Computex 2016: the future of computers revealed in Taipei
Computex Taipei 2016 comes at a time when there's wider interest in the PC and computer hardware industry than there has been in many years. Taiwanese company Nvidia has just launched the GTX 1080 and 1070 GPUs amid a flurry of hype, much of which is down to the fact that you need a powerful PC to run virtual reality headsets like the Vive from compatriots HTC.
VR is likely to be a major theme at this year's Computex, with HTC making an unexpected appearance after years of skipping the show. But there's a lot more going on: Intel and Microsoft have keynotes planned for the week, chip giants like Qualcomm, AMD, and ARM should all be making news, and there'll be the usual slew of products from the likes of Asus, Acer, MSI, and beyond.
I'm in Taipei to bring you everything first-hand — stay tuned.
Major Updates
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Intel knows it's no longer inside
You don't hear "Intel Inside" too often these days.
Instead, the legend adorning the Taipei International Convention Center stage today ahead of Intel's Computex keynote was "Experience what's inside." The newer slogan has been kicking around for a while, but its deployment betrays a shift in Intel's priorities, and the acceptance of a harsh reality — Intel won't be inside the most important device in your life, and the devices it will be inside will be less relevant.Intel recently...
Now it's smart and connected on the outside -
Intel invents the concept of mega-tasking to sell new 10-core CPUs
At Computex Taipei today, Intel is introducing its new range of Extreme Edition processors, with the crowning jewel being the company's first 10-core CPU for consumers, the $1,723 Core i7-6950X. For that eye-watering price, you get a 3GHz powerhouse capable of running 20 simultaneous work threads and also achieving a turbo boost speed of 3.5GHz. Intel's answer to the inevitable question of what anyone would want to do with all that might is the new concept of mega-tasking.
The primary...
Broadwell-E raises the bar for both performance and price -
Qualcomm's new wearables chip is for fitness trackers and kids' watches
Qualcomm has announced a new Snapdragon processor at Computex as the chipmaker aims to extend its presence in the wearables market. The Snapdragon Wear 1100 complements the Snapdragon Wear 2100 announced a few months ago; while that processor was designed for smartwatches, the 1100 is intended for use in simpler "targeted-function" devices with less functionality like fitness trackers, smart headsets, and location-aware gadgets for kids and the elderly.
The Snapdragon Wear 1100 prioritizes...
Snapdragon Wear 1100 offers low-power LTE -
Asus' crazy water-cooled laptop is getting an upgrade
Asus' mammoth GX700 — a gaming laptop with a separate water-cooling station that allows for some ridiculous overclocking shenanigans — blew our minds when it was unveiled last fall, and now it's getting a younger sibling. The GX800 was unveiled alongside a handful of other products at Asus' Republic of Gamers (ROG) Computex press event today, and the company is calling it "the most powerful gaming laptop in the world."
Asus is keeping the GX800's specifics close to the vest for now, the same...
And a colorful keyboard -
This is the first unibody metal phone without antenna lines
Even by its own high standards, Asus outdid expectations with its Computex presser today. Not only did it announce a completely ridiculous home assistant robot and a thinner-than-a-MacBook laptop, but it also laid claim to having the first aluminum unibody phone free of unsightly antenna lines. Study the square-jawed ZenFone 3 Deluxe as closely as you wish; you won't find its matte rear disturbed by the practicalities of obtaining a wireless signal. Asus has somehow worked around the iPhone's...
Too zen to be disturbed by antenna lines -
Here's an Asus VR headset with fancy leather straps
Asus didn't mention this during their laptop- and phone- and robot-packed Computex Taipei press conference, but in the demo area there's a virtual reality headset on display behind glass; other than the name "Asus VR" emblazoned above it, there's zero explanation of what it actually is. But! It does have stitched leather straps, which look a little too ZenWatch-like for my taste but are arguably more fashion-forward than the likes of the HTC Vive.
Chances are, this is little more than...
And that's about all we know -
Watch Jonney Shih announce Asus’ MacBook killer
The scarcely believable Asus ZenBook 3 is the undeniable highlight of an action-packed press conference from Asus today. This new laptop measures only 11.9mm in thickness and challenges Apple's MacBook for the title of best ultra-portable computer. Not only is the ZenBook 3 thinner, it is also lighter — by 10 grams, weighing in at 910g — and more powerful than its better-known rival.
A fully maxed-out ZenBook 3 gets you a Core i7 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of solid...
Available this summer at a starting price of $999 -
Here's how the Asus ZenBook 3 looks next to the MacBook
Asus' new ZenBook 3 is plainly aimed straight at the MacBook's heart; chairman Jonney Shih made multiple comparisons to Apple's 12-inch laptop on stage this afternoon at Computex Taipei, highlighting how the latest Zenbook is thinner and lighter while managing to cram in an Intel Core i7 processor.
Here's how the two single-USB-C-port-only, shallow-keyboarded laptops shape up against each other in the aluminum, as well as a few pics of the ZenBook 3 by itself. It's certainly not an...
Battle of the slim laptops with only one USB-C port -
The Asus Zenbo is a ridiculous home robot for $599
Meet Zenbo, a new robot friend for seniors, kids, and anybody else who wants to invite a less cute, real-world version of BB-8 into their own home. Asus chairman Jonney Shih showed off Zenbo on stage at Computex today, describing the robot as a smart home manager, security guard, hands-free kitchen assistant, and family photographer.
Zenbo looks like an iMac G4 riding a Sony Rolly, but appears to work like Amazon's Echo, providing recipe recommendations and similar services in response to...
What is... love? -
Asus announces new Transformer 2-in-1s to rival Microsoft's Surface
Asus is taking on Microsoft's latest Surface's tablets with its Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro, a new generation of 2-in-1 devices, announced today at Computex Taipei. The Asus Transformer 3 Pro is a direct competitor for Microsoft's Surface Pro 4, and will be purchasable with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB solid state drive. The device is a hybrid laptop and tablet, but Asus is emphasizing the device's power, describing it as "the world's most versatile PC," and detailing...
Will start at $999 with an i7 CPU -
Asus announces Zenfone 3 alongside premium Deluxe and giant Ultra models
Asus has kicked off its Computex Taipei announcements with the Zenfone 3 series, comprising a trio of phones with some pretty big differences. The regular Zenfone 3 is positioned as a mainstream phone with strong design at a low price; the Zenfone 3 Deluxe goes for high-end performance and build quality; and the Zenfone 3 Ultra is centered around entertainment with a gigantic screen. All three of the models look to be far better built than the plastic Zenfone 2.
The Zenfone 3 has a 5.5-inch...
All of them look better than the Zenfone 2 -
Asus ZenBook 3 is thinner and lighter than Apple’s MacBook
Asus has announced its new ZenBook 3, an 11.9-millimeter device it's calling the "the world's most prestigious laptop." Asus Chairman Jonney Shih detailed the ZenBook 3 on stage at Computex, comparing it directly to MacBooks, promising an aluminum alloy device that weighed less than Apple's lightest laptops, and a processor "two times faster than MacBook."
Shih said the ZenBook 3 was "the best of both" MacBook and MacBook Air, being lighter and thinner than the former, and more powerful than...
The world's most prestigious laptop. -
ARM’s new CPU and GPU will power mobile VR in 2017
ARM, the company that designs the processor architectures used in virtually all mobile devices on the market, has used Computex Taipei 2016 to announce new products that it expects to see deployed in high-end phones next year. The Cortex-A73 CPU and Mali-G71 GPU are designed to increase performance and power efficiency, with a particular view to supporting mobile VR.
ARM says that its Mali line of GPUs are the most widely used in the world, with over 750 million shipped in 2015. The new...
Armed and nearly ready -
Acer's new 4K monitor has almost no bezels
Unless you're a diving watch aficionado, you probably hate the word "bezel." And by extension, you probably love the idea of this 4K monitor from Acer, which looks like it might be the best implementation yet of the company's "ZeroFrame" branding. Designed for video and graphics professionals, the BM320 has a 32-inch panel that covers 100% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, and Acer says its lack of bezels on three sides allows for a "seamless visual experience" when multiple units are used...
Zero edge -
Acer announces two cheap 2-in-1 notebooks
Just ahead of Computex Taipei, which kicks off next week, Acer has announced a pair of inexpensive 2-in-1 notebooks. The Switch V 10 and Switch One 10 both feature detachable 10-inch IPS displays and quad-core Intel Atom processors; the main differences are that the V 10 is available in more colors and has a fingerprint reader, plus a USB-C port for charging, data transfer, and video output.
The Switch V 10 will be out in the US in the third quarter of the year for $249, while the One 10...
The Switch One 10 starts at $199
