Stories by Melanie Pinola

In the suspense-filled lead-up to the release of its Surface tablets, Microsoft has declined to discuss how much the devices will actually cost - until now, at least. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, hinted at a pricing ballpark: $US300 to "$US700 or $US800," quelling rumors that the Surface RT would sell at the bargain, Kindle Fire-esque price of $US199.

Pretty soon, perhaps, we won't have to ask whether netbooks are finally dead. According to Taiwanese trade paper DigiTimes, the top two netbook manufacturers, Asus and Acer, have at long last abandoned the inexpensive, low-powered netbook.

Dell is adding two new touchscreen devices to its popular XPS line of laptops. The XPS 10 is a dockable Windows RT tablet, while the XPS Duo 12 Ultrabook swivels between tablet and laptop mode.

Razor-thin, lightweight Ultrabooks are all the rage in Windows laptops now. Though most Ultrabooks are designed more for the living room than for the boardroom, business customers don't have to feel left out in the cold. We've rounded up five excellent Ultrabooks that combine sleek designs with business-class features and performance.

Most new super-thin laptops, including Ultrabooks and the Retina MacBook Pro, are designed so consumers can’t change the batteries themselves. This is a big issue if you plan on keeping your new laptop for more than two years or want to hand it down to someone else later.

Back in May, Lenovo indicated that the company was working on a ThinkPad tablet running Windows 8. Details were sparse, though--all we knew at the time was that the tablet would have an Intel processor and tie into a cloud service Lenovo is building.

Photos of one of Sony's next-generation Xperia tablets have been leaked online, showing a device that boasts a number of features and accessories including a keyboard cover/stand just like the one for Microsoft's Surface tablet.

Windows 8 Ultrabooks and convertible tablets will soon sport new sensors, which will give users more ways to interact with their laptops, according to an Intel blog post Friday.

It will soon rain touchscreen laptops equipped with Windows 8, according to recent statements by Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who maintains that the PC market is not doomed.

Ultrabooks have made a lot of progress as the hottest ultrathin Windows laptops on the market, but the features we've seen so far may be just the tip of the iceberg. Third-generation Ultrabooks will likely sport more advanced features than currently available, including high-definition displays, new types of sensors, 3D screens, and more.

Each new gadget brings speculation about what older device it will replace--full-featured laptops supplant desktops, while ever-smarter phones relieve you from carrying a laptop on occasion. But don't overlook the partnerships that can result. Soon, for instance, you’ll be able to use an Ultrabook to charge your phone wirelessly, or you'll be able to transfer files by tapping your smartphone to a laptop lid.

It's happening. Super-slim Ultrabook prices are edging closer to the average range of standard laptop prices.

The Computex technology show in Taipei - one of Asia's largest - started Sunday with a bang, showcasing hybrid laptop/tablets running Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 OS. The first laptops out of the gate are Windows 8 tablets with detachable docks from Asus and Acer and a sliding tablet PC from MSI.

What's this? An unannounced 14-inch Ultrabook called the Dell XPS 14 has popped up on Amazon. The specs suggest this superthin laptop will give other Ultrabooks a run for their money--it's got an Ivy Bridge processor, Nvidia discrete graphics, an HD+ display, and 12 hours of battery life.

Ultrabooks are sleek, super-thin laptops that often feature a silver, wedge or tapering design--yes, just like the Apple MacBook Air.