PCWorld suggests that older, discounted laptops often provide better value than new models, as processor improvements have become incremental rather than revolutionary. The AI boom has driven up memory and storage costs for new laptops, while previous-generation models with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage remain highly capable. This approach matters because newer laptops frequently don't justify their higher prices with significant real-world performance improvements over well-specced older alternatives. The smartest laptop to buy in 2026 may not be a 2026 laptop. That's why PCWorld's laptop deals roundup has become one of the most useful things we publish. Now, more than ever, I'm convinced that the latest laptops -- and, heck, even the latest tech products -- simply don't offer enough real-world improvement to justify their higher prices. Indeed, cheaper laptops from previous years often deliver better alignment between performance and pricing. Some of this, you already know. Do the vast majority of PC users need the latest and greatest keyboard?

PCWorld explores custom DIY PC builds as superior alternatives to Steam Machines, with builds starting at $1,050 despite current high component costs. Custom builds offer better value and personalization compared to Steam Machines, featuring gaming-focused and streaming-optimized configurations with various price points.

Microsoft's budget Surface returns with 8GB RAM configurations, which PCWorld notes can cause performance issues when running multiple applications and browser tabs on Windows devices. Microsoft justifies 8GB as sufficient for basic productivity tasks and is working to optimize Windows' memory footprint, including reducing usage for features like Widgets. Apple's integrated hardware-software approach provides superior efficiency advantages over Windows devices in similar budget scenarios, offering better performance even under demanding conditions. After shipping the Surface Laptop and Pro for business customers starting at about $2,000, Microsoft has come down to earth. Microsoft is releasing a smaller Surface Laptop and Pro for under $1,000, but with a callback to the bad old days of 8GB of system memory.

With the emergence of new storage and communication methods, the insertion, deletion, and substitution (IDS) channel has attracted considerable attention. However, many topics on the IDS channel and the associated Levenshtein distance remain open, making the invention of a novel IDS-correcting code a hard task.

The subscription now starts at $5 per month. Google is lowering the cost of its cheapest AI subscription to make Gemini models even easier to access. The Google AI Plus plan will now cost $5 per month, according to a post from Vikas Kansal, the company's Product Lead focused on Gemini AI subscriptions, down from its original $8 per month price. It now also comes with double the storage, 400GB instead of 200GB. The subscription plan became available in January 2026 as a cheaper way to access Google's Gemini 3 Pro model, Nano Banana Pro and Deep Research.

MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld comes out on June 23 MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ handheld comes out on June 23 The premium gaming handheld's price is expected to be around $1,500. A new wave of premium handhelds is on the way and MSI's upcoming Claw 8 EX AI+ is leading the charge. The company revealed its latest handheld during a hands-on event at its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan before Computex 2026. The Claw 8 EX AI+ will follow up MSI's previous handhelds introduced in 2024 that start at around $800, but is reportedly going to cost as much as $1,500 . It comes out on June 23.

Ford and GM are backing away from electric vehicles and moving into the battery storage business. And it all comes back to AI. Automakers make cars--it's in the name. But lately, politics, current events, and Wall Street's latest preoccupation, artificial intelligence, have them looking a lot more like energy companies. The pivot, analysts say, could give US auto manufacturers struggling through a transition to electric vehicles an easier path over the next few years. Whether it works will come down to the same technology that automakers once promised would power the majority of their lineups: batteries .

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Internxt offers 10TB of lifetime cloud storage with strong privacy protections for 87% off. Cloud storage is one of those things that starts cheap and slowly turns into another monthly bill. If you're tired of paying just to keep your files accessible, a lifetime plan like this could change the equation. Internxt is offering a 10TB lifetime subscription for $349.99 (MSRP $2,900), a significant departure from the typical subscription model used by most cloud providers.

The AI industry's demand for memory, storage and powerful chips has finally come for the Mac mini . Apple has stopped selling its cheapest $599 model of the Mac mini, based on changes to the company's store page spotted by . Only configurations that come with at least 512GB of storage and up are available, which means the Mac mini now effectively starts at $799. The tiny desktop's popular use as a home for local AI agents likely played a part in the change. Engadget has contacted Apple for confirmation that it's discontinuing the entry-level Mac mini.

You don't have to upload your video to the cloud or pay a monthly fee to secure your home. In the age of state surveillance, with big tech trampling our data privacy rights and gouging us for every penny, there are plenty of reasons to keep your security camera footage local. Whether you want to save money or ensure your video doesn't end up in the hands of persons (or AI) unknown, subscription-free security cameras are the way to go. The good news is that locally recording security cameras are better than ever. I've been testing security cameras for a decade, and the gap between the best cloud-connected and local cameras is closing. You don't necessarily have to give up the best features to shirk that subscription anymore.