A Gaming Laptop That\'s Quick and Costly

The word “extreme” may be overused in describing male-dominated activities like the X Games or the cinnamon challenge, but it fits the bill when it comes to the Razer Blade gaming laptop.

It is extremely fast, extremely thin and extremely expensive.

I don't play computer games so I turned the Razer Blade over to two lifelong gamers, Evan and Morgan Dilks. Evan, as the owner of the Firehouse Coffee Company in Baltimore, has spent plenty of caffeinated play time on game consoles, like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 he currently owns.

The pair tried out Battlefield 3, which came preinstalled for demonstration on the machine. “One of the pros was how fast it was,” said Evan. “The processor is just crazy.” That crazy processor is an Intel Core i7, a quad-core chip found in some high end Macs.

That speed is paired with a 17.3-inch high-definition screen impressive enough that the brothers spent some time watching videos on it. Although the laptop is almost 11-by-17-inches to accommodate the screen, it is less than an inch thick and weighs 6.6 pounds, relatively light for a laptop this size. Part of the way Razer kept it thin was by omitting an optical drive.

What really sets it apart from other laptops is the Switchblade user interface. That is an LCD trackpad that shows game information, like who in your player group is inflicting the most damage on foes. Evan said his brother Morgan adjusted more easily to the controls than he did, but he caught on eventually.

There are also 10 buttons above the trackpad that change their assigned functions depending on the game. They can represent different weapons, and automate actions that would normally take se veral steps, like drawing and loading a firearm. Or you can create your own custom actions, even for non-gaming software, like if you wanted to use the laptop for Photoshop.

What the brothers did not like about the Razer Blade was the price: $2,500. “That is a huge investment,” said Evan. “Add in accessories like a sound system, headset, game and gaming subscription, and special controllers you might need, and the price keeps rising.”

Q&A: Finding a Simplified Smartphone

Q.

Are there any smartphones designed for the eager-to-learn, but still-on-training-wheels senior citizen?

A.

With the right amount of help and training, many people - regardless of age - can learn the basics of smartphone operation. To help make things easier for those who do not have a lot of experience or patience with modern gadgetry, some manufacturers are making smartphones specifically designed to be easier to use.

Such products include the Pantech Flex, an Android smartphone that offers an optional Easy Experience interface with larger text and home screen shortcut buttons. GreatCall, which makes the big-buttoned Jitterbug flip phone, now has a touch-screen smartphone, the Jitterbug Touch.

The Doro PhoneEasy 740, another simplified Android handset with a large touch screen and a keyboard, is scheduled for introduction in the United States next spring. The CNET site has an early review of the PhoneE asy 740.

If a bigger screen is the most desired feature, standard smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy Note line, which has a 5.3-inch display and can be used with a stylus, may be easier to use than a smartphone with a smaller screen. Apple's iPhone 5 model features a more petite four-inch screen, but Apple offers free workshops for new users at its Apple Stores in most major cities.