HardwareEssentials

This year marks an almost forgotten 40th anniversary: the conception of the device that ultimately became the PC. And no, it did not happen in California.

Asustek Computer has turned back the clock to use Intel microprocessors first launched in 2004 in its latest Eee PC netbooks, in part due to a shortage of Intel's Atom chips.

Defying a bad economy and what is normally a bad season for computer chip sales, worldwide PC microprocessor shipments in the second quarter of this year reached what IDC analysts called record levels.

After watching the market's giants move into its territory, Via Technologies Thursday began moving to push back against the likes of Intel and Advanced Micro Devices with five new processors.

Xerox's research arm Monday showcased its latest innovations, including erasable paper and tools that make documents "smart" by adding a deeper meaning to words and images.

Advanced Micro Devices is looking to forge ahead into the enterprise market by creating a commercial road map and realigning desktop platforms into an enterprise offering.

Computers come in many different guises; some barely resemble a PC at all. We've had it with plain-vanilla and boring black machines, and we've gone designer. Here's how to get a PC that looks good, both inside and out.

Dell announced that the company is working on a desktop computer that is slated to be 81 percent smaller than a standard mini-tower machine, while using 70 percent less energy. It also comes in recycled and recyclable packaging.