When Ultrabooks launched late last year, ASUS stunned the world with its UX "ZenBook" series of super-stylish, brushed metal unibody machines. But with early adopter pricing putting most well north of $1,000, many consumers could only look longingly at them. But prices are now coming down and the 11.6in ASUS Zenbook UX21E-KX007V is really great value for money at just $848 at the Good Guys. The low-voltage 2nd Gen Intel Core i3 marks it as an entry-level Ultrabook, but the 64GB solid state drive, excellent metal build and very low weight of 1.1kg still make it a powerful little ultraportable - certainly a powerful alternative to anyone contemplating buying a netbook. Its remarkable 11.6in screen has the same resolution as the screen on a big 15.6in laptop (i.e, it can pack the same 1,366x768 pixels into its much smaller space).
Processor
Low-voltage 2nd Gen Intel Core i3-2367M (1.4GHz). This is a decent low-end processor that can run productivity applications and some more intensive software.
Graphics
Comes with Intel HD Graphics 3000, an integrated graphics solution (that's part of the main processor) which is on par with a low-end dedicated graphics card, and is sufficient for modern games at the lowest settings.
RAM
4GB of RAM is enough to run several programs at once smoothly and ensure good system performance with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Storage
A 64GB solid state drive is really small, but it has fast response times for reading and writing data. You'll need serious discipline to avoid filling it up quickly.
Screen
It sports a 11.6in (1,366x768 resolution) gloss screen. The resolution is quite high for the screen size. It means you can see exactly the same number of pixels as on a typical 15.6in screen, they're just tinier.
Portability
Weighing 1.1kg and 17mm at its thickest point, the UX21E has exceptional portability.
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