The Economist- 12 issues for $12!Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH53
Manufacturer: Asus Part number: UX31E-DH53
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- Bottom Line:
- The Asus Zenbook UX31E is an excellent-looking Windows Ultrabook laptop that matches the MacBook Air step for step with an even better price. Fans of great audio, high-resolution screens and lots of ports will be happy; keyboard/touch pad aficionados will be disappointed.
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CNET editors' review
Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH53 price range: $1,199.00 - $1,349.99
- Reviewed by: Scott Stein
- Reviewed on: 10/24/2011
The good: The Asus Zenbook UX31E boasts sleek, pristine design, excellent-sounding speakers, a higher-resolution screen than the MacBook Air, and a better price for nearly identical specs.
The bad: The keyboard and touch pad are weak points; there are equally thin laptops out there with better battery life.
The bottom line: The Asus Zenbook UX31E is an excellent-looking Windows Ultrabook laptop that matches the MacBook Air step for step with an even better price. Fans of great audio, high-resolution screens and lots of ports will be happy; keyboard/touch pad aficionados will be disappointed.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the MacBook Air should be positively blushing right around now. A sudden onslaught of Ultrabooks--the Intel-coined term for thin, MacBook Air-esque Windows laptops with fast boot times and sleek, high-end designs--has hit just in time for the holidays, and one of the most highly hyped ones we've seen is the Asus Zenbook, a product that doesn't shy away from an Apple-like design whatsoever. That's not such a bad thing: who doesn't want a thin, unibody metal lightweight laptop that starts fast and has a great battery life?
The 13-inch Asus Zenbook, despite looking at least as expensive and high-end as laptops such as the Samsung Series 9, has a starting price of $1,099, which includes 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD drive. That's $200 less expensive than the equivalent MacBook Air. Smartly, the Zenbook gets that part right: when competing with a product as singularly well-known and highly rated as the MacBook Air, your product has to be either better or cheaper.
Cheaper, it is: as for better, I'd have to disagree. Excellent speakers, sleek design, and a high-resolution screen are accompanied by a finicky keyboard and touch pad, giving the ever-so-slightly-off sensation when working on the Zenbook. It feels like the opposite of the silky-smooth experience on a MacBook Air. Battery life is short of the Air's lofty numbers, too. Nearly 5 hours isn't shabby, but it's not industry-leading.
Those are somewhat minor issues for what's otherwise a very solid and impressive thin laptop, but at a price north of $1,000, these are issues anyone would pay attention to. The 13-inch Zenbook UX31 gets more expensive in 256GB SSD and Core i7 configurations, climbing up to $1,449 at its highest price. If I were buying a Zenbook, I'd stick with our $1,099 review model and live with the limitations, glad that I had a MacBook Air-alike that saved me a few dollars along the way. If your idea of an Ultrabook is a Windows version of a MacBook Air with a slightly lower price, then consider the Zenbook your product: just be forewarned that the keyboard, touch pad, and battery life are less impressive than the audio/visual bells and whistles.
| Price as reviewed | $1,099 |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5-2557M |
| Memory | 4GB, 1333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 128GB SSD |
| Chipset | Intel QS67 |
| Graphics | Intel HD 3000 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.8 x 8.8 inches |
| Height | 0.1-0.7 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 3.1/3.5 pounds |
| Category | 13-inch |
Take the Asus Zenbook out of its foam-lined jewel-box packaging, and you might think you'd accidentally bought a MacBook Air. The experience is that similar, down to the square plastic wall charger with a removable plug tip. The Zenbook, made of unibody aluminum like the MacBook Air, has a darker gloss to its back lid and a heft that makes it almost feel more like magnesium or steel. Radial metal lines on the back catch light and give the Zenbook an industrial-design flavor. Inside, the metal surfaces are brushed in a subtle vertical pattern. Brushed metal on the bottom is only interrupted by a rear speaker grill and four black rubber feet.
The bladelike teardrop shape of the Zenbook is even curved like a MacBook Air, but it's slightly more bulbous: its 0.71 inch of maximum thickness is cleverly concealed, but I could tell the difference when I slipped it into a messenger bag. A weight of 3.1 pounds is still light, but it's a tad heavier than the MacBook Air, Acer S3, and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s.
Ports line the sides of the Zenbook UX31, just like on the MacBook Air. USB, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack line the left side, while a USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort, and Micro-HDMI port line the right. There isn't any Ethernet jack, but Asus includes a USB-to-Ethernet and VGA dongle with the Zenbook, along with an attractive brown, nylon mailer-envelope-style sleeve to protect your laptop investment.
The Zenbook's got a great coffee-shop quotient: it's easy to slip into and out of a bag, and odds are you'll draw a fair amount of casual attention from nearby latte-sippers when using it. I found that fellow office-workers were more eager to check it out than the typical laptop. Asus spent a lot of effort on the Zenbook's design, and it shows.
The magnetic hinge that keeps the Zenbook closed works somewhat like a MacBook Air's, but the narrow lip is harder to catch with your fingers and pull apart. Sometimes it worked perfectly, other times I had to fiddle a bit. Once it opens, the interior's clean and crisp design offers an unencumbered keyboard seated up near the screen and a very large--about as large as a MacBook Air's--multitouch click pad, with dedicated click zones underneath delineated with a simple little black dividing line.
Alas, if only that keyboard and touch pad could come close to what a MacBook provides. The flat, square raised keys are too shallow and mushy for my taste, but it's more than that: I mistyped quite a bit when keys didn't seem to register. The keyboard's top row of function keys does double duty for volume control and screen brightness, and the power button's part of this same row on the far right. All buttons required me to simultaneously press Fn to raise/lower volume and the like, which killed some of the elegance. The keyboard also lacks backlighting, and the black-on-silver key lettering can be hard to read at off angles.
The touch pad isn't the more common Synaptics version, but a Sentelic that, while offering similar two- and three-finger gesture controls, wasn't as responsive consistently--even when we installed the latest driver updates. Neither the keyboard nor the touch pad is a deal breaker, but they mar the supposed Zen-like feel I felt that Asus hopes we achieve via the Zenbook. Love at first sight didn't describe my ergonomic experience.
Asus includes some software tools on the Zenbook that should feel familiar to owners of other Asus computers. Lifeframe, Asus' Webcam program, is as chock-full of odd backgrounds and extra features as always. Instant On is a desktop widget that promises faster wake-up from sleep. I activated it (who wouldn't?) and found a cold powered-off boot-up to take around 16 seconds, but wake-up from sleep by lifting the lid was indeed snappy, coming in right around the promised 2-second mark. A clever battery life widget shows not only the estimated hours left of use, but estimated hours for game play, "office operation," video playback, and Internet browsing. Asus promises two weeks of standby time when in sleep mode, but I wasn't able to test this in the limited time I've spent with the laptop. A data-save feature will save the laptop's data when the battery dips below 5 percent, much like Apple's MacBooks already do quite well.
The 13.3-inch glossy glass screen is framed in a bezel that's not edge-to-edge, but will be familiar to MacBook Air users, too. The screen resolution is an impressive 1,600x900 pixels, well above the 1,366x768 pixels on other Ultrabooks and mainstream laptops. I was able to fit more onto the screen--more documents, more text--and the finer resolution wasn't a big strain to my eyes. While the screen's very bright, colors and viewing angles aren't quite as spectacular. I tilted the screen and found the picture quality degraded faster than an IPS-style screen.
Asus touts the audio on the Zenbook, and it lives up to the billing. I loved listening to music and movies via the Bang & Olufson-designed speakers, situated under the laptop. Their resonance and quality were a step above other thin laptops I've used. They're not the best laptop speakers I've ever experienced, but for the size, they might be.
The included Webcam's a letdown: I booted up Lifeframe and discovered that the camera had a 640x480-pixel maximum resolution. That's no better than a budget laptop, and doesn't fit the sticker price.
| Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH52 | Average for category [13-inch] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Mini VGA, micro HDMI | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone combo jack | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, SD card reader | 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband |
| Optical drive | None | DVD burner |
Despite being so small, the Zenbook UX31E-DH52 manages to include all the ports I'd expect on a larger laptop, including USB 3.0 and HDMI. Some of the ports are limited in number (only 1 USB 2.0 and 1 USB 3.0) or size (Micro-HDMI, mini VGA), but dongles for VGA and Ethernet make up for what's missing better than Apple's MacBook Air or the Samsung Series 9 do. I wish this had a standard HDMI port--I hate using dongles. Of course the optical drive's intentionally left out, as it is across all Ultrabooks.
The 13-inch Zenbook UX31 (there's also an 11-inch model, the UX21) comes in three configuration varieties, starting at $1,099 for the UX31E-DH52 this review unit: a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD storage. That's $200 less than the equivalent 13-inch MacBook Air, or $100 less than a comparable Lenovo IdeaPad U300s. The 256GB SSD configuration bumps the price to $1,349, and upgrading to a Core i7 CPU brings the price to $1,449. Still, even at that lofty price, it beats the top-end MacBook Air by $100 while offering a better processor, and gives more bang for the buck than the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s. You can't argue that the Asus Zenbook isn't a relative value.
A 1.7 GHz Core i5-2557M processor is technically a low-voltage CPU, but it's the same generation of processor that's in laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, Acer Aspire S3, and Apple MacBook Air. In performance tests, the entry-level Zenbook managed to outperform both the Acer Aspire S3 and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s in general, even though the gains were sometimes slight. Experientially, I found it was an excellent experience for all-around computing. Unless you're doing heavy video editing, graphics work, or gaming, you won't notice the processing compromise. Multitasking and video streaming in HD were all excellent, as would be expected.
With the included Intel integrated graphics, I didn't expect this system to be used for much gaming, and neither should you, if by gaming you're thinking of Call of Duty. With the higher-resolution 1,600x900-pixel screen, you should expect basic casual games and mainstream gaming with settings turned down, but not much more.
 Juice box |
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| Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH52 | Average watts per hour | ||
| Off (60 percent) | 0.44 | ||
| Sleep (10 percent) | 0.70 | ||
| Idle (25 percent) | 7.56 | ||
| Load (5 percent) | 35.89 | ||
| Raw kWh | 35.20 | ||
| Annual energy cost | $4.00 | ||
With its integrated battery, the Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH52 lasted through four hours and 45 minutes of video playback before needing a recharge. That's not bad at all, but I expected a little more. The battery outperformed the Acer Aspire S3, but the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s fared a little better. Battery life expectations have been blown open by laptops like the Toshiba Portege and Apple MacBook Air, which each exceeded seven hours on the same test. While you could get a lot of computing done on roughly five hours of battery life (more if you adjust battery modes and usage), you would be justified in envying any laptop that bested it, like the Air.
Asus offers a two-year warranty on parts and labor and one year of accidental damage protection with the Zenbook UX31E-DH52, which easily bests the minimal warranty service on the average consumer laptop. Asus' Web site can get a little confusing to navigate, but 24/7 phone support is also available.
Windows owners hoping for their own MacBook Air get closer than ever with the Asus Zenbook UX31E-DH2, with the added benefit of a greater variety of ports and a lower price. The Zenbook is less expensive on a pure processor/spec comparison than the MacBook Air. The Zenbook's underwhelming keyboard, battery life, and webcam could be turn-offs for some, while the higher-resolution screen and high-quality onboard speakers might seal the deal for others.
System configurations
Asus UX31E-DH52
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
64MB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 128GB Solid State Drive
Toshiba Portege R835-P56X
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
64MB (Dedicated)/1696MB (Total) Intel GMA HD; 640GB Hitachi 5,400rpm
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-2677M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 256GB JMicron 616 Solid State Drive
Acer Aspire S3-951-6646
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
128MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm + 20GB Solid State Drive
Apple Macbook Air 13.3-inch - Summer 2011
OS X 10.7 Lion; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 384MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000;
128GB Apple Solid State Drive
Dell XPS 14z
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-2640M; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz;
1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 520M / 1GB(Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 750GB Western Digital 7,200rpm
Find out more about how we test laptops.
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User reviews
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I Like, I Like A Lot!
by JamesGengler on March 17, 2012
Pros: 1)Screen is fantastic, excellent clarity with a max resolution 1600x900
2)Sound is fantastic for such small speakers
3)Video performance is good
4)Boot up is amazingly fast
5)Laptops design is top notch, metal finish is amazing, built very sturdilyCons: 1)It doesn't have a backlit keyboard
2)Network card is a bitslow. Very similar to the wifi card in tablets ( android/ipad)Summary: The Asus Zenbook UX31E is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing ultrabook/notebooks that I have ever come across. The entire notebook (with exception of the screen bezel and ...
Summary: The Asus Zenbook UX31E is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing ultrabook/notebooks that I have ever come across. The entire notebook (with exception of the screen bezel and keyboard) is machined from aluminum. The outside of the lid is a different color than the rest of the ultrabook, but it is an amazing titanium color that clearly shows the swirl marks of the machining process. The entire weight of the ultrabook is just under (3) three pounds, but feels slightly heavier (in my humble opinion).
The ultrabook comes with (1) one USB 2.0 port, (1) one USB 3.0 port, a Multimedia Card Secure Digital (MMC/SD) reader slot, one micro-HDMI, and a micro-VGA port that seems to be proprietary - meaning that the port is for a VGA adapter. Within the packaging, there is also a USB to Ethernet adapter in case there is a need to use an Ethernet cable. The packing also includes a nice sleeve for the Zenbook as well as the usual packing that comes with most other notebooks. If admiring packing is your thing, you will be impressed considering the packing is just as aesthetically pleasing as the Zenbook.
The power supply has a nice small footprint, but the shape of it can be rather cumbersome when it comes to plugging it into surge protectors or just a regular outlet for that matter. For many that are on the road, this can be a rather serious problem, and hopefully a third party vendor will come up with a better solution, or you can simply use a small extension cord. The keyboard is spaced well and has a nice clicking sound (not as bad as mechanical keyboards). Furthermore, the keys have a nice pressure associated with it, and unlike many other reviews, I have not noticed any keyboard malfunction. That said, there is one issue that may be concerning for some -- the power button is part of the keyboard and its location above the backspace button. For people that have larger fingers, they may accidently tap the power button, and depending on your environmental settings, can put the Zenbook to sleep.
The screen is fantastic and has excellent clarity with a max resolution 1600x900. Although I am not a fan of glossy screens, I do not seem to notice much or any glare (yet). The sound is fantastic for such small speakers, and in my humble opinion are some of the best speakers that I heard coming from notebooks and ultrabooks. The video performance is good; however, do not expect to be able to play demanding games and other applications that require a more powerful video card. It is important to note that this is by no means a desktop replacement.
There have been many negative reviews as to the touch pad. Asus decided to use two different touchpad vendors resulting in poor performance. In addition, the end-user does not have the option to pick and choose what touchpad to purchase resulting in units being shipped with different touchpads. Mine came with the Elan touchpad. When I first started using the touchpad, I did notice some lag, but after updating the drivers, this was resolved.
Another issue that seems to be concerning to many users is the Atheros built in wireless adapter. Apparently, many are losing their wireless connection and/or getting a weak signal. I also noticed this problem and it was resolved with a driver update.
As many already know, PC vendors will install a lot of annoying bloatware. The Zenbook does come with its fair share of bloatware, and an easy way to resolve this is to download a free program called PC Decrapifier that will allow you to uninstall these programs much easier than going through programs and features.
The battery life is acceptable and it is safe to say that you should get a solid (4) four plus hours and even more depending on the individual preference of environmental settings. It is also important to note that the Zenbook Solid State Drive (SSD) comes in two different flavors - mine came with the SanDisk SSD U100. The other is the faster ADATA Sandforce. Furthermore, these are not your typical SATA SSD drives (such as the OCZ Vertex series), so do not expect the Input/Output Operations Per Seconds (IOPS) to be earth shattering. That said, it is much faster than 7,200 RPM SATA mechanical drives, and you will see a significant difference in performance in boot times (POST) as well as applications loading faster. In addition, I do not see a way to increase memory - there are no SO DIMM slots which can be concerning for some. That said, all this is necessary to keep the Zenbook's footprint to be equivalent to the Apple MacBook Air.
In conclusion, the Asus Zenbook is a fantastic ultrabook that is an eye opener for those that want the MacBook Air footprint, but do not want to be associated with MAC products and price. As you can see, there are more pros than cons, and the negatives such as the touchpad and wireless can be resolved with a driver update. For the price, I find this to be a nice solution for individuals that are looking for a portable solution for both business and entertainment that are in the $800.00-$1,200.00 enthusiast ultrabook/notebook range that want a powerful, but slim and compact solution.
PS: for best price of this ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH53, if you're will buy it, I suggest you have to compare prices before you decide at: Prices-comparison.info/Zenbook-UX31E-DH53
Hope this review helpful.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice computer, terrible touch pad and service
by DanielBrooks100 on April 25, 2012
Pros: All the bells and whistles, decent battery, nice screen.
Cons: Touch pad difficult to use, text jumps around and the font keeps changing sizes.
Customer service worthless in helping me replace a lost charger.
Basically this computer is absolutely no fund.Summary: The touch pad is driving me up the wall. And if I rest my hand on the computer the text starts jumping around like this:
My names ing me crazy ...Summary: The touch pad is driving me up the wall. And if I rest my hand on the computer the text starts jumping around like this:
My names ing me crazy drivis is computer Joe and thei.
See? As I was typing the words I typed jumped back into the text Id originally written. Have to hold my hands above the computer body and not touch the computer while typing. Of course I keep forgetting.
Customer service is a complete disaster. I lost the charging unit and could not find a replacement to save my life.
Will put this machine on the market as soon as I can. The vendor probably won't take it back... -
Don't buy. You will be returning it.
by Igasthem on April 13, 2012
Pros: Beautiful. Sexy. No keyboard problems nor touch pad problems.
Cons: 1st one crashed by turning on and off 15 times in a row. Tech Support finally suggested System Recovery. Still crashed. Took it back to Best Buy and they gave me another one. Second one turned on and off 12 times. Took it back and got money back.
Summary: I will wait for the Dell XPS-31 to be available through Best Buy. They are the best since they will exchange/refund with no problem. To have 2 new in ...
Summary: I will wait for the Dell XPS-31 to be available through Best Buy. They are the best since they will exchange/refund with no problem. To have 2 new in box computers from 2 different stores have the same problems means that there is a problem with the product. Probably the board. All I did was install Office Office and Home (new). I am not a tech guy and haven't the time to go through all sorts of problem solving. When I brought the second one back to Best Buy they had one of their Geeks (their name, not mine) take it into the back room and he immediately had the same problem and they gave me my money back.
I want a computer with these physical specs very badly but I will wait for the Dell. Right now Dell is only selling mail order and I have no patience trying to return something that malfunctions to a tech support guy in another country. -
Trackpad is a deal breaker
by mcsue on March 28, 2012
Pros: Nice size, attractive design, fairly good battery life
Cons: Unresponsive, jumpy, stiff, often uncontrollable trackpad
Summary: I love the size and, at least compared to my 4 year old Gateway, I'm very pleased with the battery life. The keys are stiff and noisy, but even ...
Summary: I love the size and, at least compared to my 4 year old Gateway, I'm very pleased with the battery life. The keys are stiff and noisy, but even that was an adjustment I could make. But there is no solution for the bad trackpad, even with driver uploads. There just doesn't seem to be defined control with it -- anything can happen. I've tried infinite adjustments within the control panel, nothing makes it better, lots of changes make it even worse.
I work on the computer 5-10 hours a day with documents and graphics and normally only use a trackpad; if anybody's fingers can adjust and deal with a trackpad, it would be mine.I am completely worthless with this one. I added a wireless mouse, an addition I find annoying because I move around too much to drag a mouse everywhere. Constantly find myself without the mouse and having to use the mediocre trackpad. After awhile my fingers almost hurt from how hard I have to work them to use this trackpad. It's a big disappointment in an otherwise very successful machine.
I will have to pass this along to another employee who only uses it as a desktop computer with a mouse. You can bet that next time I will spend a long time in the store testing trackpad responsiveness before I buy the next computer.Didin't even think of it because it's never been an issue before.
I have to give it only 2 stars because even though I like many things about the computer, bottom line is whether it functions well. The trackpad essentially ruins all the other good things about it. -
No service from Asus.
by Coyote1616 on February 14, 2012
Pros: Very nicely build. Aluminum case. Feels high quality.
Very thin and small for 13.3.
Fast boot and stable OS (Win7/64).
Great display.Cons: No service from Asus.
Keyboard: you need to punch the CENTER of every key in order to get it responsive.(it is an issue). Normally I get mistype every few words. In the Asus every second word has a missing letter.
Thouchpad: Well its not Lenovo.Summary: So, If you work with your laptop get Lenovo T or X series.
Asus Zenbook ( i7 and 256 SSD) is very responsive laptop but as a full day working tool ? ...Summary: So, If you work with your laptop get Lenovo T or X series.
Asus Zenbook ( i7 and 256 SSD) is very responsive laptop but as a full day working tool ? Its NOT stand up for the task.
If you need service ? Look elsewhere.
As a coffee-shop Laptop, the Zenbook is OK. (same as Apple Air). -
Fantastic ultrabook
by lisbeth28 on January 13, 2012
Pros: If you are looking for a thin and light laptop with power, speed, performance and good looks then the Zenbook is definitely worth checking out. I wanted to be able to run Windows natively and chose this over the MBA
Cons: As soon as you get it out of the box you have to update almost every single driver. Yes the trackpad is that bad before the update and it still needs work. Battery life is meh
Summary: If you are looking for a laptop that wont break your back figuratively and literately the Zenbook is a great choice. My old laptop was sending me to the Chiropracter, ...
Summary: If you are looking for a laptop that wont break your back figuratively and literately the Zenbook is a great choice. My old laptop was sending me to the Chiropracter, I sometimes check my bag to make sure I didnt leave the Zenbook behind (it is that light) I was torn between the Zenbook and a Macbook Air and I chose the Zenbook because I wanted to run Windows natively and the specs were awesome. Now that I have the Zenbook would I buy it again? Good question I have to say Asus did a CRAPPY job releasing the Zenbook it is so buggy out of the box it is ALMOST unusable be prepared to spend the first hour after you take it out of the box upgrading and updating every driver, device etc on the laptop. The trackpad was barely functional before I updated the driver. It is better after the update but it still needs a lot of work. Battery life is not great you will need to keep this plugged in. The Zenbook produces very little heat so if you want a lap warmer during the winter season stick with a laptop. I recommend this laptop for anyone who travels frequently, wants Windows and wants a less bulky machine.
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Tech-sexy-cool and powerful enough for most users.
by jeffreyjhardy on December 16, 2011
Pros: Feels very solid (important on ultrabooks). Crazy thin and portable (most people think that I have a sleeve over an iPad, but it is my Zenbook). The Bang & Olufsen speakers are the best I have heard on a laptop, bar none. The screen res is great.
Cons: You HAVE to update the driver first thing. There are a few anoying trackpad, keyboard, and networking issues if you don't. The mini-VGA and micro-HDMI ports are too close together. They battery-saver powers down too much.
Summary: Also, the machine is available with i3, i5, and i7 processors. Not all i7s are the same and, on the Zenbook, you do not get the extra valus on the ...
Summary: Also, the machine is available with i3, i5, and i7 processors. Not all i7s are the same and, on the Zenbook, you do not get the extra valus on the i7 for the added cost (in my opinion). Save a few bucks and go with the i5 version. REad more on that here: http://jeffreyjhardy.com/?p=100
But overall, I really like this laptop. The keyboard is very slick too. Some people do not like it, but the brushed metal keys with short throw really works for me. Two thumbs up. -
STYLISH AND POWERFUL
by mclevit on November 19, 2011
Pros: VERY EASY TO TRANSPORT.YOU GETTING EVERYTHING IN JUST ONE LITTLE COMPUTER.I HAVE USED THIS WITH MY PRO TOOLS 10 AND THE AVID MEDIA COMPOSER 6..JUST TOO PERFECT.
Cons: NO BACK LIGHTS
Summary: THE REVIEW HERE IS NOT FAIR.I HAVE USED IT AND HAVE TAKEN MY TIME TO SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT IT.I HAVE CHECKED OTHER REVIEWS FROM YOUTUBE ...
Summary: THE REVIEW HERE IS NOT FAIR.I HAVE USED IT AND HAVE TAKEN MY TIME TO SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT IT.I HAVE CHECKED OTHER REVIEWS FROM YOUTUBE AND OTHER WEBSITES.WITH AN I7 IN THIS LITTLE THING,YOU CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING.SO LETS FORGET ABOUT ALL THIS FAN BOY TALK AND FACE THE REAL ISSUES..
THE ZENBOOK IS BY FAR MORE BETTER THAN THE MACBOOK AIR PERIOD
EVEN THE TRACKPAD ISSUE HAS BEEN FIXED.BATTERY LIFE IS BETTER TOO AND IN MANY OTHER ASPECTS.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/21/asus-zenbook-ux31-review/
YOUTUBE LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGLYRMq_pc -
Great first attempt at an ultra-book.
by pjgen on November 17, 2011
Pros: Physically attractive. Small, fast, light. I have even run Photoshop CS5 on it, and it does not choke, (but the screen is a little small for that use.)
Cons: The biggest problem is the touch pad. I have read reviews that that said the touch pad needed work. That is too mild, the touch pad is terrible. It is very erratic, and frustrating. The keyboard is also unresponsive at times. Latest driver, no help.
Summary: Fix the touch pad and it is a winner.
Summary: Fix the touch pad and it is a winner.
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Asus
- Part number: UX31E-DH53
- Description: The ZENBOOK UX31E uses a precision-crafted design measuring only 3mm at the front and 9mm at the rear. The form features razor thin edges and a curved center section, which is both practical and attractive - while accommodating the powerful computing components within, this design also looks totally unique. It embodies beauty and strength in complete balance and harmony. Exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine II with instant on enables 2-second resume of the notebook from sleep, with up to two weeks of standby time with open files and other pending data kept safe in memory. Plus, automatic data backup when the battery reaches 5% charge further helps secure your work. ASUS ZENBOOK UX31E keeps energy saving front and center with a dedicated Battery Saving Mode, which conserves power whenever possible to increase battery life by as much as 25%. You're also always in the know when it comes to the battery thanks to ASUS PowerWiz, a utility that shows exactly how much charge is left per application - web browsing, movie watching. ASUS ZENBOOK UX31E combines power, efficiency, smooth usage and user empowerment, all on in one sleek package. ASUS is proud to deliver the world's first ultrabook with SATA 6Gb/s solid state storage, making for an amazingly smooth and fast computing experience. Additionally, all ASUS ZENBOOK models ship with USB 3.0 as standard, multiplying the transfer rates of current USB 2.0 by as much as a factor of ten! Combined, SSD storage and USB 3.0 create incredible speed of data transfer rates.
General
- System Type Ultrabook
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
- Notebook type Ultraportable (Under 4 lbs.)
Processor / Chipset
- Processor Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 i5-2557M,
1.7 GHz - Multi-Core Technology Dual-Core
- 64-bit Computing Yes
- Chipset Mobile Intel QS67 Express
- Features Intel vPro Technology,
Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0,
Intel AES New Instructions (AES-NI) Memory
- RAM 4 GB,
( Provided memory is soldered ) - Technology DDR3 SDRAM
- Speed 1333 MHz
Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Hard Drive 256 GB,
SSD - Interface Serial ATA-600
- Storage Removable None
- Optical Drive None
- Hard drive type Solid state
Display
- Type 13.3 in
- LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight
- Max Resolution 1600 x 900 ( HD+ )
- Widescreen Yes
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
Audio & Video
- Graphics Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000
- Memory Allocation Technology Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
- Camera Yes
- Resolution 0.3 Megapixel
- Sound Microphone
- Compliant Standards High Definition Audio
- Audio Features ASUS SonicMaster,
ASUS Bang & Olufsen ICEpower Input
- Type Keyboard,
Touchpad
Communications
- Wireless 802.11n,
Bluetooth 4.0 Battery
- Technology Lithium polymer
- Capacity 50 Wh
- Run Time 7 hour(s)
AC Adapter
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Output 45 Watt , 19 V , 2.37 A
Connections & Expansion
- Slots Memory,
Memory card reader - Interfaces USB 2.0,
USB 3.0,
Headphone/microphone combo jack,
Mini-VGA,
Micro-HDMI - Interfaces 1 x USB 3.0 - USB 3.0,
1 x USB 2.0 - USB 2.0,
1 x Display / video - VGA,
1 x Micro HDMI,
1 x Microphone - Memory Card Reader 2 in 1 card reader ( SD Memory Card ),
( MultiMediaCard ) Software
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.
Miscellaneous
- Color Silver aluminum
- Features Intel Anti-Theft Technology (iAT),
Intel Identity Protection Technology (Intel IPT),
Intel Rapid Start Technology,
ASUS Super Hybrid Engine II - Included Accessories Sleeve
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 12.8 in
- Depth 0.71 in
- Height 8.8 in
- Weight 2.86 lbs
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Asus
Specs: Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 i5-2467M,
1.6 GHz ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB,
128 GB,
- Serial ATA-600,
11.6 in,
TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0,
2.43 lbs,
Silver aluminum -
Manufacturer: Asus
Specs: Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 i7-2677M,
1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB,
128 GB,
- Serial ATA-600,
11.6 in,
TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0,
2.43 lbs,
Silver aluminum -
Manufacturer: Asus
Specs: Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 i5-2557M,
1.7 GHz ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB,
128 GB,
- Serial ATA-600,
13.3 in,
TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0,
2.86 lbs,
Silver aluminum -
Manufacturer: Asus
Specs: Intel 2nd Gen Core i5 i5-2557M,
1.7 GHz ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB,
256 GB,
- Serial ATA-600,
13.3 in,
TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0,
2.86 lbs,
Silver aluminum -
Manufacturer: Asus
Specs: Intel 2nd Gen Core i7 i7-2677M,
1.8 GHz ( Dual-Core ),
4 GB,
256 GB,
- Serial ATA-600,
13.3 in,
TFT active matrix,
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium,
None,
Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0,
2.86 lbs,
Silver aluminum
Accessories
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 4 GB (34637987)9.69
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 64 GB (34581520)64.99
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 64 GB (34581564)62.99
- ASUS WX-Lamborghini mouse (34433827)56.14
- ASUS Laser Gaming Mouse GX800 mouse (34442833)
- Belkin Compact Mouse M100 mouse (35145329)7.99
- Cisco Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 router (35098697)164.99 - 199.99
- Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router (34200558)114.79 - 135.00
- Belkin N150 Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859948)28.99 - 34.99
- Belkin N300 Wireless N Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (35263578)39.99 - 48.99
- Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router - wireless router - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35190484)66.57 - 104.73
- Belkin N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11n - desktop (35262637)194.99 - 292.17
- Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti HighPower Giga WZR-HP-G450H - wireless router - none - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859675)82.11 - 95.99
- Cisco 881 Fast Ethernet Security Router supporting EVDO/1xRTT - router - cellular modem - 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (35026157)
- Cisco 892F Gigabit Ethernet Security Router - wireless router - ISDN - 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (34693849)
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Asus products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Asus
- Address:
44370 Nobel Drive, Fremont, CA 94538 - Phone: +1-510-739-3777
- Email: tmd1@asus.com
- Fax: +1-510-608-4555
