DESIGN
Very 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.
Amazing notebook. Asus has really stepped upstart with all of its design. It's directly competing with thin MacBook Air, which I almost got but this is what beats the Air:
-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.
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I own ux31A, Love it. Also have 2 ux31E, no comparison. Once you set up the computer, you can make a back up copy of the system onto a flash drive then delete that system back from the hard drive. I have made the back up. but so far not needed the extra space, as i store a lot of stuff on mem sticks .. Volume can really be enhanced in the mixer control panel. My screen bleed is minimal, but mostly only with solid black screen, which is almost never. Two finger scrolling is a bit skippy, I find if i turn the unit OFF once every few days, a lot of things reset, and work better.
Sure this is a copy of the Mac Air, But is not the Mac a copy of other units too, just made smaller?? Cheap memory and new battery storage configurations has made this happen. But and i say But. The Asus is a Windows Computer. not Apple os. I also own a "new" mac air, and never turn it on any more. There is no comparison in the Asus and Samsung series 5 or 9 for battery power usage. The power cord is on the right side, and a bigger plug than the older model so you can feel a bit more secure with it in your lap.
I am not a big fan of Win 8 operating system, I did download Clasic Shell and got my task bar back. Opening a photo in win 8 is still cranky to me. and wish for the win 7 system. I do wish for the old media player..
Travel is great. have been on a couple of trips and the Asus performed as well as if home in my lazy boy.
I do like the unit a lot, and with a lot of trial and errors with many units, have settled on this to be the BEST for ME.
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first of all, i did not purchase this from amazon. i bought mine at bestbuy for $1099. i have also read that this particular ux31a model is a BB exclusive. i thought about leaving my impressions here too. so here we go. i love the screen. it is what got me to buy it. i spilled coffee on my macbook pro 2012 and was deemed unrepairable, so they told me they would exchange it since i bought insurance with it. i was looking at the macbook air 13in as my exchange. but came across the asus UX31A-BHI5T11, the screen caught my attention. wow! stunning screen. and the design is excellent. black, not the typical dull grey. touchscreen made it more appealing (great with windows 8). this laptop is fast and sleek. has great battery life. great keyboard thats on far with the macbooks (just wish it had dedicated brightness and volume controls instead of the FN+key combination). a great replacement for my dead macbook pro. and did i mention i love the screen lol.
the issues i have encountered (reasons why i rate it 4 stars) are:
-FINGERPRINT MAGNET. the color, the texture of this laptop allows so much smudges to appear. fingerprints on the screen is understandable as this is a touchscreen.
-128gb only gives you 60gb free space to work with (im guessing thats because of the windows 8 install (plus boatware) and theres a 20gb space partitioned for recovery thats hidden). this can be removed if you want more space. someone has managed to get 114.24gb
-light bleeding in screen. i have small amounts of light bleeding from the bottom edge of the screen. noticeable on black screens (not to bad on mine). some people reported returning their ux31a because of excessive light bleeding out. and replacement would have tolerable amounts.
-trackpad not as great as the macbooks, but good enough for me. the latest drivers reverses the two finger scrolling (mimicking how the macbooks two finger scroll is...which is what i want). for a windows machine, the trackpad is good. i have not seen a great trackpad on a windows laptop. i also wished asus should have just copied apple with the trackpad. make it bigger and minus the right and left click buttons. more room for finger magics.
-DEFAULT DISPLAY SETTINGS. i found the program POWER4GEAR limiting the screen brightness. adjust the DISPLAY SETTINGS to your liking. i personal turned of the POWER4GEAR. screen is also more on the yellowish (warmer) side. i personal would like it to be whiter. i will update this review if i find a way to get the screen to display whiter whites.
overall, a great windows 8 laptop.
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I travel a lot for my job and I thought I would give an Ultrabook a try with touchscreen capabilities, even though I like my trusty Sony Z series lightweight 13" laptop I've had for 2 years.
Bought this on the road at Best Buy and my initial impression was great until the next 5 hotels and other buildings I used it at. Whenever there was even a 2 to 3 bar signal the wifi slowed way down. I even brought out my aging Sony and my Samsung 10" tablet to be certain it was an issue with the computer and not all the crappy wireless signals you can get at certain hotels. It was this computer. Every time I compared it, it was painfully slower than the other 2. Downloads, and playback of video news stories were constantly stopping and starting, while my Sony and tablet just played and downloaded the same files without a hitch.
So I called tech support, downloaded the latest driver, tweaked the power settings to all max, did it all to no avail. Returned the unit and bought another one a few weeks later thinking maybe it was just "that" Asus, and wanted to give it another chance. Same exact problem occurs at every hotel, and now, even at home with blazing fast wifi (50mbps). As soon as I take it even 20' away from the router it fails miserably in general wifi performance. I am a pretty accomplished techie guy and researched the hell out of this noting wifi adapter strength settings in the power settings that I read in other forums. Nothing works to eliminate this problem. Unfortunately I will be returning this one as well.
Too bad really, because in most other ways this is a great ultrabook, which is why I've been trying so hard to make it work. Just have to wait for something better around he corner.
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