Asus was one of the first companies to bring ultrabooks to market in 2011. Now the company is getting ready to launch its second-generation models. The ultraportable laptops will come with 11.6 inch or 13.3 inch displays and Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors.

But what really sets the Asus Zenbook ultrabooks apart from the competition are the displays. Asus will offer high resolution 1920 x 1080 pixel screens on both the 11.6 and 13.3 inch ultrabooks it launches this year. Cheaper 1366 x 768 pixel displays will also be available as an option.

Asus UX21A

Engadget reports that Asus will offer four different versions of the ultrabooks in the US. They also have a preview of the UX21A, the only 11.6 inch model of the bunch. It’s a preview and not a review because this is a pre-release device, but it reads like a full review.

They seem to like the new high definition display and think the keyboard and touchpad are better on the new model than on the original Asus Zenbook line of ultrabooks.

Laptop Magazine, meanwhile, took a 13.3 inch model for a spin. The reviewer wasn’t fond of the touchpad or webcam, but overall gave the laptop pretty high marks.

Here are the models we can expect soon.

  • Asus UX21A 11.6″ ultrabook with Core i5 and 128GB SSD
  • Asus UX21A 11.6″ ultrabook with Core i7 and 256GB SSD
  • Asus UX31A 13.3″ ultrabook w/Ivy Bridge CPU and SSD
  • Asus UX32A 13.3″ ultrabook w/Ivy Bridge CPU and hard drive/SSD hybrid storage
  • Asus UX32VD 13.3″ ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, NVIDIA GT 620M GPU (and SSD)

Engadget says prices for the 13 inch models will start at $999. There’s no word on pricing for the 11.6 inch ultrabooks yet.

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One reply on “Asus Ivy Bridge ultrabooks on the way for $999 and up”

  1. Anyone know the dimensions of the 11.6″ model? I’m asking because the bezels seem pretty big. Also, anyone know of other 11.6″ notebooks that may have a smaller footprint?

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