It is always a pleasant process to be handed a high end laptop to play with for a couple of days and put it through an inordinate amount of processes to see if you can stretch it to its limits.
The tests were all passed with flying colours. Stretching it to its limits was not achievable. This mainly because it is so well designed and performed like a top end machine should perform.
First impressions started with the actual package itself. Very well presented and designed to give the consumer a sense of achievement should you purchase this laptop and walk out of a traditional brick and mortar store carrying this box. Fairly reminiscent of the iMac packaging.
Unboxing this beast of a machine was an absolute pleasure as all my senses were tickled. The laptop was packed exceptionally well with robust shock absorbing material I suppose to combat any courier companies’ “couldn’t care less about your package” employees.
Once unpacked, I was met with, what is my only complaint, a fairly weighty (2.4kg) laptop. The weight though was soon forgotten when my tactile senses were aroused with an aluminium machined finish that just screamed expensive! The feel of the aluminium used for the outer casing is designed to not only feel good but resist fingerprints and smudges.
The ASUS logo that lights up on the outside also adds an extra touch of class.
Opening the lid also reveals a unique cooling design where the keyboard raises in the rear. While this is good for cooling it also (whether intended or not) raise the keyboard at an angle which facilitates extended typing or gaming use.
Switching on the laptop invoked a host of experiences portrayed exceptionally clearly on the OLED screen. The ASUS propriety software integrates seamlessly into Windows 11 and is a breeze to personalise the laptop. It does take a while though to go through the entire process.
I proceeded to load MS Office and then the Adobe Suite and immediately copied over working files to put the pedal to the metal so to speak.
This laptop does not disappoint. Working on multiple tasks is a breeze and switching between tasks is seamless. Putting the laptop under pressure invokes the fan which is not noisy at all. I suppose this is where the new cooling tech comes in handy with the raised keyboard.
The keyboard feel and clicks are also exceptionally well designed with a good feel and response. The array of lights bouncing around the backlit keyboard in default mode was a tad irritating but was solved quite easily in the settings. The keyboard lights can be customised for messaging. The size and placement of the keys are well designed and extended periods of typing yielded very little fatigue and discomfort compared to standard options.
After a couple of days of Adobe related work and excel and word processes I added some music and movies and decided to get some R&R and use the laptop as a media server. The picture quality is unsurpassed – I can’t say I have seen anything recently that could rival it.
The sound, supplied by Harmon Kardon, was fair. I expected more. While the sound was crystal clear it lacked depth. I am though an audiophile and would not reasonably expect the sound quality of a laptop to be comparable to a hi fidelity sound system.
As a Mac user, I don’t generally switch off my devices. I have in the past had issues with sleep functionality on Windows machines though.
This ASUS Zenbook Pro does not present with any of those issues at all. Closing the lid mid design in Adobe and reopening it an hour or so later had no negative effects whatsoever. The tasks that were being worked on presents itself with no fuss at all. This is a boon for someone like me that is always on the move. On that topic, carting around the charger for this machine is quite a chore as it’s a large brick that needs a fair amount of space in one’s laptop bag. Small price to pay for a laptop of this calibre that just keeps on giving.
Overall I would purchase this beast at a drop of a hat should the need arise. Any graphic designer or animator or cinematography inclined user would easily become accustomed to using the various functionalities that this ASUS Zenbook has to offer. The picture quality, the speed, the purpose built and fully customisable dial – these are all ideal for a budding designer and or editor.