Asus ZenBook Duo: Plenty of power in this dual-screen wonder

The Control Panel is customisable and works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro and After Effects.

These are pandemic times and professionals as well as students are spending long hours on their laptops and desktops—windows to the outside world – undertaking work-related tasks and learning from the safe environment of their homes. Fact is, this new phenomenon of remote learning and working is taking a toll on our computers— with periodic system crash, battery dying quickly, or viruses and malware attacks. Thus, if you are on the lookout for a smart and efficient PC to improve your productivity, the new Asus Zenbook Duo (UX482) can be a good option. It boasts of a high-quality build and top-notch design and can easily rival some of the established laptop makers when it comes to performance.

Recently, we got our hands on the new 14-inch ZenBook Pro – a dual-screen laptop packed with plenty of power. We have been using this laptop for over a month now and it has all the essentials to be a classy work or learning companion. It is an ideal machine for a smooth, versatile PC experience.

Basically there are two models available: Asus ZenBook Duo UX482EA (our trial unit) and ZenBook Duo UX482EG. Company officials inform that the ZenBook Duo is an evolution of the elegant-looking ZenBook industrial design of its predecessors. For an ordinary user, this means that this Asus creation is adept at undertaking heavy office-related tasks, putting together a student’s project, even for playing a game, video editing or watching a movie.

The new ZenBook Duo measures less than 17mm and weighs merely 1.6kg. Battery life has also been boosted to an amazing 17 hours for all-day productivity. Switched on and connected to the home network, the ZenBook Duo 14 delivers an immersive viewing experience with a four-sided frameless NanoEdge display that’s super-bright and has ultraslim bezels for an expansive 93% screen-to-body ratio. The laptop also features the new tilting ScreenPad Plus, a secondary touchscreen that automatically tilts upto a seven-degree angle, reducing glare and reflections for improved readability. You can enjoy seamless visuals across both displays, with easy multitasking thanks to the ScreenPad Plus-optimised apps.

In terms of performance, the new ZenBook Duo harnesses the power of the latest 11th Generation Intel Core processors combined with plenty of fast RAM, plus Intel Iris Xe and discrete Nvidia graphics option. There’s also an ultrafast PCIe SSD to ensure fast boot times and rapid app loads. The latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) chip on-board also enables rapid fast and efficient wireless networking performance.

ZenBook Duo is engineered with the new Active Aerodynamic System Plus system, which uses the ErgoLift hinge mechanism and tilting ScreenPad Plus to increase overall cooling airflow by upto 49%. This in turn allows an optimum internal temperature maintenance for maximum performance. Inside, there’s a powerful dual-fan setup with a large-bore heat pipe for efficient heat dissipation. The secondary display or the Asus ScreenPad Plus is powered by ScreenXpert 2 software. You can boost your productivity with the built-in apps, and enhance creative work flows with the Control Panel app. The Control Panel is customisable and works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro and After Effects.

Key takeaways: The stylish ZenBook Duo is a sleek, compact and a powerful laptop when it comes to work or learning. A good combination of speed, efficiency and power and hence a strong recommendation.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 324 x 222 x 16.9mm
Display: 14-inch LED-backlit Full HD, 93% screen-to-body ratio
Processor: 11th Generation Intel Core processors
Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Memory & storage: Upto 32 GB 4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard
Ports and connectivity: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C with full range (5~20V) of charging 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x full size HDMI 1.4, 1 x 3.5 mm audio jack, 1 x MicroSD reader
Battery: 70 Wh lithium-polymer battery (upto 17-hour of battery life)
Estimated street price: Rs 129,990 (UX482EA), Rs 134,990 (UX482EG)