How consumers are writing the story of modern-day laptops
By Arnold Su
Human beings have evolved from primitive species to highly intelligent sentient. The advancement of science and technology has made the functions of our daily tasks smooth and seamless. These devices that we use have become an extension of our human body and help enhance our capabilities. Hence, we require powerful, portable as well as stylish computing products. If we think about innovation, the PC industry is one such industry that has revolutionised since its inception from 1981 to 2022. In the age of millennials, brands are always on the lookout to innovate new products to satisfy the changing demand of the consumers. According to a recent IDC report, India shipped 14.8 million PCs in 2021, recording a 44.5% year-over-year (YoY) growth.
Laptops used to be just for storing documents, but they have evolved in their functionality and have become a part of our everyday needs. From a 9 to 5 job, taking online classes, playing games, or keeping themselves entertained, laptops have gone beyond their primary function. Today, we have a wide range, including tabs, notebooks, and 2-in-1 convertibles. Laptop performance is another notable improvement; processors have also improved vastly. It’s now easier than ever to have multiple applications running at the same time so you could be writing up a few emails in one window while watching the latest binge-worthy Netflix show in another.
A paradigm shift in consumer behavior is one of the most important catalysts for these advancements in the PC industry, which has resulted in increased demand for systems that are several times faster and last longer than those of the past, allowing OEMs to develop more powerful and efficient devices. While tracing the evolution of laptops, a standout aspect has been the consistency in the design, portability, and performance of laptops’ architecture as the needs of the consumer change, listed below are a few factors that lead to a “new story of modern-day laptops”.
Varying consumer needs:
We are in the 21st century today, in a period that is well known for millennials. People are always on the go and need a device that fits into their space. The world around us changed in the last two years, and we were compelled to stay at home and continue our daily tasks. During this period, we saw a dramatic shift in the consumption pattern. Our home became our office, where we developed a close working relationship with our laptops. For the second year in a row, schools and universities continued to operate remotely, making the use of a computing device critical for students. Due to obvious advantages such as a larger screen and ease of use, some students who previously used smartphones/tablets for virtual lectures switched to PCs.
Gaming as a career:
PC gaming has been steadily increasing in India. Metros have higher penetration. In sync with current trends, brands are focusing on bringing devices with breakthrough system-level engineering controls to let gamers experience the latest game titles with confidence, visually immersive displays, VRAM support, Dolby Atmos sound, and a lightweight build.
Advancement of display features as consumption increases:
Smartphone and laptop manufacturers previously used LCD and LED displays, but they have progressively shifted to AMOLED and OLED panels, which appear to be more accurate and generate more colors than LED panels. OLED Laptops are on a journey towards light and energy-efficient, allowing creative professionals, photographers, content makers, and graphic designers to work with a laptop that is both portable and has a high-resolution screen. One of the key epochs in the laptop space is the dual-screen. A dual-screen laptop allows the user to perhaps check the work emails on a secondary screen while focusing on the major task at hand on the primary one.
Better performance and budget-friendly
Today consumers are intelligent shoppers and brands are consistently innovating and coming up with devices that support better battery life and that fit in their space. Apart from power and portability, price and battery life are two other noticeable ways in which laptops have advanced. We have witnessed the launch of revolutionary new laptops that give good battery life (thanks to current processors like the 12th Gen Intel CoreTM series, which are increasingly power-efficient).
When you consider some of the more under-the-radar advancements, such as integrated fingerprint sensors or facial recognition login via the laptop’s webcam, it’s clear that the laptop landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade, from the finer details to the big picture.
The author is business head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India