DESIGNVery sleek, very strong and very lightweight. Asus says, "Inspiring Innovation"? This point is questionable, since it so closely resembles a thin-profile laptop of another OS, but it is a good design nonetheless.
Some people complain that this particular model with a black finish `attracts fingerprints'. Really, it doesn't attract more fingerprints than anything else you touch, but does show them quite prominently. For me, this is very low on the list of complaints, especially since it does not affect `normal use' of the laptop. I may even prefer the black finish to the silver-gray, since it looks more professional.
I would prefer that Asus would make their "ASUS" logo at the bottom of the screen smaller, but this is also a minor point.
DISPLAY
Let's get this out of the way: You're buying this laptop because of its great 1080p screen, right? Make no mistake; Asus has serious build-quality issues with their Zenbook displays. It has been a known issue since the first UX31A models and before, and, unfortunately, they have not fixed it on the latest touch version.
Light bleed is rampant on all of these units, and I have yet to see a Zenbook without light bleed around the edges of the screen. If this is a potential issue for you, do not even consider buying this laptop. For me, I can tolerate (but do not like) this light bleed, so long as it does not interfere with normal use. But on this point--normal use--I have had additional issues. My 1st unit had so much light bleed in the bottom-left and right corners that it caused white backgrounds (word documents, websites, etc.) to appear yellow in those areas, several square inches into the screen on both sides. My 2nd unit had less of the corner yellowing, but a significant orb of uneven backlight in the center of the screen, extending several inches upward. My 3rd unit (and hopefully final) I would call the `least problematic' of the 3, though certainly not perfect by any means. There is some irregularity of the backlighting, and light bleed on the edges, of course, but nothing so jarring that it will prevent me from normal use.
IF you can find one of these laptops that has few enough issues with the display, you may then proceed to enjoy the clarity of the high resolution, 1920 by 1080 pixels. It may be of concern to some that the high resolution might interfere with comfortable use of the computer in Desktop mode. With Windows scaling set at 125%, however, and Google Chrome default zoom also set to 125%, I have not found this to be an issue at all.
The IPS display allows for very good viewing angles, which helps alleviate the age-old problem of constant readjustment of the screen. The brightness is also very good, compensating greatly for the glossiness of the display. A note about brightness: I noticed that the display would `flicker' when on battery power if a screen with a light background was switched to a screen with a dark background (as if dimming, when auto-brightness and adaptive brightness were turned off), and vice versa. It turns out that there is a setting in the Intel Graphics software called "Display Power Saving Technology". I unchecked both of the "Power Conservation Features" in the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel to alleviate this problem.
The hinges on the display are questionable. They allow for easy opening of the screen, which is good, but also tend to allow the display to fall backward once open. Any time I give the computer a good bump or pick it up quickly, the display opens to its full extent. Fortunately the good viewing angles of the IPS screen make this less of an issue.
KEYBOARD
The keyboard is above-average for an Ultrabook. It is not as good as a ThinkPad keyboard, but actually better than the Lenovo Yoga keyboard. The keyboard itself does not flex in the middle, very solid. Key travel is short, but it is pretty crisp. Coming from a ThinkPad myself, the biggest adjustment has been the short travel of the spacebar. Nonetheless, I have found my stride within a few days and now type almost as well on this one as I did on the ThinkPad.
Backlighting on the keyboard is a big plus. As many users have noted, once you have this feature, you will find it hard to go without it. Three levels of brightness allow for some variableness if you like.
The secondary functions of the Function keys (F1 thru F12) require use of the "fn" key on the keyboard. What adds insult to injury is that there are no dedicated volume button elsewhere. So adjusting the volume always requires 2 hands, a big pitfall if you like to keep one hand on an external mouse.
But! There is a remedy... until Asus is willing to fix this. Download and install a key-remapping software (such as KeyTweak), and remap f10 to Mute, f11 to Volume Down, and f12 to Volume Up. You won't have use of those f-keys anymore, but if you're like most users, you probably never used them anyhow. I further did a re-mapping of the Context Menu and Right Control keys to dedicated Home and End keys, respectively, since I use Home/End keys frequently and do not care for them being relegated to second-class functions of the arrows.
TOUCHPAD
The touchpad is average. It is not great, it is not terrible. I find pointing to be pretty accurate, but two-finger scrolling to be abhorrent. Note on this point though: There are currently 3 touchpad drivers available for the UX31A from Asus' website. The oldest of the 3, version 32, has much smoother two-finger scrolling than versions 35 or 36. The newer versions may have more accurate pointing, but worse two-finger scrolling, so pick which is most important to you. I am using version 32 for now, and it works okay. Adding a smooth scrolling extension to your web browser can somewhat improve the experience as well.
The surface of the touchpad is not the smoothest for gliding your finger across. I find it to be a bit 'sticky', even though the surface appears to be smooth. Maybe adding a slight texture to the touchpad would improve the situation.
SOLID STATE DRIVE
It says "128 GB", so how much space do you actually get for you files? Less than 70 GB. It's a shame, really, that over 45% of the supposed space is eaten up from the start. Manufacturers need to become more forthcoming about this truth, and do a better job of partitioning the SSD if possible.
WIRELESS
Unlike the Lenovo Yoga, this model includes a professional-grade dual-band Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 wireless adapter for 802.11agn networks, which supports 5 GHz frequency for reduced wireless congestion. I have not had any issues with wireless performance.
NOISE
One of my favorite features about this laptop is how quiet it is. The fan is running most of the time, though very quietly, even in a silent environment. I was not very impressed with the high noise levels of the fan on the Lenovo Yoga.
WRAP-UP
There are a host of other features on this laptop, but other reviews can provide information on their function. I have documented the particular aspects which I found to be of particular concern. Overall, the positives still outweigh the negatives, and in every respect, this laptop is FAST. I plan to keep it, even though Asus still has a long way to go in fulfilling the second half of their motto, "Persistent Perfection". It still has a lot to offer compared to the competition, and, if they would get their act together with the display defects, I would even recommend it to a friend.
OTHER MODELS CONSIDERED
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga, Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon, Dell XPS 12
UPDATE 2013-02-11
Overall I am still very pleased with this laptop. I did have an issue with the CTRL key 'sticking', which may have been due to remapping the CTRL key to a dedicated END key. I removed this remapping and reinstalled the keyboard driver and have not had this problem since.
I have also been much more pleased with the touchpad since installing a more generic version of Elantech's touchpad driver available from Acer's (not ASUS's) website. I am currently using the Elantech Touchpad Driver version 11.6.8.001 (found under Acer Aspire S7-391). Touchpad sensitivity is better, palm rejection is better, and overall there are more customization options than what ASUS provides with their touchpad drivers.
UPDATE 2013-03-25
Now using Elan touchpad driver version 11.7.8.5. Pointing is smooth and accurate.
-screen resolution is 1920x1080, very crisp, bright display
-128GB flash drive
-touchscreen
-windows 8
Here is what I love about this zenbook/:
-all metal, durable design. This is no cheap plastic materials
-glass, touch screen
-ultra cool to touch, silent
-ultra fast USB 3.0, mini HDMI, display port
-only 2lbs
-fast, responsive Windows 8, boots up in 8 seconds, back from sleep in 2 seconds
-good battery life
-comes with a very nice Asus case
Here's what I didn't like:
-only 90GB of free space
-when screen is all black there are light leakage on all sides
-wish the power charger was magnetic or simpler like Vivobook
-bloatware that no average consumer needs
This is by far the best notebook I've ever owned. I've installed Adobe CS6, and it runs like butter. Much better than Samsung quality and even the overpriced Sony. Asus really gets the value, design, and quality. Would recommend to anyone who's looking for an awesome notebook.
Buy Asus UX31A-BHI5T11 Ultrabook 13.3" Touch Screen Laptop 4GB Memory 128GB SSD Radiant Black Now
What's great about it: Most everything,, size screen back lit keyboard, touchscreenWhat's not so great: sometime wifi is a bit touchy
Firstly. for some of you that have noticed the sound not being up to par. You can enhance, (make louder) the sound by clicking on the speaker icon on task-bar, when menu pops up click on enhancements, and again click on loudness enhancements ... wala,,, much better sound output. if you are playing music while doing this you can hear the difference the menu settings make. real time
The Screen is to die for.. So much better than any i have had in the past, I don't have to constantly move the screen tilt to get just the right angle. I can see clearly now... LOL from the sides at a better angle also. Vibrant colors, slight bleed on start up, but once on page not seeable for me at all.
This computer is a complete remake of the last year model, which i happen to have two of. Keys are great, Hardly ever miss a stroke, and when i do it is my fault. Back lit keyboard is beautiful in dim light, or typing while wife is sleeping. Fast, Responsive. but sometimes i do loose the wifi for some reason,, usually after a sleep period.. I think it is probably due to Win 8.
Speaking of Win 8. I hate it.. Usually stay in the win 7 area. and have added CLASSIC SHELL to get the full function of the tool and task bar. along with the Start menu. I use LibreOffice. seems to work in place of the previous Microsoft scaled down version. I really don't like having to reach over the keyboard and swipe the screen to search for things. I have had cancer in the right shoulder and makes it difficult to continue to reach forward, Esp while hunting for something..
The Screen Fonts in the Win 8 interface are entirely too small.. Have tried many options to make them bigger... so some thing i am not doing i guess... Of course that may be because this screen has the absolute best resolution i have seen IN A STORE. besides the $2000 Mac Pro, so even the small fonts are clear,,, just too darn small.
Over all, I really like this better than any notebook i have had, including my Samsung s9 which was terrible on the battery 2.5 hours as is the s5 i still have. The Asus will get 6-7 hours battery life in every day usage.. Depending on your individual settings. The Mac Air is one nice book, but the screen scares me to no end,, Having a busted one sitting in my basement. Cost more than it is worth to replace on a two year old model. the screen on Asus Zenbook has edge to edge glass.. not just a film as on many computers. Will make it a bit heavier.
Really if you want a great, stylish, functional ultrabook, ?? You cannot go wrong with this one, for the money..Kind of hard to get but worth it.. Buy from best buy, or AMazon,, If you don't like the computer, take it back in 30 days... No restock fee.. Caution, If you take it back, you might have "RETURNERS REMORSE"
If you have read my review on the old Aenbook, you would know i hated it, but this new model is way above any i have used. ANY.
This product is...GREATTTTTTTTTTT Plus it is a WINDOWs machine.. All my software works with itThis is the best ultrabook on the market to me (despite its minor cons), and it is a PC! I cannot rave enough about how beautiful this machine is. If you're getting one, make sure you get this randiant black color, as the regular one has a silver body which to me is a bit boring.
Pros:
* all metal casing has brushed circular patterns on the surface and a really Apple quality solid build
* very thin and light (0.9" and 2.9lbs)
* high-res screen with brilient colors, great for movies
* touch screen for win 8
* fast and silent
* lit up keyboard
* comes with nice sleeve and accessories in its own pouch
* nice touch pad
Cons:
* light bleed around the edges (the
* cannot change/remove battery (just like Apple products)
* expensive (this is subjective)
* only 4GB ram and not upgradable
* weak graphics processor (not a gaming machine)
* metal casing is easy to scratch (use care!)
* touch screen is too glossy and attracts fingerprints like honey to ants (apply a screen protector to fix)
Handle the machine with care, and it is easily the most beautiful piece of hardware you can buy. BTW, the ASUS TX300 is coming soon, but I will keep this machine still because even though the idea of a transformable ultrabook and tablet sounds really appealing, the fact the machine will not sit stably due to being top-heavy and the hinge will likely become loose over time due to constant connecting and disconnecting tells me it will not be practical in the long run. Not to mention it will be more expensive than this.Computers nowadays come with more processing capacity than most of us (among non-gamers) need, so I usually don't bother to do some research in that front. I needed a new computer and my priorities were, therefore, the screen (high resolution, touchscreen and no bigger than 13") and low noise levels. You get all that with this machine. But there are some aspects I don't like and this is the reason I gave it only three stars:
With 128 Gigabytes of physical memory, I would not call this machine an "ultrabook", but an "infrabook" instead. I knew about this limitation so I can't complain about it. What really disappointed me is that to get a bit round this problem I bought a 128GB SD card to have it permanently installed as part of the computer memory. And here I got a sad surprise: the card only makes it halfway into the slot (as opposed to enter completely as it did in my much smaller 11" older notebook). Half of it poked out of the machine, making it an ugly sight, unsafe (you can easily lose it) and not suitable to carry around (without removing it). Money lost in this try.
On ergonomics: the borders were designed to close tightly and look then "aerodynamic" (so it is kind of annoying to open it you need strong nails), not for user's comfort. In fact, depending on how you use the computer, the sharp metallic edges will definitely hurt your wrists. Other reviewers liked the solid finish of metal personally I prefer good old plastic, as it is less conductive of heat and therefore it does not have that "cold" feeling on contact with the skin. But this is a matter of personal taste.
I can confirm some difficulties with wi-fi connection that another review reported. In a network where my iPhone and other laptops can obtain signal normally this computer often looses connection. Therefore I have to restart the computer to get it back (very nice if you are busy working and with several documents opened...).
Finally Windows 8. It is difficult to express how much annoying this new system is, and how much time I had to waste trying to make it work relatively similar familiar (i.e to Windows 7) so I would not be lost in their bizarre world of invasive and nonsensical organized (?) screens and shortcuts. I have grown tired of Microsoft during the last years and with this new release I am ready to move to Linux whenever I have some time to do it. Other people are ok with Windows and I respect that, but I wish my choice of not liking it would be respected as well, so I would not to have to swallow (and pay for) it every time I buy a pc. But this has been too much to wish for in a long time already.
My overall assessment: Awesome screen and pleasantly quiet and good looking machine. If you are ok with the limitations above (not my case), it is a good buy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment