Introduction
While the recent launch of Windows 8 has seen a range of exciting new laptops, tablets, hybrids and combinations of the three, the Intel-inspired Ultrabook category continues to expand.
The Zenbook UX32VD from Asus is perhaps one of the most striking examples of what the Ultrabook form factor can achieve.
The Zenbook's sleek metal body is lovely, with precision etched concentric circles on the cover and brushed lines when you open it up. The screen's hinge feels perfectly weighted, and opening the laptop one-handed feels natural.
At 18mm thick, it feels significantly chunkier than Apple's Macbook Air, despite the obvious similarities in design when you open the two machines up side-by-side. That could have something to do with the abundance of extra ports though, or the less tapered edges in the Asus machine.
With the focus on style, this machine is clearly targeted at the consumer market. Not only does it lack business-grade features like a fingerprint scanner, but the inclusion of the Bang and Olufsen branded ICEpower technology helps appeal to younger consumers wanting the most from their laptops.
There's also the inclusion of a discrete graphics card in this machine, making it the first Ultrabook to have one. Sure, it may not be a top of the line card, but it's still more than any other Ultrabook offers.
Disappointingly - although not unsurprisingly - the Zenbook is loaded with an abundance of Asus branded bloatware. While some of it creates nice little graphics for changing settings like volume and screen brightness, others play around with power options which can't be overrun by your Windows power management.
For power users wanting to get the most out of the machine, deleting these apps will be action number one after unboxing.
Priced at $1,299, the Zenbook sits at the affordable but not too cheap end of the Ultrabook market spectrum. On a price to specs basis, it's actually pretty decent value.
Specifications
Underneath all that etched metal casing is a 1.7GHz Core i5 Intel 3317U processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M discrete graphics card, 4GB RAM and an abundance of connectivity options.
A 500GB HDD with 24GB SSD gives a good amount of storage, even if it does slightly pervert the notion of an Ultrabook.
Those specs certainly don't place the UX32VD into the most most powerful Ultrabook category, although there is a Core i7 option available to pick up online.
Still, compared to something like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, this macine doesn't have an overwhelming amount of grunt under the hood.
Weighing in at 1.45kg, the laptop feels heavier than it actually is, which probably has a lot to do with the premium metal finish.
The chiclet keyboard is nicely spaced and comfortable to type on, even though the italic font of the lettering on each key looks a little odd.
It does look exceptionally similar to the Macbook Air's keyboard in terms of spacing, althugh there are more function keys and the arrow buttons are smaller than Apple's laptop.
It's also backlit, making this an ideal companion for those working at night.
The trackpad is slightly smaller than the Air, although it does feature the same multi-touch capabilities. If anything, it can be a little too sensitive though.
Regularly while typing, the mouse pointer would be pushed to a different point on screen by an errant palm brush on the trackpad, resulting in paragraphs of misplaced words.
It's also way too keen to resize windows when you accidentally place your thumb on the trackpad as well as your forefinger.
The 1,366 x 768 16:9 display has a nice matte finish, which makes it nice and easy to see in many lighting conditions. It also tends to dull down the vibrancy of colours on screen, but not to a point we would complain about.
Three USB 3.0 ports on the sides of the laptop is a nice inclusion, especially as one of them will charge your gadgets even when the laptop is closed.
HDMI output, SD card slot and mini-VGA plug give plenty of connectivity options, although it certainly would have been nice if that mini-VGA port was a Thunderbolt connection.
There's no ethernet port on the machine itself, but hidden inside a small pouch in the box is a USB-to-ethernet adapter, as well as an adapter to convert that mini VGA port to a full sized VGA cable.
The Bang & Olufsen ICEpower audio technology sounds nice enough through the laptop's speakers, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking it will ever perform as well as a set of external speakers or headphones will.
Performance
Anyone purchasing the UX32VD and expecting a powerhouse of a machine is going to be disappointed, but that doesn't mean that it isn't up to everyday tasks.
The inclusion of a discrete graphics card does help the graphics capabilities of the machine, but not as significantly as you might expect. The GeForce GT 620M doesn't have the grunt to make it a powerful enough machine for high definition gaming or detailed video editing, for example.
That said, if you want to perform either of those tasks, you really shouldn't be looking at any Ultrabook, but focusing on a proper gaming machine.
But all said and done, the Zenbook is powerful enough to run Windows 7 Home Premium, as well as do some basic photo and video editing, as well as your usual email and web browsing. Which is kind of exactly what it was designed for, really.
Battery life didn't disappoint, but it didn't excite either. Cranking the settings up to maximum and running an HD video on loop, the battery managed to last 170 minutes. Obviously that gets better with smarter settings switched on, but it's far from the best result we've seen on an ultrabook.
Of course, in real world usage you'll likely get a lot longer, but given the size and bulk of the Ultrabook, you almost naturally expect the Zenbook to last a bit longer.
Benchmarks:
Cinebench 10: 9227
3DMarks: 8400
Battery Eater: 170 mins
Verdict:
With the rapid influx of new hardware specially designed to showcase the new Windows 8 operating system, it's easy to overlook a machine like the Zenbook UX32VD.
With its shiny metal body, attractive screen and bevy of connection ports, this is a pretty enticing ultrabook for anyone looking for a portable laptop that doesn't sacrifice too much power.
The trackpad is a bit too sensitive for our liking, but the comfortable backlit keyboard and 500GB HDD make up for it.
It's a shame that the discrete graphics card doesn't make a lot of difference to performance in the ZenBook. Perhaps with a bit of time, patience and overclocking, it might make this ultrabook sing, but straight out of the box it seems underwhelming.
We liked
The style, although it is very reminiscent of Apple's MacBook Air, is superb, with the precision etched concentric circles on the lid both subtle and striking.
The speakers, along with the Bang and Olufsen ICEpower technology, offer a sound better than you have a right to expect on a laptop this size. Sure, it's never going to beat the sound from proper desktop speakers or headphones, but it's still pretty good.
The keyboard is great to type on, and the laptop is certainly powerful enough to get through the majority of tasks put to it, although like any Ultrabook, you probably want to steer clear of intensive video editing.
We disliked
The trackpad is like a magnet for accidental brushes, sending cursors scattered across the screen and making typing a long review like this one a painstaking process. Whether it's too sensitive or too close to the keyboard is up for debate, but it can make the Zenbook tough to use.
Asus has also loaded this thing up with its own selection of bloatware. While it's not going to drag down performance significantly, it does have a tendency to change your computer's settings automatically, even after you adjust them to your preferences.
The mini VGA port really could have been a Thunderbolt - or at least a mini DisplayPort - connection. Given how far the ultrabook form factor is pushing away from the old style computing connections, VGA feels like a legacy port out of place on such a sleek machine.
Final verdict
In a sea of Windows 8 machines with funky swivel screens and striking designs, the sleek style of the Zenbook UX32VD may struggle to get noticed.
But awareness issues aside, this is a solid performing ultrabook at a reasonable price. The Core i7 version may be a better performance option, if you can manage to find one, but the i5 is still a decent laptop for users on the go.
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