The PCWorld Guide to Productivity
Boost your productivity with expert advice on PCs, apps, and workflows. Discover tools, hardware, and tips to help you work faster, stay organized, and get more done anywhere.
News
New Baseus Spacemate dock includes the feature I've been waiting for
Bulky USB-C and Thunderbolt docks are incredibly useful, but they take up a great deal of space on your desk. The new Baseus Spacemate RD1 solves this problem in two useful ways, including wireless charging.By Mark Hachman 2 days ago
Feature
Intel wants cheap Windows laptops to stop feeling cheap
Move over, MacBook Neo. Intel has quietly launched a "Project Firefly" initiative to develop cheaper mainstream laptops that don't feel cheap, using its new Wildcat Lake chip as a centerpiece.By Mark Hachman 2 days ago
News
Microsoft tests Windows AI features on RTX GPUs, not just NPUs
An experimental version of Microsoft's Windows App SDK, the foundation of many Windows AI capabilities, is being made available to PCs with GPU, not just NPUs. It's a signal that times are changing.By Mark Hachman 5 days ago
Reviews
Surface Laptop 8 for Business review: Yesterday's laptop at tomorrow's price
Microsoft's Surface lineup is the everyman's computer, a soulless slab of metal that computes. Aside from the new privacy screen, it's still the same old laptop but with a monumental price tag attachedBy Mark Hachman 6 days ago
News Analysis
Framework delays Laptop 13 Pro due to bugs, but there's a bonus
Framework discovered hardware bugs in both the touchpad and the display of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, which will delay shipments But the company is also stepping in to help customers buy hard-to-find memory, too.By Mark Hachman 1 week ago
News Analysis
I hate folding mice. Logitech's Mobi Fold actually seems okay
Logitech's Mobi Fold is a folding mouse in the style of Microsoft's Arc Mouse, but with Logitech's stable of smart wireless features that will help keep you in the zone.By Mark Hachman 1 week ago
Reviews
Ugreen Maxidok review: The Thunderbolt 5 dock built for serious desks
One cable to your PC or laptop, 17 ports for everything else. I put the Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 docking station through its paces to see if it really delivers in everyday use.By Christoph Hoffmann 1 week ago
Reviews
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x review: A no-nonsense Snapdragon X2 laptop
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x isn’t the most exciting laptop, but it’s a well-rounded machine powered by a Snapdragon X2 Plus chip with good CPU performance for the price.By Matthew S. Smith 1 week ago
News
RTX Spark vs. Snapdragon X2 Elite: Which chip do you want in your AI PC?
Early signs suggest Nvidia’s RTX Spark will dominate graphics and AI creation, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite may be better suited for productivity and agentic AI.By Mark Hachman 1 week ago
Feature
Apple's new Siri just works. Why can't Copilot?
Apple's improved Siri with Apple Intelligence isn't revolutionary for what it can do. It's impressive for how it all works together, which is something that Microsoft, Windows, and Copilot still struggles to pull off.By Mark Hachman 1 week ago
Reviews
HP OmniBook 3 review: Battery life is the main attraction
The HP OmniBook 3 16 has good battery life and strong multi-core CPU performance in a light 16-inch chassis, but its design is a snooze and it’s not great for 3D graphics.By Matthew S. Smith 1 week ago
Feature
Vivaldi 8.0 utterly murders web ads. I'm so in!
I'm not sure what the Vivaldi developers did in its Vivaldi 8.0 Web update, but it blocks ads with ruthless efficiency.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News Analysis
Windows Insider meetups are back. I went to one and so should you
Microsoft's Windows Insider meetups are back. They're a reminder of what made Windows 10 feel so personal and worth caring about.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Desktop CPU shipments plunge 20 percent. It may get worse
A report from Mercury Research on Wednesday found desktop PC CPU shipments fell by 20 percent in the first quarter, due to a combination of worrying factors.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Holiday PC sales are expected to plunge due to memory shortages
IDC is predicting a catastrophic drop in PC sales for the upcoming fourth quarter, due to ongoing memory and flash shortages and climbing prices.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Microsoft's powerful RTX Spark mini PC will be sold to consumers
A top Microsoft Surface exec confirmed this week that the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box will be available to whoever wants to buy it, and won't be limited to developers.By Mark Hachman and Alaina Yee 2 weeks ago
Updated
Microsoft is building a 'quiet' Windows, starting with animated grass
A new PowerToys concept would bring animated scenes to your Windows footer, and it hints at a bigger Microsoft personalization push.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Intel and Phison want to solve local AI's biggest limitation
Intel and Phison are working to solve a problem plaguing local AI: you can't run the largest models. The solution — run Phison's aiADAPTIV solution on a PC SSD — also dredged up some parallels to an earlier, controversial time.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Nvidia's RTX Spark chip 'reinvents' laptops for agentic AI
Nvidia launched its RTX Spark platform, "purpose-built for personal agents," in advance of Computex Sunday night, pairing an N1X CPU along with its own Blackwell RTX GPU. Does it reinvent the PC for agentic AI, or is it just another gaming laptop?By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago
News
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra could be your killer PC upgrade
Microsoft launched the Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia's N1X chip and RTX Spark platform just before Computex. It's a powerful 15-inch laptop that replaces the Surface Laptop Studio and other premium devices.By Mark Hachman 2 weeks ago