Notebook Hunter

If you missed out on The Good Guys' sale on the ASUS Zenbook UX31E-RY009V then don’t despair, because JB Hi-Fi’s now selling it for only $1,291. The Zenbook is an impressive mid-range Ultrabook with a very high resolution (1,600 x 900) 13.3in screen, which will make everything appear much sharper than on the 1,366 x 768 resolution screens found in all the alternatives. The metal finish is also outstanding, and rates as one of the nicest exteriors on any notebook released to date.

Processor
The UX31E features a 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2557M (1.7GHz), which is one of the better mid-range low-voltage processors that can run productivity applications and some intensive software. It can burst up to 2.7GHz using Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology if a particularly demanding program is running.

Graphics
It comes with an integrated graphics solution called Intel HD Graphics 3000. It’s 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. It’s more than enough to ensure fluid overall system performance with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Storage
A128GB solid state drive is very small, but it does have very rapid response though for both reading and writing data.

Screen
It sports a 13.3in (1,600 x 900 resolution) gloss screen. This is a much higher resolution than what’s typical for an Ultrabook (1,366 x 768).

Portability
The UX31E has exceptional portability, because it weighs 1.3kg and is 17mm thick.  It’s more than light enough to be taken anywhere without any problems whatsoever.

See the ad below.