Laptop Reviews Asus UX30 CULV
- Monday, September 7, 2009, 11:37
- Laptop Reviews
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SlashGear have carried out a brief review of Asus’ new ultraportable UX30, part of their new upcoming notebook line. No definite price or release date has been announced yet, however it is expected to retail at a price that will maybe be its major downfall.
The Asus ultraportable UX30 runs a Intel CULV processor the entry level processor runs at 1.3GHz, it has 2GB of Ram and GMA X4500MHD graphics, the UX30 laso has a 13.3” display and HDMI-out.
According to the review on SlashGear the notebooks performance is good and the HD video playback was adequate, however gaming is not an option. The ultraportable UX30 only weighs 3.5lbs therefore it lives up to its “ultraportable” tag. One problem with the notebook is that it only has a 3-cell battery, this allows just shy of 4 hours 30 minutes runtime.
There are some design related annoyances, the notebook uses port covers which while do make it look tidier make access to the ports annoying, also the Ethernet port is said to be very close to the palm rest which can be frustrating if your plugged into your LAN.
The Asus UX30 is the second laptop we’ve seen to feature a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processor but, unlike the Advent Altro, this machine is aimed at the top end of the market.
It’s one of the thinnest machines we’ve seen to date – measuring just 24mm at its thickest – and the design is stunning. The brushed aluminium lid gives it a premium feel, and the high-end theme runs throughout. All of the plastics are high in quality, and it’s surprisingly tough considering the thin dimensions. It’s also light – at 1.5kg – making it a great companion for the daily commute.
The 13.3-inch screen is impressive, with strong colours and LED backlighting delivering high brightness levels. The 1366 x 768-pixel resolution results in crisp images, and there’s easily enough space to view two documents side by side, browse the internet or watch movies in their native resolutions. It is a highly reflective panel, however, so you’ll need to turn up brightness settings to get the best out of it on the road, impacting on battery life.
With an inch of space on each side of the keyboard, the keys are smaller than many rivals, but it offers great usability none-the-less. Each of the keys move accurately and responsively, and decent spacing makes it easy to type at speed. Our only criticism is a relative lack of travel, although this will suit many touch typists. The touchpad is one of the largest we’ve seen, offering equally impressive usability.
The svelte design is kept clean by an apparent lack of ports – with all features hidden behind plastic flaps. It turns out to be reasonably well equipped – aside from a lack of optical drive. You’ll find three USB ports for connecting peripherals, HDMI and mini VGA ports for HD and analogue displays, and a Gigabit Ethernet port for fixed network connections. Wireless connections are equally comprehensive, with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – although a mobile broadband connection is omitted. 
Unlike the much cheaper Advent Altro, which uses a budget Intel Celeron processor, the UX30 features a cutting-edge Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 chip. Running at 1.4GHz, it’s specifically designed to be used in thin ultraportables, and its two cores allow it to multi-task efficiently, further helped by 4096MB of memory. We haven’t had the opportunity to benchmark it fully yet, but check back here to find out how we get on with performance and battery life tests. 
With its stunning design, usability and great quality, the Asus UX30 is an easy machine to like. We’ll reserve judgement until we find out more about performance and battery life, but it’s an impressive laptop, even at £999 (inc. VAT). 
SlashGear have carried out a brief review of Asus’ new ultraportable UX30, part of their new upcoming notebook line. No definite price or release date has been announced yet, however it is expected to retail at a price that will maybe be its major downfall.
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