Final Thoughts
The UX31E is slim, very slim. It is the first Windows based machine that I have seen and used that is as thin as my MacBook Air.
The sound quality was great, watching a movie was a pleasant experience.
The maximum resolution on the UX31E was slightly more than the MacBook Air (at 1600×900), however I found that sometimes the image quality wasn’t as good, especially when watching a movie, the blacks were not as dark as I would have liked.
I also found using the keyboard to be easy and it was very responsive, although there wasn’t a backlight for the keyboard, which would have added to the use experience.
ASUS have included a number of items in the box that you would normal expect to pay extra for – a really nice case, a mini VGA adaptor and an Ethernet adaptor. For my MacBook Air I had to buy two of the three things and those cost over £50, so well done ASUS.
Battery life was really good, as long as you use the ASUS settings (which for most people will probably be fine). Also, if you get to 5% battery power, your work is automatically saved for you so that you don’t lose anything, which is certainly a nice feature.
Instant sleep and instant resume were both very nice features that I have come to love on my MacBook Air and am very happy to see on a Windows machine.
It was nice to see a USB 3.0 port – thank you ASUS, that’s another one up on the Air.
Now let’s get to the thing I didn’t like – the track pad. Frankly after a few minutes of using it I wanted to put the UX31E back in it’s box and never touch it again. That may sound a little over dramatic but the track pad is awful. It is really unresponsive, and often has a mind of it’s own. Fortunately you can connect a mouse and use that, but if you were out and about and wanted to use the UX31E you might not want to carry a mouse and so prepare to be frustrated.
The top of the UX31E and the bottom are two different colours. Not that this is a big deal, but I think it would have looked better in a single colour, but maybe that’s just me!
If you don’t want a 13 inch version, there is also an 11.6 inch version, the UX21, but I prefer the 13 inch one myself, which is why I opted for the 13 inch MacBook Air over the smaller one as well.
Price wise, the model we reviewed retails for £999.99.
So that’s around £100 cheaper than the equivalent MacBook Air. So if you are looking for a very slim, portable computer with long battery life you have a choice – Apple or Windows, it’s no longer a one horse race!
Overall we gave the UX31E 4/5 – it would have got 5/5 had it not been for the track pad! But it is a really great Windows machine and should be considered!
I have purchased one of these ASUS ZENBOOK UX31E Ultrabook and also had an issue witht the track-pad. But Asus recently offered an update to the driver for the track pad and I must say that the problems I had are now completly gone. I would give this ASUS ZENBOOK UX31E Ultrabook a 5+/5. I got mine in October 2011 and it’s December 2011 and I will simply not give this one up. Best purchase I have made in the last two to three years…
thanks for the information – I am glad they sorted it out as that was the only thing I didnt really like about it. Unfortunately I dont have the ZENBOOK anymore as it had to be returned, but it’s great to hear you like it.
WHat did you do to solve your wifi problems? they keep coming up after update