The ASUS Zenbook UX31: Initial impressions
General By Dave Ward; Posted January 25, 2012
For over a year now, I’ve been using a 13” MacBook Air as my only laptop. Though it’s a bit underpowered and I prefer Windows to OS X, I was ultimately unable to resist Apple’s build quality compared to the Dell I had used previously.
However, I never fully resigned myself to accepting a dichotomy between quality construction and operating system. Thankfully, the recent proliferation of Windows-based Ultrabook™ machines seems to be rapidly bridging that divide.
Given my already-growing desire to find an alternative, when I was contacted about reviewing the ASUS’ Zenbook UX31 Ultrabook™, I decided to give it a go. I know I’m not alone in having been frustrated with a choice between machines that run Windows well and quality hardware, so I hope that you’ll find my experience of trying to move back from the MacBook hardware useful.
Disclaimer: Up front, I want you to know that I’m receiving a complementary UX31 in return for evaluating it and writing a few posts about that experience. I’ll give you my honest assessment of it and only recommend it if it meets my own standards, but I also think it’s important to be transparent and not potentially abuse your trust.
Unboxing
Lurking Inside the cardboard box that Amazon delivered it in, highly polished packaging awaited. ASUS did a great job with the unboxing experience, from overall presentation to ease of unpacking. It definitely reminded me of opening a high-end Apple product.
The UX31 comes encased in a protective plastic casing to keep the brushed aluminum’s finish pristine until you open the box, and its accessories are neatly packaged up with a canvas carrying pouch:
Along with its power adapter, the UX31 comes with a USB Ethernet adapter and VGA adapter that attaches to its mini-HDMI port. Nothing terribly unique, but both are nice to have right from the beginning (especially the ability to use a wired network connection for all the downloads that accompany initial setup of a machine that may be used for development).
Initial impressions
The first thing you notice about the Zenbook is the distinctive top cover of its lid. None of the photos I’ve seen online do it justice, but we tried with this one:
When I saw the radial pattern in photos online, I worried that it might look overdone or gaudy, but it looks great in person. Color me pleasantly surprised.
Quality construction
Removing it from the packaging, the Zenbook immediately impressed me with its rock-solid construction. One of my favorite things about the MacBook Air is that its unibody case feels solid, and my opinion is that the Zenbook bests the Air in that category, with an even more rigid case.
Superficial or not, that attribute is a significant part of how I judge the quality of a laptop’s construction. A laptop case that flexes or creaks when I lift it from a corner annoys me to no end. Holding the Zenbook with one hand, even from the front corners, there’s not hint of flex in its chassis.
Contrasting with the rest of the case’s angular design, the lid’s convex curvature makes the machine feel more comfortable in my hand than my MacBook Air does when both are closed.
Also worth noting, I felt no flex in the lid when I squeezed it to lift and carry. That lid-flex is something I’ve always found unsettling about my Air (and the Dell before it).
Windows 7, now with Bing Bar?
It only took a few minutes to uninstall later, but having a required Bing toolbar installation at the OS level didn’t feel very zen to me. I understand that preinstalled software helps subsidize the machine, but this isn’t a $200 netbook.
The exterior of the machine sets a high bar, and it’s important that the interior hardware and software live up to that high expectation. Thankfully, the remainder of the UX31′s preinstalled software was more tasteful.
Fantastic sound
I’m listening to music on the laptop’s built-in speakers as I write this post, which is something I’d never bother with on the Air (or any laptop I’ve ever used, for that matter). But, since the Bang & Olufsen audio is something touted right on the case itself, I figured I ought to give it a try.
From the first note that played, I was astonished by the quality of sound that the UX31’s sound system produces. Of course, it’s no rival for a proper set of external speakers, but it’s amazing for concealed, self-contained speakers.
Keyboard concerns
I’ve struggled a bit while typing this entire post on the UX31. The keyboard itself looks and feels very nice, with a setup that’s similar to the “chicklet” layout you’ll see on many modern keyboards:
Unfortunately, there’s something about how the keys respond to quick, light touch typing that I’m having a difficult time acclimating to. I’ve had adjustment periods with other keyboards in the past, so I’m hoping time will improve my ability to coax the desired result out of this one too.
More to come
This post has outlined my very initial impressions of using the UX31 for a few hours. I’ll be continuing to use it over the next couple of months and will publish another post after a few weeks and then a final review after a full two months of use. I hope that the end result is that I’ll be able to shelve my MacBook Air, but I’ll let you know how it turns out one way or the other.
How about those photos?
Those photos of the UX31 looked great, didn’t they? Almost… Professional. Well, that’s because they are. My good friends at 35 Atlanta came over, set up studio in my house, and took 55 amazing photos of the UX31 for me to use in these posts. If you need photos of just about any kind, check them out.
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What do you think?
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I recently got myself a laptop for about a grand which never did before. With pace when best machine of the year becomes underpowered looser next year that did not make any sense financially. Looks like it slowed down lately and washed away quality PCs coming back. Good review, too bad I’m already settled but it can help someone make a decision.
I’ll be interested in hearing the rest of your opinions on this. I’m on an MBA right now, and while I love it, if I don’t gain some traction on iOS development soon I’ll probably be switching back to a windows based system on my next purchase. (I actually love listening to music on the MBA though, I even keep it on the sink and blast grooveshark when I’m in the shower :)
Have you used any other “ultrabooks”? I’m particularly interested in the Samsung Series 9.
I agree with you about the creaking sound you get when picking up most laptops. I can’t stand that sound and the feeling that the machine is going to break in my hands. It makes me wonder why more manufacturers haven’t jumped on the unibody construction that Apple popularized.
I used the original Series 9 for a few minutes last year at TechEd, but not enough to compare them very well. It seemed nice, but the case didn’t feel as solid as it looked, which was disappointing.
The non-backlit keyboard killed the ASUS for me, went with the new Toshiba ultrabook. Not as sleek as the ASUS, but I’m happy with it.
I agree, non-backlit keyboard is a dealbreaker for me. Now that I have been typing on a backlit keyboard I will never go back, at least not for a rig in that price range.
Funny, I was just given a Macbook Air and the keyboard on it feels odd to me compared to my other chicklet keyboards (a solar-powered Logitech keyboard and a Microsoft Arc). I’m optimistic that your Asus keyboard will become more-normal with use (as I really kind of like Asus and will be considering them next time I buy a computer, but am a stickler on keyboard feel). Good luck!
Thanks. I’m the same way; the keyboard can make or break a laptop for me.
I would recommend updating all the drivers ASAP. A lot of hardware and software issues are solved with this simple fix.
Yes, that’s good advice. The first thing I did was run the ASUS Update utility to get driver updates, because some people have had issues with its earlier touchpad drivers.
How much memory did it come with and what size SSD? The one that you linked to on amazon only came with 4GB of memory and a 128GB SSD.
Those are the specs of the one I’m reviewing. There’s one with a 256GB SSD you can opt for, and you can also upgrade the processor to an i7 (mine’s an i5).
This is exciting, I know exactly what you mean where you feel you have to choose between great hardware or the OS you prefer with today’s laptops. I’ve never owned a Macbook, but I’m so impressed with their hardware and multi-touch track pad that I had decided to move to Mac for my next purchase.
My preference would be to stay on Windows, and maybe if more machines like this are produced they’d be able to keep me.
The keyboard issues are a little troubling, for me that’s one of the most important parts to get “right”, but like you said one can probably adjust. Great pictures, by the way.
I looked at the Zenbook and several other ultrabooks but they were all still too much compromise. I finally opted for a Lenovo X220 and I’m very glad I did. It is quite simply the best laptop I have ever used, and that includes two Macs. I wouldn’t trade it for an ultrabook even if you paid me. The keyboard is so much better than anything else on the market that there’s simply no comparison, and since I’m interacting with that up to 16 hours a day coding and writing that’s crucial. The premium LCD panel is at least as good as anything I’ve seen on a Mac, probably better. This is a computer built for people who really work with computers and every detail of it is exactly as I want to have it.
I toyed with getting a 14″ instead but the better screen, battery life, weight and portability of the X220 won me over. Instead, I also got the Lenovo 14″ USB monitor, which is a terrific add-on. On the X220 it works with a single USB port that provides both power and signal, and it gives me a full dual monitor setup on the road. Image quality and brightness are not stellar, but perfectly adequate for information on a second screen. It gives me the best of both worlds, and way more screen real estate than even a 17″ laptop when I need it. It weighs just 0.9kg and fits in a backpack easily.
I also installed a Samsung 820 series 256GB SSD myself. This cost almost exactly the same as buying the X220 with the stock 160GB Intel SSD and I also get to use the 320GB hard drive as a backup for the same price. The Samsung is stellar, and backups on the external drive via the USB3 port are super fast.