Day One
We’ve been expecting big things from Computex this year and after a couple of days it’s clear that Asia’s biggest technology trade show doesn’t disappoint.
Following a light schedule of introductory notes on Monday, the 35th Computex is now in full swing and there’s already a ton of interesting new devices to see.
Asus
The multinational Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer had a big first day, showing off a solid collection of its latest and greatest.
Sitting at the top of these new products has to be Asus’s Zen all-in-one desktop, two new gaming workstations and a suite of mini PCs that all play host to some of the first 6th generation Intel Core processors, dubbed Skylake.
But not just dishing out chip upgrades to its performance PCs, Asus has also upgraded the internals of the Transformer Book, moving from a Bay Trail processor to the Intel’s newer Atom X range of processors, Cherry Trail.
That’s not all though, seeing as it has only been six months since Asus released its first ZenWatch, the appearance of the second iteration of this wearable at Computex was another welcome surprise.
Nvidia
Of course, Nvidia showed off the highly anticipated GPU the GeForce GTX 980Ti, which boasts performance in the vicinity of the powerful Titan X, but costs close to a third less.
The California GPU manufacturers also put forward a range of collaborative laptops that will feature the company’s G-Sync technology. Gaming laptops from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and Clevo will all feature the desirable GPU-output and display frame-rate synchronisation feature.
Lenovo
It would be difficult to say that Lenovo’s showcase of the Magic View smartwatch concept was a highlight, but the dual screened wearable is undeniably unique.
Sporting a reasonably standard circular top display, Lenovo’s watch also features an additional hole that you can peer into for a second display that is 20 times the size of anything comparable.
Pre Show
It may not have the same exposure as CES, or the European allure of Mobile World Congress, but Computex Taipei is one of the world’s biggest technology trade shows.
This year, Asia’s largest trade show will welcome technology makers to Taipei’s incredible humidity between June 2 and June 6, promising plenty of exciting announcements for the second half of 2015 and beyond.
Now in its 35th year, Computex will continue to reflect the market trends in technology, so we expect to see and hear plenty of information about wearables, 3D printing, Windows 10 and more over the course of the event.
We’ll keep you updated with all the information from the show as it happens, but while we wait for June to roll around and the show’s doors to open, here’s our list of the things we want to see at Computex 2015.
On the Windows 10 Wagon
With Windows 10 set for an official launch some time this year (and all indicators pointing at a July timeframe), Computex 2015 should be full of machines showing off the new operating system.
From new laptops, tablets, all-in-ones, and hybrids, there’s sure to be a bevy of new products running the latest Windows build.
Acer has expressed its intention to launch upgrades to its Aspire Z3 hybrid 2-in-1 and Aspire ZC all-in-one desktop PC, which will both receive free upgrades to Windows 10 when it launches.
With companies like Acer, Asus, Microsoft and Intel all having a confirmed presence at the show, there’s no doubt Windows 10 will be a major drawcard at this year’s Computex.
Zotac will be launching upgrades to a number of its ZBOX micro PCs including its mid range C series home media PC that will shift from intel’s i5 processor to one of the newer core M processors and 8GB of integrated memory.
Zotac’s premium model of the M series the MA 760 will also be presented next week, marking the first mini pc to have four display outputs delivering a combined 4K resolution.
Wearable wonders
There is nothing hotter in the tech space than wearable technology at the moment, so you can expect the world’s second largest tech trade show to have plenty of smartwatches, fitness bands and other gadget apparel on display.
A quick look at the Computex Taipei website proves this to be true, with a list of some 20 or so companies confirmed to be bringing their wearable wares to the trade show.
Admittedly, the bulk of the companies listed as showcasing wearable tech aren’t the brands the western world associates with, but for a market expected to sell almost 45 million units this year, there’s plenty of room for new competitors.
Last year we saw e-ink smartwatch prototypes and Acer’s Liquid Leap wearable make an appearance, so expect big movements in this space this year.
In the lead up to the event, Acer confirmed it would be diversifying its Liquid Leap activity tracker with three new Active, Fit and Curve designs that are tailored to either the health conscious or the socially active user.
Scan and Print the world
The world of 3D printers is taking off, and Computex is going to be a key indicator to what the future holds for the technology.
One big focus area will be on 3D scanners, that can scan in real-world objects so they can be replicated by a 3D printer.
With 3D printing shifting from the enthusiast market to real world applications like medical and engineering, expect companies to show off their latest developments in this brave new world.
Intel, The Cloud and accessories
Intel-ligent upgrades
Computex is massive in its own right, but every year chipmaker Intel goes out of its way to keep Moore’s Law alive.
Last year they used the Taipei conference to announce its Core M processor, the earliest version of its Broadwell platform.
We already know that Intel is planning on unleashing a new Thunderbolt cable at the conference, and there’s going to be a big focus on the Internet of Things during the chipmaker’s keynote.
Will we see Broadwell’s successor, Skylake? It will undoubtedly be discussed by the chipmaker, but whether we see it on the show floor remains to be seen.
Cloud control
The Internet of Things is coming. And that means everything will be connected, both to each other, and to the cloud.
And so now that these things are going to be connected, security is going to be an ongoing concern.
To address this issue, Computex is hosting a dedicated Cloud Security forum during the event.
On top of that, you can expect a range of exhibitors doing their best to showcase their own solutions to the ongoing challenges faced by the growing Internet of Things industry.
Acer has confirmed it will showcase the company’s latest developments in its Build Your Own Cloud system that allows users to host their own cloud and wirelessly sync it across a custom ecosystem of devices.
Components and Cases
Those bits and pieces that make up your computer? They get better each and every year.
We know that major component manufacturers like AMD, Intel, Gigabyte and Nvidia, among others, will all be at the show demonstrating their newest technology.
Zotac has some exciting news for gamers with plans to launch two new iterations of its gaming E series of micro PCs and the new GeForce GTX Titan X Arctic Storm graphics card with an integrated water and air cooling systems.
But it’s not just internal components that will be filling up the show floor at Computex 2015. One of the best parts of the Asian tech conference is discovering the biggest, craziest PC cases the world can create.
Given a lot of the show floor is invariably made up of smaller companies looking to get some exposure, this market is going to be great to watch.
Peripherals and accessories
You need a new mouse. And a new keyboard. And a NAS. And maybe some flash drives.
All of these things will play a big part at Computex. Basically, if you can connect it to your PC, then you can find it at Computex.
We’ll be keeping a keen eye out for anything new and exciting, from updated Thunderbolt cables to the growing USB-C standard.
Yes, we said exciting. Don’t laugh.
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