Windows 8.1

Both the Pavilion x360 and Envy x360 take design cues from the high-end Spectre x360, and offer lengthy battery lives and hinged designs – flipping all the way round from laptop to tablet.

Microsoft's new Surface 3 is a return to the lower-end (non-"Pro") Surface, only with a twist. Swapping out ARM-based processors for Intel Atoms, the new machines run full Windows. Let's see how its features and specs compare to the high-end model, the Surface Pro 3.

Microsoft will be launching Windows 10 later this year, and when it does, you'll be upgrading Windows 7 and 8.1 via Windows Update. This is easier than the hassle of a clean install and it allows you to keep your settings, files, and most apps. Here's how to get an early look at what to expect.

HP's new Spectre x360 offers four usage modes for work, rest and play flexibility, its 13.3-inch screen is available at up to 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution and the 56 watt-hour battery is claimed good for up to 12.5 hours on a single charge.

The Durabook R11 is an 11.6-inch Windows tablet that comes ready to mount to a desk, in a vehicle, or to your hand or arm. Gizmag spent some time with this lightweight tough tablet and has a review.

There have been a number of PC-on-a-stick devices released in recent years, but most are powered by ARM processors and manufactured by companies you've never heard of. Not so the Intel Compute Stick, which is different in the sense that it's made by Intel and powered by an Atom Bay Trail processor.

Toshiba’s Portégé Z20t convertible is designed to take on heavyweight offerings like the Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 and Lenovo’s Yoga line. It’s targeted at business users, and offers a premium, fanless design and extensive battery life.

Over the last six months we’ve seen the Windows 8.1 expand into a new category – the budget tablet. These devices combine functionality and low prices, and are genuine alternatives to the wealth of wallet-friendly Android tablets available this Christmas.

With different systems taking notably different approaches to the 2-in-1 form-factor, picking a hybrid machine can be one of the toughest decisions in tech. Join Gizmag, as we compare the top Windows hybrids, aka convertibles or 2-in-1s.

Around two years after the release of its Zik headphones, Parrot is again looking to prick up the ears of audiophiles with its Zik 2.0 headphones. After a little hands on time with its new set of cans, our early observations are they provide an impressive listening experience.

Lenovo has announced the 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2, a Windows 8.1 system that offers familiar Yoga aesthetics. The new addition to the Yoga Tablet 2 family completes the Android/Windows pairings announced earlier this month, and presents an interesting blend of tablet and Ultrabook.

When Microsoft made its announcement of a new Surface earlier this year, most of us were expecting a 7-inch Surface Mini. But instead, we got a larger Surface Pro 3. Other manufacturers are making their own mini tablets that run full versions of Windows 8.1, and one of them is the Toshiba Encore 2.