Razer Laptops For Professionals | Razer Insider

Razer Laptops For Professionals


I had been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 2019 Razer Blade Pro in the hopes that I could replace my aging 12.5 year old 17" Macbook Pro. Since Apple has decided to completely abandon professionals, I (along with many other people) have been desperately searching for a high-quality laptop that can deliver a combination of power, elegance, and great build quality to create an enjoyable work experience. The only 17" laptops that come close to offering these characteristics are gaming laptops, so naturally Razer is near the top of my list. However, the announcement of the newest Razer Blade Pro left me very disappointed. While it looks great for gaming (it's intended purpose), it definitely leaves a lot to be desired for professionals. This is understandable since it's meant more for gaming than getting work done but it leaves me wondering if Razer has considered making laptops specifically aimed toward the many professionals that are disappointed with Apple's products and would be happy to switch to a competent and polished Windows laptop. If Razer would be willing to consider making laptops for professionals, here are some recommendations:

Must Haves

  • Screen

    • At least 15" and 17" screen options
    • 4K OLED option for all sizes

      • Do not require anything more than a 2060 for this option as that is plenty for most people with the exception of those doing video editing


  • Keyboard

    • Backlit (not necessarily RGB)
    • Contoured keys
    • Good key travel

  • Trackpad

    • Quality on par with Razer gaming laptops

  • Upgradeability

    • Memory
    • Storage
    • Battery

  • Ports

    • USB-A
    • USB-C (at least one with Thunderbolt)
    • Ethernet
    • SD card reader
    • HDMI

  • Battery

    • 99 WHr option (especially for options with 4K)



Nice-to-Haves

  • Aesthetics

    • Silver aluminum
    • More professional
    • Visually differentiates it from your gaming laptops

  • Text logo on the front

    • More professional than the snake logo
    • If illuminated, have a software option to disable illumination



Bonus

  • Separate hardware switches to disable camera and microphone


While the new Razer Blade Pro offers many of these features, it focuses more on raw power than being a bit more cost-effective and power-efficient. Also, not offering a screen resolution higher than 1080p on a premium 17" laptop is a deal-breaker for most professionals. I've heard rumors that this is due to supply constraints but surely you must be able to swing something since you have that option in your 15" laptops.

I really hope that you will consider this market segment. While there are plenty of options out there for professionals, most of those options are underpowered, bulky, or poorly built. If Razer can make powerful, portable, and well-built laptops for gamers, then surely you can build something that satisfies the needs of professionals as well. Even if you just add an option for a 4K OLED screen in a Razer Blade Pro with a 2060 and a larger battery, that might be just enough to entice myself and many other professionals to let go of our aging Apple laptops. Please give this serious consideration!

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22 Replies

I'm in a similar boat and fully agree with the gist of your sentiments and Must Haves, but definitely NOT with the Nice-to-Haves... Leave the aesthetics and the logo alone, thank you very much! ;^)

organgtool
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While the new Razer Blade Pro offers many of these features, it focuses more on raw power than being a bit more cost-effective and power-efficient.


I also don't think this holds water. Razer went with the lowest bracket "highish-end" CPU and max-Q GPU:s on the Pro, neither of which counts as *focus* on "raw power" in my book, more like (a) a budget alternative and/or (b) thermally constrained design.


organgtool

Also, not offering a screen resolution higher than 1080p on a premium 17" laptop is a deal-breaker for most professionals.


Now, *this* is _exactly_ my gripe with the new Pro. If it had a 4K OLED screen, I would've ordered it already.

BTW, as second best, I was about to order a 15" Blade with 4K OLED, but it's not available (or even listed) in the EU. I was considering getting one through HIDEvolution with some extras (like new thermal paste/pads and maxed out memory), but now that they don't have a UK subsidiary anymore and "trans-shipping" is not an option, import taxes/duties would make that option a tad too expensive even for my taste...

I'll may have to settle for a Dell. They make nice professional laptops (their Precision series), although they are nowhere near as sleek as the Blade Pro. I kind of liked their take on the "portable desktop" with the new(?) 51m models, but those are not only bulky (which I could live with, if I had to), but are also lacking a 4K display. I wonder if it's the included eye-tracking tech that limits the resolution or if it's the same "for gamers" nonsense that Razer suffers from...
Leave the aesthetics and the logo alone, thank you very much! ;^)
I should have been more clear - I was not suggesting making these modifications to the Blades but introducing a new laptop alongside the Blade that is targeted towards professionals. I agree, the aesthetics of the Blade are great for gaming.
I also don't think this holds water. Razer went with the lowest bracket "highish-end" CPU and max-Q GPU:s on the Pro, neither of which counts as *focus* on "raw power" in my book

From a gaming perspective I completely agree but the Blades are more focused on power than on the other needs of professionals such as cost-efficiency and battery life. Having an option with slightly less computing power which is cheaper and has longer battery life would be ideal for many professionals.
BTW, as second best, I was about to order a 15" Blade with 4K OLED

I also seriously considered that option but it's only available with a 2080 which is more than I need. That bumps the price higher than I'm comfortable paying, especially for a screen that's smaller than my current laptop.
Userlevel 6
I agree that the aesthetic is still too flashy for people wanting to the use the laptop in a professional environment, but that's easily solved by putting a matte black skin on the top of the laptop and setting the keyboard lighting to white. The skin covers the snake logo and looks really sleek, but it still stands out from all of the silver macs and XPS's out there.

What do you mean by "Professionals". I cannot tell if you are talking about a formal professional environment where people wear suits and stuff or a specific profession. I am only asking because I see all types of laptops at technology trade shows now days. It is funny at AI trade shows how many high end gamer laptops I see with people who do not game.
They make nice professional laptops (their Precision series), although they are nowhere near as sleek as the Blade Pro. I kind of liked their take on the "portable desktop" with the new(?) 51m models, but those are not only bulky (which I could live with, if I had to), but are also lacking a 4K display. I wonder if it's the included eye-tracking tech that limits the resolution or if it's the same "for gamers" nonsense that Razer suffers from
Unfortunately, I think due to Razer being a company that makes products "For Gamers, by Gamers", gaming would be the primary purpose, with professional work as a secondary purpose.

Though, most of the things you mentioned Razer does have an option (except maybe the SD card reader).
As a side note, I use my Blade for work, travel, gaming at home, and it's awesome.

Must Haves

  • Screen

    • At least 15" and 17" screen options (Yes, and Yes)
    • 4K OLED option for all sizes (Currently only the 15" Advanced model has this option)

      • Do not require anything more than a 2060 for this option as that is plenty for most people with the exception of those doing video editing


  • Keyboard

    • Backlit (not necessarily RGB) (can change to single color via Synapse)
    • Contoured keys
    • Good key travel (these two options would probably make the laptop thicker)

  • Trackpad

    • Quality on par with Razer gaming laptops

  • Upgradeability

    • Memory (upgradable)
    • Storage (upgradable)
    • Battery (unsure about this option)

  • Ports

    • USB-A
    • USB-C (at least one with Thunderbolt)
    • Ethernet
    • SD card reader (pretty much not needed for gaming, so probably wont see them on Blades)
    • HDMI

  • Battery

    • 99 WHr option (especially for options with 4K)



Nice-to-Haves

  • Aesthetics

    • Silver aluminum (they have the mercury white option, which looks more silver than white)
    • More professional (mercury white option is engraved, and doesn't light up)
    • Visually differentiates it from your gaming laptops (the new blades look like a dell according to my non-gaming colleagues at work, rofl "sry Razer")

  • Text logo on the front

    • More professional than the snake logo (snake logo is their brand... so no comment here)
    • If illuminated, have a software option to disable illumination (synapse 3 can disable illumination on new models now)

https://www.windowscentral.com/razers-launches-beefy-blade-studio-edition-laptops-built-content-creators

FINALLY !
BUT LATER THIS YEAR??? ughhhh I’ve been waiting over a year to buy a laptop. I’ve bought and returned so many at this point. That thing literally checks every box.

I’ve been waiting for the OLED 4K with 2080, but I guess now I’ll be waiting even longer.

Still excited. Just ready to actually buy and keep something 😛
uncle_farkus
That thing literally checks every box.


Every single box except the color, at least for me.
I'd prefer the standard black, possibly gunmetal, but this mercury white BS is not my cup of tea.
At least, it's not quartz pink... I'm still mighty tempted. Perhaps, I'll get one and put a nice matte black skin on...
I could agree with that. I’d purchase black or gunmetal over a laptop with white keyboard keys. It’s not too late, let’s be vocal about it!

If they can make a toaster they can make a laptop in more than 1 color!
Userlevel 7
uncle_farkus

If they can make a toaster they can make a laptop in more than 1 color!

Or make toaster like this, for professional women lol!

Source: NBR forum that’s not real FYI:smile_:
uncle_farkus
It’s not too late, let’s be vocal about it!


I started a thread with a poll. To nobody's surprise, Quartz Pink is leading at the moment.
Wow, did we all just play into Razer's trap. These new Pro machines look really impressive. I might want to sell my old Pro and get a new one.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/14409/razer-announces-razer-blade-studio-edition-quadro-rtx-and-improved-displays
Black with a green snake logo is inappropriate for an office environment. Not to mention the fact that it's a fingerprint magnet. A studio laptop is overkill for me but I've passed on Blade Pro 17 because I prefer the mercury white with a 4k display. It is much classier looking. I could also live with a gunmetal grey but get rid of the silly light up snakes and stickers. Kids might appreciate those but professionals who can afford the higher end machines may not. Some of us just want a high end laptop and don't care about gaming or creating. I think it would be fine giving people mercury white or black options.
figrin1
I agree that the aesthetic is still too flashy for people wanting to the use the laptop in a professional environment, but that's easily solved by putting a matte black skin on the top of the laptop and setting the keyboard lighting to white. The skin covers the snake logo and looks really sleek, but it still stands out from all of the silver macs and XPS's out there.


Or they can just get ride of the glowing logo all together. The off color logo like on the blade stealth is a much nicer look in my opinion. But, until that happens I'll follow your lead and get one for my Blade Pro once they're released.

There is too many choices. . .which do I want?!:eek_:
TK-1987
Or they can just get ride of the glowing logo all together. The off color logo like on the blade stealth is a much nicer look in my opinion. But, until that happens I'll follow your lead and get one for my Blade Pro once they're released.

There is too many choices. . .which do I want?!:eek_:

TK-1987
Or they can just get ride of the glowing logo all together. The off color logo like on the blade stealth is a much nicer look in my opinion. But, until that happens I'll follow your lead and get one for my Blade Pro once they're released.

There is too many choices. . .which do I want?!:eek_:

Nice job with the skin! I think it looks much better.
Userlevel 6
TK-1987
Or they can just get ride of the glowing logo all together. The off color logo like on the blade stealth is a much nicer look in my opinion. But, until that happens I'll follow your lead and get one for my Blade Pro once they're released.

There is too many choices. . .which do I want?!:eek_:


The problem with the new Stealth is that the matte finish on it gets really gross with fingerprints. So even though it doesn't have an obnoxious logo, I still use a skin on mine.
figrin1
The problem with the new Stealth is that the matte finish on it gets really gross with fingerprints. So even though it doesn't have an obnoxious logo, I still use a skin on mine.

That's kind of an issue all around. Lol. My Blade Pro is less than a week old and it's just gross looking. I can't wait to get a dbrand skin for it.

Hurry up DBRAND!
I totally agree with organgtool. Razer Blade Pro 2019 do come with great and powerful features but there are scope for upgrade in it for better performance. With the asked upgraded features, we can use Razer Blade Pro as our perfect video editing and designing partner along with gaming. Video Editing and Designing will need a good battery life (as asked for upgrade), as well as need a 4K display option for 4K video editing and more.

Reference: Best Laptops For Video Editing
InsoMia
Unfortunately, I think due to Razer being a company that makes products "For Gamers, by Gamers", gaming would be the primary purpose, with professional work as a secondary purpose.

Though, most of the things you mentioned Razer does have an option (except maybe the SD card reader).
As a side note, I use my Blade for work, travel, gaming at home, and it's awesome.

Must Haves

  • Screen

    • At least 15" and 17" screen options (Yes, and Yes)
    • 4K OLED option for all sizes (Currently only the 15" Advanced model has this option)

      • Do not require anything more than a 2060 for this option as that is plenty for most people with the exception of those doing video editing


  • Keyboard

    • Backlit (not necessarily RGB) (can change to single color via Synapse)
    • Contoured keys
    • Good key travel (these two options would probably make the laptop thicker)

  • Trackpad

    • Quality on par with Razer gaming laptops

  • Upgradeability

    • Memory (upgradable)
    • Storage (upgradable)
    • Battery (unsure about this option)

  • Ports

    • USB-A
    • USB-C (at least one with Thunderbolt)
    • Ethernet
    • SD card reader (pretty much not needed for gaming, so probably wont see them on Blades)
    • HDMI

  • Battery

    • 99 WHr option (especially for options with 4K)



Nice-to-Haves

  • Aesthetics

    • Silver aluminum (they have the mercury white option, which looks more silver than white)
    • More professional (mercury white option is engraved, and doesn't light up)
    • Visually differentiates it from your gaming laptops (the new blades look like a dell according to my non-gaming colleagues at work, rofl "sry Razer")

  • Text logo on the front

    • More professional than the snake logo (snake logo is their brand... so no comment here)
    • If illuminated, have a software option to disable illumination (synapse 3 can disable illumination on new models now)





The loyalty to their original target market of gamers is something they do strongly sustain. In terms of professional aspects, they make systems that have the potential to provide fantastic solutions for non-gaming markets. Another example is that the Razer Lines have come with FLStudio software included, a highly used audio production software. That alone could help target musicians and digital media professionals, but they have not marketed it this primary function although it could be done easily.

My belief is by sticking to solutions for their gamer market, is due to that market size and requirements for performance. The products can be utilized for many needs, and they are consistently putting spec upgrades into action.

As insiders and other community style roles, promoting the Razer products as solutions for other markets is something we can accomplish. After all many of us are gamers and professionals, it is how our familiarity with Razer came to be, and as we grew professionally, we recognize the potential for a Razer/Business solution. We should work more with getting a broad level of what features would provide solutions for business. However, their loyalty is an admirable quality that is rare for modern industries. They focus on gamers, repaying a target base that was what lifted them to their current success.
So the choice we all have to make, is whether supporting the company that remains loyal, and sacrificing financial objectives, staying true to self, or the one who fills systems with bloatware to earn money for including unnecessary software on their machines, and begins leaving out the gaming peripherals so it can put manufacturing resources into systems that will no longer perform gaming Solutions? That's something we gave to decide, and whenever possible I choose Razer. The system has the capacity to perform high level processing and graphics rendering. The other elements can be achieved with external resources, but at its core it has the most important elements for my needs.

My suggestion look at various peripherals and put them in a list based on importance, and then look at what can be achieved via external elements that your willing to incorporate. Then you have a logic based answer to guide you.
Userlevel 3
New Razer text logo on the professional laptops would be ♨️♨️♨️

Don't forget Xeon CPUs and Quadro gpus with a solid raid formation.
Depending upon what qualify as proffesional 🙂 I got Razer Blade 15 Advance to work as consulatant.

1080 resolution is suffcient. Styling is OK.

I wonder, who can use 17 inch laptob on flights. And, no, I am not getting business class tickets. What I miss is more nits. It is hard to work outside. Imagine doing quick work by the pool.

I do not have any games. That RTG1070 is reserved for DeepLearning 🙂
Customers love my Blade. But, mz gosh, the charger! Every time I am going through security, they double check it.