Hardware

Now that Apple has unveiled its long-awaited iPad mini, we can see where it fits within the broader small-tablet market based on facts, not rumors.

Apple made a point of doing a side-by-side comparison of its new iPad Mini with Google's Nexus 7 at the launch event Tuesday in San Jose, highlighting the mini tablet's thinness, larger viewable screen area and custom app compatibility.

The Surface RT tablet goes on sale starting at $499 for 32 GB on Friday, and it seems to be a rough-and-tumble device.

Much of the attention being paid to this week's Windows 8 launch focuses on the new Metro-style interface and the fact that Microsoft is extending its desktop OS to tablets and smartphones. But for enterprises, the real story is the way Microsoft has integrated Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 and the Hyper-V hypervisor to create an unmatched system for running virtualized environments.

Google's new $249 Samsung Chromebook finally gets the price right -- so what's the cloud-centric laptop actually like to use?

Along with a new iPhone and a new iPod touch, September's Apple event brought with it a new iPod nano, the first in two years. (2011 saw a notable software update for the 2010 model, but no new hardware.) As has been the case with so many iPod nano models over the years, the iPod nano (7th generation) is a dramatic re-imagining of Apple's most-popular traditional iPod. But unlike the sixth-generation iPod nano, this one is mostly an improvement over its predecessor. In fact, for most uses, it just may be the best nano yet.

The Toshiba Satellite R945-P440 is a solidly built 14-inch all-purpose laptop, but it looks positively monstrous next to the Ultrabooks and ultraportables on the market today. This 14-inch laptop measures a whopping 1.2 inches thick and weighs almost 5.2 pounds with accessories, which makes it sort of a drag to tote around. So the question is, why would you choose the Satellite R945-P440 over an Ultrabook, especially when you can pick up a sleek little number for about $100 more?

Our increasingly wireless lives are still dependent on physical connections. And that means cables--lots of cables. As the editor who does most of Macworld's accessory coverage, my office is overrun with cables, connectors, and chargers. Few warrant a full review or an article of their own, but that doesn't mean they should go unnoticed. Whether you're looking for worthy candidates for your travel bag or you just want to clean up your desk, here are some of the best accessories I've come across recently for connecting, charging, and more.

These new and improved 'supersaver' features offer the biggest return on your Windows Server 2012 investment

The Jabra Solemate is a portable Bluetooth speaker that produces great sound with a strong bass, but its US$200 price tag might make buyers hesitant.

Mozilla’s tablet-friendly version of Firefox for Windows 8 is coming together, and an early public build of the browser is now available.