Top 25 News Stories of 2012

No. 25: Alienware Builds a Small Form Factor Gaming PC

Look, we love playing games on the PC, even if consoles take up far less space. But even that advantage was negated when Alienware constructed the X51, an Xbox 360-sized gaming PC that isn't rocking six-year old hardware. Advantage: PC.

No. 24: Lenovo Wrestles PC Crown from HP

Lenovo's rise to the top was a long time coming, and if you listen to Gartner, it finally happened in Q3 when Lenovo edged out HP with a 15.7 percent share of the market versus HP's 15.5 percent stake. IDC's data still had HP in the slight, but either way, Lenovo's phenomenal run continued in 2012.

No. 23: Nexus 7 Brings Jelly Bean to an Apple Fight

If Google's Android partners would have built a legitimate contender to the iPad from Day 1, then maybe the Nexus 7 never sees the light of day. But they didn't, so Google took the bull by the horns and commissioned Asus to build the Nexus 7 to spec, and then used it as a launching pad for Jelly Bean.

No. 22: AMD Finds a Pulse with Vishera Launch

Like Rocky Balboa, you can never count AMD out, no matter how much it gets beat up by the competition. Proving it can still fight, AMD launched Vishera, a spunky architecture that excels in multi-threaded apps. It's not an Ivy Bridge killer, but it's a step in the right direction.

No. 21: Microsoft Security Essentials Fails AV-Test

Out of the two dozen security suites AV-Test.org put through the wringer, only Microsoft's usually capable Security Essentials flunked the exam. AV-Test.org awards up to 6 points in three different categories, requiring 11 points to pass. MSE scored 10.5. Do'h!

No. 20: Acer Craps on Microsoft's Surface Strategy

Microsoft's hardware partners weren't exactly thrilled to learn they'd be competing with Redmond on hardware, but none complained more than Acer. At one point, Acer warned Microsoft that the hardware business is like "hard rice" and is "not so easy to eat." Um, duly noted?

No. 19: Colorado Woman Conveniently Forgets Laptop Decryption Key

After being court ordered to provide the decryption code for her Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop in a case involving fraud, a Colorado woman suddenly "forgot" the key. Federal authorities cracked it anyway.

No. 18: Overclocking Site Figures Out What Has Ivy Bridge All Hot and Bothered

When Ivy Bridge debuted, it was found to run up to 20C higher than Sandy Bridge when OC'd. Thanks to Overclockers.net's prying, it was discovered Intel switched to TIM paste between the integrated heat spreader (IHS) and CPU die instead of fluxless solder. Mystery solved.

No. 17: Disney Acquires Lucasfilm for $4.09 Billion

Psychics everywhere were discredited when George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.09 billion, as not a single one predicted such an event. Disney then announced a new Star Wars movie, sending the Internet into hysterics. Silver lining: Disney's done pretty well with its Marvel assets.

No. 16: Jimmy Kimmel Pulls Hilarious iPhone 5 Prank

Jimmy Kimmel sent a camera crew into the streets with an iPhone 4S and told passersby it was an iPhone 5. "Oh it's way better," one person said. Another person held it next to his own iPhone 4S and said it "feels a lot lighter and just more, um, just a lot higher quality." Well played, Mr. Kimmel.

No. 15: McAfee Founder Convincingly Fakes Crazy

One of the more bizarre stories of 2012 involves John McAfee's run from the law in Belize where he was wanted for questioning in a murder case. Convinced the government wanted him dead, he fled to Guatemala, faked a heart attack, and returned to the U.S., sans $20 million and two young girlfriends.

No. 14: YouTube Captures Reactions to Windows 8

Lockergnome's Chris Pirillo put Windows 8's funky new UI to the test by plopping his dad in front of a PC running the Consumer Preview. He didn't fare so well, saying at the end, "Are they trying to drive me to Mac?" Let's hope not, papa Pirillo!

No. 13: Raspberry Pi Starts Shipping

The Raspberry Pi Foundation turned the low-cost computing world on its head with the introduction of $25 and $35 mini PCs. A few months after they started shipping, Raspberry Pi doubled the amount of RAM on the $35 model to 512MB. Sweet!

No. 12: Facebook's Epic IPO Fail

After months of anticipation, Facebook debuted on the stock market at $38 per share. Four months later, it was trading at around $20 a pop, dropping the company's value almost in half. If ever there existed a dislike button, investors would have wore it out by now.

No. 11: Google Teases Awesome HUD Technology with "Project Glass"

Developed by Google X Lab, the same research arm responsible for self-driving cars, Project Glass is a sleek and lightweight head-mounted display that will attempt to bring wearable computing to the mainstream. Google's targeting a 2014 release.

No. 10: Game Developers Bash Microsoft's "Wrongheaded" Windows 8 Strategy

Microsoft brought game developers together with the launch of Windows 8. The bad news is they formed a chorus of boos over Microsoft's walled garden approach to its new OS. Valve's Gabe Newell went so far as to call Windows 8 a "catastrophe for everyone in the PC space." Ouch.

No. 9: AMD/Intel Reaffirm Commitment to Sockets

DIYers went into a panic when it was rumored Intel would abandon socketed CPUs after Haswell. It generated so much buzz that both Intel and AMD both felt compelled to publicly reaffirm their commitment to socketed chips.

No. 8: Apple Becomes Most Valuable Company in the World

Apple emerged as the most valuable company ever when its share price ballooned to $662, giving it a market cap of $620 billion. Impressive, but what most headlines missed is that after inflation, Microsoft's value in 1999 would be $850 billion today.

No. 7: EA Voted "Worst Company in America"

Consumerist readers collectively declared EA as the Worst Company in America, earning the company a Golden Poo award. Gamers took issue with EA deliberately holding back content only to charge a fee for it at a later date, among other perceived atrocities.

No. 6: Apple Takes a Wrong Turn with Maps Strategy

Apple had the not-so-bright idea of replacing Google's native Maps app with its own mapping software in iOS 6. Apple Maps proved unreliable and even turned potentially deadly when it led some Australian to a remote location where there's no water and scorching hot temps.

No. 5: Valve Invades the Living Room

Consoles can't hold a candle to PCs when it comes to gaming, so why do they lord over the living room? Convenience. Valve set out to change that, first by introducing Big Picture mode for Steam, and then by confirming plans to launch a dedicated Steam Box, essentially a Linux-based HTPC for gaming on HDTVs.

No. 4: AMD Goes Into a Tailspin, Rumors of a Sale Loom Large

After a rough year, AMD reportedly hired a bank to "explore options," including an outright sale, though AMD denied it ever entertained the idea. AMD did, however, put its Texas camp up for sale to raise cash after its stock price fell below $2.

No. 3: Samsung Loses Patent Battle, Owes Apple $1 Billion

Apple and Samsung traded barbs in court over patent infringement claims, and Apple eventually emerged victorious. Samsung's bill came to $1.05 billion, payable to Apple, and the two have been bickering ever since.

No. 2: Windows Boss Steven Sinofsky Steps Down from Microsoft

Steven Sinofsk parted ways with Microsoft less than a month after Windows 8 launched. His abrupt departure fueled speculation of a power struggle between him and company CEO Steve Ballmer, though on the surface it was presented as a mutual parting. Riiiight.

No. 1: Windows 8 Launches; Supports ARM

The biggest news story of the year involves the launch of Windows 8. Not only did Microsoft "re-imagine" Windows with a touch-friendly interface that's better suited for tablets than desktops, but it also announced a version compatible with ARM processors. Is computing forever changed? Check back with us in 12 months.