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Asus Announces ZenBook 3, a Retina MacBook Lookalike That is Thinner, Lighter, and Faster
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Beat Apple in every category except screen resolution (big deal) and OS. If there is a m5 version it will probably cost less.
Actually, MS has solved this with Microsoft Passport and support for Windows Hello. It covers apps as well as webpage logins. Now it's just a matter of adoption.
I don't understand why releases like this from Windows OEM's are considered competition for the Mac. Most people considering a Mac do so for OS X and the cohesion of hardware and software from the same manufacturer.
Comparing spec for spec completely ignores OS X vs Windows. If I play along, are we supposed to ignore the 176 PPI non-Retina display on this machine like its no big deal?
That all said, I'm happy Apple has pushed these Windows machines to value design more instead of shipping hunks of cheap black plastic with vents galore, bloatware infested, and Intel Inside stickers all over the place.
Comparing spec for spec completely ignores OS X vs Windows. If I play along, are we supposed to ignore the 176 PPI non-Retina display on this machine like its no big deal?
That all said, I'm happy Apple has pushed these Windows machines to value design more instead of shipping hunks of cheap black plastic with vents galore, bloatware infested, and Intel Inside stickers all over the place.
About the only thing this has over the Macbook is that it has Thunderbolt, seriously Apple why didn't you put thunderbolt in?! and the i over the m processor. But just wait for another iteration or two and Intel will deliver lower power i5/i7's that can run fanless and these will be in the Macbook.
The rest of it is rubbish, bad screen NTSC colour gamut, seriously? 9hr battery life will actually equal 4/5 in Windows.
It feels like the Macbook is the Macbook Air 1,1 with a Slow CPU and only 1 USB Port but at least it doesn't have the slow 1" PATA HDDApple's SSD are pretty much the fastest out there at any level.
So it only has TB, but also an i5/i7??
I think not. That's a feature of ASUS Transformer 3 Pro in the same press release.
Highlights for the ZenBook 3 notebook: https://diigo.com/08mczo
Definitely guessed that some others out there already introduced such a system. I'm really asking myself why this isn't standard by now, Mac OR PC. It's a no brainer, in my opinion – a REAL improvement which would make everyday computing quite a bit easier (no need to create new passwords, manage them etc., hell, even no captchas anymore to prove you're human - just lay your finger on this goddamn sensor for a fraction of a second!) and a lot more secure (not hackable, at least not nearly as easy as the old password system).
Here is the thing.
1) No Mac OS.
2) Not sure about that screen.
3) A single port to save space when you HAVE to have 1+ dongles with you is not space saving, it's stupid. Especially when if like the Macbook it is going to be mostly empty case since the motherboard takes so little space and the rest is for batteries.
4) Windows 10. You couldn't pay me to use that Big Brother POS OS. FY to MS for that and everything that surrounds it.
1) No Mac OS.
2) Not sure about that screen.
3) A single port to save space when you HAVE to have 1+ dongles with you is not space saving, it's stupid. Especially when if like the Macbook it is going to be mostly empty case since the motherboard takes so little space and the rest is for batteries.
4) Windows 10. You couldn't pay me to use that Big Brother POS OS. FY to MS for that and everything that surrounds it.
I'm sure that's the reason too. But i disagree that 1080p is sufficient now. Once you've got used to a retina screen going back is unthinkable. I have a fully functional Dell U2711 sitting sad and alone in my cupboard now that speaks testament to that! It's not the real-estate at native resolution that matters, it's comfort and sharpness at a scaled resolution. The Retina Macbook's screen is lovely. And it's for the same reason I wouldn't consider a Macbook Air now; and without a HiDPI screen, anything like this is a closer competitor to the Macbook Air, I think (and this would win in a matchup with *that* I reckon).
And, as far as I can tell in VMWare, Windows and Linux (Ubuntu Xenial) work reasonably well now with scaled HiDPI screens - eg: using those on a 4K monitor at a scale of 2, which is equivalent to OSX native retina resolution, looks fine to me, for the most part. So there's really no excuse.
Such inaccurate FUD in your comment. However, don't let facts get in your way....
I have a feeling Apple will introduce more color bands for Apple Watch then Mac line ups.
ASUS today at Computex 2016 in Taiwan announced a wide range of new products, including the ZenBook 3, its third-generation ultraportable notebook that is thinner, lighter, and faster than Apple's lookalike 12-inch Retina MacBook.
The 12.5-inch ZenBook 3 has an ultra-thin 11.9mm aerospace-grade aluminum alloy chassis that weights just 2 pounds and is "50% stronger than the standard alloy" used in competing notebooks. Comparatively, the Retina MacBook is 13.1mm thick and weighs 2.03 pounds.
ZenBook 3's display is crafted from edge-to-edge, scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 4, with a 1,920x1,080 pixels resolution and wide 72% NTSC color gamut. The notebook has a slim bezel design that provides an 82% screen-to-body ratio for a maximum viewing experience with a minimal footprint.
The Windows-based notebook is powered by up to an Intel Core i7 processor and features 16GB of 2133MHz RAM, up to 1TB of PCIe 3.0-based flash storage, and quad-speaker audio by Harman Kardon. Like the Retina MacBook, the ZenBook 3 has a single USB-C port for charging and connecting peripherals.
ASUS includes a dongle with USB 3.0, USB-C, and HDMI ports in the box, while a larger universal dock is available with additional connectivity options.
ASUS sacrificed a fanless design like the Retina MacBook has in favor of increased performance, but the ZenBook 3 has an innovative cooling system that features the "world's thinnest fan design" at just 3mm. The notebook delivers up to 9 hours of battery life with fast-charging technology for recharging up to 60% capacity in 49 minutes.
ZenBook 3 is available in three spun-metal finishes, Royal Blue, Rose Gold, and Quartz Grey, based on a two-phase anodizing process that creates golden highlights on the diamond-cut edges. Whereas the Retina MacBook's keyboard is always black, the ZenBook 3's keyboard matches the color of each finish.
The full-sized backlit keyboard also has 19.8mm key pitch and a slightly deeper 0.8mm key travel, compared to 0.5mm on the Retina MacBook's ultra-thin butterfly mechanism keyboard that some have contested. Next to the keyboard is a glass trackpad with palm-rejection technology, Smart Gestures, and handwriting support.
An optional built-in fingerprint reader with Windows Hello support enables users to sign in and unlock the ZenBook 3 with one finger tap, in lieu of having to type their password or PIN. Similarly, the 2016 MacBook Pro may feature Touch ID as Apple works on an unlocking-via-iPhone feature for OS X 10.12.
ZenBook 3 will be available in the third quarter of 2016, starting at $999 in the U.S. for the base model with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. A 512GB SSD model will sell for $1,499, while the top-range Intel Core i7 model with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will cost $1,999.
ASUS also announced the Zenbo home robot, the ZenFone 3 Series, the ASUS Transformer 3 Series, and multiple other new products.
Article Link: Asus Announces ZenBook 3, a Retina MacBook Lookalike That is Thinner, Lighter, and Faster
Core M is not atom. It is not much different than i7, just lower tdp for fanless and smaller cache.
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That’s kind of irrelevant. It’s neat that they’re making thin stuff, but just because it’s thin doesn’t mean it’s any better functionally. Form needs to take a backseat to function. A computer is supposed to be a tool, not a fashion accessory.
I can see it overheating or at a minimum having a shorter life than a normal laptop. Specs wise, it is very good.
Windows tax?
*Cue up people who bitch about Apple pricing, but never even bother to mention other companies having to charge Apple-like pricing when they decide to produce something that's not 99.6% plastic.
I wouldn't buy it because of the screen alone. Also, the only vendor I would buy it from would be Microsoft (as a Signature Edition). Remember that Windows OEMs often throw lots of junkware/spyware on their computers. If you buy a Windows PC, get it from the Microsoft Store to make sure it is clean.
As far as people buying a Macbook because of the OS - that isn't always true. I know several people who bought a MacBook, but use Windows on it most of the time because the Macbook is just better hardware wise but their software is more native to Windows (for instance, lots of devs who use Visual Studio for development).
As far as people buying a Macbook because of the OS - that isn't always true. I know several people who bought a MacBook, but use Windows on it most of the time because the Macbook is just better hardware wise but their software is more native to Windows (for instance, lots of devs who use Visual Studio for development).
It's convenient, but not secure. It's very easy to "steal" fingerprints.
Irrelevant to what?
The point the poster was making flew right over your head anyway.