If you’ll recall, they weigh in at 2.4 pounds and a pair of.9 pounds, respectively, and because of those aluminum alloy bodies, glass trackpads and all-metal keyboards, they simply happen to be two of the best-looking Ultrabooks we have seen thus far. Other specs include 4GB of RAM, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, a SATA III SSD (starting at 128GB), stereo speakers with Bang and Olufsen’s ICEpower technology, ultra low voltage Core i5 and i7 processors and a two-second resume time — the identical claim Acer’s making with its Aspire S3. While the 11-incher has 1366 x 768 resolution, the 13-inch model’s panel steps as much as 1600 x 900. And with regards to battery life, the UX21′s rated for 5 hours of runtime (or seven days), while the UX31 lasts an extended seven hours (or ten days) on a charge. Oh, and that they include a free sleeve. Not too shabby.
All told, there’ll be two UX21 configurations and 3 UX31 models, with the best-end UX31 fetching $1,449 and packing 256GB of solid-state storage. You heard the corporate — these are landing tomorrow — but until then be happy to revisit our hands-on to your requisite close-up shots and video.
ASUS Unveils the ZENBOOK™
Chairman Jonney Shih introduces the newest in Ultrabook technology and design with the ASUS ZENBOOK™ that includes a perfect blend of elegance and powerManhattan, Long island (October 11, 2011) â ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the long-anticipated ZENBOOK™ that fuses masterpiece design and incredible performance at a world launch event in Big apple including Intel Senior Vice chairman and General Manager of Sales and Marketing Group, Tom Kilroy. The “Ultra Era” event opened with a vivid, yet tranquil dance to Moon Water featuring a performance artist from the internationally renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. The performance set the tone of the development, to display that the ASUS ZENBOOK™ is designed to be effortlessly enjoyable without compromising on performance. It exudes the best balance of elegance and tool in an Ultrabook.
Mr. Shih then introduced four key incredible principles that guided ASUS’ development team through the ZENBOOK™ design phase.
Pure Design – Art melds seamlessly with technology upon viewing the ASUS ZENBOOK™. The silver exterior panel incorporates a concentric circle design that refracts a halo of sunshine that excites the senses. With a thickness of 0.11″ on the front and zero.67″ on the rear, the ZENBOOK™ UX21 exterior lines are sleek, making it the thinnest Ultrabook for sale and ideal for users constantly on-the-go, in the classroom or relaxing at home.
Unrivalled Performance – The ZENBOOK™ is designed with an instant-on feature that resumes the system in about 2 seconds* and features incredible standby times up to ten days*, which is four times more than the industry standard. Although svelte and sleek, the ZENBOOK™ packs an impressive and uncompromising list of technological breakthroughs. It uses the latest Intel® 2nd generation Core™ processors (optimized for mobile use), SATA Revision 3.0 solid state storage (SSD), Bluetooth™ V4.0 and USB 3.0. ASUS has also added USB Charger+ technology, which uses the powered USB 3.0 port to recharge portable devices in a fraction of the time it would normally take. To accommodate all of these technologies, ASUS engineers designed custom cooling technology using a V-shaped channel with a unique copper fin design for improved airflow and cooling. When battery life dips below 5 percent, the ZENBOOK™ will automatically save files in progress to prevent data loss.
Incredibly Green – The ZENBOOK™ provides its users a peace of mind in knowing that they are consuming less energy. It utilizes ASUS’ patented Super Hybrid Engine II technology, which intelligently conserves battery life and allows the ZENBOOK™ to have up to 25% more battery life* than other Ultrabook designs.
Transcending Audio – Recognizing that an Ultrabook is not only a tool for work, but also for entertainment, each ZENBOOK™ is equipped with ASUS SonicMaster technology, an optimized fusion of hardware and software developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®. SonicMaster provides a wide sonic spectrum surround sound that can fill a room with smooth jazz or the tranquil sound of a mountain stream.
Leading Technology Partnership – Intel’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sales and Marketing Group, Tom Kilroy, expressed his excitement that Intel contributed the incredible processor technology for ASUS’s groundbreaking masterpiece.
“Today’s introduction of ASUS ZENBOOK™ is a vivid proof that Ultrabooks are ushering in a fundamental transformation of personal computing,” said Mr. Kilroy. “In the few months since Intel first unveiled this new type of device, ASUS has delivered an amazingly light design powered by the visibly smart performance of the second generation Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors. It’s packed with the security, responsiveness, and other exciting features, that deliver at the promise of the Ultrabook, to present the foremost complete and satisfying computing experience.”
The ZENBOOK™ would be available for order in North America starting on Oct. 12, with prices starting at $999 (suggested MSRP).
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