Laptops

Microsoft announces ‘most balanced’ Surface Laptop

Published

May 3, 2017

Rodneil Quiteles

Setting its eyes squarely on students, Microsoft unveiled what it calls the “most balanced” notebook, the Surface Laptop.

Microsoft made some bold claims about the Surface Laptop saying it made no compromises with the device. Microsoft Devices Chief Panos Panay kept driving home the point it is balanced and seamless. It’s powered by the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and should last for 14.5 hours. Panay says it has “more battery life than any MacBook,” and is faster than a Core i7 MacBook Pro.

It has a 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio — not something you’d normally see on laptops, but Panay claims it’s “the thinnest LCD touch model ever created and put into a laptop.” As for ports, it does not come with a USB-C port, but you do get a USB 3.0 port, SD card reader, Mini DisplayPort, and a headphone jack.

Seamless with Windows 10 S, peripherals

Windows 10 S is a version of Microsoft’s operating system that can only run apps that are downloaded from the Windows Store. While that may seem limited, it should also save you some much-needed battery life, which is probably how they are able to claim the 14.5-hour battery life.

Panay demonstrated how the Surface, Office, and Windows worked together on this particular product by showing how the Surface Dial — introduced along with the Surface Studio — quickly adapts to whatever app is currently active on the laptop. From scrolling through pages of Microsoft Word to adjusting the volume on Spotify (yes, it’s now on the Windows Store), the Dial knows what app is running on the laptop and adjusts its functions instantly.

If you’re worried about the laptop being locked to Windows 10 S, fret not. You have the option to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro directly. Since this is geared toward students, if you still happen to be transitioning from high school to college, you get to upgrade for free. If not, the upgrade will cost you $49.99.

Sleek and Stylish

Part of the “no compromises” claim is how beautifully designed the Surface Laptop is. It is thin, light, and gorgeous. It comes in four colors: platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue, and graphite gold.

Its keyboard is covered with Microsoft’s Signature Alcantara fabric that looks like it’ll attract dirt real quick, but the company claims it resists spills, stains, and absorption and can be easily wiped clean.

The base model starts $999. Pre-orders begin on May 2 and it will be available on June 15.

[irp posts=”7256″ name=”Microsoft Surface Studio is the all-in-one PC of our dreams”]

Laptops

ROG launches 2026 Strix gaming laptop series

The pinnacle of gaming experiences

Published

June 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

The 2026 ROG Strix gaming laptops have officially arrived. They are available in the latest Strix G16 and G18 variants, as well as the Strix SCAR 18.

The latest gaming notebooks represent the pinnacle of gaming experiences, combining upgraded ROG Nebula Display technologies, refinements to ROG Intelligent Cooling, expanded high-speed connectivity, and a tool-less, upgrade-friendly chassis.

The 2026 ROG Strix G series raises the bar for mainstream gaming laptops. Both 16-inch and 18-inch models come with 2.5K Nebula Displays, now upgraded with ultra-fast 300Hz refresh rate.

Both models are capable of ultra-high framerates for the latest AAA games, thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080.

Their chassis can accommodate up to 32GB DDR5 memory and up to 1TB SSD storage.

The performance is complemented by advanced ROG Intelligent Cooling, featuring end-to-end vapor chambers, Tri-Fan technology, and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal.

The ROG Strix G series ranges from PhP 159,995 to PhP 319,995.

On the other hand, the 2026 ROG Strix SCAR continues ASUS ROG’s pursuit of uncompromised gaming performance.

The Strix SCAR 18 comes with the first 18-inch 4K 240Hz Mini LED laptop panel, with over 2,000 dimming zones. ROG Nebula ELMB provides up to 16x greater motion clarity. The panel also features 1,600 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, and AGLR technology.

This laptop similarly comes with Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus, and up to GeForce RTX 5090 graphics. The graphics side is also enhanced by DLSS 4, Multi-Frame Generation, and GPU-accelerated technologies specially for the latest AAA titles.

New on the 2026 release is up to a 320W total system power. It also has a 20% thicker vapor chamber, as well as Upgraded Liquid Crystal Polymer fans to increase total airflow by 91%.

The ROG Strix SCAR 18 costs PhP 439,995.

Computers

Rewind: WWDC 2026

The Siri Update We’ve Been Waiting For?!

Published

June 10, 2026

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

At WWDC 2026, Apple unveiled Siri AI, a smarter version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, with personal context, onscreen awareness, deeper app integration, and a brand-new experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

Apple also announced new Apple Intelligence features, Google Gemini-powered foundation models, smarter photo editing tools, improved parental controls, faster performance across iPhone and iPad, and the next version of macOS: Golden Gate.

In this WWDC 2026 Rewind, Michael Josh breaks down the biggest announcements, what actually matters. And, whether Apple finally delivered on the promises it made last year.

Computex 2026

Here’s all the RTX Spark notebooks announced at COMPUTEX 2026

We got notebooks from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and MSI.

Published

June 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

There’s been much ado about the NVIDIA RTX Spark. By now, you’ve probably heard a lot about the upcoming reinvention of PCs. But, as a regular consumer, it’s hard to visualize just how this revolution looks like. Thankfully, in NVIDIA’s demo suites, a few manufacturers got to showcase their take on an RTX Spark notebook. And all of them are coming out in the fall.

ASUS ProArt P14 and P16

ASUS ProArt P16

ASUS ProArt P14

Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition

HP OmniBook X 14 and Ultra 16

HP OmniBook X 14

HP OmniBook Ultra 16

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n

Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+

Unfortunately, none of these brands could share comprehensive details about their laptops beyond a promise for raw power. All of these models aren’t the final version yet.

However, just from what we can tell, these notebooks do feel different from the standard fare of laptops today. For one, they are deceptively heavier. Though all of the OEMs promise a much thinner profile, they’re either packing a lot of tech inside or are using denser materials for their chassis. But again, these are engineering units, so who knows how heavy these things will actually be?

Secondly, based on NVIDIA’s demos, they can do a lot of heavy lifting. NVIDIA says that these superchips are meant for developers and creators, but gamers will also find joy in their performance. DLSS 4.5, in particular, feels like a true revolution in terms of graphics.

Thankfully, fall isn’t too far away. If you can wait, the next evolution of PCs is just around the corner.