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Computers, News

ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED Expands Vivobook Lineup

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The ASUS Vivobook lineup is one of the most popular lineups the company has under its wings. Only recently, it received an infusion of “Pro” features with the Vivobook Pro series. Now, ASUS is bringing more variety to the lineup with a new tablet form factor.

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Source: ASUS

The new ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED is the first Vivobook tablet that comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD OLED display. It comes with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920×1080 pixel resolution. The Vivobook 13 Slate OLED seems to be built with creators and media consumption in mind. The display has a peak brightness of 550 nits and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It also has support for Dolby Vision. Completing its multimedia experience is a quad-speaker setup that is concentrated on the bottom half of the slate with Dolby Atmos certification. The speakers also come with smart amplifier technology that amplifies the audio up to 3 times louder.

New Form Factor with “Unique” Insides

The Vivobook 13 Slate OLED doesn’t come with your regular Intel Core i processors. Instead, ASUS has opted to go with the Intel Pentium Silver N6000. It’s an x86 quad-core processor with no multithreading support. It has a 4MB cache and a maximum speed of 3.3GHz. The processor is supposed to be one of Intel’s more power-efficient SoCs. This should promise better battery life with the OLED display. The processor is complemented with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.

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Source: ASUS

The Slate OLED comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It also has support for WiFi 6 with ASUS WiFi Master to boot. Also along for the ride is Bluetooth 5.2. Aside from that, the Slate OLED comes with 2 USB Type C ports that support USB 3.2 and power delivery, and a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm combo jack.

Accessoried to be Your Tablet and PC

Coming in at only 785g, the Vivobook 13 Slate OLED is made to be a portable productivity beast. However, unlike other slates on the market, ASUS opted to minimise the amount of moving parts on the Slate OLED. Instead, the Slate’s multimode form factor comes from its accessories. It comes with a cover stand which allows it to stand in both portrait and landscape modes. Together with this, it also has a separate Keyboard cover which comes with a large touchpad.

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Source: ASUS

Together with these, the ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED comes with support for the ASUS Pen 2.0. The new ASUS Pen 2.0 is compliant with Windows’ built-in Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0. This means that it connects seamlessly when attached to the Slate magnetically. It has 4096 points of sensitivity and a 266Hz sampling rate. The most unique thing about the ASUS Pen 2.0 is its interchangeable tips. Instead of just being replaceable for wear and tear reasons, the tips also mimic the textures of 2H, H, HB and 2B pencils. It charges via USB-C. I thas a quick button on top which brings added functionality when paired via Bluetooth.

Pricing & Availability

The ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED will be available starting in December 2021 with prices starting at USD$600 (MYR2,491.88). The Slate will be bundled with a cover stand, keyboard and ASUS Pen 2.0.

Together with the standard version of the ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED, ASUS also announced special editions of the new Vivobook. These special edition Slates will feature custom designs from Steven Harrington and Philip Colbert. They will feature a special cover stand, wallpaper, a special box, a sleeve, a keyboard, a hardcover case and keyboard stickers. The Philip Colbert version will come with an additional pair of limited-edition shoelaces.

Computers, News

The Apple M1 Extermination Quietly Continues with the 21.5-inch Intel iMac

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Apple’s Silicon M1 chip has proven to be a popular choice for Apple fans. When it was introduced the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line-up in 2020, the M1 counterpart managed to be cheaper than Apple’s Intel powered MacBook Pro. That could be a good explanation to its popularity. It was a lot more than that though.

The Apple M1 chip has proven itself to be a highly capable processor in both the MacBook and MacBook Pro. This year, Apple launched two more variants of the M1 chip, the M1 Pro and M1 Max. While Apple made the two M1 chips from 2021 sound like completely different processors, they are based on the same architecture and base design. They are still the same M1 chip, just a little oversized, hence more powerful.

2021 sees Apple starting to consider a complete M1 line-up though. They started with the MacBook Pro line-up of course. You will not be able to buy an Intel based MacBook Pro anymore officially starting from now. But the M1 transformation does not stop there. Earlier this year, Apple also introduced the new M1 powered Apple iMac. You still can buy an Intel powered version though, although at a smaller 21.5-inch size.

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As of November 2021 though, you can only buy an iMac powered by Apple’s own M1 chip starting at 24-inch. To be fair though, the 21.5-inch Apple iMac is a little outdated for 2021 and beyond. For a little under MYR 5,000, you are getting an older generation Intel processor. Not just one or two generations older though, if you consider the 11th Generation Intel, the 21.5-inch iMac sports a four-generation old Intel processor.

That does no mean that you cannot get an Intel powered Apple iMac though, you still can. Your only choice is the 27-inch iMac that starts at MYR 7,999. You get a 10th generation Intel Core i5 with up to 8GB of memory and 256GB in storage. For graphics you get an AMD Radeon Pro 5300 GPU. You get a brilliant 5K display with that though. Considering that the M1 powered iMac starts at MYR 5,599 though, the 27-inch Intel powered alternative looks expensive.

With the launch of the M1 Max and M1 Pro chips, we are guessing that Apple will also start shifting directions with their high-end computing solutions like the 27-inch iMac. In that case, we might see Apple axing the Intel powered 27-inch Apple iMacs in the coming year. Would you still want an Intel powered iMac though?

Computers, Gaming, News

[next@acer] Acer’s Predator Turns It Up with New LED Gaming Projectors & Orion 7000 Desktop

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Acer’s Predator Gaming lineup has been one of the popular gaming brands out there. It really comes as no surprise with the company pushing quality products like the Orion 3000 and X34 GS gaming monitor. This time, the company is really upping the ante with new products and refreshes that bring new, more immersive experiences to the table.

Predator LED Gaming Projectors – Bigger, More Immersive Visual Experience

There’s nothing that gives you a more immersive experience that when you’re wrapped by the graphics you interact with. Acer’s Predator line up already has some of the best monitors, but the company is turning things up to 11 with two new Gaming Projectors: the Predator GD711 and the Predator GM712.

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Predator GD711 (Source: Acer)

The two new LED Gaming Projectors are able to project in 4K UHD. Both are capable of resolutions up to 3840×2160 pixels. The projectors are able to produce true 4K resolution thanks to Acer’s decision to incorporate TI XPR technology which allows for true 4K resolution with 8.3 million pixels regardless of the native resolution of the DMD chip. The Predator Gaming Projectors project natively in a 16:9 aspect ratio. That said, they have support for 4:3 resolution as well.

Both the Predator GM712 and the Predator GD711 are equipped with a Quad cored Cortex A53 processor with clock speeds of up to 1.3GHz. This is complemented by a Mali 450MP2 graphics processor with support for OpenGL ES 1.1 and OpenGL 2.01. Both have 2GB RAM and 8GB onboard memory. The projectors also support WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bandsas well as Bluetooth 4.2. They also have a single 10W speaker. They also share the same number of inputs – 2 HDMI 2.0 ports adn 1 USB Type A (2.0). The GM712 has an additional component video input and PC Audio Jack.

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Predator GM712 (Source: Acer)

The Predator GM712 is able to project a 75-inch display at 2 metres throw distance while the GD711 is able to do 74-inches at the same. However, Acer did say that they are capable of throwing images of up to 300-inches. The GM712 is equipped with a Philips 245W lamp with up to 12,000 hours of lamp life while the GD711 has an RGB LED with up to 30,000 hours of lamp life. The former also has up to 3,600 ANSI lumens of brightness while the latter has up to 1,450 ANSI Lumens.

Predator Orion 7000 – Bigger, Better, Sleeker and More Powerful

The Predator Orion line up is being expanded with a new Orion 7000 desktop. The new desktop is a mid sized tower which ditches the familar design of the Orion 3000 and Orion 9000 for a sleeker, more streamlined design. While it retains the hard lines of the Orion series, it adopts a more angular, square design which is a welcomed refresh to the line up.

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Source: Acer

It comes with configurations supporting up to the 12th generation Intel Core processors and either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3090 or RTX3080 graphics cards. On the RAM side of things, it can have up to 64GB of dual channel DDR5 4000 MHz RAM. For storage, it has 2 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots and 2 3.5-inch SATA3 HDD Slots. This gives support for up to a total of 8TB of internal storage. It also supports PCIe Gen 5. It comes with Killer E31000G 2.5G Ethernet and Intel WiFi 6E 2×2.

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The Orion 7000 will be cooled by Predator’s FrostBlade 2.0 fans and a Predator AIO CPU liquid cooler. Acer is also introducing the IceTunnel airflow management system to help keep the Orion 7000 cool. Of course, the Orion 7000 is equipped with all the ARGB you could ever want!

It will be launching with Windows 11 Home.

Pricing & Availability

The Predator GD711 Projector will be available in the Europe, Middle East and Asian (EMEA) regions starting in December 2021 for €1,499 (MYR7,210.32) and in Q1 (January – March) 2022 in China for CN¥ 11,999 (MYR7,761.53).

The Predator GM712 Projector will be available for €1,399 (MYR6,730.09) in the Europe, Middle East and Asian regions starting January 2022. It will be available in China starting in November for CN¥ 10,999 (MYR7,114.69).

The Orion 7000 willl be available starting in Q1 2022 in China and EMEA. North America will see the new desktop starting in Q2 (April – June) 2022. Prices will start at CN¥20,000 (MYR12,934.32) in China and €2,199 (MYR10,574) elsewhere.

First Look, Video

Predator Helios 500 2021 First Look

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Acer’s Predator Helios 500 was a beast of a gaming notebook ready to be your desktop replacement wherever you go. The updated 2021 edition of the Predator Helios 500 packs even more power than before with Intel’s 11th generation Core i9 (up to). You get an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 too, for good measure.

The powerful processing chips, supported by up to 64GB of RAM, runs a 4K UHD display at up to 120Hz (up to). that 17.3-inch mini LED is a pretty one too with VESA HDR1000 certification. You can spec the Helios 500 with up to two SSDs too, for added storage, in case one drive is not enough to house all your games and contents.

To keep the Helios 500 cool and collected, Acer’s PowerGem technology is used alongside two 5th Generation Aeroblade fans with Vortex Technology. On top of that is an RGB keyboard with individual backlighting. The WASD keys can also be replaced with Acer’s acclaimed MagForce keys for more precise controls.

Computers, News

Microsoft Introduces their Largest Surface Pro Yet

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Microsoft’s Surface Pro has become somewhat of a signature device for the company. Over the years, it has not only changed the way we look at laptops but also changed the way we interact with our computers. It was one of the first devices to blur the line between laptop and tablet. With the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft is further refining its offering by bringing some of the most requested features to the device.

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The Surface Pro 8 has the largest display in the history of the lineup. It is equipped with a 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display – up from the 12.3 of the 7. According to Microsoft, the display is 11% larger, 12.5% brighter and 11% higher resolution than the Pro 7. It also supports Dolby Vision and Adaptive Colour Technology. More importantly, it’s the first Surface Pro to come with a 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the high refresh rate will only kick in when needed. It will work in tandem with Windows 11’s variable refresh rate setting to optimise this.

Design-wise, the Pro 8 takes a lot of its design cues from the Surface Pro X – which isn’t a bad thing. The new Pro is slimmer, more ergonomic thanks to some of the design choices. It also comes with a larger keyboard attachment with dedicated space to stow the Surface Slim Pen 2. Speaking of the Slim Pen 2, the stylus now charges in the base and comes with a new, improved haptic motor that is supposed to mimic the intricacies of writing with a pen or pencil. It comes with improved latency and better precision thanks to a redesign of the tip.

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On the inside, the new Surface Pro 8 comes with the latest generation Intel Core i processors. You will be able to choose between the i7 and i5. These will be paired with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB on internal storage. When it comes to connectivity, the Pro 8 does away with the ageing USB-A port and opts for two USB-C Thunderbolt ports. This is promising as it indicates that the Surface Pro can support external GPUs and multiple 4K displays. It is also Intel EVO certified.

Pricing & Availability

The Surface Pro 8 is available for pre-order already with units expected to ship starting October 5, 2021. Prices start from USD$1099.99 (MYR4,599.67).

Computers, News

HP Spectre x360 Gets A Big Refresh

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The HP Spectre lineup has been one of the lightest and sleekest laptops available in the market. The lineup’s signature thickness paired with the extended functionality makes it one of the more versatile laptop lineups out there. However, if there was one feature that was lacking – it would be the lack of graphics prowess. Yes – there are options with NVIDIA’s GTX graphics but that’s hardly enough for creators.

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Source: HP

The new HP Spectre x360 16 changes that with the inclusion of NVIDIA’s RTX3050 Laptop GPU. Yes – that’s right, the new laptop comes with an entry-level RTX 30 series GPU. It’s also the largest screen available in the lineup with a whopping 16-inch display. The 16:10 display has options that range all the up to a UHD+ OLED display. It comes certified with VESA True Black HDR and is calibrated for colour accuracy. It’s also near borderless with 91% coverage of the panel.

HP has also enhanced the camera of the Spectre x360 16. You’ll be able to use AI-enabled algorithms to touch up your appearance with Beauty Mode. You can also stay in frame when you need to get up to get the blood flowing again with the Auto Frame feature. The AI also enables a myriad of features that many will find useful; for instance, the device will lock as soon as you walk away and wakes when you return. It will also blur the active screen when someone is looking over your shoulder.

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Source: HP

Along with the graphics prowess, the new HP Spectre x360 16 comes equipped with Intel’s 11th generation Core i7 Processor. It also comes with support for the latest WiFi technology – WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The best part? It comes with a full complement of ports with everything from microSD to HDMI to USB-C and Thunderbolt. It also has compatibility with the HP Pen.

Pricing & Availability

The HP Spectre x360 16 2 in 1 Laptop will be available starting in October 2021. It will be priced starting at USD$1,639 (MYR6,869.69).

Reviews, Video

[Video] Predator Orion 3000 & Predator X34 GS Ultrawide Monitor Review

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Petite and powerful; Ultra wide and immersive – these may be the coup de grace when it comes to any gaming setup. We are taking a close look at the Predator Orion 3000 & the Predator X34 GS monitor in our first ever double review to find out if the Intel Core i7 powered desktop and the ultrawide monitor check all the boxes to be the ultimate gaming setup!

You can get the Predator X34GS Monitor and Predator Orion 3000 at the Acer eStore or the official Acer store on Shopee.

Acer e-store link: https://acer.co/3jeqkpO
Acer Official Shopee Store: https://bit.ly/3B47RTd

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Computers, Reviews

Acer Spin 5 Review: Everything You’re Looking For In a Multi-mode Productivity Laptop

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Work from anywhere seems to be the new norm emerging right now with more people opting to work from home or even from cafes. ’s #Spin5 laptop is one of the most adaptable laptops which looks to be able to fill that niche of adapting to any work environment. It comes with enough power to keep you productive on the go with the #IntelEVO platform powered by the #IntelCore i7 processor and a stylus. We gave the Spin5 our review treatment to see whether this laptop is worth your RM5,599.

You can get the Acer Spin 5 now at https://bit.ly/2WfgAD1

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Computers, Lifestyle, News

MSI’s Creator Z16 Notebook PC Lands in Malaysia

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High-performance computing is the name of the game for MSI. For the longest time, they have been the name to beat too when it comes to high-performance gaming rigs. This includes their line of very powerful and very desirable gaming laptops.

Of late though, high-performance PCs are not just about playing games at high framerates and ultra-realistic graphics. It is also about creating contents that can live up to demands of the modern world. High-performance machines are not just about getting the most out of your games anymore, it is about making your workflow more effective and efficient.

Earlier in the year, MSI launched their new line of notebook PCs created for creators. The new line-up of creator notebook PCs combines the power of Intel’s latest and greatest with NVIDIA’s most powerful Ampere architecture for a performance like no other. At the same time, the svelte, stealth look of the notebook combined with fans designed to work as quietly as possible while maintaining optimal temperatures ensures that the MSI fits into any working environment.

Today, MSI introduces its new line-up of ‘made for creator’ notebooks in the Creator Z16. Aside from the familiar MSI logo, there is nothing to indicate the power that is hidden within its aluminium body. It even looks like a modern unassuming thin and light notebook PC.

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Source: MSI

Fire it up though and you get a completely different story from its external façade. The first thing that greets you is a brilliant 16-inch display that boasts 2,560 by 1,600 pixels (QHD) at a 16:10 aspect ratio. The 16-incher boasts 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut with ΔE<2 in colour accuracy. That also means what you see is what you get on the MSI Creator Z16’s True Colour display. To get the best out of your creative mind, the 120Hz refresh rate display is a touch sensitive panel.

Of course, a high-resolution and fast display has to be matched by its powerful internals. The Creator Z16 boasts Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i7 that clocks at up to 4.6Ghz on turbo. The new generation CPU is also paired with a new generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with Max-Q design. The combination of the two processing chips means that the Creator Z16 is perfect for any sort of creative work on-the-go. With up to 16GB in RAM, you can edit 8K HDR videos smoothly and quickly, very important when you have a short deadline, and you need to be moving about for your shoots. You do not even need to lug around an extra backup drive for in your haul, because the Creator Z16 comes with 1TB of NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD. The only downside is that you have no more excuses for not meeting your deadline.

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    Source: MSI
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    Source: MSI
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    Source: MSI
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    Source: MSI
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    Source: MSI

The MSI Creator Z 16 is now available for pre-order in Malaysia via MSI’s official Lazada Store and their own Online Store. There are no colour choices here, but you are getting a slate grey finish that looks ultra-professional. The MSI Creator Z16 will set you back MYR 11,999. More information on the MSI Creator Z16 is available from their website.

Computers, Gaming, News

Alienware X Series Announced with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 & Intel Core i9

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Alienware’s lineup of laptops has always been streamlined. When it comes to their offerings, it’s always been the Alienware M series or the Area 51m for desktop replacements. That’s changing with the introduction of a new generation of flagship laptops – the Alienware X series. Alienware is upping the ante and infusing its new lineup of laptops with that je ne sais quoi or X factor of being both powerful and portable.

The new Alienware x17 and x15 are the thinnest laptops to come from Alienware ever coming in at just 20.9 mm and 15.9. They bring the performance and optimisations that Alienware is known for in a sleek, new silhouette. The X series houses some of Alienware’s biggest engineering achievements to date with the new laptop series housing a series of innovations including five of which are patent pending.

Cutting Edge Technology Built for Gamers

Naturally, many of these innovations focus on cooling and thermals. One of them is a new thermal interface material called Element 31 which is touted to have a 25% improvement in thermal resistance. The Alienware X series also brings better heat dissipation with Alienware’s Quad fan design which maximises airflow. It also employs a new Smart Fan control technology which regulates each fan independently according to temperatures detected by the AI-enabled sensors.

Aside from that the Alienware x17 and x15 are customisable with options for the latest, cutting edge specifications that all gamers crave. They are equipped with the latest Intel Core H series mobile processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series laptop GPUs. The laptops support up to 110W and 165W graphics power on the Alienware x15 and Alienware x17 respectively. Paired with the specifications are screen options supporting up to a 4K UHD HDR400 display with ComfortView Plus and low blue light technology. They also have options for up to 360Hz refresh rate.

Of course, it’s only natural that the new gaming laptops come with support for the latest Killer WiFi technology for wireless, on-the-go gaming. The X series also has Thermal Control Circuit offset (TCC offset) technology which allows the laptop to maintain a constant CPU temperature range for both work and play. This is complemented by the controls in Alienware’s Command Center application where you can define your own settings and even overclock. They also come with the recently announced CHERRY MX keyboard.

Pricing & Availability

The Alienware X series goes on sale starting June 1, 2021, in limited configurations with full configurations making their debut on June 15, 2021, in the U.S. The Alienware x15 will be priced starting at USD$1,999.99 (MYR8,256.86) while the x17 starts at USD$2,099.99 (MYR8,699.70).

In Malaysia, the laptops will be available sometime in June 2021. No official pricing has been announced just yet.

Together with the Alienware X series, Alienware also announced the new Dell G15 (TGL) which comes with updated specifications with prices starting at USD$949.99 (MYR3,921.85) and the updated Alienware m15 R6 which starts at USD$1299.99 (MYR5,367.02). These laptops will retail in Malaysia with prices starting at MYR4,199 and MYR8,199 respectively.