ASUS' Zenbook Lineup: The First Ultrabooks Arrive October 12, Starting at $999

ASUS just announced its first line of Ultrabook PCs under the new Zenbook brand at a press event in NYC. There are a total of five models in the Zenbook lineup ranging in price from $999 to $1499 and available in both 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch display configurations. Based on specs alone, the Zenbook lineup is very similar to Apple's 2011 MacBook Air. Dimensions are almost identical, although ASUS' 11 is a little heavier than Apple's while its 13 is a little lighter. The entire Zenbook lineup ships with 4GB of DDR3 memory and all of the systems use the same ULV Sandy Bridge parts that Apple uses in the MacBook Air. Battery capacities are identical to the Air models at 35Whr and 50Whr depending on the chassis size. ASUS does claim lower standby numbers than Apple (up to 10 days vs. up to 30 for the MBA), but that's likely an OS limitation. The Zenbooks typically give you a larger SSD than Apple (and 6Gbps on top of that) as well as a single USB 3.0 port to complement its USB 2.0 port. ASUS claims a 2 second resume time for all of the Zenbook models, presumably from a suspend-to-RAM state.

ASUS Zenbook Lineup UX21E-DH52UX21E-DH71UX31E-DH52UX31E-DH53UX31E-DH72CPUi5-2467Mi7-2677Mi5-2557Mi5-2557Mi7-2677MOSWindows 7 Home Premium 64-bitDisplay11.6-inch 1366 x 76813.3-inch 1600 x 900Memory4GB DDR3Storage128GB 6Gbps SSD256GB 6Gbps SSDWireless Connectivity802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0Battery35Whr (5+ Hours)
up to 7 day standby50Whr (7+ Hours)
up to 10 day standbyCamera0.3MPAudioBang and Olufsen ICEpower & ASUS SonicMaster TechI/O1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1x audio/mic, 1x microHDMI, 1x miniVGA1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA, 1 x SD Card readerDimensions11.7 x 7.7 x 0.11-0.67"12.8 x 8.8 x 0.11-0.71"Weight2.43 lbs2.86 lbsUSA MSRP$999$1199$1099$1349$1499Gallery: ASUS 2011 UX Series

The first Zenbooks will be available for order in the US starting October 12th. I've included some head to head comparisons between the various Zenbook models and their MacBook Air counterparts below. For the most part the specs aren't all that different. I don't expect that there are a ton of users who cross-shop similarly priced Macs and PCs, the Zenbook simply looks like a good option for those users who want a MacBook Air but prefer Windows 7.

ASUS' 13-inch offerings do have a higher resolution display than their Apple counterparts (1600 x 900 vs 1440 x 900). We're still waiting to hear back on the panel technology used in the Zenbooks, but I would be surprised if it was anything more than plain-old-TN like the Macs. Compared to the upgraded MBAs however, ASUS' Zenbooks do offer higher clocked CPUs at the same price point.

ASUS Zenbook U31E vs. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air UX31E-DH52UX31E-DH53Base 13-inch MBACPUi5-2557M 1.7GHz/2C/3MBi5-2557M 1.7GHz/2C/3MBi5-2557M 1.7GHz/2C/3MBDisplay13.3-inch 1600 x 90013.3-inch 1600 x 90013.3-inch 1440 x 900Memory4GB DDR34GB DDR34GB DDR3Storage128GB 6Gbps SSD256GB 6Gbps SSD128GB 3Gbps SSDWireless Connectivity802.11 b/g/n802.11 b/g/n802.11 a/b/g/nBattery50 Whr50 Whr50 WhrCamera0.3MP0.3MP0.3MPI/O1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA, 1 x SD Card reader1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA, 1 x SD Card reader2 x USB 2, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x Thunderbolt, 1 x SD Card readerDimensions12.8 x 8.8 x 0.11-0.71"12.8 x 8.8 x 0.11-0.71"12.8 x 8.94 x 0.11-0.68"Weight2.86 lbs2.86 lbs2.96 lbsMSRP$1099$1349$1299

 

ASUS Zenbook U31E vs. Apple 13-inch MacBook Air UX31E-DH72Upgraded 13-inch MBACPUi7-2667M 1.8GHz/2C/4MBi5-2557M 1.7GHz/2C/3MBDisplay13.3-inch 1600 x 90013.3-inch 1440 x 900Memory4GB DDR34GB DDR3Storage256GB 6Gbps SSD256GB 3Gbps SSDWireless Connectivity802.11 b/g/n802.11 a/b/g/nBattery50 Whr50 WhrCamera0.3MP0.3MPI/O1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA, 1 x SD Card reader2 x USB 2, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x Thunderbolt, 1 x SD Card readerDimensions12.8 x 8.8 x 0.11-0.71"12.8 x 8.94 x 0.11-0.68"Weight2.86 lbs2.96 lbsMSRP$1499$1599

 

ASUS Zenbook U21E vs. Apple 11-inch MacBook Air UX21E-DH52Base 11-inch MBACPUi5-2467M 1.6GHz/2C/3MBi5-2467M 1.6GHz/2C/3MBDisplay11.6-inch 1366 x 76811.6-inch 1366 x 768Memory4GB DDR32GB DDR3Storage128GB 6Gbps SSD64GB 3Gbps SSDWireless Connectivity802.11 b/g/n802.11 a/b/g/nBattery35 Whr35WhrCamera0.3MP0.3MPI/O1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA2 x USB 2, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x ThunderboltDimensions11.7 x 7.7 x 0.11-0.67"11.8 x 7.56 x 0.11-0.68"Weight2.43 lbs2.38 lbsMSRP$999$999

 

ASUS Zenbook U21E vs. Apple 11-inch MacBook Air EX21E-DH71Upgraded 11-inch MBACPUi7-2667M 1.8GHz/2C/4MBi5-2467M 1.6GHz/2C/3MBDisplay11.6-inch 1366 x 76811.6-inch 1366 x 768Memory4GB DDR34GB DDR3Storage128GB 6Gbps SSD128GB 3Gbps SSDWireless Connectivity802.11 b/g/n802.11 a/b/g/nBattery35 Whr35WhrCamera0.3MP0.3MPI/O1 x USB 2, 1 x USB 3, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x microHDMI, 1 x miniVGA2 x USB 2, 1 x audio/mic, 1 x ThunderboltDimensions11.7 x 7.7 x 0.11-0.67"11.8 x 7.56 x 0.11-0.68"Weight2.43 lbs2.38 lbsMSRP$1199$1199

 

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ASUS G74SX: Noteworthy Updates to ASUS' G7 Series

Marking the fourth time we’ve taken ASUS’ G7 gaming series for a spin, the G74SX actually changes up the formula from the last-iteration G73Sw in some meaningful ways. Superficially, the two notebooks look the same, but when you crack open the spec sheet and take a closer look you’ll find some nice updates. It’s pretty easy to list what exactly has changed: the keyboard layout is better—nearly perfect in my opinion—and ASUS has finally decided to ship a high-end notebook with an SSD + HDD storage combination. ASUS also bumps the GPU up to the GTX 560M from the GTX 460M, and memory in our test unit checks in at a hefty 16GB (4x4GB).

There’s one remaining update we expected to see that’s still missing, however: NVIDIA’s Optimus Technology. This tends to be a polarizing technology, and while the best-case solution would be a GPU that can run as fast as the GTX 560M when needed but drop down to HD 3000 power use levels when it’s not, for the time being such a solution doesn’t exist. ASUS has taken the “safe” approach of using only the discrete GTX 560M GPU, which means you sacrifice battery life and Intel’s Quick Sync technology, but you gain some simplicity at the same time. Is the end result worth your hard earned pennies? Read on.

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