Since its revelation by Asus Computex organized in Taiwan (5 – 8 June 2018), the new Zenbook Pro is talking a lot about him. Its performance is important with the integration of Intel 8th generation processors up to Core i9. But the novelty that catches all eyes is ergonomics and navigation: the ScreenPad .
Not unlike the principle of the Apple Touchbar, the ScreenPad is a color touch screen (5.5 “, 1080p) built into the base instead of the touchpad, but Asus wanted to go further than Apple in its perspective of intelligent interaction by multiplying the uses of its pad (shortcuts, second screen, etc.) In fact, you can play the utility card with the display of a secondary tool (calculator, pad digital, calendar, music control, etc.) or opt for the secondary screen.This mode is the most innovative in our opinion since it serves as a second Windows desktopFor example, you can view a video or an Office document. For the moment, compatible apps are limited to the Microsoft Store, but Asus has a full Software Development Kit (SDK) available to adapt or develop new applications and manage ScreenPad support.
But the ScreenPad is not the only argument of the Zenbook Pro. Its design impresses with its 100% aluminum chassis with a brushed circular finish on the back of the lid. The weight is around 1.8 kg, which is rather light for its datasheet, and its footprint is limited (365 x 241 x 18.9 mm). Two colors are announced: Deep Dive Blue and Rose Gold.
This new ultrabook addressed to the creative ones does not lack resources. It ships Intel 8th generation (Coffee Lake) Core i5-8300H, Core i7-8750H or Core i9-8950HK processors , a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti graphics card , 16GB RAM (DDR4 2400Mhz) and up to to 1TB SATA SSD or PCIe 3.0 x4 storage .
In terms of display, the Asus Zenbook Pro UX580 boasts a 15.6-inch IPS Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 px; 100% sRGB) or IPS 4K (3840 x 2160 px; 100% AdobeRGB) with NanoEdge design (certification Pantone XRite). A touch option is provided with the support of the fingers and the active pen Asus Pen.
Its connectivity includes a microSD player, HDMI 1.4 video output, Wi-Fi wireless modules ac (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.0, a headphone / microphone combo port but also two USB ports 3.1 Gen 2 and two USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2 compatible Thunderbolt 3 .
For the rest, there’s a Harman Kardon certified SonicMaster audio system, a backlit chiclet keyboard , an infrared camera for facial recognition, and support for Amazon Alexa’s speech recognition technology.
The Zenbook Pro 15 is given with a little less than 10 hours of use in normal use but the intensive use of the ScreenPad should change the situation according to Asus engineers, lowering the autonomy around 6am , not to mention the operating 3D software / games that should weigh on the Li-polymer battery of 71 Whr.
The commercialization of the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 UX580 is scheduled for the month of June but no rate has been communicated yet.
With a release scheduled a little later in September 2018, the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 UX480 is also presented on the booth Asus and also integrates the famous ScreenPad .
Its design is close to its counterpart in 15 inches but hosts the ErgoLift hinge that automatically tilts the keyboard when opening the hood for better typing comfort.
Level configuration, Asus limit the processor to the Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake and for the graphics, it is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q officiating. Storage with Intel Optane memory is announced, without more precision, and the RAM provides up to 16 GB of RAM.
A full HD NanoEdge screen (1080p), an infrared camera for facial recognition, and support for Amazon Alexa’s voice recognition technology are also featured.
Be First to Comment