Asus ZenBook S
The premium ultraportable laptop market is congested, but Asus is hoping its ZenBook S (UX391) can stand out from the crowd. The 13.3in ZenBook S combines 1kg portability with a rugged build, impressive specs and a creative design feature intended to make data input easier.
The ZenBook S has passed tests in a variety of hostile environments to reach the military MIL-STD-810G standard, yet the standout feature remains a bizarre hinge that elevates the keyboard by 5.5 degrees.
This has several benefits, according to Asus, the first being that the angle is easier for typing. Lifting the keyboard also delivers clearer sound and improved cooling. The ZenBook S takes in cool air through the extra space beneath the keyboard and expels warm air through the hinge, which combined with a fan means that the ZenBook S runs 5°C cooler than previous ZenBook models.
While the raised keyboard system might be ideal on a desk, analysts aren’t sure whether it will suit all scenarios. “It looks like you have a similar experience to the Surface Pro, which is okay on the plane or lap [although] this is actually going to be more sturdy than the Surface keyboard as it is metal,” said Carolina Milanesi, principal analyst for Creative Strategies.
“Vendors are trying to come up with little design tweaks to stand out from the crowd – some are visually pleasing, some add to the user experience and some do neither. I think this is more in the visually pleasing category, but I do not think it would take away from functionality.”
KEY DIGITS AND DETAILS
Price From $1,199 Availability Now Processor Intel Core i7-8550U or i5-8250U Screen 13,3in 3,840 x 2,160 or 1,920 x 1,080 Memory 8GB or 16GB 2,133MHz LPDDR3 onboard
Storage 1TB or 512GB PCIe SSD, 256GB SATA3 SSD
Ports 2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 3, 1 x USB-C Dimensions 311 x 213 x 12.9mm (WDH) Weight 1kg