ASUS Zenbook Infinity UX301LA - just announced at Computex

Just to restate what bergsorensen said: UX301LA is the Infinity, and UX31LA (31, not 301) is the follow-up in the UX31A series. Yay for clear naming schemes

 

Thanks for clearing that up - If the part numbers weren't confusing enough.

Looks like Asus is going to be announcing the device (again) tomorrow at IFA; this video has also come out: ASUS ZENBOOK UX301 - Transform your perception - YouTube

We might finally be getting somewhere with its release date.

 

I love the lack of information on CNET's live blog for the Asus event. Guess we'll see some hands on videos and pictures later today. Looking forward to it.

 

"ASUS will also offer an NVIDIA GT 730M GPU on some models." - Engadget. I don't even want to know price on that model.
"Additionally, ASUS will sell a lower-end spinoff called the UX3012, which will have generally the same design, but a lower-res, 1080p screen." Where do I place my order?

 

I am SOOO glad they are making a 1080p model! I will probably be in for that for sure. I bought a 1080p 13" ultrabook last year and told myself that that res is the limit for my eyeballs. Two big reasons why I won't get the 1440p screen:

1) Games will not play well at 1440p even with Iris graphics. You would have to scale the games, which for some you may get edges of the screen cut off(scaling is not always perfect). I'm still not convinced that the Iris graphics would play games well even on 1080p but I would rather not have to deal with scaling issues for everything and possibly tie my CPU up with unnecessary scaling calculations.

2) 1440p is overkill for a 13" screen. Heck, 1080p is almost overkill but I like it a lot better than 768p screens. 1440p on a 13" screen is like 1080p on an 11" screen. Everything is so small that you have to scale it up in order to read it. If you scale everything up, what is the point of having the higher resolution? Really there is no point unless you want to show your friends some ultra high quality pictures. Movies won't play past 1080p and for games, see #1.

As for the 730M option - I'm not sure what to say about that... I thought the Iris 5100 graphics were benchmarked close to the 640M LE, which is a tiny step down from the 730M. I guess it will depend on what Asus charges for the GPU. It "should" be cheap since it's a low end GPU. All these options worry me because I have never seen more than 2-3 options per Asus model available in the US. It would be nice to customize and order on their website like Apple and Dell do so nicely.

 

if the UX302 comes with an SSD option (showing 750GB HD) and 8GB RAM (showing 4GB), that might be the perfect solution.

 

I don't want a 750GB HD I only want an SSD only configured system in my 302.....

 

If this PocketLint article is correct, the UX302 is only going to have 2GB or 4GB options (really ASUS, 2GB?). So, I guess the UX302 is out for me. I'm anxious to see pricing on the UX301 with 1920x1080, i7, and 8GB.

 

I'm a bit confused. Will you be able to get a Nvidia's 730m inside the 2560x1440 IPS model? I've heard conflicting news about this. Some say the discrete graphics card is reserved for only the the 1080p model.

 

ASUS Announces Zenbook UX301 and UX302 Haswell Ultrabooks

AnandTech | ASUS Announces Zenbook UX301 and UX302 Haswell Ultrabooks

 

I just saw this article and came to nbr to check for a relevant thread.
I'm really excited about this, I think I'll finally replace my Acer with either the 301 or 302 assuming the reviews are good in a month or so.

 

this is very disappointing. they went from last years 650M 2GB DDR5 to 730M. Was hoping for a 750M or better with GDDR5

 

When did the 13" Zenbooks ever included a 650M 2GB DDR5? I assume you're referring to the UX51VZ, a 15.6" notebook. I just noticed Gentech is listing a new version with WQHD+ resolution, but still Ivy Bridges CPU.

 

Now with video: Hands-on with ASUS' Zenbook UX301, an Ultrabook with a Gorilla Glass lid and 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen (update: video)

If they would only make a 14" version...

 

And another video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLHpyajD1Ws&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my GALAXY NOTE II

 

Both hands on videos were outdoors lol. It's as if they've never demoed a glossy laptop before

 

I replaced mine with a Sony S13, but now I'm having second thoughts

Though, I wish the bezels were smaller (and thus the whole laptop) as this is just a tad narrower than the Sony which is rather big IMHO. Granted, the Sony is noticeable thicker, even more so with the sheet battery.. Can't wait for some reviews (battery life first and foremost), but I wish there was a matte screen option.

 

Will there even be any matte screen option on the Haswell generation of the Zenbooks?

 

Doubtful since they are all touchscreen now. I've seen semi gloss glass monitors but not with a digitizer yet.

 

DAT REFLECTION
ASUS, please offer a version with a matte screen...pretty please!

 

I have the new acer Aspire S7 now but I might end up switching to this. Can't wait until all of the next gen ultrabooks are out and reviewed so one of these clowns can go ahead and take my $$$

 

I have the s7 as well(ivy i7). I like it a lot but have been eyeballing this since Computex. I seriously hope they adopt the things I love about the s7, such as the positive screen stop at 110 degrees(or whatever angle it is) and the overkill ssd speed. I won't miss the white color though.

Edit: or the screen brightness glaring on the keyboard and washing out the backlit keys.

 

It's disappointing there's no model between the two with discrete graphics and all MSATA SSD storage (not to mention >4GB memory). Seems an odd choice on Asus's part.

 

I guess you can upgrade it yourself on the 730M model (replace the hard drive and mSATA cache SSD(?) with two bigger mSATA SSDs)? I really hope the RAM can be upgraded, too.

Granted, it would be more convenient to just buy the configured version, but, depending on how large mSATA SSDs you'd want for your RAID, upgrading it yourself would most probably end up much cheaper (not to mention that you can choose the best performing SSDs and not rely on their choice).

 

According to Asus Zenbook Touch UX31LA - Test / Review - Laptops - SweClockers.com , the UX31LA (=NOT 301 infinity) is available in matte, although only in a 4GB version, and only in a 900p version.
However, point is, it IS available in matte.
I have not yet heard of an UX301 (Infinity) version in matte, but what do you think? Is there hope? 1080p in matte would be fantastic. And perhaps a 4500U with 4400 Graphics to keep it quiet and prolong battery.
(Hehe, click "like" to this post if you wished they made this, or better still write an email to your local asus rep (not support, but to some rep) )
I became excited about ASUS again because I read that they care about fan noise and got good marks on the 31LA on this (and the 31 too), on various reviews, though one can find s.b. complaining about the fan on *any* laptop, even the most silent.

 

Is this Asus' only upcoming ultrabook? I'm looking for a 14" machine.

 

At 13.3", I think I'd much rather have the 1080p screen and not have to deal with scaling. Probably brings better battery life too.

Would be nice to see the 2560x1440 screen in a 15.6" Zenbook though. I hope they make a 15.6" version of this new glass design. I'd sell my M17x for one :thumbsup:

 

I wonder why there's not even an announcement yet for a Haswell UX51 (UX501 I would guess)... given that they take so long to market even after the announcements.

 

Sometimes they announce way in advance and sometimes they don't announce at all.

 

I was looking at the Samsung ativ plus but I'd really like to see that resolution in person. but there is no way new Zealand will have it. probably 6 months later from everyone else they will. but I need an ultra book before Jan next year.

also I like the design of Asus better than the ativ plus. and that ativ is way overpriced for the larger ssd drive etc

is there an expected release date for the Asus new ultra books?

 

No official but it'll probably be around the Windows 8.1 release

 

Judging from Asus stellt Zenbooks UX301 und UX302 vor - Notebookcheck.com News , the 1080p is probably not matte (unlike the ux31LA 900p. I also fear the 1080p will only have 4GB RAM.
Did you notice the RAM options on the 302? 2 GB RAM? ^^

 

I have a feeling that because there is even an choice for ram configuration, there might be a slot instead of the Ram being soldered on. More likely for the 302 vs the 301 since it's a little thicker. We'll see I guess. I would think they would opt for a slot instead of having two part numbers for every motherboard/cpu option they offer.

On the other hand, I don't mind only 4GB for the UX302 since it has a dedicated card. I don't think that many will actually "need" 8GB since most programs run fine with 4GB and the card will take care of and gaming demands. The Iris models need 8GB because that memory will be utilized by the integrated graphics for both gaming and graphic intensive programs.

Edit: Oh yeah, and the 2GB option is baffling. That's the second source I've seen saying it too. Seriously, if there is a 2GB option, They would be crazy not to have a ram slot. And if there is, I would buy the 2GB model and put an 8GB chip right in.

 

As best I can tell the only mention of "2GB" options refer to the 2GB of VRAM on the 302's 730M, I've only seen 4GB and 8GB listen when it comes to system memory - but I may be mistaken.

Why the 302 has so many downgrades compared to the 301 while having discrete video continues to confuse me though, as does the lack of matte on either model. This notebook seemed so close to being what I'm looking for (matte screen, msata ssd, mid-range gpu, 802.11ac, small but cool/quiet).

 

Interesting idea, the 302 might indeed have a slot. But the 302 is not cool. And as you said, the 301 is very likey to have soldered memory.

I wonder if the Iris Graphics chip will, with non-Gaming/not-graphics-intensive operation (i.e. Office, Browsing), use more RAM than than a 4400, and more important, how much more power it will need and heat it will generate. Or if there is s.th. like a RAM- and power-saving modus.

According to various sources, they appear to offer three (!) CPU variations for the 301: 4200U, 4500U, and 4558U, however, I believe there is a chance this might be a mistake: It could be 4200 and 4500 is only offered in the 302, and you MUST take the 4558U if you want the 301. This would be really bad because 28W and slim design seems like a bad choice. According to Intel Iris Graphics 5100 - NotebookCheck.net Tech , the Iris is offered with 28W chips only, and since the 301 is always associated with Iris (and not a dedicated graphics card), it seems like the 4500 might not be an option on the 301. Only thing possible is that they offer the 301 with 4500U and integrated graphics (like the 4400), which seems unlikely since it is never mentioned, unfortunately.

So ASUS, if you are reading here, we want a 301 with 4500U, 8GB RAM, and integrated low-power HD 4400. And if possible with 1080p matte!!!

 

Pretty sure I saw a non iris model of the 301 somewhere. You might get your wish. Doubt it will be matte though. I think matte screens will be more scarce in the coming years. You can overpower glare with a strong backlight and anti glare for glossy screens has come a long ways. I used to be 100% against glossy because of my m11x. It was like looking into a mirror. My y500 was a huge improvement though and my Acer S7 was even better because the max brightness was really strong. Now I'll never go back because the clarity improvement is totally worth it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

anyone know the approximate costs for both? is it going to be as ridiculous as the ativ 9 plus?

 

CNET reported yesterday from the Intel conference in SF that the UX301 will be released in Nov i5 starting at 1799.00 i7 for 1999.00. No RAM or SSD specs given. Nor do they mention if that price gets you the upgraded screen (It will be avai in 1080p and 2560x1440)You be the judge but I would say those numbers are even more ridiculous than the AB9+ which I will have my hands on in a few days.

 

wow really. so the ativ plus is cheaper. that's epic wow. where are you getting your ab9+ from? cheapest place you could find orrrr?

 

I can't say I have ever felt any company other than Apple shoot me the bird as much as I feel Asus and Samsung are right now.

 

I preordered the AB9+ from Amazon on Aug 14th for 1200. It shipped today and I should get it either tomorrow or Monday.

 

why did you choose not to go acer aspire s7 haswell?

 

Although you weren't asking me...I had the S7 for 3 weeks and while I thought it was a beautiful machine I could not get over making lot's of mistakes typing on the keyboard. Nearly every sentence had a correction and the space bar was always tripping me up.

I returned it and now am waiting until the dust settles a bit and the next ultrabook "star" emerges.

 

I stand corrected. The 301 will definitely be available in a version with i7 4500U/HD4400, and 8GB RAM. So far it seems this version is available with 1440p touch.
(E.g. UX301LA-DE021H, UX301LA-C4006H (UK). )
It seems not so likely they will also offer this version with 1080p and/or matte, but still, with the 4500U and 8GB it seems like an interesting ultrabook option. I'd be disappointed if it turns out they will offer a 4GB with matte, but not a 8GB with matte, like they did with the UX31LA. However, they tend to make second and third generation models, AFAIK, so there might be hope.

Re glossy: Overpowering glare with brightness is an option, but a bad one. (a) reflections will still be worse than matte (I just tested a strong glossy screen on my Canon S110 against a weak matte screen on my Vaio X, on a cloudy day INSIDE), and it will cost battery. It also forces you overpower you screen. This will reduce its brightness fast, over time, at least that's what I saw in previous screens. I don't know if IPS can typically retain its initial brightness for 3 years.

However, it should indeed be noted that mirror effects are much worse if one typically has dark areas on the screen (like when watching movies, or when browsing on websites that have a black background.) So one should consider that after all, annoyances because of glossy might be limited.

 

ah yeah cool. I wanted a samsung ativ book plus but the cost for only 128gb and 4gb ram is pretty insane.
so then I turned to the acer, but then I see problems like yours, plus I don't really like white for my electronics. I kinda hate white, reminds me of apple too much.

I looked at the sony vaio 13 but then realised it's almost 6 months old, I'd rather something a bit newer. I want an ultrabook for jan 30th while I travel.

I was thinking the asus 301's but I think someone said the price was even more ridiculous than the samsung.

so I'm a bit put off by all of the recent/new haswells. a bit disappointed that these companies squeeze money out of public for less specs than what they should be, I mean, the galaxy note 3 released this month has 3gb or ram. and these new laptops only have 4 as base? I mean, wtƒ

 

No sorry, I think you are talking about CFL backlit monitors. Even those last longer than 3 years but LED backlit monitors don't suffer from the aging you are describing(at least not yet, but many think it's >10 years considering how long LEDs last these days). You can prove it to yourself and see if anyone claims their iPhone 4 isn't as bright as an iphone 5 at full brightness. Mine is over 3 years old and has been at full brightness since I got it. It's still as bright as when I got it. Another example is my Transformer Prime. It is usually in Super IPS+ mode which is an extremely high brightness meant for outdoor use. I have yet to see any dimming effects to prolonged use of this feature. The only thing it does is eat the battery faster but it has never been a huge issue since I'm not outdoors 100% of the time. As for mirror effects, I agree with you. I only notice it on a black screen or with movies, although less with movies since I'm focused on the actual movie. It bothered me at first but the crisp picture and better colors outweighed seeing myself occasionally.

 

Hi! I had my vaio X running 18 hours/day with screen on. Done this for 2,5 years. Then RAM got bad and I bought the identical model (it was even a second-hand one, but not used that much. it was bought at the same time when I bought my first, so no chance it was a different screen, 100% identical batch of laptops) I could compare both screens and mine was very noticeably less bright at max than the replacement. I was astonished enough that I took note "set monitor to off as often as possible - but don't know if swithing on-off will hurt even more". I could not find out what type of display is on the Vaio X (it was introduced in mid 2009 I think).

 

It was probably CFL. Led backlighting didn't start until 2010.

 

Full array LED tech was introduced in 2003 and was made commercially available in 2004 by Sony. Edge lit LEDs were introduced by Sony as well in 2008.

 

So was his display edge lit? And do they dim after a couple years if used to much? I've never heard of these displays being used in anything but televisions until just a few years ago.