Asus Zenbook Pro Duo( UX581) Review: Redefining the Future of Laptops

Asus, the master of dual-screen laptops continues to redefine the future of laptops yet again with the new  Asus Zenbook Pro Duo (UX581).

Asus Zenbook Pro Duo  is firing on all cylinders with a 4K OLED touch screen and a 4K touch secondary panel that runs the length of the chassis, creating a multitasking monster. But the company has outdone itself with the ZenBook Pro Duo. Productivity,Content creation, Gaming perfect all in one device?

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo price and availability

The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo is available at TextBook Centre and the accredited service centre is Ensure Mechanical Services Kenya Ltd, based in Nairobi,Kenya.

Technical Specifications

Here are the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 configurations;

CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i9-9980HK (octa-core, 16MB cache, up to 5GHz)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: 32GB DDR4 (2,666MHz)
Screen: 15.6-inch, OLED Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160), 14-inch Ultra HD (3,840 x 1,110) touch display
Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
Ports: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 2 x USB-C 3.1, HDMI 2.0, headset jack
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax),  Bluetooth 5
Camera: IR webcam with Windows Hello support
Weight: 5.51 pounds (2.5kg)
Size: 14.13 x 9.68 x 0.94 inches (35.9 x 24.6 x 2.4cm; W x D x H)

Design

Laptop designs have remained pretty conservative for years now, with the main variations being screen size and how thin and light the laptop is. That means we’re always excited to see a laptop try something different – and with the ZenBook Pro Duo – the design is very different.

With dimensions of 0.94 x 14.13 x 9.68-inches (2.4 x 35.9 x 24.6cm) and a weight of 2.5kg  this is quite a heavy laptop.

It’s something we’re not used to with the ZenBook line – usually these laptops are impressively sleek machines. The size and weight actually makes the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo look and feel  like a rather out-of-date machine, especially when it’s closed.

The Screen Display is 4K UHD OLED showing off distinct colours, deep blacks and eye sore clarity at 3480 * 2160 dpi. A visual made in match haven, superb for professional work & entertainment.

Keyboard

The full size keyboard is RGB backlit, that lights when the laptop is switched on. The Numerical Keyboard is separately lit as well,with an option of customizing the light -dim or bright , depending on your environment. The numerical keyboard is multifunctional – moonlighting as a touchpad when need be.

The palm rest on the keyboard seems to be consumed by the Screenpad+ , tending to be quite uncomfortable when typing for long hours.However, the laptop comes with an arm- rest that balances your palms perfectly when typing.

Screnpad+: Productivity Evolved

Above the keyboard, sits the screenpad+ , an extra screen at A 3840 * 1160 dpi,4K display. The panel offers sharper detail and vivid colour, with a matte finish eliminating severe light reflections. The screenpad is an alternative multi-tasking solution- especially if you are a professional who uses many tabs at a go, an extended monitor,or a designer who sketches a lot.

The fun starts once you tap the small arrow icon on the left of the panel, which reveals a small menu and navigation bar.The Screen Pad Plus acts as an app launcher . Out of the box, it features MyAsus and Spotify along with utilities like Number Key, Handwriting mode and Quick Key, which allows you to quickly access Windows shortcuts like cut, paste and copy via large buttons. It allows one to create their own Quick Keys by recording keystrokes.

Task Group is another favourable utility. It enables custom app groups that will launch at the touch of a button. It lets you group up to five apps (two main screen, three Screen Pad plus). Every time the tasks are launched, they show up in that order.

This is a great feature for multitaskers. .Screenpad allows switching screens by hitting the Task Swap button on the keyboard to invert windows. ViewMax expands whatever is on at on the main screen down to the ScreenPad. This gives a lot more real estate which comes in handy when scrolling through all the data- when going through a huge spreadsheet/ document.

Duplicate screens is a feature that enables sharing the screen on more than one device. Another Laptop or a Smart Tv, eliminating the need for cables or a casting device. Two screens are definitely better than one — especially if it is possible to snap three distinct windows into one.

Stylus Pen

Both monitors being touch- interactive, ASUS bundles a pen on this one. The stylus imitates a writing perfectly. Running on AAAA battery, the pen lasts on a 10 hour charge.

Alexa- yes,Alexa.

Alexa makes your day easier- reading the news, playing music or telling the weather.The pro- duo Alexa is built in with a light bar, that illuminates when spoken to and Alexa will respond immediately.

Battery & Performance

Setting aside the display and screen, the laptop is packed with wholesome features. The Pro- Duo Intel Core i9 processor (9th generation),Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, 32GB of RAM and ITB of SSD , ASUS bundles a pen on this one. The stylus imitates a writing perfectly. Running on AAAA battery, the pen lasts on a 10 hour .

Expect nothing but the best performance with these. It can easily edit videos on Premiere Pro without a fuss and rendering the same video taking a few minutes. The Pro Duo runs on an efficient cooling system.Once opened, laptop allows smooth flow of air through its large vents ensuring that it’s at optimum performance, even when playing a game.

The machine is powered by a massive battery,and is backed up by a 230W charger. On a full battery,the laptop will give a 6-7 hours lifetime without a recharge and when playing movies /games the consumption goes down to 4.7-5.5hours of use.

Conclusion

ASUS has definitely set the pace for the future of laptops, being able to integrate all those features on a single laptop.

Overall, the Zenbook Pro Duo is a serious contender creative and mobile professionals who would have otherwise opted to Apple alternatives.  Apart from the weight if this machine you can easily exchange it with a mac.

Read Also: The ASUS UX 305 Zenbook – An Affordable and Stylish Ultrabook that Rivals the MacBook Air