razer

The best alternatives to the late, great 17-inch MacBook Pro

The sudden disappearance of Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro laptop after yesterday's WWDC keynote provoked split opinions on CNET. Photographers and videographers will weep, some said. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has more pixels and will be a great replacement, said others.

Whichever way you slice it, potential suitors of the 17-inch Pro suddenly find themselves looking for a new partner. Alas, here's what you'll soon discover: most 17-inch laptops on the Windows side are "gaming laptops," built clunky, bulky, and leaning toward power over battery life.

(Note: yes, commenters, I agree. Of all Windows laptops, the HP Envy 17 would probably be the closest match. HP still sells the 17-inch version, and it costs as little as $1,249 on HP's website. However, we haven't reviewed the current 17-incher: for the closest equivalent, see our review of the HP Envy 15.)

Here are the closest equivalents we've reviewed at CNET, but you'll rapidly realize that none of them perfectly match what the Pro offered.… Read more

Opinion: Is the Razer Blade gaming laptop worth the risk?

After reviewing the bold but polarizing Razer Blade gaming laptop, we were inspired to discuss whether Razer's gamble made sense for a laptop debut, or whether Razer should have pursued a more conventional approach with its first system. We go a few rounds, in which we discuss the Blade's ultrathin form, the second-screen Switchblade user interface, and the value of design versus performance.… Read more

The most anticipated laptops of 2012: Where are they now?

We're more than a quarter of the way through 2012 (believe it or not), so it's time to ask: where are those hot laptops we saw back at CES?

The good news is, looking back at the products we saw back then, is that a surprising number of them weren't vaporware. Even better, a great number of them have already made their debut and have been reviewed on CNET. … Read more

Razer to hand over new gaming mouse for lefties

Computer peripheral maker Razer posted a question on its official Facebook page late last month asking if fans wanted another mouse built for left-handed gamers. The company requested at least 10,000 "Likes" on the post within a month to give the idea serious consideration. It only took a week to reach that number.

Several years ago, Razer launched a basic five-button gaming mouse for left-handed folk, the DeathAdder, giving everyone an equal opportunity at the perfect headshot.

Now, after the recent affirmative votes from Facebook-ers, Razer plans to release a left-handed mouse based on the Naga, which is designed specifically for massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).… Read more

CNET Labscast 19: Hands-on with the Razer Blade laptop, plus Mass Effect gear

This week, watch us get hands-on with the Razer Blade, a slim gaming laptop with a unique control pad, and with Mass Effect 3 rolling out, we show off all the ME3 gear we could find, from hoodies to light-up console cases.

Razer Blade gaming laptop: Is bolder better for PC gamers?

The last time I took a look at the Razer Blade, it was sitting amid the crowded show floors and weird wireless networks of CES 2012. Razer's bold, somewhat experimental foray into gaming laptops has finally begun shipping, and we have one here at CNET to check out at long last.

First off, the Razer Blade is hardly cheap; $2,799 places it at the higher end of gaming laptops. Regular laptop shoppers would quake in their boots at those prices, and rightfully so. However, the Blade does incorporate some design and technology that make it a design piece of sorts.

It's a bit like a collectible Nike shoe: not completely practical, but sexy for a certain kind of person. The matte black, solid-metal construction has an attractive if fingerprint-collecting appeal, and the Blade does have some solid specs, with a 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (3.5GHz in Turbo mode), Nvidia GeForce GT 555M graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 17.3-inch 1,920x1,080-pixel display.… Read more

Low Latency No. 6: It's not a hard concept

Jeff: First, a disclaimer. I happen to think Razer makes great products. I've personally reviewed a handful of its gaming accessories and have, on average, been impressed each and every time.

For the second time in a row now, though, Razer has nabbed the People's Voice Award at CES, this time with the impressive yet borderline science fiction Project Fiona portable gaming tablet.

While it's certainly an impressive concept design, one has to wonder where "concept" ends and where practicality begins. We finally got some hands-on time with last year's winner, the Razer Blade gaming laptop, but even its design has seen significant changes compared with just 12 months ago. Will Project Fiona suffer the same fate?… Read more

Hey, there you are! Razer Blade gaming laptop re-emerges at CES

LAS VEGAS--Remember CES 2011? We recall it fondly. Glasses-free 3D. Endless tablets. Razer's Switchblade concept gaming laptop.

Well, some things never change, including the fact that we're still waiting to see an actual Razer laptop hit stores. The Razer Blade, an evolution of last year's Switchblade design, was announced at the end of August last year during PAX's gaming convention. Its release was supposed to be imminent, and suddenly, like a celebrity heading into rehab, it disappeared.

The Razer Blade is back again at CES 2012, and according to Razer, it'll be available at the end of the month.… Read more

Razer Project Fiona concept hints at power of portable Windows 8

LAS VEGAS--That game onscreen in the picture below? It's Firefall, a full-fledged online first-person shooter for PC. Razer says Firefall, and other PC games, will run on its Project Fiona tablet in Windows 8.

The tablet is a concept. Razer says it's targeting a sub-$1,000 price tag when it brings the final version to market, planned for the end of this year.

Fiona looks to be the first true Windows 8 gaming tablet. For its specs, Razer intends to use a third-generation (aka Ivy Bridge) Intel Core i7 CPU, along with a solid-state drive (SSD). Razer reps here at CES 2012 were circumspect when I asked about the graphics chip in Fiona. CEO Min-Liang Tan said he wanted to highlight Ivy Bridge and Windows 8 gaming, although he at least acknowledged the possibility of a discrete graphics chip from AMD or Nvidia.… Read more

Razer Naga Hex gaming mouse targets Diablo III gamers

LAS VEGAS--Razer seems to have mastered the art of launching its input devices in time with the release of anticipated PC games.

Its new gaming mouse, the Naga Hex, is ostensibly designed for all action RPGs. Its six thumb-side buttons looks perfect for mapping to the litany of commands common to the genre. Given the assumed first-quarter release of Diablo III, it seems clear that Razer has that particular game in mind. Razer also mentions the Naga Hex as a fit for the MOBA genre (multiplayer online battle arena), which includes competitive multiplayer games like Riot Games' popular League of … Read more