A foldable laptop sounds weird because it is foldable in the first place, but that's what people call it for now. Given the storm of recent Galaxy Fold, does 2020 release sound plausible?
I love ROG laptops. I've had one for the past two years and its worked better than any desktop computer I've had in the past! These new models look amazing. I love the aesthetic. Personally, I think they look better than Razer laptops.
I'm surprised to read that there's no 4K model. Razer is a brand that prides itself on offering the best of the best and they charge the prices to match. I couldn't bring myself to purchase a $3000 computer that didn't have a top-notch resolution.
I think it's a problem that the battery doesn't last long and that the laptop heats up quickly while gaming. What do you think about Dell's powerhouse gaming laptop?
Who wouldn't love a notebook with an all-day battery life? Though I have never fancied touch-screen displays, this seems like the direction that modern technology is leaning towards!
Apple usually dominates this yearly competition, so it's no surprise that they're in the #1 spot. But take a look at Razer in the #2 spot - that's a huge improvement from last years report.
Isn't it better to release a whole new series rather than simply upgrading a few hardware elements? Then again, they may want to keep the momentum using an existing name. The Surface Book has been quite a good alternative to MacBook, so I'm looking forward to the update.
In today’s world, building a set up around our PCs have become just as tedious as building a nice looking home theatre. Accomplishing take-home work and leisure activities on our home computers, after all, take up much of our waking time when we’re at home; so why not make it a comfortable space to both work and play in.
You can argue that you can use your laptop on the dining table or, better yet, on the bed. They’re both just as functional. However, these spaces aren’t really made for long hours of working or playing on. Dining chairs are certainly going to present you with back and neck problems if you stay on them for a long period. Your bed, on the other hand, always poses the threat of making you fall asleep leaving you with unfinished work or angry Fortnite teammates. For these reasons, having a dedicated desk for tasks that need to be tackled on a computer is still the most sensible thing.
I’ve compiled several of the most important things to consider. Whether you have a laptop or a desktop PC, these simple tips will make your teammates, neck, and back thank you.
The Desk
Perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of the home PC set up is the desk. There are plenty of desks out there that has both the surface area and the load capacity for all the things that you need. However, not all desks have the ergonomics that you specifically need.
For one thing, the height of the desk is an important aspect that we usually forget to incorporate in our desk purchase decision. Luckily, progressive companies have realized this and made standing desks a thing.
The important point here is to keep you from hunching your back too much just to view your screen. This is often the case when you’re working on your laptop but, poor monitor placement can do this to you as well. Adjusting the height of the desk itself to a comfortable level, therefore, does wonders for your neck and back.
Standing desks are a great way to deal with this problem but if a secondary desk isn't an option especially in a home with limited floor area, a pneumatically adjustable height desk might be the next best thing. These desks transform from your normal sitting desk to a standing desk with just the push of a button.
If, however, that’s not your cup of tea, you can opt for a monitor or laptop stand. These small contraptions can raise or lower your screen height depending on your needs.
The Chair
You’ll be spending a lot of time sitting in front of your desk set up so you better invest in a good ergonomic chair with proper materials.
There are plenty of styles to choose from. There are high-backs, mid-backs, and other forms of back support. These are a matter of preference.
However, whatever you do, always choose a pneumatic adjustable chair. Your preference can vary from time to time so having the ability to change that is something you’d want handy.
If you like fresh air in your computer space, you probably use the fan a lot. For these types of situations, it’s better to have a mesh or canvas chair. Leather or faux leather chairs tend to retain heat so you’ll be sweating even in a well-ventilated room. If you prefer your space to be air-conditioned, then these materials should work well.
Lighting
Nowadays, we stare at too many screens. From the computer at work to our smartphone on our commute, our eyes are constantly exposed to a tremendous amount of light. Improper lighting when we’re using these devices can really do damage to our eyes. Because of this, lighting on your desk set up must also be given enough attention.
For most people, a simple task lamp can do the job well. Having a light on focused on your screen is enough to keep your eyes from getting fried by your screen. However, there are a few products that can do this job much better.
BenQ’s ScreenBar e-reading LED, for example, is a task light that can be clamped directly onto your screen. This ensures maximum lighting on the screen while avoiding shining the light directly onto your eyes.
Some desk set up aficionados also swears by having LED light strips installed for both mood lighting and just overall aesthetic design. Whether it has a huge effect on productivity and enjoyment of your computer is something that I'll leave up to you. It helps that these strips aren't expensive at all.
I/O
Having a comfortable way to interact with your computer is one of the most important things to ensure. Two of the most important in this category are the monitor and keyboards.
Monitor
Whether you’re a desktop PC or a laptop user, your experience with your computer will definitely go a long way if you use a decent monitor with it. The generally larger screens of dedicated monitors and the overall better panel and technology used on well-priced dedicated monitors just can’t be matched. Sure, some laptops have 4K OLED and HDR-enabled panels now but the size is surely still a bit lacking. For heavy multitasking and content consumption, even these specs might not be enough.
It’s easy enough to do for laptop users because of the new USB-C standard. For older notebooks, there are HDMI ports that are easily accessible too.
Your desk set up preferably should have at least a 1080p monitor. Anything lower than that and you’ll be able to see individual pixels even without looking for them. This would be like a regression to 90s era tech which is not good for both working with and watching on.
Keyboard
Getting a nice quality keyboard is also a huge step towards making your experience with your computer a lot more comfortable. If you haven’t used a mechanical keyboard before, you should try it. It makes such a difference when you’re typing. The satisfying sound and key travel of each keypress just make you want to punch in a few more letters in rapid succession. It’s a bit noisy though, so steer clear if you’d like to type in silence.
You can also go for traditional chiclet keyboards, of course, if that’s your preference. They’re generally more silent but the key travel won’t be as satisfying as a mechanical keyboard.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, people say, and the Surface Pro definitely has some accolades. HP, for example, has come out with their own Surface Pro type device with the Spectre X2. It’s honestly a decent effort but the Surface Pro still feels more premium. Recently, however, HP has released a Surface Pro inspired device that doesn’t really qualify as a knock off.
The HP Zbook X2 G4 is cut from the same jib as the Surface Pro but the philosophy is pretty refreshing. It’s primarily a tablet like the Surface Pro, but it’s aimed at power-users instead of the regular tablet PC consumer. It’s more of a mobile workstation than a simple portable; towards professional creatives who need to create art and edit movies on-the-go rather than your run-of-the-mill illustrator.
The result is a utilitarian piece of equipment that is slim, portable, and most of all, powerful. Beautiful and svelte, although they’re subjective qualities, might not be something that a lot of us would use to describe it.
Build Quality and Design
The Zbook X2 G4 is built very much like a Surface Pro. It’s a simple black slate with a built-in infinite angle kickstand at the back. It comes with an ultra slim detachable keyboard that surprisingly has great key travel and tactile feedback. There’s also an active pen that comes in handy for digital artists and creatives.
The materials are a confusing mix of gritty durability and premium luxury. Visually, the slate itself looks like it’s built like a tank. It looks like you can knock someone out cold with it in a similar fashion that a cast iron pan would. Up close, the CNC-milled aluminium housing on the Zbook X2 G4 feels undeniably premium.
All of these are certified with MIL-STD-810G standard which means it can withstand harsh pressures, temperatures, and to some degree, a few accidental falls. In short, it can withstand the elements in any place that you’ll likely choose to work in. That’s a huge plus for digital creatives who like to edit on-location.
Screen That Mimics Real Life
The screen is one of the most important aspects to a digital creative professional and the one found in the Zbook X2 G4 is definitely more than enough. It’s a 4K panel that gets plenty bright at 300 nits with a matte finish and a Wacom EMR layer. All of these makes it a pleasant screen to work long hours on without burning through your cornea.
The bezels are unapologetically huge. It houses a few extra drawing-related quick access buttons on the side of the 14-inch screen. They’re optimized for Adobe applications but can easily be re-mapped for others.
More than anything, it's the colour accuracy that's most impressive about the screen. It supports 100% of Adobe RGB on a 10 bit-per-pixel panel. HP calls it the Dream Color display. The truth is, the name is probably counterproductive because it doesn’t give photos and videos a dream-like quality to it. Instead, it presents us with the most accurate representations of the real physical world in pixel form.
I/O That Could Host All Your Peripherals
There’s a wealth of options when it comes to ports on the Zbook X2 G4. On the right side of the device, there are two Thunderbolt 3 equipped USB-C ports, 1 USB-A port, an SD card slot, and a full-sized HDMI port. On the left side are the volume rocker, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a lock slot. All of this help ensure that you can plug in all your peripherals without the need to bring an extra dongle or USB Hub.
The keyboard that it’s bundled with also enjoys the same sturdiness and durability as the tablet. It’s a Bluetooth connected device that enables you to use it even when it’s not physically attached to the tablet. This is an especially great attribute for artists as they can draw on the screen without the keyboard being on the way yet still have access to keyboard shortcuts that they’re so comfortable using. Key travel is great especially considering the 1-inch think cover. The keys are adequately sized to prevent mistypes. For some models, the keyboard cover also houses a dedicated GPU.
The stylus pen also comes in the box for the Zbook X2 G4. What’s great about it is that it doesn’t need a battery. Yet, it’s just as capable as others that are actively powered. It supports 4096 levels of pressure which would definitely please the creative professionals that it was designed for.
Performance
There’s not much a professional-grade hardware can do if it doesn’t have the horsepower needed to run programs that professionals are using. This is why the Zbook X2 G4 is equipped only with i7 chips. If you're trying to save money, your only option is to go for last year's dual-core i7 chips. For the most expensive option, you can buy the 8th generation quad-core i7 chips. The variance across the 6 options are at RAM which ranges from 8GB to 32GB and storage which ranges from 256GB to 1TB SSD. There are no i5 or i3 options for this high-performance machine.
Having such powerful processors make the battery suffer a little bit. For a supposedly mobile device, it lasts for just over 4 hours on web browsing. If you test it out with the professional applications that it's designed for, you can expect that number to be effectively halved.
For reference, the cheapest one costs $2,849 which is, to some, is a small investment account. It could go all the way up to $5,037 for the highest specced model but that one has a much more powerful Nvidia Quadro GPU. This essentially quickens the render time for your creative edits.
UX That Only a Few Would Absolutely Love
It’s the ideal product for a few people who truly need it. It’s like a creatives’ dream machine materialized. HP truly had creative professionals in mind from concept to finished product with the Zbook X2 G4.
But for the rest of us, there are plenty of extras that just aren’t worth it for the general user. It’s too heavy, too battery hungry, and too expensive for most of us mere mortals. Even for professional artists, this might even still be an aspirational product rather than a necessary investment. There are just too many cheaper, but not necessarily less premium, similar products out there that an artist could settle for.
When it comes to ultraportables, a 17-inch laptop isn’t exactly what pops into our mind. The large screen means a large frame which, in turn, means added weight. It isn’t exactly something that inspires the ultraportable moniker. For this reason, we think of 17-inch laptops as something that will sit on a desk semi-permanently while plugged in. Which, given the usually power-hungry processors that they come equipped with, seems appropriate.
However, the bezel-less revolution that took over personal tech recently has made it possible for larger screens in much smaller bodies. A 13-incher, for example, can now fit inside an 11-incher's frame. In turn, a 17-inch laptop can now be had for the same footprint as a 15-incher which. At this size, it’s a bit more comfortable to lug around. If you like your screen real estate, then you’re going to love the combination of the screen size lightweight body. That’s provided, of course, that you pay for the premium price of the weight reduction.
One of the first truly lightweight 17-inchers to ever be released is the LG Gram 17. It’s a norm-busting laptop that’s designed for creators on-the-go. It’s about to go on sale in a couple of months. Should you buy it?
Military Grade Build Quality
In order to keep the weight down, the chassis needed to go on diet. It’s got to be one of the thinnest 17-inch laptops known to man. It’s so thin that the corners feel razor sharp. It is a bit uncomfortable to hold because of this but since it’s such a large device, you wouldn’t be handling it too much after you’ve set it down on your work table. Furthermore, compared to other 17-inchers that are chunky, this slim profile is a lot easier to hold. Let’s face it, 17-inchers just aren’t made to be held in the hand comfortably for long periods.
The nanocarbon and magnesium construction feel sturdy enough for everyday carry which I can't say for other laptops of the same size. However, due to its size, there's some flex on the keyboard and the screen. There's nothing to worry about in this department though because it complies with MIL-STD-810 standard which means that the hardware is military grade. Dust, shock, and vibration, therefore, cannot affect the system. It can also withstand extreme temperatures and pressures. It's definitely something that can withstand the rigours of travel. For location shoots, this feature is highly appreciated.
Long Lasting Quad-Core Performance
The LG Gram 17 has got all the performance that you’d expect from a desktop replacement. It comes with an eighth generation Core i7 CPU. This means that it's already a quad-core processor that's heavily favoured by content creators, designers, and creatives for its multithreaded performance.
Paired with a decently sized 512GB M.2 SSD and 16 GB of RAM, then the entire system can definitely rock hard at producing high-quality content.
Since there's a bit of extra room in the chassis, LG was able to cram in a 72Wh battery in there. That's enough for a full day's work of rendering without need an outlet. This is something that no other 17-incher can boast. For the MobileMark benchmark, it gets an average of 19.5 hours of life away from a socket. It truly is a travelling creative's reliable portable workhorse.
One drawback is that there’s no integrated GPU which would naturally make gamers shy away from this one despite the large screen. However, LG compensates in this respect by adding a Thunderbolt 3 equipped USB port that’ll be perfect for an external GPU for when you need it. It’s a good compromise considering a built-in GPU can add to the weight.
I/O Fit for a Digital Creative
It comes with all the standard ports and connectivity tech that you would ever need. It’s got plenty of USBs. There are 3 USB-As, and 2 USB-Cs both with Thunderbolt 3. High-powered peripherals, therefore, would be welcome to the system.
There’s also an HDMI and an RJ-45 Ethernet connector for your wired connection. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack that other PC makers are already phasing out.
Since this machine is targeted at professional creatives, the input devices should be up to professional standards as well. It doesn’t disappoint on this end because the full-sized backlit keyboard can definitely handle all the writing tasks you need to do on-the-go. That script revision should be no problem to the LG Gram 17. The trackpad, on the other hand, is one of the largest on any Windows 10 device. It also helps that it's equipped with Precision drivers so, on the software side, it's the best that the OS has to offer. Those photo and video edits that need precise hand-eye coordination, therefore, will be a cinch.
Versatile Screen That’s Good for Business and Pleasure
The crowning glory of the Gram is the 17-inch screen. It’s got an IPS panel that gives it excellent viewing angles. The 2560 x 1600 resolution also ensures that every image or video that you view on this screen is crisp and clear. This combination makes it an excellent screen for viewing movies and sharing with a couple of friends.
Speaking of movie watching, you might opt to use this one more often because the speakers can absolutely blow you away too. They’re equipped with DTS Headphone: X that mimics an 11.1 channel speaker system on your headphones.
But more than its high potential when it comes to leisure activities, the screen has so much more to offer on the productivity side. The 17-inch display makes it easy for you to juggle more apps at once. The screen real estate would definitely make you want to use Windows 10's snap to multitask function. So if you multitask like a boss, then there's finally a portable device that can keep up with your needs.
The non-traditional 16:10 aspect ratio also helps a lot in multitasking because it allows for more vertical space utilization. This means there is more of an app’s vertical content can be displayed on your screen at any given time.
Balanced UX
People buy laptops for different reasons. Some buy for performance, while others buy for portability. In both cases, they’d be compromising on some aspects. Performance, for example, might have to suffer if you’re after portability.
The LG Gram is a well-rounded laptop compromising a little in each aspect while being content with what's acceptable. The unprecedented 2.95 Kg weight on this 17-inch laptop seems like two qualifications that don't belong together but that's exactly what LG accomplished with the LG Gram 17. The result is a well-balanced machine that’s adequate for creatives whether they’re on-the-go or on their work desk.
I think Blade Stealth 13 isn't the first one, but I can't recall any pink laptop in action that looks this good. The limited quantity for Valentine's Day also helps to give a premium impression. You'll stand out for so many reasons!