ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH72 13.3-Inch Thin And Light Ultrabook

The ASUS Zenbook Ultrabook laptop is quite a laptop from its brush aluminum bottom to its concert-quality stereo speaker system. One might wonder exactly what the market is that the Ultrabook is aiming for? A good question and it was defined a couple of years ago by the Apple Mac Air. The Ultrabook fills the niche between the tablet and the full-sized laptop by offering a smaller-sized PC with full-sized features and which can also function as a tablet, if needed.

For example, the Zenbook is 12.9 inches by 8.9 inches by .78 inches and it weighs in at less than three pounds. No, it is not as light as a tablet and it is not as heavy as a laptop, but it offers attributes of each. For example, the Zenbook, as noted is a lightweight and, like a tablet, it is network-centric, capable of supporting WiFi 802.11 b/g/n standards at up to 2.4 GHz. This is the type versatility one expects from a tablet. However, finding it in a machine that is very little larger than a tablet and which also offers Windows 7 Professional, as well as up to 4 GB of built-in memory for system and program initiation, while, at the same time offering a full-sized chicklet-style key keyboard is somewhat unusual.

And, when you combine this with the Zenbook's ability to support not only slower speed USB2.0 and high-speed USB3.0 ports, you find that this is quite a machine. Yes, it is true that the display is only 13.3 inches diagonal, but when you look at the resolution 1600 by 900 Hz, you can see why this device is also considered high-definition-ready by many in the computer business. Indeed, it is something to think about seriously if you are considering the Zenbook. The kicker that should lock this up for you, though, is not only its serious video display with deep, rich blacks and great contrast, but its 256 SATA "hard disk" drive.

Oh, did you notice the words "hard disk" drive, just used? Well, how about thinking of the "hard disk" as nothing more than chips and circuity. That's right, ASUS, which offers the longest full-featured warranty in the business - a year on all parts and labor and replacement, if needed, as well as a year guarantee if one pushes it off a table accidentally - also offers an sATA hard drive made up of flash memory. In other words, instead of using a whirring mass of stainless steel with several heads diving back and forth to put memories into order, the Zenbook spends seconds doing the same thing on its high-speed flash drive which can be backed up in, literally, the blink of an eye. It's a breakthrough and the first that we have heard of this type of use of flash memory. Oh, it certainly does keep the weight down because most hard drives, even tiny ones, still can add a pound of more to the overall weight of an Ultrabook.

The next area where the Zenbook shines is in its sound. The sound system from its tiny laptop-style speaker system is excellent. Called Sonic Master Technology the sound was developed with sound pioneer Bang and Olufsen, makers of some of the finest speakers on the market. Their speaker technology and the software to make this work are almost worth the price of admission to this Ultrabook, right there. One must hear the sound to believe it.

The Zenbook is no slouch in the processing or video departments, either, as it employs Intel's latest and greatest high-end Quad-Core CPU, the I7 2667M. In standard mode, this CPU runs at 1.86 MHz, however, in burst mode, another feature the Zenbook offers, this Ultrabook operates at nearly 3 GHz, which is quite good and something to which even the best tablet cannot hold a candle.

Yes, the Zenbook does come with a number of productivity software programs installed and it is up to you to figure out which ones you need and which ones can go, but that's the least of your thinking with the ASUS Zenbook. What should be in the front of your thinking is just how many uses you can use this laptop for.