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ASUS Zenbooks to get Ivy Bridge refresh, optional 1080p and backlit keyboards in tow?
Bad news if you've recently acquired either of ASUS' gorgeous Zenbooks, as alleged spec sheets for their successors have just surfaced. According to documents obtained by The Verge, the upcoming refresh will be significant for both the 11.6-inch UX21 and 13.3-inch UX31. Dubbed the UX21A and UX31A, respectively, both supposedly make do with Ivy Bridge silicon (spanning from Core i3s all the way to i7s) which also means a free update to Intel's HD Graphics 4000. Brawny internals aside, most interesting are the optional 1080p IPS panels on both, which should be particularly gorgeous and pixel-dense in the smaller 11.6-inch beaut. Also rumored is the inclusion of WiDi, alongside backlit keyboard decks -- all stuffed into the same svelte footprints as their predecessors. Naturally, there's no word on when they'll land, but you'll know more when we do. Catch the full spill at the source link below.
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: laptops
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Let's get this out of the way: a laptop is an intimate gift. Even if you were to get away with paying just $400, it's a lot to spend on even your spouse (ten years is the netbook anniversary, right?). Not to mention, your lucky giftee will be spending more time with it, perhaps, than they do their friends, families and pets. At the same time, the selection is nothing if not overwhelming, and if you were to make a spreadsheet tallying prices and specs, you'd notice an uncomfortable similarity across different brands. So, we rounded up some of the best we've seen -- everything from all-purpose notebooks to Ultrabooks to high-end dream machines. If you're thinking of pulling the trigger, hop past the break for a few ideas and the (very brief) low-down on the trade-offs you'll be making.
Engadget Distro Issue 10: It's alive! And ready for download
They're creepy, they're kooky, they're your favorite Frankengadgets and they've invaded the latest issue of Engadget Distro. But fear not, this edition of our fine weekly isn't all about chopping and screwing the devices you love, we've got plenty of other real-life gadgets on hand as well. See that tiny silver sliver on the cover? That's ASUS' Zenbook UX31, perhaps the most viable candidate for the Ultrabook throne. It may not be as thin and light, but we're also bringing you a review of Dell's lightweight XPS 14z, an ergonomically sound laptop with a sizable asking price. On the mobile front, Myriam Joire says hello and goodbye to Nokia's N9 MeeGo phone and Zach Honig gets his hands on its brother from another operating system, the Lumia 800. Nokia's claiming its latest is the "first real Windows Phone," but Sharif Sakr's review of the HTC Titan might just prove otherwise. We'll also bring you a look into Tech News Today host Iyaz Akhtar's geeky upbringing, our latest installation of In Real Life and an exclusive comic from Ed Piskor. So what are you waiting for? Hop on that iPad or hit the PDF download link below, and soak up all that Distro goodness. Distro Issue 10 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
ASUS Zenbook UX31 review
It was just last week that we got to take home the Acer Aspire S3, the first Ultrabook to go on sale here in the States. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the pillars laid out by Intel: its performance trails similar machines, its battery craps out early and the design, while portable, is too chintzy to make it a bellwether for skinny Windows laptops. Our verdict, in a sentence, was that you'd be better off getting a MacBook Air, or at least considering other Ultrabooks -- namely, ASUS' line of Zenbooks. Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A) laptop review ASUS debuts Bang & Olufsen ICEpowered N-series laptops and 3D gamer displays ASUS outs UX21 ultrathin laptop with up to Core i7 CPUs (video hands-on!)As it turns out, one showed up on our doorstep just a few days later. In many ways, the UX31 is everything the S3 is not: it has a gorgeous all-metal design and comes standard with an SSD and 1600 x 900 display (not to mention, a case and two bundled adapters). And with a starting price of $1,099, it undercuts the entry-level (and similarly configured) MacBook Air by two hundred bucks. So is this the Ultrabook we've all been waiting for? We suggest pouring yourself a large beverage, settling into a comfy chair and meeting us past the break. We've got a lot to say on the subject. %Gallery-137239%
ASUS Zenbook gets taken apart, finds the peace within
It's certainly not very Zen, but AnandTech has pried open ASUS' 11.6-inch ultrabook to see exactly what makes it all tick. The Zenbook's innards are all tightly packed together inside the oh-so-thin casing, with the UX21's slim-line cooler covering both of the Intel Core i7-2677M processors. The 128GB model has been given an ADATA SDD, while the bigger 256GB version runs on SanDisk storage, with the WiFi card contorted to squeeze inside the aluminum alloy body. ASUS has extended its design sensibilities outside of the tightly-packed casing, with the Microsoft serial number and certificate transplanted to the power unit, which leaves the Zenbook's slick design lines and finish peacefully untainted. Those desperate for more details on the rig's workings and accessories can find inner calm at the link below.
ASUS Zenbook UX21 and UX31 headed to the US October 12, starting at $999
Back in May, when we first got hands-on with ASUS' UX21 and UX31 laptops, it was to be one of our first encounters with the kind of ultrathin PC that Intel's now marketing as Ultrabooks. Since then, a lot's happened -- we've seen a handful of similarly skinny notebooks, with Acer's Aspire S3 beating them all to market. Now, more or less on schedule, ASUS is ready to follow suit. The company just announced that its line of Ultrabooks -- make that Zenbooks! -- will go on sale in the US tomorrow, October 12, starting at $999 for the 11.6-inch UX21 and $1,099 for the 13.3-inch UX31. That's a hundred bucks more than the S3, but then again, that guy has an HDD combined with a small amount of flash storage. If you'll recall, they weigh in at 2.4 pounds and 2.9 pounds, respectively, and thanks to those aluminum alloy bodies, glass trackpads and all-metal keyboards, they just happen to be two of the finest-looking Ultrabooks we've seen to date. 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 same claim Acer's making with its Aspire S3. While the 11-incher has 1366 x 768 resolution, the 13-inch model steps up to 1600 x 900. And when it comes to battery life, the UX21's rated for five hours of runtime (or seven days), while the UX31 lasts a longer seven hours (or ten days) on a charge. Oh, and they come with a free sleeve. Not too shabby. All told, there will be two UX21 configurations and three UX31 models, with the highest-end UX31 fetching $1,449 and packing 256GB of solid-state storage. You heard the company -- these are landing tomorrow -- but until then feel free to revisit our hands-on for your requisite close-up shots and video. %Gallery-136279%
ASUS Ultrabooks are actually Zenbooks?
ASUS has a big event next week in the Big Apple, where the super slim UX21 and UX31 will be revealed. Granted, the company said it'll be showing off "the real Ultrabook," on October 11th, but the eagle-eyed folks at Notebook Italia spied some evidence that the laptops in question will be called Zenbooks instead. Proof of the new moniker was found in the title of the information request form on the ASUS UX countdown site, but it was gone when we looked for ourselves. Guess we'll just have to wait and see whether the newest thin and light laptops are, indeed, PCs possessing inner peace.
ASUS Ultrabooks to arrive in New York City on October 11
The Ultrabooks are coming, and it looks like ASUS' first foray into thin and light computing will officially arrive on October 11th in New York. According to a UX series landing page, we need only wait 15 more days before getting our hands the ASUS UX21 and its larger, but still svelte sibling, the UX31, once again. Frankly, we can hardly wait for their arrival, but patience is a virtue, right?
Asus UX31 vs. UX21... fight! (video)
We'd handled ASUS' UX21 back at Computex, but we'd never gotten up close and personal with its larger brother, the UX31 -- until now. We spotted the 13.3-inch aluminum beaut just chilling at the Ultrabook pavilion at Intel's Developer Forum. With the same 0.67-inch profile as its smaller sibling, that larger footprint means it's naturally a bit heavier (2.9 pounds), yet it's available with the same Core i5 (or optional i7) innards. Expect more when the duo goes on sale later this month, but for now take a peek at our hand-on video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. %Gallery-133567%
Intel Ultrabooks to sell for under $1000, take a page from ASUS' design book?
Back at Computex, Intel whipped out its magic 8-ball to predict a "you may rely on it" 40 percent share for the upcoming Ultrabooks market. While we can neither confirm, nor deny the company's powers of retail clairvoyance, we can point you to a purported bill of materials that would usher its line in at a sub-$1000 price. The report from Digitimes doesn't lay out the specific assembly costs, but pegs the chipmaker's 18mm and 21mm thick laptops at $493 - $710 and $475 - $650, respectively. Intel is also reportedly meeting with manufacturers in Taipei next week to figure out a way to deliver on the budget-friendly goal, aimed at producing 11 - 13-inch models for the thinner entries and girthier 14 - 17-inch models. If you're wondering what sort of form factor the company's after, take a glance at ASUS' UX21 and UX31 ultrabooks -- supposed reference designs for the svelte, Ivy Bridge-powered computers. We hope that's the only bit of strategy Intel cops, otherwise we're all in for a disappointingly priced ultraslim future.
Ultrabooks to start arriving in September, more expensive than expected
Looks like those skinny Ultrabooks Intel was trying to sell us on at Computex will all be hitting the market at roughly the same time. Despite earlier suggestions that HP would beat ASUS's planned September launch, DigiTimes reports the Palo Alto company's Air competitor may not actually ship until as late as Q1 of 2012, thanks to LCD supply issues. Those problems scoring enough panels are also holding up similar systems from Acer and Dell. To make matters worse, it seems those promised sub $1,000 price points were a bit optimistic. ASUS told the Taipei Times that its UX line would only be able to hit such a price using slower Core i3 chips -- upgrading to a Core i5 and sticking in an SSD would push the price towards the $2,000 mark. [Thanks, Marco]
