It’s the end of the year, and while that’s not normally a time for new computers, Asus is unleashing something to Australia for people who like metallic machines with plenty of power for work and pleasure, releasing a new Zenbook with what has to be one of the last uses of Intel’s Haswell chips before the next models with Broadwell from the fifth-generation of Core chips come out.
Those processors are expected in December, with January the likely time when Ultrabooks with the new Intel chips will be ready for stores, just in time for the new work and school year in Australia.
Until then, however, manufacturers are still plodding along making machines with Intel’s current fourth-generation chips, still known as “Haswell” to those in the industry, or just the latest Core chips to the rest of us.
In the Zenbook UX303LN, it’s those chips you’ll see with up to Core i7 processors paired with Nvidia’s GeForce GT840M graphics chipset and 2GB RAM for that section, making it usable for the 13.3 inch Full HD screen the laptop will come equipped with.
That combination of technology should prove useful if you want to get a touch of gaming done, and we’re told that now includes touch gaming as well, with the screen o this machine offering what Asus calls an “ultra-sensitive touchscreen” paired with a “precise multi-touch touchpad” as well as a backlit keyboard.
To make that touchscreen more sensitive, Asus is employing smaller touch actuators than normal, making finger touches more precise and drawing possible, though the screens hinge may not let you get the best drawing position.
Windows 8.1 will run on this machine, with smart gestures working across both the touchscreen and touchpad, just in case you’re familiar with one over the other.
But while the screen and specs are one part of the equation, the body is the other, and in the new Zenbook, Asus hopes to attract the crowd that looks for a high-end feel, thanks to a spun metal finish in a gold brown.
Pricing for the new system looks to play directly to another metal ultra-light machine, with the recommended retail pricing for the Asus Zenbook UX303LN starting at $1699.
ultrabooks to me are a ripoff for what you get would sooner if was buying a lappy get a gaming one.
Not remotely in the same category.
Ultrabooks are for people who don’t want to carry more than 2 kilograms and prefer something thin and light, while gaming laptops are often larger, bulkier, and much heavier. In fairness, the battery is often better on the Ultrabook than a gaming box.
yeah i know what you mean i just look at an ultrabook though and wonder why is it so dear and for what you get
It’s essentially having a reasonable amount of power in a machine that won’t break the back.
If you play games, you don’t want one, unless those games are basic. On the Surface Pro 3, which is like an Ultrabook in terms of spec and performance, I can get by with some pixel-art games and a tiny amount of Defense Grid, but that’s about it.
Older games with 3D graphics can run on them — we got Bioshock going on the Lenovo Yoga 13 we checked out recently — but games generally rely on Intel’s graphics or a low-end discrete card, and that’s something an Ultrabook can’t put up with.
That said, you can get 5 to 10 hours battery on Ultrabooks, and they’re light, often well built, and can do high end processing if they need to. It’s not the same as owning a gaming box.
i see what you mean as such so i guess they are more for on the go business people handy for students as well, i am an older gamer and bought a new gaming rig in august payed $3600 sli 780ti cards and the best gear it will last me for years. gaming for me is casual but it is my first gaming system of this caliber but i love it,
This is really one of the rare ultrabooks which you can play latest games on medium or below quality. Got one three months ago and i don’t regret it.