Asus 30th anniversary celebrations see launch of ZenBook Pro Duo, revamped ZenBooks with ScreenPad displays and more in Malaysia

Asus has turned 30 this year and they are commemorating the occasion in style with a slew of new technologies and notebooks that were first displayed at their gala event in Computex 2019 and which are now making their official appearance in Malaysia. Launching in Malaysia today is the absolutely swank ZenBook Edition 30 sheathed in Italian leather, the new dual-display ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo as well as a refreshed array of ZenBooks with ScreenPad 2.0 displays.

Asus has come a long way since they were first founded in 1989 and today, in 2019, they have become Asia Pacific’s most preferred consumer laptop brand.

In Malaysia, the brand has reached the lofty position of achieving 31% market share in Malaysia for consumer laptops and a whopping 48% market share for gaming laptops.Here’s what Asus launched and how much they retail for that will be arriving sometime soon in the coming days. For more details swing by their official page here.

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo & ZenBook Duo

If you’ve ever wanted to have more screen real estate but don’t have the space or the inclination to tote around a secondary monitor, you’ll rejoice at what Asus has come up with for the ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo that take the concept of an extra secondary touchscreen to its logical extremes. 

The 14-inch ZenBook Duo

Dubbed the ScreenPad Plus, these rectangular, extra-wide touchscreens act as a means for ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo users to multitask like a boss as it is recognised as a secondary display, which lets you drag and drop almost anything on the main display so you can conceivably use the ScreenPad Plus to view multiple browser windows, multiple apps and to also get an even get a better view of menu-intensive software like video editing apps and the like. 

Both the ZenBook Pro Duo and the ZenBook Duo come with the same form factor in a classic clamshell notebook done up in a metallic shade of blue that they call Celestial Blue but differ slightly in terms of cost, size, weight, specifications and form factor.

First glimpsed at Computex 2019 where we had a firsthand look, the ZenBook Pro Duo aka UX581F is the most powerful out of the line-up with a massive 15.6-inch 4K resolution touchscreen display up front that has been rated for 100% DCI-P3 colour compliance paired with their titular secondary 13-inch ScreenPad Plus display that has 4K resolution as well.

The hardware is impressive with your choice of either an Intel Core i9-9980HK 2.4GHz or Intel Core i7-9750H 2.6GHz processor, up to 32GB RAM, a 1TB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card as well as WiFi 6 connectivity. The i9 variant retails for RM15,999 while the i7 variant retails for RM12,999.

More modestly equipped but no less impressive is the ZenBook Duo UX481F which comes with a 14-inch Full HD display and a secondary 12.6-inch Full HD ScreenPad Plus display as well as an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card as well as a 512GB SSD. In Malaysia, the ZenBook Duo UX481F comes in two slightly different flavours which otherwise have similar hardware as stated above but which differ in terms of processor and RAM. The variant with an Intel Core i5-10210U 1.6GHz processor with 8GB RAM retails for RM4,699 while the variant with an Intel Core i7-10510U 1.8GHz processor and 16GB RAM retails for RM5,699.

Asus ZenBook UX334 Edition 30

What happens if you combine Asus’ best hardware with the fashion sensibilities of an Italian fashion designer? Well, you get this ultra slick looking ultraportable that made its global debut at Computex 2019. 

Currently the world’s smallest 13-inch laptop, the Asus ZenBook UX334 Edition 30 laptop is sheathed in Italian leather on the top lid and palm rests which lends it an exquisitely luxurious tactility while weighing a light 1.29kg. Each Asus ZenBook UX334 Edition 30 notebook also comes with a matching set of accessories that include a similarly hued wireless mouse and matching mouse pad, leatherette box and a leather sleeve to protect the notebook.

Crammed within its ultra slick chassis is a 13.3-inch Full HD display, an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card and a smaller ScreenPad 2.0 touchpad that offers additional functionality and shortcuts on top of letting you get about Windows.

In Malaysia, the ZenBook UX334 Edition 30 comes in two slightly different configurations which come at different price points. The variant with an Intel Core i7-8565U 1.8GHz processor comes with a 1TB SSD for RM5,999. A cheaper variant with an Intel Core i5-8265U 1.6GHz processor with a 512GB SSD retails for RM5,199. 

Asus ZenBook 13/14/15

Asus’ titular premium ZenBook brand which have metal-hewn chassis, excellent specifications and build quality get a refresh with ScreenPad 2.0 touchpads gracing the new range that replace a traditional touchpad. This additional ScreenPad can act as a means to access shortcuts and screen macros in a pinch.

First seen at Computex 2019, the revamped ZenBook range comes in 13-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch sizes and slightly different specifications for each. The top of the line range is the ZenBook 15 UX534F which comes with an Intel Core i7-10510U 1.8GHz processor, a 15.6-inch 4K display, 16GB RAM and a 1TB PCIE SSD for RM6,499.

The midrange ZenBook 14 UX434F has a 14-inch Full HD display with 8GB RAM and a 512GB PCIE SSD along with an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card. The entry level unit is the ZenBook 13 UX334F which is otherwise identical in specifications to the ZenBook 14 save for a smaller 13.3-inch FUll HD display. The ZenBook 14 UX434F retails for RM4,499 while the ZenBook 13 UX334F retails for RM4,399.