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Laptop shopping is always about making compromises, trading computing power for Asus Laptop Battery life or reducing size and weight at the cost of extra features. For ultrabooks or other ultrathin laptops, this is especially true, and nearly every slim 13-inch laptop we’ve reviewed has had one or more cut corners and missing features that remind you of the inevitable trade-offs required. The 13-inch Asus Zenbook UX32VD comes alluringly close to being an ultrabook without compromises. For $1,299 it includes an Intel Core i7 CPU, a full HD 1,920×1,080-pixel-resolution display, and a discrete Nvida 620M GPU. Most laptops of a similar size, including Apple’s genre-leading MacBook Air, lack all three of those features (although a Core i7 option is available on the Air for $1,599). That makes this the closest hybrid of a 13-inch ultrabook and a full-power mainstream laptop to date, and might be the answer to occasional reader questions I get about superthin laptops with GPUs and high-res screens. Acer also has a few larger ultrabooks with GPUs, but they have other issues, including low screen resolutions. It’s not all perfect, however. $1,299 is still a lot to pay for any laptop, especially when other ultrabooks are $800 or less. It has both a hard drive and a solid-state drive (SSD), Asus Keyboard , Laptop Keyboard Cover adding weight and heat, and the Nvidia 620M GPU is pretty low-end. The design is very MacBook-like, but still not as elegant or ergonomic. And, finally, the touch pad isn’t as responsive as it should be, even after a late software update from Asus. Despite these shortcomings, the UX32VD is great for on-the-go gaming or situations where you really need a full HD screen. Asus makes several UX variations, including the UX31A and UX32A, which swap in different CPUs, screens, and hard drives. The UX31 is a more upscale design variant, thinner with a more unibody chassis. Neither has a component set as attention-grabbing as the UX31VD, though. If your ultrabook needs are more basic, there are many other worthwhile options out there to consider. The Zenbook line with Compatible Parts launched in late 2011 as both an early entry in the then-new ultrabook market and a direct competitor to the MacBook Air. The design, aluminum, tapered, and minimalist, was the most Air-like of the early ultrabooks, at least until the Dell XPS 13 came along. But it also had a few design miscues. The lid on the original Zenbook was notoriously hard to open. The UX32VD doesn’t have that problem, and the touch pad also feels more responsive than the older models’, especially after a last-minute software update from Asus, although it’s still one of the system’s weak points. The original Zenbook was thinner and lighter than this version, which is packed with much more powerful hardware, but both the more tapered Zenbooks (such as the current UX31A) and this one have a sharp front lip that can be murder on the heels of your hands, depending on your typing style. Ergonomics aside, the solid-feeling aluminum body is not as streamlined in its construction as a MacBook, but the parts fit together well, with minimal screws and seams. The Asus Keyboard was a weak point on the original Zenbook, with shallow, clacky keys. The body of the UX32VD is actually slightly thicker and heavier, and that extra depth lets the keyboard have a little more space. Compared with the UX31, the feel of the keystrokes here is more like what you get on a standard laptop. The keyboard is also backlit, a must-have feature on any ultrabook (and something that really stands out now when missing). For mroe laptop parts
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