Bring Back the Razer Book ! A Call to Action for Razer

Hello Razer Insider Community,

As a longtime Razer enthusiast and owner of multiple Razer laptops including two Razer Stealths, a Razer Blade 15, and the Razer Book 13, I feel compelled to address the discontinuation of the Razer Book 13 and advocate for its return. The Razer Book 13 was a remarkable piece of technology, and it's disheartening to see it fade away after a single iteration. Here’s why I believe Razer should consider launching a new version of the Razer Book.

Why I Love Razer Laptops:

1. Performance: Razer laptops deliver top-notch performance.

2. Design: The clean, understated style with subtle gaming accents.

3. Build Quality: The unibody aluminum chassis and sharp angles.

The Evolution of Razer's Laptop Lineup:

Razer's laptop lineup was once straightforward:

• Razer Blade 15: The flagship model offering strong gaming performance in a compact form.

• Razer Blade 17: High performance for less portability, catering to creative professionals.

• Razer Blade Stealth 13: An ultraportable with decent gaming capabilities.

Over time, the Razer Blade Stealth’s gaming performance became inadequate, particularly with the NVIDIA MX150 version which compromised battery life without significant performance gains. This led Razer to split its focus:

• Razer Blade 14: Compact, powerful gaming machine.

• Razer Book 13: Focused on being an ultraportable, with features like a touchscreen, USB-C charging, and Windows Hello, earning Intel Evo certification for its professional use.

This strategic shift marked the end of the Blade Stealth, proving that combining ultraportable and gaming wasn’t viable. The Razer Book 13 emerged as a dedicated ultraportable, a role it excelled in.

My Experience with the Razer Book 13:

I used my Razer Book 13 (Intel i7 11th gen, 4K touchscreen, 16GB RAM) for four years. It served as my main personal computer, excelling in portability, productivity, and even remote gaming via Parsec. Here's what stood out:

• Display: The 4K screen was stunning, offering unparalleled clarity and productivity benefits. Many people argue that 4K resolution on a 13-inch screen is overkill, but I strongly disagree. The high resolution allows for greater visibility and readability, enabling you to scale down the resolution and fit more on the screen. This effectively makes the screen feel larger, significantly boosting productivity. Once you experience this level of detail, it's hard to go back to anything less.

• Performance: Adequate for an ultraportable. It handled everyday tasks with ease and even managed some light gaming and remote heavy-lifting through Parsec.

• Battery Life: Sufficient for my needs, though not exceptional.

• Design: Sleek and professional, with the signature Razer touch. The unibody aluminum chassis, thin bezels, and a more subdued logo compared to the gaming models made it perfect for professional environments while retaining a hint of the "gamer" aesthetic. I often received curious glances and questions about my laptop, proudly describing it as the "Windows MacBook made by Razer."

• Generous I/O: Thunderbolt ports on both sides, USB-A, HDMI—perfect for a versatile setup. The dual-side Thunderbolt ports are a game-changer, providing the flexibility to charge or connect peripherals from either side. This is a feature that, once experienced, is sorely missed on other laptops.

The Flaws:

Despite its strengths, the Razer Book 13 had significant design flaws:

• Keyboard Issues: Inconsistent key responses hampered productivity. Some keys would fail to register when pressed on the upper part, forcing me to type more precisely and slowing down my typing speed significantly.

• Hinge and Cable Design: The flimsy cable connecting the screen to the motherboard quickly deteriorated, causing display issues and eventually requiring a complex repair. Within a short period, a crease formed in the ribbon cable, leading to graphical glitches and eventually rendering the display unusable. Replacing this cable was an arduous task. While the initial disassembly of the laptop was straightforward, the screen’s adhesive and the intricate routing of the cable made the repair extremely challenging. I ended up cracking the screen during reassembly, a costly and frustrating experience.

Why Did Razer Abandon the Razer Book?

Several questions remain:

• Were the design flaws too costly to fix?

• Did the Razer Book receive poor market reception?

• Has Razer shifted focus solely to gaming-oriented products?

Why Razer Should Revisit the Razer Book:

Currently, Razer’s lineup lacks a true ultraportable. The Razer Blade 14, while compact, is too heavy and power-hungry to qualify. Here are some alternatives I’ve considered, none of which fully capture the Razer Book’s essence:

• Lenovo X1 Carbon/Yoga Flip: Good, but lacking 4K and premium feel.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop: Excellent build, but no 4K and minimal I/O.

• HP Envy x360 13": Attractive, but missing key features like dual Thunderbolt ports.

• Dell XPS 13: Promising, but the build quality doesn't match Razer or Apple’s standards.

The Razer Book 13 was not a failed experiment but a promising start. With improvements to its design flaws, a new Razer Book could redefine the ultraportable market, incorporating advancements like OLED displays and Snapdragon processors.

Conclusion:

Razer, why did you stop at just one iteration of the Razer Book? It’s not too late to revive this line and innovate further. Many of us in the community are eagerly waiting for a new Razer ultraportable. Please, don't let us down.

Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!

Best,
sA passionate Razer fan]