the public understood a cloud was something other than a weather phenomenon. Chromebook was ahead of its time. But a lot has changed in three years.

Sales of Chromebooks will reach 5.2 million units in 2014, a 79 percent increase from 2013 with battery such as dell Vostro 3350 battery, Dell 0XXDG0 Battery, Dell Latitude E4400 Battery, Dell HW905 Battery, Dell Latitude C400 Battery, Dell 00R271 Battery, Dell Latitude 2100 Battery, Dell C9880 Battery, Dell XPS M2010 Battery, Dell MN151 Battery, Dell Latitude D420 Battery, Dell Inspiron 1012 Battery, according to research firm Gartner. Schools are leading the surge. In fact, 85 percent of all Chromebooks were purchased by educators last year. Over the next several years, Gartner said, sales will nearly triple, as manufacturers introduce more powerful machines that serve the needs of always-on WiFi users.

Chromebooks are cheap, simple machines that run on the most secure and fast operating system available. Prices start at around $200 and just top $300. Priced like the now-defunct netbook, Chromebooks deliver much more. Netbooks were underpowered, battery life was minimal and configuring them could be difficult.

In contrast, new Chromebooks are available with powerful processors such as an Intel Core i3, battery life of up to 13 hours, start-up time of around 10 seconds and a simple, familiar interface. Because it's made to be used primarily online, there's less that can go wrong with the hardware, which is a big benefit for schools as well as for parents.

● Is a Chromebook right for you?

The answer depends on the way you use your computer. If you spend the majority of your computer time online, the answer is yes. But even if you don't — say you spend much of your time on Microsoft Office — that doesn't mean you should reject a Chromebook. You could switch to Microsoft Office online to create documents, which is a painless transition. Further, with Drive (Google's equivalent to Office), you can save and share your Google documents in Office formats, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint. And, Google offers offline versions of Gmail and Drive, as well as Google Play movies, so you still have options without a connection.

However, if you edit video or handle heavy photo editing, a Chromebook is likely not the best option for you. Likewise, PC gamers need more powerful machines. But if you stream movies on Netflix, use Facebook and other social media, email and browse the Web, Chromebooks offer excellent value.

● The one to buy

Just last week, Acer introduced its Chromebook 13, the first to use Nvidia's Tegra K1 quad core processor for the longest battery life of any Chromebook on the market and the second to offer a full HD 1080p touchscreen display. (Samsung Chromebook 2 was the first, but the Acer is less expensive.) It also comes in a lower resolution model with a 1366 x 768 display, but for $20 more — $299 — you can have full HD.

Both models come with 16GB SSD and 2GB of RAM. You can upgrade to 32GB SSD and 4GB RAM for $379 total. But remember, nothing happens locally on the machine as it does on a standard laptop, so the base specs should be sufficient.

The Chromebook 13 weighs 3.31 pounds and is 0.71 inches thick -- the right size to slip into a bag. It has two USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI port, a webcam (optimized for Google Hangouts), a full-sized keyboard and a generously sized trackpad. You can preorder it now from Amazon and Best Buy, which is not a bad idea since Dell's Chromebook 11 has been sold out for several months. Acer is expected to ship the new units in September.

Bottom line: You won't find a speedier, more reliable laptop at a better price. In fact, you could spend $400 or more on a Windows laptop and wind up with less. For those PC users who haven't made the jump to Windows 8.1, the move to ChromeOS will be far easier.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about and reviewing personal technology for the past six years. She has designed and manages several international websites. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.

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