Overview

Exquisite design with slender, lightweight frame for maximum portability. Powered by Intel's i5 dual-core (Ivy Bridge) processor, USB 3.0, plus HD 4000 graphics card and well equipped with features to make your working time easier and provide some relaxation as well.

Looking for a new laptop has never been more confusing with more models currently on the market than ever before. As rival manufacturers seek to outdo each other with the latest and greatest technology that it’s claimed will change your life, it’s difficult to know what you really need. A recent shift in focus that has geared laptops largely towards entertainment makes this an even tougher choice for the dedicated professional seeking a suitable laptop for work as well as home life. The other problem is that whilst it’s important that your new choice of laptop is suited to home or the office on the inside, it also has to be versatile on the outside. In addition to being smart and stylish, it also has to be easy to carry and up to the rigours of accompanying the modern professional who is always on the move. Fortunately the technology giant Apple has an executive laptop on offer that’s more than up to the challenge.

The MacBook Air is an exceptional laptop that has continued to cause a stir since its debut onto the market. In our view it’s unquestionably the best looking laptop available, with its sleek aluminium construction and impossibly thin form. The MacBook Air boasts a razor sharp 13 inch display (there is also a smaller, slightly less powerful 11 inch model available for those desiring the ultimate in compactness) and runs on a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor (Sandy Bridge). With the powerful dual-core processor in the engine room and Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 processor taking care of the visuals, the MacBook Air is well equipped for any task that you can throw at it, whether work or entertainment oriented. The latest MacBook Air also includes the much hyped Thunderbolt port, allowing ultra fast data transfer to and from compatible external devices. On the inside it comes pre-loaded with Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion operating system for easy management of your digital content and in typical Apple fashion everything is clearly explained, as well as easy to use.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop to support your busy working life we highly recommend checking out the MacBook Air. Its stylish looks and easy to use interface make it the perfect office companion and it’s got plenty of features to keep you entertained at home or on the move too.

Design

Regardless of the sector of technology in question, Apple sets new design standards across the board in terms of innovation and quality. The MacBook Air is no different, having changed the way we look at laptops since it was first released in 2008. Indeed, the MacBook Air can arguably claim responsibility for the demise of the traditional laptop as we know it with Intel recently unveiling a new Ultrabook category. Why you ask? Well, the clue is in that second part of the MacBook’s name, Air. Its slim form and light weight have redefined laptop portability and we think that the latest, sixth generation MacBook Air (mid-2012) is the best package Apple has come up with yet.

To any admirer of technology, casual or dedicated, there can be only one word used to describe the MacBook Air; beautiful. Apple’s designers have made the latest incarnation of the MacBook Air wonderfully minimalistic and let’s be honest, it doesn’t need any more than that discrete embossed Apple logo, which speaks volumes for itself. With the lid shut it’s as smooth as can be with the rounded edges lending sleekness to the design. The brushed aluminium finish is stunning and gives the MacBook Air a premium overall feel. It’s an incredibly luxurious body for a laptop but that’s not its only merit as it’s also very durable, keeping your MacBook Air protected from the rigours of daily life.

One of the biggest up-sides to the MacBook Air is the fact that it’s so portable, making it ideal to take away on business. With dimensions of 325 mm (width) x 227 mm (depth) x 17 mm (height), the MacBook Air is amongst the most compact laptops around. It’s the slimness of the MacBook Air that’s particularly impressive, measuring just 17 mm at the rear and incredibly a mere 3 mm at the front. There are now competing laptops available that offer similarly slender form, especially with more models emerging onto the market from the new Ultrabook category, but we think that the MacBook Air is still the best looking of the bunch by far. The argument in favour of the MacBook Air only becomes more convincing when you take its extremely light weight of 1.35 kg (2.9 lbs) into account, making it not only easy to stow away, but also light enough to carry at all times without any strain.

Lifting the paper-thin laptop lid reveals the MacBook Air’s superb 13 inch display. It has a resolution of 1440x900 pixels, yielding stunning quality for photo and video viewing. It makes high definition video a particular visual treat. The super sharp level of detail for photos is outstanding too and the brightness makes working comfortable in any lighting. A particular advantage of the wide screen is the ability to have more than one document or web-page open and viewable simultaneously, allowing easy reference between windows (giving the 13” model a distinct edge over its smaller 11” sibling). Apple has also covered the screen in an anti-reflective coating that makes it far better than most laptops for outdoor use.

Directly beneath the display you’ll find the MacBook Air’s keyboard and although this can be the Achilles heel of many laptops, the MacBook Air passes with flying colours. Recessed into the laptop’s body, the keys are comfortably spaced out and highly responsive. Working on this keyboard is a sheer pleasure that will make you want to accept no substitutes. Apple faced an outcry when backlighting was removed from the keyboard of the previous generation MacBook Air, so consumers will be pleased to know that it’s back in this incarnation and adds even further to the MacBook Air’s endless style. Supporting the keyboard is Apple’s trademark touchpad, allowing simple and responsive navigation of the MacBook Air’s interface.

One of the very few complaints that we have about the MacBook Air is that it doesn’t provide as comprehensive a selection of connectivity options as some of its rivals. At the same time it does give you a connectivity option that most of its competitors won’t, making this something of a give and take scenario. There are two USB 3.0 ports, one on either side of the laptop, an SD card reader for external multimedia content, as well as the standard microphone and headphone jacks. There’s no Ethernet port and the VGA and HDMI ports have gone too, meaning that you’ll need a separate adapter to connect to an HD TV. However there is a new thunderbolt port, discernible only by a small logo styled after a bolt of lightning alongside it.The thunderbolt port provides super-speedy data transfer from external devices, up to as much as 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and also allows you to connect compatible displays, such as Apple's excellent thunderbolt display. Finally, whilst the MacBook Air’s built-in WiFi is excellent, you may occasionally find yourself limited by the lack of Ethernet port if not in a well connected WiFi area.

Features

In addition to being one of the most desirable and practically designed laptops on the market, the MacBook Air comes packed with the sort of features that will really make a difference to your every day laptop usage. It’s got everything that you need to take on a busy day’s work and its impressive specifications make entertainment excellent too. The MacBook Air is a powerful executive laptop with stellar all-round performance.

At the heart of the MacBook Air is a powerful Intel i5 dual core processor (Ivy Bridge) with 4 GB of DDR3 memory, representing a serious upgrade from its predecessor and thereby solving consumer criticisms of earlier incarnations of the MacBook Air lacking power. The new processor provides plenty of clout, running up to 1.8 GHz. Booting up time is next to non-existent and intensive processes like video editing run as smoothly as can be without noticeably slowing things down. Another plus is that the MacBook Air runs in virtual silence, allowing you maximum concentration when working.

The MacBook Air doesn’t use a traditional hard-drive for storage, instead coming with up to 256GB of flash storage space. This makes a lot of sense given that Apple wanted to make the MacBook Air as portable and fast-running as possible. Flash storage takes up very little room without adding much weight to the laptop and provides extremely fast loading times, as evidenced by how quickly you can phase the MacBook Air in and out of hibernation. This does give you slight restrictions on expanding the MacBook Air’s storage capacity but there should be plenty of room if you primarily plan on using it for work and the memory can always be supplemented by external storage devices.

Managing your files and navigating your way around your laptop has never been easier as the MacBook Air comes pre-loaded with Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion operating system. It works really well and eliminates the need for any complicated set up processes. Anyone who owns an iPad or iPhone will be thrilled to find a lot of similarities to Apple’s mobile operating system, such as the ability to use the MacBook Air’s touchpad to swipe between websites like the pages of a book. It’s extremely user friendly and even technophobes should find themselves coping admirably in no time.

The graphics on the MacBook Air are very good too, handled by Intel’s HD 4000 graphics chip. It can’t compete with the latest dedicated gaming laptops, but we wouldn’t expect it to as gamers aren’t exactly the MacBook Air’s core audience. If you do like a bit of gaming in your down-time though it’s got more than enough power to handle most titles at a decent frame rate, just don’t expect the levels of detail offered by gaming computers. Arguably more important is that HD video looks phenomenal, aided by the high-resolution display.

A further feature that deserves a mention is the MacBook Air’s surprisingly pleasing battery life. It was always going to be a concern that the MacBook Air would lack power given its wafer thin form, but Apple has managed to effectively allay these fears. One of the added bonuses of flash memory is that it requires so little power, giving the MacBook Air much improved longevity in comparison to previous models. With a battery life of around 7 hours of regular use, the MacBook Air should allow you plenty of working time without needing a charge. If not in constant use the MacBook Air also has an incredible standby time of up to 30 days, ideal for intermittent use whilst away on travel. The one drawback to the battery is that it’s in-built meaning that if anything goes wrong you’ll have to send the whole unit to Apple for repair.

Finally there’s a considerate feature from Apple in the form of a built-in webcam that is intended for use with Apple’s own FaceTime video chat service. This is a particularly welcome feature for those who spend a lot of time away from home as it allows you to keep in touch with your loved ones on a more personal level with the ability to see one another whilst talking. The built-in speakers that are concealed beneath the keyboard are more than adequate for tasks like video-chatting with family or friends, but you may want to invest in some decent headphones if you’re a serious music fan and plan on using the MacBook Air for music a lot.

Conclusion

Apple’s latest MacBook Air is an absolute revelation. It’s beautiful to behold and a joy to use for work or entertainment, making it one of the best all-round performers you’re likely to find. Apple products are always expertly designed, showcasing the highest quality components and the MacBook Air falls straight in line with that trend. Its premium metal construction and ultra slender form make it the perfect choice for the modern professional who is constantly on the move. Its lightness and compact form also make it the ideal laptop to take away with you. There’s no complicated set up with OS X Mountain Lion already installed and everything runs with the utmost speed and efficiency thanks to the powerful Intel i5 (Ivy Bridge) dual core processor. With Intel’s HD 4000 chip managing graphics you can even play a few games in your spare time should you wish and HD videos look spectacular on the 13 inch high resolution display. The luxurious keyboard will make working as pleasurable as can be and the built-in webcam means that your loved ones are never too far away. The MacBook Air is slightly lacking in traditional connectivity options, but you get the super-fast thunderbolt port as a trade off, offering almost instant data transfer from external devices.

If you’re looking for a new laptop to take to work as well as use at home we think that the MacBook Air is arguably the best option on the market. It’s got show stopping looks that are stylish as well as professional and its slim body makes it the ultimate in portability. There’s also enough power on the inside to handle all of your work needs and even allow you to put your feet up with HD video at the end of the day. We highly recommend the MacBook Air, it’s the ultimate laptop for the executive lifestyle.

Overview

Stunningly attractive design, very powerful performer, impressive high resolution display, premium build quality, ultra compact, light-weight, good battery life, decent port selection, but the trackpad could be better.

A problem that many of us who spend a lot of time working on the computer face these days is what to look for in a laptop. If you don’t want to join the legion of Apple fanatics it’s hard to know what to go with. The obvious choice is a so-called Ultrabook, the super-slim Windows alternative to Apple’s MacBook range. So many Ultrabooks have exploded onto the market recently that it’s hard to know which one is worth investing in. For this reason, we’ve taken a close look at the new top of the line Asus ZenBook Prime UX31A and to say we’re impressed would be quite an understatement. Boasting a powerful quad-core Ivy Bridge Intel i7 processor backed up by 4GB of RAM, the UX31 A is a powerhouse of an Ultrabook, racing through every task you throw at it. The full HD IPS panel display is utterly gorgeous and the UX31As overall design is stunning too. Once you’ve got your hands on the UX31A it’s doubtful you’ll ever want to let go.

Design & Features

Almost every laptop that’s portable and made of metal is being referred to as an Ultrabook these days, so it’s incredibly refreshing to get hold of a device that truly earns that moniker. Asus has impressed an awful lot recently with innovative devices like the tablet-hybrid Transformer Prime and with the UX31A we think that there’s finally a legitimate challenger in the Ultrabook category to take on the might of Apple.

It’s impossible not to notice how good looking the UX31A is and like most Ultrabooks we’ve tested the UX31A features an all-metal chassis, with aluminium used to keep things light. That’s where the similarities end though as the UX31A makes its competitors look frankly dull in comparison. The lid is cast out of dark aluminium with a swirled circular theme spanning across it. In contrast the body is a lighter brushed aluminium that offsets against the lid nicely. Another advantage of the darker lid colour is that it doesn’t constantly get covered in finger-prints like some models that we’ve seen. We were pleased to find that the UX31A isn’t just a pretty face either; Asus has built it to be tough with daily use in mind.

Speaking of daily use, you’ll be pleased to hear that the UX31A is one of the most travel-friendly laptops you’ll ever come across. With total dimensions of just 327 x 226 x 21 mm (width x depth x height) it’s really compact and can easily be slid into the smallest of bags. This makes it a good choice for those who travel frequently and need a small, functional laptop that handles work or entertainment equally well. Its small size also means that the UX31A has a similarly tiny weight of just 1.2 kg, so unlike some rivals you can carry it comfortably all day without feeling overburdened.

Everything underneath the lid is just as pristine in appearance as the UX31As exterior. The black keyboard looks great against the brushed metal body and it’s wonderfully responsive in use. Unfortunately the same can’t be said of the trackpad, which isn’t all that it might have been. It’s not that it’s terrible, just a tad too large and overly sensitive for our taste, which occasionally resulted in clicking on things inadvertently. This is hardly a deal-breaker as you can play with the sensitivity settings to get things more to your liking, it’s just a slight criticism given how good the keyboard is. We also loved the way that the whole keyboard is backlit, making it easy to use when working of an evening. The port selection’s not half bad either, with two USB 3.0 ports, a multi-format card reader, VGA and HDMI ports. There’s no Ethernet port but this can be overcome with the use of the provided adapter.

The real showstopper is the UX31As 13.3 inch full HD IPS panel display. It’s miles better than any other Ultrabook we’ve worked with, featuring a resolution of 1,920x1,080. The image quality is nothing short of stellar and thanks to the use of IPS technology it has limitless viewing angles, allowing you a good view from anywhere in the room. Working is made more pleasant thanks to an anti-reflective coating and movies look superb in full HD. Whilst the UX31A isn’t a games machine, the built in Intel HD 4000 graphics should allow you to take advantage of the brilliant screen with a bit of basic gaming.

When a laptop looks this good you don’t want it to be lacking in power and Asus certainly hasn’t disappointed with the UX31A. It’s driven by a quad-core Ivy Bridge Intel-Core i7 processor, backed up by 4GB of RAM. It runs at an already speedy 1.9GHz and can be turbo-boosted to an impressive 3GHz. That’s some serious power for a machine of this size and it really shows, the UX31A flies through any task that you throw at it and it boots up so fast that you barely have time to open the lid. Whether you want to work or play, the UX31A has all the power you’ll need to keep your bases covered.

Conclusion

Asus has done an amazing job with the UX31A and we’re completely sold. It’s one of the best Utrabooks we’ve ever worked with and it’s great for multimedia too. The brilliant full HD ISP panel display is head and shoulders above the competition; once you’ve used it nothing less will do. It’s the only screen that rivals Apple’s MacBook Pro and it’s a bit cheaper too. The powerful Intel-Core i7 processor zips through tasks at lightning speed, giving the UX31A performance that’s worthy of the Ultrabook name. If you’re looking for a powerful Ultrabook with a great screen that’s ideal for travel, the Asus ZenBook Prime UX31A is our top tip.

Overview

Best value 11 inch Ultrabook available, powerful performance, stunningly attractive design, light-weight/portable, premium build quality, good connectivity, great battery life, but there’s no memory card support & the keyboard lacks back-lighting.

When it comes to paper-thin ultra-portable laptops, Apple’s MacBook Air has ruled the roost for some time now. The problem is that although it’s great, the MacBook is just too pricey for some. Microsoft and Intel have tried to hit back at Apple’s dominance with their range of similarly slim Ultrabooks, but most are 13 inch models, leaving Apple virtually unopposed in the 11 inch category. Stepping up to meet the challenge is the Asus Zenbook UX21 and if first impressions are anything to go by it’s an absolute cracker! With tiny overall dimensions and lightness to match, the UX21 is as portable as anything on the market. The all-metal construction is as classy as could be and makes this one of the best looking Ultrabooks out. It’s got plenty of power too courtesy of an Intel Core i5 processor, as well as really impressive battery-life. The Zenbook UX21 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a high quality Apple alternative that’s a good price, portable and great for work as well as multimedia.

Design & Features

The experts at Asus have done something quite remarkable with the Zenbook UX21. In coming up with an 11 inch Ultrabook to rival the much hailed MacBook Air, Asus hasn’t only had to produce a notebook that’s extremely powerful, but good looking enough to take on Apple’s iconic styling too. We think that they’ve really nailed it as the UX21 is an absolute beauty of a machine that’s every bit as alluring as any of its rivals. What’s more; it’s far better value than the competition too.

Like most Ultrabooks that we’ve tested the UX21 features an extremely luxurious all-metal construction. Asus has crafted the laptop from one piece of aluminium (rather than numerous interlocked bits and pieces) for a seamlessly smooth appearance that’s also really robust. You won’t get so much as a hint of flex from the UX21’s tough chassis, providing welcome reassurance that this Ultrabook is more than up to the rigours of everyday use.

As we’ve already touched on, the UX21 is a strikingly good looking bit of kit. It’s very minimalistic overall, allowing the aluminium body to do all the talking. The lid is a darker shade of metal that compliments the natural brushed aluminium of the main body. We were happy to find that the UX21 doesn’t mark too easily, so even when you’re taking it in and out of a bag it shouldn’t need cleaning too often. Speaking of bags, Asus deserve credit for including a little case to carry the UX21, saving you from spending extra money on a separate bag. Little is the right word for the bag too, as the UX21 can slip into the smallest of spaces. It’s a mere 299mm wide and 196mm deep, with a height of just 17mm at the back which slims down to 3 mm at the front. The compact, slim-line dimensions make the UX21 an excellent option for professionals who travel a lot. Indeed, its light weight of 1.1 kg and slender frame mean that the UX21 is a good alternative to the latest tablets as well as to the MacBook Air.

Opening the lid of the UX21 reveals that everything’s similarly well designed to the outside, with the keyboard slightly recessed for more comfortable usage and a large glass trackpad for navigation. Both of these work very well, although we were a bit disappointed to find that the keyboard isn’t backlit, making it a tad difficult to use late at night or in darker settings. Sitting directly above the keyboard is the excellent 11.6 inch display featuring a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels. Whilst not quite as high resolution as the MacBook Air, we think that the UX21 has a brilliant screen for an 11 incher and it will cost you significantly less than the Apple too. Screen brightness is very good and we were more than happy with the performance for watching videos too. If you do fancy watching content on a bigger screen you can connect to an HDTV via the micro HDMI port. On that note we should mention that the UX21 offers great connectivity; there’s one USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, as well as a micro VGA port and the aforementioned micro HDMI.

Turning our attention to the internal features, the UX21 keeps on impressing. It’s got tonnes of power thanks to a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.6 GHz that’s backed up by 4GB of RAM. That’s a lot of grunt for a machine this small and as a result it flies through almost every task you throw at it. Booting up takes next to no time and despite the serious oomph under the bonnet, the system stays cool and runs amazingly quietly at all times. The built in Intel HD graphics chip is great for multimedia and a bit of basic gaming, but if you’re a hardcore gamer who wants the latest titles you’re best off looking elsewhere. We don’t see this as one for the gaming crowd anyway, but rather a device for the travelling professional who uses their notebook for work as well as a little play. The UX21’s pedigree for travel is further backed up by its excellent battery life which should provide at least 4 and a half hours of regular usage.

Conclusion

Simply put; the Asus Zenbook UX21 is a superb laptop that’s seriously worth considering if you’re after an 11 inch model. It’s not only one of the more affordable Ultrabooks on the market; it’s also one of the best looking. The all aluminium body is elegant and also adds the toughness you’d hope for in a device that’s intended for daily use. Thanks to its powerful Intel Core i5 processor the UX21 zips through tasks at a blistering speed and it’s great for entertainment as well as work. The 11 inch screen and compact dimensions also make the UX21 a perfect travel companion. Best of all, it’s far more affordable than any of its rivals, making this impressive little machine a very strong contender in the 11 inch notebook category.