This year's Toshiba's Kirabooks are getting an upgrade, with a new Haswell processor, better battery life and a lower price. The new models of the ultrabook are rated for 9 hours of battery life and will retail for $100 less than previous models, slated to arrive in stores in mid-February for $1,499.99. The new Kirabooks will also feature Toshiba's high-resolution PixelPure display, in keeping with previous models.

The improvements for the 2014 model are incremental, with the basic feel and hardware of the Kirabook remaining essentially unchanged, but they add up to much more enticing specs for a device that hasn't been shy about naming its competition. Toshiba has pitched the laptop as a flagship Windows competitor to the Macbook Pro and Chromebook Pixel, making the spec comparisons particularly crucial. If users weren't enticed to switch by last year's model, Toshiba is hoping a better chip, more battery life, and an extra $100 will make the difference.