5 New Windows 11 PCs Highlighted by Microsoft at Launch
OEMs are preloading Windows 11 on some PCs, but chief product officer Panos Panay showcased his favorite new systems.
October 6, 2021
Microsoft
The fact that the Acer Aspire Vero comes with Windows 11 is perhaps less noteworthy than its design. At the forefront is that the Aspire Vero is a green PC built with recycled plastic. Thirty percent of the chassis is made of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, which Acer said reduces 21% emissions. The chassis is also paint-free, which Acer noted reduces the negative effect of VOCs. Also, 50% of the keycap materials consist of the PCR plastic. Acer also has emphasized that it made accessible, standard screws for easier repairs, upgrades and recycling. The system comes packaged with 100% recycled materials.
Now for the specs. The Aspire Vero has a 15.6-inch display, powered by an 11th Gen Intel processor with Iris X graphics. It has one Type-C and two Type-A USB ports, and supports Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
Customers looking for workstation capabilities should consider ASUS’ new ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED. ASUS said it can handle complex CAD modeling and high-resolution video editing. The new ProArt Studiobook is available is powered with either an AMD Ryzen 5000 Series or from Intel, a 3rd Gen Xeon workstation processor or Core i9 CPUs. Optional upgrades include NVIDIA RTX A5000 or A2000 graphics processors. The system is loaded with NVIDIA Studio Drivers designed to ensure high performance and software compatibility. According to ASUS, the 16-inch 4K OLED HDR 16:10 display provides 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut.
HP’s new ENVY 34 All-in-One system stands out with an ultra-wide 5K display lends itself to Windows 11’s new Snap Layouts feature, which displays multiple apps side by side. The PC also introduces a detachable magnetic 16 MP camera. It is powered with an 11th Gen 8-core Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics. The new ENVY 34 (a 32-inch model is also available) also stands out for its generous number of ports. It has two Thunderbolt 4 USB4, Type-C ports, two SuperSpeed USB Type-A ports and a standard one. The monitor stand has an additional USB-C and USB-A port and a memory card reader.
The 14-inch Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon, which weighs only 2.37 pounds, is powered with AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800U Series mobile processors with integrated AMD Radeon graphics or optional NVIDIA GeForce MX450. It has adjustable fan settings for users who want to adjust the system’s performance. Users can switch between extreme performance mode for compute-intensive work or they can leave the PC with Lenovo’s AI-based intelligent cooling mode. Lenovo claims the Yoga Slim 7 Carbon is sturdy enough to withstand routine drops and harsh environmental conditions. It has a 14-inch QHD+ Samsung display with narrow bezels on all four sides with a 90Hz refresh rate of 400 nits nominal brightness, adjustable up to 600 nits peak brightness.
A professional version called the Yoga Slim Pro 7 has a 16-inch display with QHD In-Plane Switching (IPS) touch, QHD+ and 16:10 layout for multi-tasking. The pro model is powered with AMD’s Ryzen mobile processors and supports an optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU. Lenovo said the Yoga Slim 7 Carbon Pro also has a smart noise cancelling mic, designed to reduce ambient sounds during video meetings.
Microsoft refreshed its Surface portfolio late last month but the one that stood out was its new workstation class Surface Laptop Studio. Microsoft has introduced a new design with this laptop, which has a 14.4-inch, 120 Hz touchscreen display that can transition from a traditional laptop to a presentation and viewing mode and to a flat canvas. The Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core H Series processor and supports up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics chipset. It’s supports up to 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD. Another option is Microsoft’s new Surface Slip Pen 2.
A variety of Dell’s laptops, desktops, 2-in-1s and all-in-one systems are available with Windows 11, but so far, the company hasn’t announced any systems designed for the new OS.
“In the next couple weeks, we’ll announce several brand-new PCs for consumers and businesses that will make the most of the new operating system,” according to a post Monday by Sam Burd, president of Dell’s client solutions group. Among those Dell is offering with Windows 11 is its new XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 laptop.
A variety of Dell’s laptops, desktops, 2-in-1s and all-in-one systems are available with Windows 11, but so far, the company hasn’t announced any systems designed for the new OS.
“In the next couple weeks, we’ll announce several brand-new PCs for consumers and businesses that will make the most of the new operating system,” according to a post Monday by Sam Burd, president of Dell’s client solutions group. Among those Dell is offering with Windows 11 is its new XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 laptop.
Windows 11 PCs are now available on select models that partners can evaluate for customers looking to be early adopters. Microsoft began a follow-the-sun global release on Oct. 5.
Most businesses typically wait, but partners should get their hands on Windows 11 and become familiar with it. At some point, Windows 11 will replace Windows 10 and there’s the potential it will happen faster than previous OS rollouts.
Partners can access the new software through a free Windows update on PCs that meet Microsoft’s hardware requirements. Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay, in his launch announcement Monday, showcased five recently introduced Windows 11 PCs.
But those aren’t the only new ones. Microsoft listed various laptop and desktop personal computers that are either shipping with Windows 11 or are upgradable.
A description of the five new PCs that Panay described as “incredible” appear in the slideshow above.
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