Asus ZenBook UX31E
The brushed metal finish of the 13.3in UX31E has ‘Air clone’ written all over it – though its rather harsh edges and corners lack Apple’s trademark elegance. But if Asus can’t beat Apple on style, it goes all out on price and performance. Priced at a competitive £999, the ZenBook nonetheless packs a powerful Core i7 processor running at 1.8GHz, along with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD.
It’s well connected too, with both USB 2 and USB 3 ports, micro HDMI and mini-VGA. The only minor disappointment is that the viewing angle for the screen is relatively limited. Still, our full review highlights the Asus Zenbook UX31E has quite a lot going for it.
Reg Rating 85%
Price £999
PCMark 7 score 3700
More info Asus
Apple MacBook Air 11in
Since its launch back in 2008 the 13in MacBook Air was out of reach for most, but it was the 2010 introduction of the cheaper handbag-friendly 11in model that turned the MacBook Air into a mainstream hit. The modest screen size might not suit everyone but the darn thing is so slim and light – just 1.08kg – that it’s hard to beat for sheer portability.
The current model has a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor, so it can keep up with most of its Wintel rivals, but – as always – Apple pads its profits by giving the £849 model a mere 2GB RAM and 64GB SSD. I'm inclined to go for the £999 model, which doubles up both the RAM and SSD. Lest we forget Apple's Boot Camp, that allows its machines to run as Windows PCs if the need arises. You can read more about our thoughts on the MacBook Air 11in here.
Next page: Asus ZenBook UX21E
COMMENTS
Please mention a basic set of specs
If you're going to list a number of devices, it would be great if the same set of features were mentioned, like screen res, cpu, memory, disk, viewing angle,... On some models you mention one, for others you mention another.
So I guess these are all 1366x768?
So no one here will be buying them.
That was a waste of time reviewing them then.
Getting the message?
Overpriced
The prices on most of these ultrabooks are ridiculous.
I'll take a notebook 5mm thicker and £700 cheaper thanks.
No mention of Ivy Bridge?
There is no point buying an ultrabook at the moment - Ivy Bridge processors are just around the corner.
Rather mis-timed article in my opinion. Also agree with the above about stats - screen res, boot time, and battery life are key factors for me.
Re: Why would you carry around a one grand laptop?
Whenever I travel I often see with Thinkpads (X200 seems popular) and MacBook Pro/Airs. These are nearly all priced around the £1000. People carry them because they are thin, light, provide good battery life and powerful performance.
On to netbooks:
No one wants to use desktop Linux on a tiny screen with a cramped keyboard and even worse trackpad. They just provide and poor overall experience. They're not "good old" anything. They are and always were a bad idea. Just a way for OEMs to keep volume up during a recession.
You are completely out of touch with the market. Not everyone else. The key to the ultra book is that the screen is usable, the keyboards are comfortable and the performance good.
PS: No one buys netbooks anymore.
