Amazon has done something amazing over the past year or so with the Kindle Fire. It’s found a way to turn a tablet into a shopfront, complete with annoying adverts, without consumers violently objecting. It’s also found a way to take a poorer user experience – reading a book on a colour screen – and make it more popular than the alternative. Add in the Nook HD, Kobo Arc and – to a lesser extent as the book store isn’t the main focus – the Nexus 7, and the previously popular monochrome ebook reader is under real threat.Microsoft pulled off one of the few genuine surprise launches of the year when we were first introduced to the Surface back in June. All of our concerns about the Windows 8 beta were put to one side as we marvelled at this lovely piece of innovation from a company that isn’t supposed to do consumer hardware. Microsoft’s partners were seemingly as shocked as the rest of us.Okay, the Surface didn’t end up being perfect, but it’s a nice piece of kit and Microsoft has backed it with a truly monstrous marketing budget. We always said Windows 8 needed the right device to show it in its best light, so bravo to Ballmer et al for accepting that a big change was necessary if Windows tablets are to compete. (see also: Losers of 2012)Oh, HP. Where to start. A company with so much going on, so little of which has gone right this year. A company whose share price hit a nine-year low in October, after warnings of an impending crash in earnings. A company almost totally absent from the booming mobile market, but also losing its crown as the world’s biggest PC maker to Lenovo – if not already (HP disputed it), then probably by the time the next figures come out.

But most of all, it’s the astonishing case of Autonomy and the missing billions that has made HP something of a laughing stock. Writing down $8.8 billion – almost 80% of the purchase price – was one thing; accusing Autonomy's founder Mike Lynch of "accounting improprieties” is another entirely, and he hasn't taken it lying down. The case has already seen the disclosure of embarrassing information about HP’s inner workings, and it’s not over yet by a long chalk.If Surface was Microsoft giving everyone a nice surprise, it’s safe to say Windows 8 proved more divisive. Now, here at PC Pro we’ve grown to quite like the new OS, which has some excellent new features and cleans up a lot of mess from old versions. But boy did we take some persuading.You could argue The Interface Formerly Known As Metro (TIFKAM) was another necessary gamble by Microsoft, a radical shift in focus to belatedly join the tablet march. But it didn’t go down well with a PC crowd furious at the loss of its beloved Start menu. "You didn’t even use it,” said Microsoft, seemingly unaware most of us steer well clear of its Customer Experience Improvement Program. Sales haven't exactly been stellar so far. (see also: Winners of 2012)Spare a thought this Christmas for the poor inkjet. A few years ago we feared for the existence of the standalone printer, as all-in-ones rapidly pushed them off shop shelves. Now those all-in-ones look to be heading the same way.

This year saw both Lexmark and Kodak announce plans to end all inkjet production, with insiders conceding that there simply isn’t room in a shrinking market for more than a handful of players. It’s unlikely Canon, HP and Epson will be dumping their inkjets just yet, but the future competition looks more likely to come from new technologies than from traditional rivals."Windows 8 pricing will be the final nail in the coffin of netbooks,” we were warned by a leading PC manufacturer in May, but in truth the netbook was dead long before Windows 8 arrived without a Starter edition. In fact, it’s tough to think of another recent product that’s arrived, been universally loved, then disappeared again quite as rapidly as the netbook (2009-2012, R.I.P.)It showed us that laptops for basic functions – which, if we’re honest, is all many of us need – could be ultra-cheap, small and light enough to sling in a bag. We all bought one. Then Apple launched the iPad, the tablet movement sky-rocketed, and we all put our dusty netbooks on eBay. We haven’t reviewed a netbook now for over six months, and no one’s asked us to.For some, the mere sight of that four-letter VAIO logo is enough to inspire irrational desire. But in a world where Sony’s brand cachet alone can loosen wallets, the latest addition to its E Series family, the 14in VAIO VPCEA1S1E/L, is the laptop equivalent of Marmite.

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We’d barely plugged it in before the comments began. Two PC Pro writers ambled by, caught sight of the unmissable Sony and, as if struck by lightning, stopped dead on the spot. What one said is wholly unprintable; the other, meanwhile, gave the E Series a loving fumble and cooed appreciatively.Love it or hate it, the eye-popping aqua blue of this VAIO certainly grabs the attention. It’s not often that we find ourselves transfixed by a lid, but the Sony’s is something special. Ripples of tiny, dark dots radiate out from the silver VAIO logo that seemingly floats a few millimetres above. If you’re one of the 43 people worldwide who’ve always longed for a pseudo-holographic effect on the lid of your next laptop, you’re in luck.The striking blue continues inside. Those darker dots fade through the wristrest, echoed by a strip of pin-pricks sweeping across the top edge of a keyboard that cuts a bold, black swathe through the middle.Although it's the smallest of Sony's E Series, with a 14in screen, that keyboard is a sensible as it looks. Every key falls nicely under the finger and releases with a dainty click, and while the Sony isn't lightweight at 2.29kg, build quality is well up there with the best in its price bracket. Unlike many portables, the Sony’s lid genuinely seems to guard the TFT panel inside and despite prodding, poking and the most impolite twisting actions, the E Series proved remarkably resilient.

After so much preparation and hype, Microsoft has launched a massive three-pronged assault.Windows 8 landed 26 October, with low upgrade prices aggressively targeting those holding on to older versions. PCs and laptops will immediately begin shipping with Windows 8 preinstalled, which should provide the customary sales boost in the run-up to Christmas.We’ll also see Windows 8 tablets, and Intel has announced that at least 20 are being developed on its new Atom Clover Trail chips. Microsoft’s Surface tablets grabbed the headlines when they were unveiled, but with Samsung and Asus among those making Windows 8 tablets, it will be interesting to see Surface succeeds against companies that Microsoft has long valued as partners.One certainty is that the new touch interface must catch on if Microsoft’s plans are to succeedOne certainty is that the new touch interface must catch on if Microsoft’s plans are to succeedOne certainty is that the new touch interface must catch on if Microsoft’s plans are to succeed – getting developers to quickly populate the Windows Store is key.The third prong to the attack is Windows Phone 8. The key feature is its shared Windows core, meaning that apps can be built across PCs, tablets and smartphones – the goal is a seamless transition for anyone trying a new Windows 8 device.

The Office 2013 Preview is already available, with Skype now incorporated, and a version will be on the first Windows RT tablets this year. A full desktop release is expected next year.Microsoft has its fingers in many more pies: Exchange Server 2013 will coincide with the release of Office; Windows Server 2012 is expected in September; and a next-generation Xbox is reportedly in development for release in late 2013. However, the key is Windows 8, and Microsoft has much riding on its success.Investors in Apple this time five years ago have more than trebled their money by now. Apple’s the one company that seems to be successful with almost every new product or service it creates, but can this record be maintained indefinitely?Two major factors will determine Apple’s near future. The arrival of the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini.As the Nexus 7 showed last month, with proper quality control a smaller tablet can be just as desirable as the iPad and its ilk, but Apple's version does cost more than its rivals.The ascent may not always be this rapid, but it’s impossible to see Apple faltering anytime soonThe ascent may not always be this rapid, but it’s impossible to see Apple faltering anytime soon

It also remains to be seen if Steve Jobs was right in 2010 when he said "the size isn’t sufficient to create great tablet apps, in our opinion”. Given how much money is currently in the app market, developers will surely set about disproving that with gusto.The iPad has launched in China; Apple is intent on bringing the Retina display to more laptops and even the iMac; and the rumours concerning greater involvement in TV simply won’t go away.The second-generation Apple TV is an excellent little device, but does that mean Apple is looking to build its own TV? We’re sceptical, but you can never rule anything out with Apple.Although its smartphone technology has arguably been surpassed, Apple remains dominant in the premium tablet market, and the popularity of OS X and MacBooks is growing – Mountain Lion exceeded three million downloads in only four days. The ascent may not always be this rapid, but it’s impossible to see Apple faltering anytime soon.Performance is bang on the money, too. Intel’s Core i3-330M processor sits at its heart, and while ATI’s Radeon HD 5145 graphics chip lacks DirectX 11 compatibility, it's a decent combination. Our application benchmarks churned along to a final result of 1.27 and Crysis only slowed down to 17fps once we hit Medium detail and upped the resolution to 1,280 x 1,024. At low settings you'll be fine.

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There’s little to complain about in the connectivity stakes, either. Bluetooth and 802.11n cover the all the wireless bases, while the three USB 2 ports on the right flank are opposed by eSATA, HDMI, D-SUB and Gigabit Ethernet on the other.Delve deeper through the Sony’s DNA, however, and its love-it-or-loathe-it qualities rear their head once again. While we expected the usual 1,366 x 768 panel at this price, Sony has stretched a far more spacious 1,600 x 900 resolution across its 14 inches. That’s certainly nothing to complain about, as the extra pixels come as a breath of fresh air compared to the bulk of the mid-priced competitors.But although image quality is good enough, it’s far from perfect. The narrow vertical viewing angles left us tilting the display back and forth as we shuffled about in our chair, and no amount of fiddling could rectify the panel’s inability to differentiate dark grey from black. We’re glad of all those pixels but be under no illusions: the image quality very much reflects the affordable price tag.Stamina, too, is another area where the E Series falters. It’s perhaps not surprising given the presence of the dedicated graphics chipset, but even under the lightest of usage conditions we could only squeeze 3hrs 50mins from the battery. Push it with intensive applications and that could fall as low as 1hr 13mins.

So, it’s not the laptop Holy Grail, but Sony’s VAIO VPCEA1S1E/L will remain a tantalising option for many prospective purchasers. If you find the blue finish nauseating, you probably won't like the neon green and lurid pink alternatives, but the plain white or black models might ease your discomfort. Either way, the striking looks, solid performance and decent-resolution screen combine very nicely at this price. Factor in the fine keyboard on top and this Sony richly deserves its Recommended award.Asus is adding an HD display to its convertible Android tablet, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime.The Transformer Prime, which goes on sale in the UK this week, currently has a 1,280 x 800 screen to go with its detachable keyboard dock. That will be upgraded to a 1,920 x 1,200 display later this year.An Asus spokesman at the Consumer Electronics Show told PC Pro that customers were increasingly plugging the tablet into external Full HD screens, prompting Asus to upgrade the device screen itself.The HD version of the Transformer Prime will also get a 3G option when it goes on sale later this year, for "less than £599", according to the Asus spokesman.

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