Apple MacBook Air Vs. Asus Zenbook Prime: Battle of Ivy Bridge-Powered Notebooks

Notebook computers have been attracting a fair amount of press in recent weeks, thanks largely to Apple’s new MacBook Pro, which is likely to be announced next month. However, the MacBook Air line is likely to undergo some changes, as is one of its top rivals – Asus’ Zenbook series of ultrabooks.

Some of the key features to be found on the new 13-inch Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A include a 1920 x 1080 in-plane switching HD display, backlit keyboard and solid-state drive options of 128 GB and 256 GB. Also expected on Asus’ new ultrabook is a revamped audio system courtesy of Bang and Olufsen and a new wireless network card that promises faster-than-ever WiFi connection speeds.

The aforementioned storage units both run on 6G SATA 3 speeds and most are expecting great things out of the HD matte display. The Asus Zenbook Prime reportedly weighs just 3 pounds, giving it an ever-so-slight edge over the current MacBook Air.

Apple, on the other hand, has long been mooting a price reduction for the new MacBook Air, which is likely due in the third quarter of the year. Tech and business blog site Digitimes reported that Apple might reduce the price of the MacBook Air from $999 to $799, a significant price reduction but probably timely, given Intel’s emphasis on the ultrabook market.

The new MacBook Air will likely boast its own improved display, thanks to Retina Display technology. However, not much else is known about this device at this point.

It will be an interesting battle of ultrabooks, though we may need a few more weeks before we glean more information on both devices, particularly the new MacBook Air.

Source: Easternmorningherald

Tags: Apple, Asus, ASUS Zenbook, Ivy Bridge, Laptop, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Notebook, Ultrabook