Stories by Melissa J. Perenson

Samsung announces Wi-Fi-only Galaxy Tab

It may not be a full-on second-generation tablet as was rumored, but Samsung has introduced another new Galaxy Tab for our tablet-hungry consumption.

Toshiba showcases first Android tablet

Toshiba isn't the only notebook maker jumping headfirst into the tablet melee. But it is the company with the most history in portable products taking the plunge.

Seagate shows super-slim external hard drive

Can a hard drive be thin? Absolutely.

Seagate unveils GoFlex partner program, USM compatibility

We admit it: When Seagate first introduced its GoFlex line of storage, we were skeptical. The connector was inelegant, and frankly, it seemed as if it was one company going off on its own tangent -- even if it was a standard SATA connector. With today's news about the Universal Storage Module interface being backed by SATA-IO and the storage industry, however, suddenly Seagate appears poised to stand ahead of the pack.

Hints of Light Peak: In progress, but not ready yet

At the Storage Visions conference today, I've been hearing updates on storage connection interfaces, like the state of USB 3.0 (it's going to be everywhere), the WiGig Alliance for faster Wi-Fi transfers, and Intel's jackalope-like Light Peak interface.

Hitachi-LG data storage shows off hybrid optical drive

Can optical drives get new life? That's the idea behind Hitachi-LG Data Storage's concept of hybrid optical drives. First shown at Computex last June, Hitachi-LG Data Storage was showing its hybrid optical drive in action at Storage Visions today.

Acer brings dual-screen laptop to reality

Are physical keyboards soon going to be a thing of the past? At a splashy event here in New York City, Acer Tuesday announced its new concept for a laptop: The Acer Iconia. The name's gravitas is appropriate given that it's the first laptop to ditch a physical keyboard in favor of a two touch-screens attached by a hinge, just as with a standard laptop.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab (Sprint version)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first Android tablet that has what it takes to challenge Apple's dominant iPad.

Barnes & Noble NookColor

In the early, heady days of e-readers, the term "e-reader" was synonymous with an electronic paper-based device. The Barnes & Noble NookColor explodes that narrow definition: The first LCD-based e-reader optimized around reading, the NookColor ($249, price as of November 16, 2010) delivers a superbly integrated, largely satisfying, and (for now) unique e-reading experience. Better yet, it has the potential to deliver far more as Barnes & Noble's library of periodicals and children's books grows.

ViewSonic Introduces Two Tablets

ViewSonic is jumping into the tablet game. Although the company is best known for its monitors, a tablet isn't a huge stretch--after all, ViewSonic is used to dealing with <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/430035/review/vpc190.html">displays</a>, and it also puts out netbooks under its brand. The latter is a key reason why the company's dual-operating-system, 10-inch tablet comes as less of a surprise.

New Droid Pro leads Motorola’s enhanced Android lineup

Motorola introduced its now iconic Droid handset one year ago. Today, the veteran phonemaker expanded its Android smartphone lineup to 22 models, with five new handsets introduced today -- including the Droid Pro, which targets the core audience for RIM's BlackBerry in the corporate marketplace.

Seagate's 1.5TB GoFlex portable drive

Seagate has clearly had a busy year with the launch of its GoFlex storage line. The latest entry in that line is the FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB portable drive, which packs half a terabyte more than the competition offers in a 2.5-inch design. The $250 drive (price as of 23 September, 2010) comes with a USB 3.0 connector, too, which means that you don't have to foot the $30 bill for a cable (as you do with other models in the FreeAgent GoFlex series).