Razer recently launched its first entry in the gaming PC hardware marketplace with the Razer Blade laptop. The pricey $2,800 notebook has a number of interesting features, including an integrated LCD display alongside the keyboard and a set of ten keyboard buttons that change their look and functions depending on which game is loaded on the laptop.
The Razer Blade seems to have sold well, even with its lofty price point, but overall the reviews of the laptop have been a little mixed. They have praised the design and the construction of the machine, but many have faulted its price and its poor audio features.
However, the notebook has a huge fan in Rahul Sood, the founder of VoodooPC, the manufacturer of gaming systems which HP later bought. Sood now works at Microsoft at its Bing division but he posted up his views on the Razer Blade on his personal blog.
Sood writes:
Since leaving HP-Voodoo people look at me cross eyed when I carry something “normal”, and yet when I use a Macbook Pro I feel somewhat guilty. Regardless of where I work, I prefer using Windows – I grew up using it – and even when I use Bootcamp or Parallels on the Mac it’s just not the same as a PC. Razer has presented power users like me an opportunity to get the best of Windows with incredible hardware design. When I pull it out in a meeting the room goes bonkers. ...and I seriously can"t wait to see what they have in store for Windows 8.
He praises the Razer Blade in his blog post but he also talks about the company itself, saying that its small but hardcore PC gaming community could generate much bigger things in the future. He states, "I can honestly say if Razer keeps this formula up they have a chance to ignite the PC industry in a way that hasn"t been done in years."
Sood also has some words of advice for Razer"s CEO Min-Liang Tan saying, "...if you’re reading this, don’t sell your company to anyone – ever." VoodooPC was acquired by HP in September 2006 but Sood later saw the division become marginalized by HP, and left the company in 2010.
Razer has already shown off its next gaming concept device; a Windows-based tablet with PC controllers attached to each side. The company has yet to announce any concrete plans to launch this gaming PC tablet.