Laptops have been with us since the dawn of the modern computer. This portable nature and unique form factor make them the go-to choice for anyone that travels a lot. Laptops, for the most part, have remained the same for the last 30 years, with a standard clamshell layout: screen at the top and keyboard at the bottom.
There’s no doubt that devices like smartphones and tablets will eventually take over the role of traditional laptops; but for the next couple of years, at least, laptops will remain a popular choice.
The Future of Gaming
Desktops have long been the preferred choice when it comes to high-quality gaming, but the laptop industry is set to change all that. The Alienware Area 51-m, for example, offers the same power as a top-tier desktop, with the added bonus of it being portable. It also comes with the option of upgrades. And as online gaming streaming sites continue to grow in popularity, it won’t be long until the expensive gaming desktop starts to become a thing of the past.
Versatility
The same gaming laptop that’s used to play the latest AAA blockbuster can also be used for advanced animation, 3D modelling, and video editing. Gaming laptops are quickly breaking into the high-usability market, allowing users to purchase a portable machine that be used for graphically intense editing and animation, with technology that matches and sometimes outperforms most desktops. Workstation laptops are also starting to gain popularity, offering a powerful machine that can be used for most tasks, but with the added bonus that it can be picked up and placed somewhere else.
OLED Screens
Perhaps one of the biggest focus points of the laptop industry right now is modern screen options, and OLED, 240Hz screens seem to be where the industry is moving toward. The Spectre x360 from HP offers a modern OLED screen, something that could potentially be adopted by Alienware and the Dell G series, making for great gaming or playing in HD at online pokies sites in NZ. 240Hz is still extremely uncommon among even desktop enthusiasts, meaning that more and more people might switch over to laptops simply for the better screen qualities being offered.
Current Standards
From what was on offer at last year’s CES 2019, it became clear that there are no major redesigns for laptops in the works. The from factor that we have is already as well-established as possible, and there has been no further news from Intel in terms of their Ice Lake architecture, but without changes to processor sizes, it’s doubtful that any physical changes will come to the form factor that most laptop companies, like HP and Lenovo, will give to their models.
There has been speculation that Intel’s new Lakefield mini ITX motherboard form factor may bring further changes to laptop design in the future, possibly offering smaller 11.6 to 14 inch variants with much more power, such as the GPD Pocket 2.