You get what you pay for
In 2011, an Australian TV presenter got into trouble for asking the Dalai Lama what toppings a Buddhist would want on their pizza. The answer to this ‘joke’? ‘Make me one with everything’. We were reminded of this by the ZenBook’s brand name, but the UX303UA, which runs Windows 10, also fits the description. It’s a slim and light laptop, or ‘ultrabook’, that takes everything you need in an all-round PC and makes it highly portable.
With an aluminium case and 13.3in screen, the ZenBook UX303UA is comparable to the larger version of Apple’s MacBook Air. Although it’s fractionally bigger and heavier, at 1.45kg it’s still easy to carry, and the front edge tapers to a razor-sharp 3mm. Like other Asus models, the lid is polished in a circular pattern, giving it an industrial look that chimes with its sturdy metal construction. The 70s-style Asus logo plonked in the middle does it few favours, but still, the machine looks every inch the expensive bit of kit that it is. Coloured finishes – including a fashionable Rose Gold – are also available but don’t seem to be widely stocked.
You can pay extra for a touchscreen, but it’s mostly a distraction on a conventional laptop. The ZenBook’s touchpad works well enough, responding effortlessly to clicks, gestures and cursor movements. The regular display’s Full HD 1920x1080-pixel resolution is much sharper than the MacBook Air’s 1440x900, and easier to see thanks to a matt coating. Black pixels aren’t as dark as they could be, and we weren’t convinced by the claim of wide viewing angles, but colour range is good, covering 90 per cent of the sRGB spectrum.
While cheaper laptops make do with Intel’s slowest chips, the ZenBook gets its processor – the 7500U – from the top-end i7 series. It has only two cores, but it’s fast enough to plough through individual tasks like image editing at speeds that would be a credit to a mid-range desktop PC.
It’s helped along by the 256GB SSD, which gives you less storage but is much quicker than a standard hard drive. Multi-tasking isn’t quite so impressive, but with a generous 12GB of memory installed, nothing feels sluggish. Although the integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 chip can’t compete with a full-size graphics card, it’ll run most 3D games if you turn down the resolution and quality settings.
The latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi is built in, and a better option for networking than the slow USB-to-Ethernet adapter supplied, although it’s nice that Acer doesn’t charge you £25 extra for it, unlike certain companies beginning with A that we could mention. Other ports are plentiful, and the battery lasted nearly 10 hours of video playback – enough to sustain you on any journey.
VERDICT
The ZenBook shows us that when you go in search of a truly enlightened laptop, change (from £900) is possible.
SPECIFICATIONS
2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U dual-core processor • 12GB memory • 256GB flash storage • 13.3in 1920x1080-pixel screen • Webcam • 802.11ac Wi-Fi • 3x USB 3.0 ports • HDMI port • Mini DisplayPort • SD card reader • Windows 10 Home • 19.2x323x223mm (HxWxD) • 1.45kg • One-year warranty