Razer unveils Blade gaming laptop

17” laptop features secondary touchscreen and Switchblade UI

Omar Qudsi, Published 08/27/2011

For the past week, Razer has been running a teaser site that claims “PC gaming is not dead”, and we now get to see exactly what the company has planned. Announced via press release, it turns out that the life support for PC gaming comes via the first laptop manufactured by Razer- the new 17” Blade PC.

With the sole purpose of gaming on its mind, the Blade laptop packs some serious horsepower, as a 2.8GHz Core i7-2640M processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M join forces under the all-aluminum chassis. In addition, the gaming notebook comes with a 17.3” Full HD panel with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution, a 320GB HDD, and is only .88 inches thick while weighing ~7lbs.

Based on the Switchblade prototype that was introduced back at CES in January, the Blade notebook also comes with a secondary 480x800 pixel touchscreen that displays relevant in-game info and acts as a touchpad in the absence of an external mouse. The display will likely be the Blade’s biggest selling point, and is further enhanced thanks to 10 fully customizable buttons that are underlain by an LCD which allows customization of their actual appearance.

The above model appears to be the only Blade made available by Razer, and it will cost a cool $2,800 to own. Q4 2011 is the expected time frame for release, so theres plenty of time to scrounge the couches for some cash, but in the meantime check out the intro video and pictures below.

Source(s)

http://www.razerzone.com/blade

http://press.razerzone.com/press/detail/press-releases/razer-unveils-the-worlds-first-true-gaming-laptop

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Press Release

RAZER UNVEILS THE WORLD’S FIRST TRUE GAMING LAPTOP

Razer launches the Razer Blade at PAX Prime featuring
true portability, incredible performance, and a revolutionary user interface

PAX Prime, Seattle – August 26^th, 2011 – The PC industry today has never looked bleaker. The world’s largest PC-maker Hewlett-Packard just announced their intention to explore the separation of its PC business. With PC manufacturers increasingly abandoning design and technology in lieu of outsourcing and cost-cutting, the PC industry has seen a severe dearth of innovation in recent years. Gaming consoles have also taken advantage of this innovation slump in the PC industry to garner attention from game developers and gamers alike, to the extent that now PC versions of cross-platform games are often sub-par ports of their console counterparts.

Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, introduces the Razer Blade – a full aluminum chassis gaming laptop featuring true portability, incredible performance, and an all-new revolutionary user interface. With the introduction of the Razer Blade – a feat of modern-day systems engineering and technology, Razer is reinvigorating technological and design innovation for the entire PC industry, and encouraging gamers and developers to return to the PC as the primary gaming platform of choice.

Mobile systems developed for gaming today compromise on portability and form factor for game performance. While such machines run games well, they are over 2 inches thick and can weigh more than 10lbs. The Razer Blade measures 0.88 inches thin, less than half that of current mobile gaming systems, and weighs only 6.97lbs, achieving a balance between portability and performance – making it the world’s first true gaming laptop.

Developed in partnership with Intel, the Razer Blade features a fast Intel® Core™ i7 processorand a high performance NVIDIA GeForce® graphics processor. The hardware was designed torun the most demanding games of today without sacrificing the laptop’s portable form factor.The Razer Blade also does not compromise on screen size as it comes with an incredible LED backlit high-definition 17” display.

The Razer Blade features the Switchblade User Interface - Razer’s multi-award winning, highly intuitive interface technology. The interface is comprised of 10 dynamic adaptive tactile keys for easier access of in-game commands, and an LCD capable of two modes: one mode that displays in-game information when a mouse is in use; and another mode that functions as an ultra-sensitive, multi-touch panel designed for gaming on the go.

“The Razer Blade was designed to give gamers a laptop they could truly use on the go,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO and Creative Director, Razer. “Its sleek, lightweight aluminum construction makes it the thinnest 17-inch gaming laptop available today.”

"To truly co-develop a gaming laptop of this caliber with a company like Razer is quite a remarkable feat,” said Mooly Eden, VP and General Manager of the PC Client Group, Intel. “Bringing together our engineering forces and utilizing our fast Intel® Core™ i7 processor, the Razer Blade delivers top-class gaming performance in a very portable form factor."

“Powered by an advanced NVIDIA GeForce® GPU with award winning NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology, the Razer Blade has the muscle to run cutting edge games with intense graphics while still offering amazing portability,” said Rene Haas, General Manager of Notebook Products, NVIDIA.

“The Switchblade User Interface on the Razer Blade is a revolutionary innovation that truly defines the new standard for gaming experiences on a laptop,” said Min-Liang Tan.

Watch the “Introducing the new Razer Blade” video at www.razerzone.com/blade

About the Razer Blade gaming laptop
The Razer Blade is a 17” gaming laptop that delivers incredible performance and a revolutionary user interface in a sleek, portable form factor. It features a fast Intel® Core™ i7 processor and a high performance NVIDIA GeForce® graphics processor designed in a lightweight aluminum chassis. The revolutionary Switchblade User Interface, found next to a full-size keyboard, was designed from the ground up to enhance gaming experiences and provide more control at the gamer’s fingertips. It features 10 adaptive tactile keys and a multi-touch LCD panel that can also display in-game information. And at just 0.88 inches thin and only weighing 6.97lbs, the Razer Blade is the world’s first true gaming laptop.

Price: US$2799.99

Availability:
North America Q4 2011

Product Specifications:

2.8GHz Intel® Core™ i7 2640M Processor
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Memory
17.3" LED Backlit Display (1920x1080)
NVIDIA GeForce® GT 555M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ Technology
2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
Built-in HD Webcam
Integrated 60Wh Battery
320GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
Wireless Network 802.11 b/g/n Compatible
16.81" (Width) x 10.9" (Depth) x 0.88" (Height); 6.97lbs (Weight)

For more information, please visit www.razerzone.com/blade

Razer Blade Gaming Laptop images

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About the Razer Group:
Razer™ is the world leader in high performance gaming hardware. Founded in 1998, with its headquarters in Carlsbad, California, the company has offices in nine cities around the globe. Used by the most demanding professional gamers who compete in global tournaments, Razer provides gamers with the unfair advantage of cutting-edge technology and award-winning design. We live by our motto: For Gamers. By Gamers.

Learn more at www.razerzone.com

Press contacts:
USA
Melonie McElhannon
Melonie.McElhannon(at)razerzone.com

Europe
Torsten Meier
Torsten.Meier(at)razerzone.com

Asia Pacific
Chen Terng Shing
Terngshing.chen(at)razerzone.com

China
Chris Chen
Chris.Chen(at)razerzone.com