Thin and Light

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Touch and other new capabilities in Windows 8 are powering the latest hardware innovations coming from our OEM partners. Together we are delivering interactive new experiences through devices and services that deliver on customers’ need for constant connectivity, mobility and flexibility.

This new world of computing is on display this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from chipsets, to materials, hinges, touch panels, rotating displays, beautiful new designs and new capabilities in Windows 8.

The PCs and devices we’re seeing come to market are increasingly mobile and much more powerful. When Windows 8 launched in October, we talked about 1,000 PCs and devices that had been certified for Windows 8. There are now more than 1,500 with more expected in the weeks and months to come. The breadth of innovation continues as our hardware partners deliver new Windows 8 devices and experiences that are tuned for play and work.

With that, let’s take a look at some of the incredible new Windows 8 PCs that are being announced and garnering attention on the show floor this week.

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UPDATE 5/21: Find out more about this offer here at www.windows.com/freexbox.

The school year is wrapping up for many but for those who are graduating high school - thoughts are already on the upcoming school year this fall and starting college. Starting college can be a big adjustment and we’d like to help with that. Starting May 20th in the U.S., students who buy a qualifying Windows PC worth $699 or more at participating retailers can get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free, just like last year! Starting May 18th in Canada, students who buy a Windows PC worth $599 or more can also get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free!

Participating retailers in the US include Dell.com, Fry’s Electronics, HPDirect.com, Microsoft Stores, and NewEgg.com. In Canada, they include Dell.ca, Future Shop, Staples and The Source.

Please note that participating retailers and terms and conditions may change over the course of the promotion.

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I wrote this blog post a few weeks ago while on a trip to the UK. Enjoy!

Greetings from a Eurostar train traveling from London to Paris at 300 KPH. I have been in London for the past few days visiting the Microsoft UK offices and on this trip I have been spending a lot of quality time with my Sony VAIO SA laptop.

When you travel frequently or are on the go a lot for work - it is critical to have a PC that has enough (or even more) energy than you do. Finding the perfect PC that is optimized for business, yet beautifully designed can prove challenging, but the Sony VIAO SA hits the mark. Pay close attention if you are a small business owner because I think the VAIO SA is an excellent choice, especially if you are looking for a sleek laptop packed with business grade horsepower.

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For the past few weeks I have been working with the sleek and stylish Toshiba Portégé Z830. The Portégé Z830 is one of the lightest 13” PC on the market, weighing in at just under 2.5 pounds, and incredibly thin at just 16 mm (a literal hair over 0.6”). The Portégé Z830 is an Ultrabook built for business with features that include a spill-resistant LED backlit keyboard, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, Gigabit Ethernet port and VGA port. The version of the Ultrabook I tested ran Windows 7 Professional and came with 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD and an Intel Core i5 processor with vPro support for a MSRP of $1199. Models are available with up to an i7 processor and 6 GB of RAM direct from Toshiba and other resellers (including the Microsoft Store, of course).