New MacBook Pro 2012 Rival to have same Width & Height like Design

Ahead of the rumored new MacBook Pro 2012 release date this quarter or early next quarter, Asus introduces a new lineup of slim and exciting new laptop computers that might join the upcoming Windows 8 ecosystem.

No, it is not an exo-planet, but a laptop computer, meet the new ASUS Zenbook Prime UX21A, a laptop computer with 11-inch display, joining other ASUS laptops, the Zenbook UX31A, the UX32A and the UX32VD, all with 13-inch screen. What’s with the letters and numbers combination ASUS?

Anyway, the new laptop computers appeared online courtesy of new reports posted by Engadget, The Verge, among others. The new laptop computers were introduced to tech sites with no price tag or release date, but additional reports with the twist of speculation say the new lineup will join the PC market later this year and likely before the official release date of the Windows 8 operating system.

So apparently, the new Zenbook Prime laptops are running Windows 7, the current version of Microsoft’s popular PC operating system, but if it will arrive after next month, then these laptops might be eligible for the rumored complimentary upgrade to Windows 8.

According to The Verge, the ASUS ZenBook Prime with the done UX32VD (note this name to get the exact PC model), will come with a full 1080P IPS LCD screen, and GeForce GT 620M graphics. The site’s prototype copy comes with no bootable OS to play with, so maybe, ASUS is planning the 13-inch ZenBook to use Windows 8 instead, though no word yet from them about the possibility.

Similar to the MacBook Air, and the rumored MacBook Pro 2012 (according to multiple news sites and some analysts), the new portable but powerful machine will ship with Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor, and similar to the Air’s design, the new Zenbook Prime sports a wedge-shape design that features a “bit of a chin,” mainly to differentiate itself from the crowd of new “cutting-edge” laptop computers, can this wedge-like shape also cut my Apple fruit?

The good news, according to the site’s source, the new laptop computer will hide inside a Core i5 ULV processor, and the bad news is, the laptop is reportedly getting a jaw-dropping, not credit card-friendly $1,299 price tag. The report’s author, Sean Hollister, said the release date is still not available at the moment.

Meanwhile, Engadget also presented one of the new ASUS laptops, the ZenBook UX21A, also with the “Prime” branding. The site revealed that the display of the laptop is 11-inch with an attractive 1080p IPS display too, all the new ZenBook Prime laptops actually.

Similar to its big brother UX32VD, the smaller Zenbook also features the wedge-like design with the little chin. Engadget reviewed the laptop, and the article’s author, Dana Wollman, said the keyboard and trackpad have shown improvements compared to last year’s Zenbook products. She also added that they’ll run a new test once the final, consumer-copy, Zenbook Prime UX21A is available.

Separate reports say the smaller Zenbook will be cheaper than Apple’s MacBook Air, with price tag reportedly starting at $799, each, not bad.

The MacBook Pro threat

The new MacBook Pro is coming. In fact, “stars are aligning” already according to Ars Technica, and the new product, with a similar MacBook Air-like design with no optical drive and with a new processor, is on the verge of starting the ultrabook fight night, and sources of various tech outlets said that Apple, more likely than not, is set to introduce the new laptop next month an event.

The new MacBook Pro will not only compete with the globally popular and cheaper iPad, but will also challenge the upcoming product of Microsoft, the new Windows 8.

With the rumored, yes read it again, rumored new design and with no optical drive, and with lighter component, it looks like the new MacBook Pro will focus mainly on the internet and its power to provide content like software products to movies and music than providing media coming from third-party sources like discs.

Can the Zenbook laptops compete with Apple? Of course, but I think the Taiwan-based tech company should wait for the Windows 8 first before retailing these devices.

Apparently, the MacBook Pro 2012, or the MacBook Air (if Apple will create a new one), is expected to ship with a new, iOS-like complex OS X operating system that adds new features to the product, like the Notification Center similar to smartphones, and other goodies that might attract more customers.

The Windows 8 is the latest version of Windows, and based on Microsoft’s teaser videos, it looks like the Redmond-based tech giant has been focused on polishing and redesigning the user interface, adding new color combinations that blend with software features that improves the quality of the operating system. If ASUS will retail the new Zenbook Primes with Windows 7, then it might not create a buzz that will catch the attention of consumers.

Source: Popherald

Tags: Apple, MacBook Pro, Laptop, ASUS Zenbook, Asus