TAIPEI: kicked off its conference with new ROG gaming laptops and PCs under its ROG and TUF brands. It also launched a new gaming smartphone called . However, the Taiwanese tech firm is not yet done with launches. The company on day-2 of Computex 2018 launched what can be called as the world's first laptop to feature a touch screen instead of the touchpad. The price and availability of these new products have not been confirmed yet. The (UX580) and ZenBook Pro 14 (UX480) were the show stealers on the second day as they are the world’s first laptops to come with proper touch screen display placed instead of a traditional touch pad. The touch screen also acts as a touch pad though. The one of a kind Windows 10 laptop is made for professionals and creators. Called ScreenPad, the addition not just lets you open apps on the main screen from the options given there but can also mirror the main screen, opening a gateway for users to utilise it in new ways. ScreenPad is said to feature adaptive functions and aims to enhance the work flow. Some of the apps that are currently supported include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and YouTube. The new laptops also support Asus Sync that lets users control their phone via the ScreenPad. In terms of specifications, Asus ZenBook Pro 15 sports up to 15.6-inch 4K UHD display, 8th Generation Intel Core i9 processor, GeForce GTX 1050Ti GPU, 1TB PCIe x4 SSD, gigabit-class Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt 3 ports alongside Harman Kardon certified audio system. As for the , the new laptop also includes support for up to 14-inch FullHD NanoEdge display and Intel Optane memory along with nearly the same set of specifications mentioned for the ZenBook 15. The duo is said to arrive later this year.<doc-sep>Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) E3 is like a holiday for gamers, but sometimes it seems like PC fans get a little shortchanged, because aside from a handful of ports, much of the show is devoted to consoles. So to help balance things out, Lenovo is showing off its line of revamped Legion gaming PCs, both laptops and desktops, featuring updated components and all-new designs. Advertisement This time though, Lenovo is going for something that looks a little more mature (and less played-out) by ditching the red-and-black color scheme found on last year’s system’s for a sleeker, more stealthy black and gray two-toned design, while also upgrading components with a range of 8th-gen Intel CPUs and Nvidia 10-series GPUs. From left to right: the Y7000, the Y730 and the Y530. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Same thing for the the other side. The Y7000 is on the far left, followed by the Y730 in the middle, and the Y530 on the right. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) There are only a few ports on the sides of the system for more frequently used accessories like headphones. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) On the Y730, there are even RGB lights inside the vents. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue Meanwhile, for stuff you won’t need to unplug very often, there’s a lot more ports in back. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) I’m definitely not a fan of putting the webcam below the screen though. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) While it’s the Y730 doesn’t use the low-profile mechanical keys from last’s years Y920, the keyboard still felt pretty good. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) 1 / 7 For the three new laptops, the 15-inch Y7000 and a Y530 will be the least expensive starting at $930 and $960 for Core i5 CPUs and Nvidia 1050 GPUs. The slightly more pricy Y530 will also be a Best Buy exclusive. If you’re willing to pay more than $1,000, the higher-end Y730 will be available in both 15 and 17-inch versions starting at $1,180 and $1,250. Unfortunately, despite the higher price, the Y730 also tops out with a 1050Ti GPU, which is a shame, because it seems like a GTX 1060 would offer a sweet spot between price, size and performance. Hardware aside, Lenovo has done some interesting things with cases for its Legion laptops by moving the majority of ports to the back of the machine. It’s a move I’m down with as it keeps wire clutter to a minimum, especially on larger systems like these that probably won’t be moved around very much. That light is pure style. The little RGB LED in the logo on the lid is a nice touch too. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Advertisement Lenovo has also spruced up the Legion laptops’ design with new lights on the lid and inside vents, which are only available in white on the Y7000 and Y530, or full RGB on the Y730. But for me, the coolest thing about the Y730 are the lone RGB lights Lenovo put on either side, which point down and away from the system like the underbody lights you see on tuner cars. It feels like pretty soon, laptop makers are going to be installing full-on projectors in the sides of gaming laptops, so you can play a game and watch a movie at the same time. (In fact, Lenovo already has a tablet with a built-in pico projector, which means this might actually happen sooner than you think.) For gamers who want a little more horsepower, Lenovo also has two new desktops: a smaller system good for LAN parties and such, and a larger 28-liter mid-tower. In a similar fashion to the laptops, both the Legion Cube and the Legion Tower will be available in two configs, a cheaper model with single-color lighting for $830, and a slightly more powerful model with better base components and RGB case lighting for $930. Finally, in addition to sporting nifty carrying handles and a strap in back for cable management, both systems also include built-in wireless receivers for Xbox One wireless controllers, which should make switching between game pad and keyboard and mouse just a bit easier. Advertisement Not a bad looking setup. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) From the outside, both the C530 Cube and more expensive C730 look the same. However, only the C730 Cube comes with RGB lighting. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Even for a small system, there’s more than enough ports. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue Meanwhile, the larger T530 and T730 Towers are better for people who might want to add more storage in later. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) And like the Legion Cube, only the more expensive T730 Tower will have RGB case lights. There’s that strap on the bottom for keeping cables more organized. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) 1 / 7 And just in case all that wasn’t enough, Lenovo is also making an affordable 144 Hz 24-inch gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync for just $250. FreeSync, like Nvidia’s rival GSync technology, creates a conversation between the GPU and the monitor to insure the smoothest delivery of frames possible on the monitor. It’s nice technology, but it is a little odd Lenovo went with AMD’s offering when it’s computers will come with Nvidia GPUs. Advertisement I also really wish Lenovo would provide slightly beefier graphics options for the Y730 and both desktops. That’s because capped out with 105oTi and 1060 GPUs respectively, Lenovo’s more premium Legions could find themselves short on performance when compared to competing systems from Dell and HP. Maybe that’s something that can be addressed before the Y7000 and Y530 go on sale in July, with the desktops and the Y730 arriving in August and September.<doc-sep>
Forward-looking: Following the unveiling of its ROG phone and ROG Balteus mousepad with wireless charging at Computex, Asus has just revealed its new ZenBook Pro 15. While new laptops arrive all the time, this one comes with a unique feature: a 5.5-inch touchscreen where you’d traditionally find the touchpad. Also called the UX580, Asus says the laptop features “the world’s first smart touchpad.” It’s actually a Windows Precision Touchpad overlaid onto a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS display—hitting F6 switches between the two functions. While in ScreenPad mode, users can access an app launcher, music and video playback controller, calculator, digital numeric keypad, calendar, and more. Asus says it will also work with some apps, including Microsoft Office, Spotify, and YouTube out of the box, with more coming in the future—an SDK will be made available sometime in Q3. There’s also an extender mode that allows users to move any open windows from the main display onto the smaller screen. The secondary display does bring to mind the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro, though Apple’s implementation is much more limited. There’s also Project Linda, a concept shown off a CES that involved a heavily modified Razer Blade laptop with a phone dock in place of a touchpad, but in that case it’s the Razer Phone that powers the whole system when inserted. The ZenBook Pro 15, on the other hand, is a powerful machine. It comes with a 15.6-inch 4K UHD display that the company claims offers excellent color reproduction—132 percent coverage of the sRGB color space and 100 percent of Adobe RGB. It also boasts bezels that are just 7.3mm thick, a maximum brightness of 400 nits, and a 1200:1 contrast ratio. When it comes to CPUs, the laptop offers the choice of a Core i5, i7, and even a six-core 8th-gen Core i9. Buyers also get 16GB of RAM. Additionally, it can be fitted out with a GPU up to a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of RAM. The UX580 also has a fingerprint sensor, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. A 14-inch version of the ZenBook Pro with a ScreenPad is set to arrive later this year, featuring an improved 13-hour battery life. As you might have guessed from the top GPU option, the ZenBook Pro isn’t really designed for gamers. The company says it’s been built mainly for creators such as photographers and video makers. It goes on sale in the middle of July starting at $2,299.