This week, Asus South Africa launched five new ZenBook laptops, as well as two additions to their VivoBook series and Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zephyrus range.
Most notable among the hardware upgrades, their ZenBook Pro 14 features a ScreenPad in lieu for a basic trackpad — a high-resolution, full-colour touchscreen that has its own mini-interface. It functions as a secondary screen that can morph into a number pad, calendar and even a music controller or a calculator.
Get your Zen on
The ZenBook range now includes the ZenBook 13, 14 and 15, the ZenBook Pro 14, and the ZenBook Flip 13 and 15. The 2019 ZenBooks all feature ultra-slim bezels with up to 95% screen-to-body ratio. Nobody likes the bezel any more, it seems.
The 13in and 14in ZenBooks models also optionally include a NumPad — an LED-illuminated number pad built into the trackpad. Because laptops have gotten so small that stock keyboards don’t properly fit anymore. All ZenBook models feature 3D IR camera-login capabilities, 8th-gen Intel Core i7 quad-core CPUs, up to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q graphics card and 16GB RAM.
The ZenBook Flip 15 and 13 are also powered by 8th-gen Intel Core processors. They feature touchscreen displays and stylus support. The ZenBook Flip 15 actually has a Nvidia graphics card under the hood, and a Pantone Validated display for accurate colour rendering. We’re pretty sure this is what you get a designer that has opted to never touch a Mac again after the… accident.
Y’all need some colour
Meanwhile, the VivoBook 14in X412 and the 15in X512 are also new entries, both powered by up to an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and donning Nvidia graphics cards. These aren’t merely made for productivity, but double as fashion accessories. Hence all the hues.
The VivoBooks are available in four colours, including transparent silver, slate grey, peacock blue, and coral crush. They all feature an ErgoLift hinge that tilts the keyboard up slightly to keep the machine cooler while creating a comfortable typing surface. Beats messing with inconvenient keyboard feet or an angled laptop tray.
Asus’ new gaming series, the Zephyrus range, is a more portable machine that has enough power output to satisfy the gaming-elite. The range is fitted with Nvidia GeForce RTX 20-Series Max-Q GPUs and 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processors.
The ZenBook 14 and 15, Flip 15 and the Zephyrus range will be available in SA from February, while the ZenBook 13, Pro 14, Flip 13, and VivoBook 14 and 15 will be available at selected retailers from March. ZenBook prices range from R18,000 to R23,000, while the VivoBooks will cost you R9,000 and R13,000 respectively. The ROG Zephyrus range starts from R50,000.
