The Asus Zenbook UX305 Is a Beautiful Laptop at a Steal of a Price

Apple’s MacBook Air is the ultimate ultralight laptop and the only ultralight for Mac users. Windows users have more options. Like the new Asus Zenbook UX305.

The Zenbook is one of the thinnest and lightest notebooks around, and with a starting price of $699, it’s $300 less than Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air.

It’s a good machine, but sadly there are tradeoffs.

A beauty with some warts

At 2.6 pounds, the aluminum Zenbook is about a third of a pound lighter than the MacBook Air. But it’s about the same size: 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches, compared with the Apple’s 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches. The difference in weight comes from the fact that the Zenbook doesn’t use as many internal parts as the MacBook, a result of the processor used in the Zenbook.

Lenovo’s Yoga 3 Pro, another superthin laptop, offers the same dimensions and weight as Asus’s Zenbook and doubles as a tablet. However, at $1,299, the Lenovo costs nearly twice as much as the Asus and $300 more than the MacBook Air.

Outside of Apple, Asus easily makes some of the most attractive laptops on the market. As with its predecessors, the Zenbook UX305’s cover features a large ASUS logo ringed by a series of concentric circles. It’s a beautiful design that gives the laptop a decidedly upscale look.

I love the Zenbook’s look and feel, but it’s an absolute fingerprint magnet.

Screen

The Zenbook’s 13-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution display offers crisp, sharp text and images, but there are issues with its anti-glare matte coating.

Matte screens are great for using in direct sunlight or under bright office lights because they are less reflective, but they make colors look duller. A glossy screen (as on a MacBook Air) shows  bright, vibrant colors but can be tough to see under bright lights.

I use my laptop in an office, and I prefer a glossy display. If you’re the kind of person who needs to use your computer outside, a matte screen will likely be a better choice.

Videos  still look fine on the Zenbook’s display, although I did notice that there was a slight yellowish tint. The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro’s 13-inch 3200 x 1600 screen offers better color accuracy.

Both screens were sharper than the MacBook Air’s 13-inch 1440 x 900 resolution screen, though the MacBook still beat the Asus in terms of color quality.

My Zenbook UX305 didn’t come with a built-in touchscreen, which made navigating Windows 8 a bit of a chore. The operating system is designed for a touchscreen, after all. You can opt for an optional touchscreen, but only if you jump up to a higher-resolution display, which will cost you an extra $300.

Keyboard

The Zenbook is certainly beautiful, but its keyboard feels rather flimsy as you type. I also noticed that the keyboard was, on rare occasions, unable to recognize my inputs.

To help improve the overall typing experience, Asus added a nifty new hinge that actually raises the keyboard ever so slightly as you fold the display back, a nice addition that makes typing a bit more comfortable.

Performance

Asus packed the Zenbook UX305 with one of Intel’s new Core M series processors. That’s good because Core M chips are lower-power, and the computer can run without noisy fans. It also means that the computer isn’t as powerful as one that runs on a full-fledged Core I series processor, such as the MacBook Air.

The Core M series is designed for use in ultraslim laptops and tablets and offers decent performance and battery life, but if you’re going to be doing any kind of serious photo editing or even want to get in some light gaming, this processor isn’t going to cut it.

Even with its 8GB of RAM and 128GB solid-state drive, the Zenbook UX305 can’t match the performance of the MacBook Air with its Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM.

For the vast majority of people, though, the Zenbook UX305 will be more than powerful enough. You can stream videos while browsing the Web, and you can play simple browser-based games with ease. But if you’re looking for a laptop capable of any heavy lifting, like photo or video editing, you’ll want something with a beefier chip than the Zenbook’s.

Battery life

One area where the Zenbook and its Intel Core M processor do succeed is in battery life. Asus estimates that the laptop can get up to 10 hours out of a single charge. I was able to use the laptop throughout the workday without having to recharge it.

Granted, I was only browsing the Web and mostly using a word processor, but still, this laptop does last through a full day of work without requiring a power outlet.

Should you get it?

I’m usually a fan of Asus laptops, and the Zenbook UX305 is so close to being one of my favorites, but it falls just short. Sure it’s a looker, with a sharp screen and a battery that lasts all day, but its keyboard needs a bit more fine-tuning and its a totally fingerprint magnet.

If you’re looking for a lightweight laptop at a competitive price and simply want to browse the Web, use Microsoft Office, or stream Netflix, the $699 Zenbook UX305 is a solid choice.

But if you need something with more power and a better keyboard, the MacBook Air is a better, though pricier, option.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.