About the ASUS Zenbook UX21E-KX008V - (Price $1,599.00)
This variant of the UX21E is currently the only 11.6in Ultrabook to have a low-voltage 2nd Gen Intel Core i7, giving it great performance despite the 1.1kg weight.
The 11.6in ASUS Zenbook UX21E (KX008V) is one of the new generation of ultra-slim, ultra-light laptops called Ultrabooks. More so than other Ultrabook models, this version of the UX21E shows what Ultrabooks are capable of by packing an Intel Core i7 processor and a 128GB solid state drive into a 1.1kg body that's barely thicker than a smartphone's. This model sells for $1,599, a decent price for such a powerful Ultrabook.
The Core i7 -powered variant of the UX21E (there are Core i5 and Core i3 versions as well) would have to be, pound for pound, one of the most powerful little computers you can buy. The 2nd Gen Intel Core i7-2677M (1.8GHz) processor is from the low-voltage line of Intel's most powerful chip family, but the performance doesn't suffer greatly when compared to full-power CPUs in full-size notebooks or in desktop PCs. The UX21E will easily run the most demanding programs and productivity applications, making it ideal for anyone who needs to do serious work while on the move. The 11.6in screen is barely larger than a netbook's but it has a resolution of 1,366x768, so you you'll see as many pixels as on most 15.6in notebooks.
To qualify as an Ultrabook, the UX21E needs to meet a set of strict requirements laid out by Intel. These include being less than 21mm thick, under 1.4kg in weight, be able to resume from sleep mode quickly (the UX21E does in about 2 seconds), have a battery that lasts longer than 5 hours and not have an optical drive. An Ultrabook must also include Intel Anti-Theft Technology which can lock down the notebook in case it's stolen (this is a premium feature which is optionally enabled through the retailer). Ultrabooks must also use low-voltage Intel Core processors and have solid state drives.
The limited storage of SSDs is probably the biggest compromise that Ultrabooks make when compared to a full-sized notebook. Most Ultrabooks have SSDs with a capacity of 128GB or 256GB, which is much less than the 500GB plus you get on your average big notebook, but the SSDs are thinner, lighter, more reliable, and importantly, much faster than mechanical drives. In short, they help make the slimness, lightness and high performance of Ultrabooks possible. The UX21E's 128GB SSD won't give you a lot of room once Windows and your key apps have taken their share, but there should be be enough left to store essential documents and data.
Another compromise of Ultrabooks is that they don't give you as many ports as full-size notebooks. The UX21E has just two USB ports (one USB 3.0) plus a micro-HDMI and a mini-VGA port and headphone jack, but given its insanely thin unibody, this is to be expected.
We must also mention the extraordinary bare metal looks of the UX21Es and their bigger UX31E siblings. The brushed, polished aluminium makes them the sexiest notebooks ever. While Intel has not mandated good looks in its Ultrabook spec, the ASUS machines give us hope that notebook makers are finally following the lead set by Apple and taking industrial design seriously.
In summary, you should consider the UX21E version with the Core i7 processor if you really need high performance and long battery life in an extremely portable machine, one that doesn't make you miss your big full-sized notebook or desktop PC.
This notebook is very good in terms of its balance of specifications and price. It's a strong contender though there may still be better notebooks in this category.
| Spec Label |
Spec Data |
| Processor series |
Intel Core i7 |
| Processor model |
Intel Core i7-2677M |
| Processor speed (GHz) |
1.8 |
| Graphics system |
Onboard |
| Drive 1 Capacity () |
128 |
| Standard Memory (GB) |
4 |
| Drive 1 type |
SSD |
| Optical drive |
None |
| Ethernet |
None |
| Wi-Fi |
802.11 b/g/n |
| Battery (cells & type) |
Polymer |
| Screensize |
11.6 |
| Dimensions(WxDxH) |
299x196x17 |
| Weight (KGs) |
1.1 |
| Native Resolution |
1,366x768 |
| Operating System |
Windows 7 Home Premium |
| HDMI |
0 |
| |
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