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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.
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]
ASUS UX21 to be priced at less than $1,000, says Commercial Times
The ASUS UX21, that 11.6-inch cake slicer that doubles up as an ultrathin laptop, is coming in September with a price tag of less than $1,000. That's according to the Commercial Times, which cites supplier sources in identifying ASUS' aggressive pricing strategy. Word is that the Taiwanese company is aiming to price the UX21 at 80 to 90 percent of the cost of Apple's competing products, namely the MacBook Air family. Of course, with a second-gen Intel Core i5 (or i7) CPU inside it, ASUS' new laptop has a significant spec advantage over Apple's similarly aluminum-encased laptops, so we'd argue simply matching the MBA's price will ensure the UX21 flies off store shelves. ASUS has a fine recent history of breaking through price barriers, as shown by the $200 Eee PC X101 that was announced alongside the UX21 at Computex, so if anyone was going to give us a 17mm-thick slab of up-to-date gorgeousness for less than $1,000, it probably had to be Jonney Shih's crew.
Intel reveals skinny Ivy Bridge 'Ultrabooks,' Moore's Law-defying Atoms
Intel took the opportunity at Computex to update the tech-loving world on its processor plans, and it looks like those whispers we heard about low power and an accelerated Atom roadmap were spot on. Executive VP Sean Maloney didn't divulge specific TDPs but did confirm that we could look forward to reduced power consumption and sleek designs in 2012. The Intel exec declared that new class of PC, dubbed "Ultrabooks," will make up 40-percent of the market by the end of 2012. These machines, powered by the 22nm Ivy Bridge, will be less than 0.8-inches thick and start at under $1,000 -- which sounds just like the lines we were fed about CULV chips back in 2009. Maloney also confirmed that, going forward, the Atom line would be getting a die shrink every year, as opposed to every two. The upcoming, 32nm Cedar Trail will usher in the new Moore's Law-smashing era with promises of a 10 hour battery life and weeks of standby, and will be succeeded by 22nm and 14nm models. Intel even talked up Medfield, it's Atom variant designed specifically for smartphones and tablets, and showed off more than 10 tablets based on the Oak Trail-flavored Z670. With AMD merely a fading blip in the company's rearview mirror it looks like Chipzilla is gunning for all those ARM-touting manufacturers. Check out the full PR after the break. %Gallery-124884%
