ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482) is thinnest 14" laptop with a ScreenPad Plus as secondary display
Hello everyone, today we are showing you how Asus has perfected a seamless experience of dual screen breed in a laptop.
Asus has proven its thriving leadership in dual screen notebook segment and in applying new innovative and technological advancements to the second generation ZenBook Duo Series.
Bringing you its highly intuitive and improved full-width secondary touchscreen with a new auto-tilt mechanism that improves readability, aids cooling, and works seamlessly with the main display for effortless multitasking and creativity.
This review is going to show you the evolved yet classy power that the Zenbook Duo 14 has tamed from its predecessors.
DESIGN
Let us dive straight into the design first. Now what instantly catches your attention is the sleek, smooth finish. The Celestial blue metallic finish made of magnesium alloy gives it a clean look for the classroom and the auto-tilting ASUS ScreenPad Plus secondary touchscreen harnesses unlimited potential.
Yes, the machine is not the lightest next to its few competitors since its added weight for the dual screen pushes its keyboard to the bottom end of the board that makes the ZenBook Duo weigh in over 1kg but 50g lighter and 3mm thinner than its predecessors. This led to improvements in the keyboard arrow keys and adjustments to the track pad and the space it occupies, this is not that inconvenient as you will find yourself shifting to the stylus for added precision.
The ScreenPad+ brings more than just added usability. It incorporates strength and durability to the entire frame of the laptop. It has an ErgoLift hinge incorporating an Active Aerodynamic System that lifts the ScreenPad+ and main display to create space for a highly efficient intake system.
The Zenbook Duo 14 supports 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports placed on each side for accessibility, MicroSD card reader, full-sized HDMI 1.4 port and USB3.2 gen 1 Type-A port with a 3.5mm audio jack positioned perfectly for convenience.
DISPLAY
The Zenbook Duo has a 14 inch full HD display with PANTONE certification and an incredibly slim 4mm Nano Edge bezels which results in a 93% screen to body ratio that's shines bright at 400nits. This gives it a perfect clean flow from the main display to the ScreenPad+ that auto-tilts by 7 degrees and shines in color accuracy, anti-flicker technology and low light modes, reducing glare and reflections for improved readability. The ZenBook Duo also incorporate smart sensors to bring light modes down to 100nits using 1w for higher battery efficiency from the screen and other components.
The Screen Xpert 2 software that powers ScreenPad Plus is a new and improved update to the apps built-in to boost productivity, such as the Window Flick Feature swaps windows between displays with a simple flick or the user can see their Task Groups and lock into work modes instantly by launching multiple apps with a single tap.
By default, Windows will recognize the ScreenPad+ as a secondary display allowing you to stretch the screen for using other apps and seamlessly multitask. Asus has bundled multiple enhancements to the Screenpad+ making it a wholesome experience currently supporting Adobe Premier, After Effects, Photoshop, and Lightroom Classic providing intuitive controls for adjusting brush size, saturation, layer opacity, and much more.The ScreenXpert 2.0 enables a panel suited to each software set for commonly used tools such as Dial, Button, Slider, and Scroll that each give precise and smooth control over parameters.
It has up to 32 GB of RAM this machine is built ready for multitasking between its two screens and anticipation for Windows 10X creates the possibilities for more flexibility to what you can do with a secondary display.
The main display uses an IPS panel which was a good decision for the Zenbook Duo that makes the screen visible from all angles for pure immersion. However, the 1080p second display with the sRGB coverage and contrast ratio under the matte touchscreen overlay results in a slightly grainier picture quality rather than a glossy alternative.
KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD
The secondary display occupies a lot of space which constraints the keyboard to where you would normally rest your palm, the track pad is intuitive for its placements and easy gesture controls. The keyboard had a deep mechanical response that is highly desirable in any laptop. The arrow keys are also bigger than its predecessor which resulted in a slimmer track pad.
PERFORMANCE
This futuristic machine of innovation is the multi-tasking man's spaceship that will launch your projects out of this world equipped with 11th Gen Intel core i7 processors with better battery life and mobility than previously possible. The new processors revolutionize modern creative workflows with Intel Deep Learning Boost AI acceleration.
The 2021 Zenbook Duo 14 features the Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU that is capable of double the performance offered from the previous generation Nvidia MX250, allowing smooth graphic performance and content creation. This being a mobile grade graphics card we can recommend sticking with AA or e-sport titles, it helps allow efficient battery use for up to 17 hours.
The Zenbook Duo has incorporated the dual WiFi 6 wireless network card that performs up to 3x higher throughout and 4x the network capacity. The network card also incorporates Bluetooth 5.0 for connection to multiple Bluetooth enabled devices.
USB-C Easy charge support enables the Zenbook to be used with a wide array of USB-C chargers (5-20 V). Users can be sure they have the fastest charging and longest lasting notebook reaching full capacity in under two hours.
VERDICT
The 2021 Zenbook Duo 14 is a laptop that will defiantly stand out with its unique dual screen system and special features keeping up with ASUS reputation to consistently produce systems that were equal parts powerful, beautiful and innovative. It takes the highly desired dual display setup that content creators often achieve from monitors but brings its functionality to an easily portable size while giving you a competitive edge that's not offered anywhere else. Ultimately, this is a perfectly perfected dual screen device for the people that are experienced with ASUS bolted software for seamless astronomical speeds of multi-tasking workflow and will be available in Celestial blue for 5,999AED in the UAE.
Published: Thu 28 Jan 2021, 9:17 AM
Updated: Thu 28 Jan 2021, 7:59 PM
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