Asus has launched its ZenBook range of ultrabooks to the South African market, upsetting the status quo in this sector with an affordably priced computer packed with high-performance specs, all wrapped up in slick design that’s ahead of its time.“Asus is introducing the latest ZenBook to meet the needs of ambitious, mobile achievers who have high expectations of their work and entertainment technology,” says Werner Joubert, head product manager at Asus South Africa. “The ZenBook not only offers remarkable and award-winning aesthetic appeal, it out-performs other devices in this class in terms of power, performance and very importantly, in terms of price.”
Thin, light and powerful, the Asus ZenBook is just 12,3mm thick (as opposed to the new Macbook Pro that is 13,1mm thick), and weighs in at just 1,2kg, with a subtle wedge design and elegantly tapered smooth diamond-cut edges that emphasize the sleek ultra-thin chassis. A full size ergonomic keyboard and a large responsive touchpad make engaging with the device an efficient and rewarding experience.
When it comes to visual display, the ZenBook features two 13,3-inch in-plane switching options for wide viewing angles, including a matte Full HD (1920×1080) that offers bright, crystal clear images, and an optional QHD+ (3 200 x 1 800) multi-touch display for an extremely sharp display. Simply put, QHD+ offers four times the resolution of standard HD displays for an extraordinary pixel density of 275ppi for vivid and life-like images and video.
This latest crop of ZenBook Ultrabooks maintains the device’s reputation for exceptional sound, with its Asus SonicMaster audio with ICEpower technology from Bang & Olufsen producing deep base, rich mid tones, and crystal-clear highs. What’s more, the easy-to-use AudioWizard software has five pre-sets optimised for different audio sources for maximum listening pleasure.
Available in two colours – Obsidian Stone and Ceramic Alloy – the ZenBook has scooped design awards worldwide, including the 2014 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, the 2015 iF Design Award, and it was included on the 2014 Good Design Best 100 list. Asus’ signature spun-metal finish with its unique concentric circle design that echoes the spirit of Zen add even more to its understated beauty and harmonious blend of power and style.
The ZenBook UX305 is powered by the remarkably power-efficient Intel Core M processor, and combined with 8Gb of RAM and an ultra-fast 256Gb SSD, the notebook delivers impressive all round performance. The SATA 6.0Gb/s SSSD is up to six times faster than a traditional hard disk drive tears through file-intensive productivity tasks with ease – while the device’s lithium-polymer batter and power-efficient components offer a stellar 10 hour battery life.
The advanced Asus thermal management design removes the need for cooling fans, meaning that the Ultrabook is fast, cool (in the most literal sense), and completely silent. This also means that the palm-rest area remains below body temperature for maximum comfort, which is brought to you by Asus, through its ICECool technology.
With only 1 USB port, the new Macbook Pro just doesn’t compare to the ZenBook’s three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports. A ZenBook a day keeps your frustrations away by offering data transfers that are up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. One of the USB 3.0 ports supports Asus Charger+ technology that makes it possible to recharge mobile devices more quickly than ever before. A USB Ethernet adapter is bundled with the UX305 for simple wired network connectivity when wireless is unavailable.
The Asus ZenBook UX305 FA with 8Gb memory, 256Gb hard drive and QHD screen will be sold-at Dion Wired for a recommended retail price of R11 999. Term and Conditions Apply for various models.”