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For the past week or so, I've been testing out a $199 HP Stream 11 laptop – perhaps the least expensive Windows laptop I've ever tried. What impressed me is that using it feels pretty much like using a standard laptop, not a crippled netbook of years past. It clearly isn't as powerful as more expensive notebook computers, but for people who primarily work with Web-based applications or documents and files that are stored in the cloud, it's a surprisingly nice alternative. (And the deal is even better if you like Microsoft Office 365 – it includes a one-year subscription to the Personal version, which can run on one PC, one tablet, and one phone and usually sells for about $70.) In general, it feels like an alternative to a Chromebook, a system that runs Google's Chrome OS and is designed for Web applications with an emphasis on Google's own tools. Those have become very popular lately, particularly in education, so this class of machine has become...

5 Great Laptops for Kids The world is a high-tech place, and kids today will often forgo toys and treats in favor of tech and games. If you're thinking of buying your son or daughter their first laptop, you've probably wondered what's out there for them. We've sifted through the dozens of PCs aimed at adults with grown-up budgets, and found five great kid-friendly laptops. Kids entering elementary school are now finding themselves interacting with PCs and the web, and it's not too early to encourage a budding interest in technology and computer science. The wealth of information available online has opened up new avenues for education in and out of the classroom, and familiarity with technology and the Internet is rapidly becoming as important to modern life as literacy and basic math. Whether you want to equip your child for the classroom or just get them used to life online, there are laptops available that won't break the bank, and h...

Smart almost-laptop nearly gets it right  The good: The Microsoft Surface Pro fits a full ultrabook experience in a compact 10-inch tablet. Thanks to the ingenious Type and Touch covers, it offers a comfortable interface and typing experience. The clean, crisp design and sharp 1080p screen rise above the competition. The bad: The battery life is disappointing, and more ports would be nice. The 64GB model barely has any free storage. It costs as much as a regular laptop, especially because the cool keyboard cover isn't included by default. The bottom line: The Surface Pro's gutsy design successfully reinvents the Windows 8 laptop by cramming an ultrabook experience into the body of a 10-inch tablet. Those wanting to go all-in on the tablet experience won't regret buying the Surface Pro, but we're holding out for a future, more polished generation of the device. ============================================= On February 9, the Surface gets anot...