In the Philippines, summer is at its end. In the world of portable PCs, though, ASUS Philippines is just about to crank up the Celsius and heat things up with its lineup of notebooks for 2012.
This week, the Taiwanese company teased us with its latest products, which will officially go on sale by June. ASUS boasted that they feature a combination of beautiful aesthetics, powerful sound, intuitive touch controls, “instant on” and “instant connect” functionalities, and cloud service to deliver a satisfying user experience.
The lineup includes the following: ASUS Zenbook UX31A, ASUS N56VZ, ASUS X401, ASUS K55, and ASUS G75VW.
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A
Remember our exclusive on this (see First look: ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A, launching in PH May 29)? The follow-up to the Taiwan-based vendor’s first 13-inch ultrabook, the Zenbook UX31A addresses some of its predecessor’s issues, such as the lack of keyboard backlighting. It reportedly packs the latest Ivy Bridge processor from Intel, but its main attraction is its razor-sharp, full-HD, IPS display.
- 13.3-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080) display, using IPS technology
- Intel 3rd-generation processor
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB SSD
- Price: P69,995
Note: ASUS announced during the event that the smaller, 11-inch ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A won’t make it to our shores.
ASUS N56VZ
We already gave a sneak peek of the ASUS N56VZ multimedia laptop here, but we finally got our firsthand encounter with the product at the launch. With its aluminum construction, illuminated lid logo, and advanced Bang & Olufsen sound setup, ASUS obviously took pains to make this one a standout. Like the UX31A, the N56VZ is also an Ivy Bridge powerhouse, according to reports outside the country.
- 15.6-inch full-HD display
- Intel 3rd-generation processor
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 750GB HDD (7,200RPM)
- Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 2GB DDR3
ASUS X401
Equipped with a humble Pentium processor (for the Intel-based configuration) or an AMD Brazos CPU (for the more affordable AMD-based variant) as well as other mainstream parts, the 14-inch ASUS X401 is an ideal option for consumers on a budget. Omitting an optical disc drive is an intelligent move on the manufacturer’s end because it was able to keep the notebook light in terms of dimensions and price.
- 2GB RAM
- 320GB HDD
- Price: Approximately P20,000 and below (AMD); P20,000+ (Intel)
ASUS K Series
This all-new series looks to flip the script on mainstream notebooks with its textured lid and metallic palm-rest plate. It will also come with some key features exclusive to premium ASUS laptops of previous generations, like a gesture-enabled touchpad, the company’s SonicMaster audio system, and instant-on technology for faster resume times. Currently, the ASUS K55 is already available in the market with an SRP of P39,995, but more models will hit retail outlets with varying price points depending on configuration.
- Intel 3rd-generation processor
- Nvidia GeForce 600 series GPU
ASUS G75VW
Beauty and beast in one, the ASUS G75VW gaming notebook has a cutting-edge form factor inspired by a stealth aircraft; a 3D-capable display; and an Intel third-generation Core-i7 CPU. This high-end, power-packed machine also comes loaded with Nvidia’s GTX 670M graphics card.
- 17.3-inch FHD 3D display
- Intel 3rd-generation Core i7 processor
- DDR3 memory, up to 16GB
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- P99,995
Unfortunately, as much as we want to divulge more information to you guys, the folks from ASUS Philippines are staying mum on some under-the-hood details. Our guess? Most of those have something to do with Ivy Bridge, which, according to the rumor mills, will be launched in the Philippines middle of next month.
See also
- ASUS N56VZ laptop to be launched in PH May 28
- First look: ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A, launching in PH May 29
- Available in PH this April: ASUS Zenbook UX31 in hot pink
- Launching this March: ASUS Transformer Pad, among others
- Acer Aspire S5 hands-on
- ASUS launches 3 netbooks; tells us why the category’s still alive
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