Asus Showcases Zenbook UX301 and Zenbook NX500

Asus today showcases its stunningly-designed, award-winning Zenbook family of Ultrabook laptops in its Our Touch of Life exhibition at Milan Design Week, which runs from April 8th to 13th, 2014. As well as proudly exhibiting the innovative top-of-the-range Zenbook UX301, the company will also provide a world exclusive preview of the upcoming new flagship model, Zenbook NX500 — a groundbreaking and inspirational product that updates the classic and timeless elegance of the Zenbook design with the very latest technology. The meticulously crafted and engineered NX500 combines superior computing and visual performance with an ultra-slim form factor for maximum portability. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to experience the beauty of the Zenbook range for themselves in the Ultra Mobility section of the exhibit.

Asus Zenbook UX301

Design

Zenbook UX301 and NX500 are perfect examples of the Asus "Design Thinking — Start with People" philosophy. Design Thinking is based on the idea that technology must adapt to users’ ever-changing lifestyles, and not the other way around. Asus Design studies and listens to users as it searches for new solutions that conform to varying needs. Zenbook was born from a desire to introduce more thought and spiritual essence into the making of products, offering more harmony with the lives of users rather than simply presenting them with more power and technology.

The Zenbook design embodies the very essence of Zen, combining traditional thought and culture with the newest, most advanced technology. Harmonizing both outer beauty and inner strength is the challenge facing our design team, resulting in a constant search for new materials, fabrication techniques and technologies. Zenbook UX301 and NX500 both exemplify how this approach produces innovation that enhances the user experience without compromising on the design ethos.

All Zenbook models feature a unibody design crafted from solid aluminum. The signature detail — which perfectly reflects the spirit of Zen — is the amazing diamond-cut spun-metal finish, with a pattern of concentric circles, which graces the screen cover.

Design aspirations can present tough engineering challenges. Asus always aims for perfection, and the beautiful slender profile of Zenbook is the result of intense research and development into sophisticated engineering techniques, inspired by those used to create high-precision mechanical timepieces. For example, since the lid of Zenbook consists of gentle curves in order to maintain a sleek contour, the method used to create the spun-metal finish took over a year to develop and requires a 32-step manufacturing process.

Audio

Adding professional-grade audio to an ultra-thin and ultra-light chassis was another aspect of Zenbook that required innovative thinking and expertise. The solution was Asus SonicMaster audio, incorporating ICEpower, Bang and Olufsen technology. The resulting powerful, crystal-clear audio is a testament to the skills of the Asus Golden Ear team responsible for the development of SonicMaster technology.

UX301

On Zenbook UX301 the spun-metal finish on the lid is enhanced by a subtle steel-blue sheen and a covering of beautiful Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with Native Damage Resistance, which is highly damage-resistant to scratches and chips. This innovation not only adds to the outer beauty, but also increases the inner strength — by reducing the amount of metal, the performance of the Wi-Fi antennas is improved. The glass resists fingerprints and dirt, is easy to clean, and gives UX301 a unique look and premium feel while remaining completely practical.

UX301 has a profile that is 14% thinner and 0.2kg lighter than its predecessors, yet it still features improved performance thanks to the use of upgraded processors, graphics chips and a high-definition display.

The outstanding design of UX301 has been recognised worldwide, and it is the recipient of several prestigious design awards. In 2013 it was included in the Good Design Awards Top 100 list, and it has recently been further honored with a 2014 iF Product Design Award.

NX500

NX500 continues the Zenbook evolution. It adheres to the core Zenbook design principles while introducing the most advanced technology, such as its state-of-the-art 4K/UHD (ultra high definition) display. This combines an unprecedented level of visual detail with a standard of color accuracy normally only found in professional displays. The result is a vivid, natural viewing experience. The design cues of its predecessors are maintained, with the iconic spun-metal finish on the lid. The speaker grilles in the palm rest area are subtly enhanced by an attractive multi-layer laser engaving pattern designed to emphasise the powerful SonicMaster audio system.

NX500 is the proud recipient of a prestigious 2014 iF Product Design Award, an award that is judged on design quality, degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics and more.