Razer Unveils Blade Laptop For Gamers Featuring Switchblade User Interface

The Razer Blade is a 6.97-pound laptop with an aluminum chassis. It runs on a 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7 processor with a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 555M graphics processing unit, 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory and 8 GB 1333MHz DDR3 memory. The 17.3-inch LED display supports native HD at a resolution of 1920x1080.

Razer wants to prove that PC gaming is alive and well, as evidenced by the company's purchase of the URL www.pcgamingisnotdead.com. The site displayed a teaser until Razer released the Blade's specifications on Friday, and it now redirects to the Blade's landing page. This focus on the PC is a positive sign for the market, said Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems, an Auburn, Wash.-based system builder.

"I think it's great to see -- PC gaming is going to have a very strong year ahead. Many game publishers are focusing back on the PC platform, and there are a number of high visibility titles coming up," said Bach.

The 0.88-inch-thick Blade laptop features Razer's Switchblade User Interface, capitalizing on its bread and butter business of gaming peripherals. The interface uses 10 dynamic adaptive tactile keys for in-game commands and an LCD built into the keyboard. The LCD functions as a display when a traditional mouse is in use and as a touch screen when no mouse is used.

“The Switchblade User Interface on the Razer Blade is a revolutionary innovation that truly defines the new standard for gaming experiences on a laptop,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO and creative director at Razer, in a statement.

Bach, whose company builds systems that will compete with the Razer Blade when it launches, adds that the user interface introduces the need for additional programming or software. "The special touchpad/screen and gaming keys are very attractive, but also rely on the game developers to program functionality into their games, or for Razer to provide add-on software for each game," he said.

Razer says the Blade will ship in North America during the fourth quarter of 2011 and will cost $2,799.99.