Newest PCs will offer range of hardware, software improvements

Chances are you’ll be buying a new PC in the next year or so.

More than 600 million PCs now in use are at least 4 years old and ready to be replaced, according to research by Intel.

That’s ancient when you look at how quickly PC hardware has evolved recently. It also means that buying a new system will present a bewildering array of options.

“If you think back to four years ago, versus today, it’s not just the processors that have gotten a lot better,” said Karen Regis, who manages the company’s road map and strategy for laptops. “The overall compute experience has changed entirely.”

Even more changes are coming this year as new PC hardware arrives with Windows 10, a new version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system that the company will highlight at a media event in Redmond, Washington, on Wednesday.

Microsoft contributed to the pent-up demand for PCs by flubbing Windows 8. The software has steadily improved, but its new interface was jarring and frustrating to some PC users. Its weak, early reception gave people one more reason to put off buying a new computer.

Early versions of Windows 10 appear to address the biggest complaints. It has a traditional Start menu and better integrates Windows apps with the traditional PC desktop.

Meanwhile, computer hardware keeps getting smaller, faster and more power efficient.

By design or by chance, PC makers have fixed most of the maddening things that made people embrace the iPad when it debuted in 2010. The latest laptops start up in a blink, have batteries that last more than a workday and can be controlled with natural interfaces such as touch, as well as keyboards and mice.

Here’s an overview of some new and upcoming things you’ll see this year:

Windows 10: Current PCs running Windows 7 or Windows 8 should have no trouble upgrading to Windows 10 when a final version is available later this year. But some of its new capabilities may require new hardware.

2-in-1: This is the PC industry term for laptops that double as tablets, either because the screens detach from the keyboards or fold around so they can be used like a slate.

Micro desktops: Enthusiasts have been building and running tiny PCs for years. Now they’re becoming mainstream, with affordable systems from big names like HP and Intel starting around $200. They fit in a palm or soup bowl but are full-powered desktops that can be hidden behind a monitor or a TV set.

DVD or Blu-ray: If you want your PC to play or burn DVDs, be sure it has an optical disc drive.

4K: The race to higher resolution is happening on the PC as well as the TV. Laptops and desktop PC monitors are available now with 4K, ultra high-definition displays, but unless you’re a hard-core photo editor or gamer they’re probably not worth a big outlay.

Wi-Fi: Wireless “802.11n” used to be the latest and greatest. Now the up and coming best option is “ac” – or 802.11ac – which is nearly twice as fast as “n” with speeds up to 1.3 gigabits per second. It’s still not widely offered on new PCs and that’s OK; systems with “n” work fine. But if you do a lot of video streaming or gaming in a big home, “ac” might be of interest. You’ll then need an “ac” router as well.

RealSense 3D: Some PC makers are using Intel’s new RealSense depth-sensing cameras to add features such as gesture control so you can move a cursor by waving your hand, similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect sensor.

USB 3.0: If you haven’t bought a PC in a while, your computer probably still has USB 2.0 ports. Your next one should have at least some USB 3.0 ports, which move data through 10 times faster – up to 5 gigabytes per second. If that’s not confusing enough, there’s a new standard, USB 3.1, that’s just now appearing in PCs and devices. USB 3.1 is twice as fast as USB 3.0 – up to 10 Gbps. The good news is that they’re all compatible. Don’t fret about finding USB 3.1 now; the hardware’s just emerging.

USB Type-C: If you wait until later in 2015 to buy a new PC, you’ll see systems that take advantage of an entirely new USB system called Type-C. It uses a little plug like those that charge cellphones. It’s designed to carry both data and power to phones, tablets, PCs and other devices that need less than 100 watts of power. The idea is to enable PCs to have a single cable. It could be handy when connecting laptops to a monitor or device hub.

Some think Apple will add this minimalist system to the next version of its MacBook Air. The downside is that Type-C isn’t compatible with current USB gear so Type-C’s promise of simplicity and elegance will be muddied by the need for most people to have adapters and multiple cables to connect their existing stuff.

Voice: Microsoft and Apple are putting their Cortana and Siri virtual assistants onto desktops and laptops. They may be counting on the spread of Broadwell systems, since the hardware has built-in support for voice recognition. One way or another we’ll end up talking to our PCs, and hopefully not just cursing.