Microsoft Windows is one company in the Silicon Valley that has been on the edge of product development. Right from Microprocessors, Operating Systems, Office Products, Cloud and Virtual Reality, Microsoft has been a key pillar in the realisation of technology in the world. Competition from other tech companies like Apple and Google is evident, and we can’t talk about tech without mentioning their names.
I think all these companies in the Silicon Valley have made a really good yin and yang in making progress in the field of information technology. This cohesion is usually showcased in an annual event dubbed The Consumer Electronics Show. The hype show runs in Las Vegas and with tens of thousands of people running around thousands of booths across millions of square feet of exhibition space. So instead of celebrating the here-today, gone-tomorrow of CES, here are the few long-term trends to watch.
The need for Beautiful Devices.
The presence of prevalent designs of phone and laptop covers in the market indicates a need to fit in style with their powerful devices. Luckily enough, Microsoft has saved us the time looking for that right colour of laptop that matches your standard (for example, as a programmer), and given us the Surface Laptop. It packs performance, versatility, and over 14hours of battery life into a sleek design to fit in your style. I know some of you thought of Apple but the catch comes up in the pricing. Microsoft Surface Laptops range from premium to affordable (starting at $999). Other sleek devices that run on Microsoft Platform include The Samsung Notebook 7 Spin (2018), Lenovo ThinkPad L580 series, HP Spectre x360 15, Dell XPS 15, ASUS Zenbook 13, among others.
Always Connected PC’s
So if you’ve ever experienced your computer installing updates process, trust me, you’ll definitely wonder if there’s a new OS being installed. The time it takes- really long, especially if you haven’t done so in a while. But do we really get time to check the changes made? One worthy update in MS-Windows is the presence of a Phone Companion App. This app keeps your phone always connected to your computer via an LTE network. In short, you could receive and make a call on your laptop. So what if your computer is an oldie that was just upgraded from Windows 7 to 10 the other day? Don’t lose hope. Microsoft together with its partners, HP and ASUS, developed the first full-featured Always Connected PCs. The PCs will deliver instant on, always-connected experience that seamlessly switch between LTE and WiFi connection. The Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is one device that provides seamless connectivity with unmatched versatility and performance. Basically, it beats the need of having a mobile phone, when you can have it on your computer. People, Microsoft is ‘bae’
Voice powers; Personal Assistant
Thanks to far-field microphones arriving in more than a dozen new Windows 10 PCs, you can ask Cortana on your PC to check the score of the game, the weather, or hear the news. New devices from Dell and ASUS recently announced are great examples of what’s possible with this far-field capability and we will continue to see this number grow. We’ve seen Cortana expand to the Harmon Kardon Invoke voice-activated speaker, and we’re looking forward to more from HP, who will unveil a new device featuring Cortana, combining connectivity and voice activation in a beautiful, compact, and stylish design later this year.
Mixed Reality and Gaming PC’s
This is a big one for the gamers out there. Windows Mixed Reality represents yet another virtual reality platform running on headsets connected to a PC. The software has plenty of overlap with those existing solutions, the hardware is of similar heft, and the overarching concept still involves playing around in room-scale, virtual worlds. But just as the Vive and Oculus Rift had their share of technical and philosophical differences, Windows Mixed Reality diverges from its competitors in several key ways. The hardware requirements are lower and the whole ecosystem includes some exclusive content that can’t be accessed via Vive or Oculus, and the name of the platform itself hints at broader augmented reality applications, not just immersive getaways.
ASUS unveiled the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) G703, a gaming laptop with an ultra-responsive 17.3-inch IPS-level display with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology that can reach refresh rates of 144Hz. It’s Mixed Reality Ultra Badged which means it’s powerful enough to run Windows Mixed Reality experiences when combined with a compatible headset and includes support for up to eight Xbox One controllers, eliminating the need for multiple adapters.
