The ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 has a screen for a touchpad and I don't know why

We live in a golden historic period of laptops. It'south hard to recommend one that'southward truly bad — and the good ones are actually good. The processors are fast, the RAM is plentiful, and the SSDs are oh so spacious. So how is a manufacturer to differentiate their product? We've seen enough of struggles with that, from the Microsoft Surface Book'south unique hinge and detachable design to the Apple MacBook Pro'south questionable trackpad. Simply ASUS has taken things to a whole different identify with the new ZenBook Pro announced at Computex 2022, replacing the whole trackpad with a touch-sensitive display panel. And, uh, that part'due south not corking. The rest of the laptop is actually nice, though.

Before nosotros go to that "ScreenPad" equally ASUS has dubbed information technology, let'south talk about the remainder of the laptop. It'south Beauty and the Beast, all rolled into one. Bachelor in a 15.half dozen-inch or fourteen-inch design, the ZenBook Pro offers a powerful gear up of specs. Nosotros're talking about up to a hexa-core Intel Core i9 processor paired with a monster GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and a 1TB PCIe SSD with four lanes. ASUS is pitching the ZenBook Pro equally a machine for creators, exist they artists or developers or video pros, and people like that desire speed all-around, especially on the storage drive when it comes to opening large apps and saving large files.

Those designer types also demand a quality display, so ASUS has delivered at that place likewise. The ZenBook Pro offers a 4K display in both the 15.6-inch and 14-inch sizes, both featuring narrow bezels effectually a panel that offers 132% of the sRGB color gamut, 100% Adobe RGB, and Pantone validation (whatsoever that'south worth to you). There'due south an optional capacitive bear on layer with support for the ASUS Pen stylus. And if that one display isn't plenty, the ZenBook Pro offers a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and an HDMI one.four port, capable of driving a trio of 4K external displays. (alas, the 14-incher only has 1 fewer Thunderbolt port.)

ASUS ZenBook Pro xv-inch specs

Category	ASUS ZenBook Pro 15-inch
Display	fifteen.6-inch 4K (3840x2160) IPS touch display 100% Adobe RGB, Delta-Eastward <2
CPU	Intel Cadre i5-8300H quad-core Intel Cadre i9-8950HK hexa-cadre
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti \| 4GB GDDR5 VRAM
RAM	upwardly to 16GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage	512GB/1TB PCIe SSD 256/512GB SATA SSD
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2, Bluetooth 5.0
Ports	2x USB-A three.i 2x USB-Ten 3.1 + Thunderbolt iii HDMI 1.4 Audio jack microSD
Ability	eight-cell 71Wh lithium-polymer battery, 150W adapter
Security	Windows How-do-you-do fingerprint reader (15.6-inch) Windows Hi IR camera (14-inch)
Dimensions	fourteen.37 x 9.88 x 0.74 inches (365 ten 251 x xviii.9 mm)
Weight	four.14 lbs (one.88 kg)
Price	starting at $2299

Okay, let's talk about the ScreenPad at present. It's not great. Substantially, they've replaced what would've been a uncomplicated and acceptable multi-touch trackpad with a 5.v-inch Hard disk display. "Why?" you ask? I'thou actually not certain. ASUS built a few compact apps into the ScreenPad, such as a calculator, calendar, or music player. The about useful is, in theory, the app launcher, in which you tin set a set of apps and tap to open. It's all simply underwhelming and confusing, non to mention unbelievably lagging for being attached to a Core i9 CPU. The only vaguely useful aspect of the ScreenPad at launch is a Chrome plugin that lets you send a YouTube video (just but on YouTube.com) to the trackpad screen while y'all keep doing other things on the main display.

Read: Why the 2-in-one PC'due south next large thing will be dual displays

The whole thing tin still human activity equally a trackpad, and you can fix a custom background in information technology or plough off the screen entirely — all by cycling through with the F6 cardinal. ASUS intends to release an SDK for the ScreenPad and serve apps through the Microsoft Shop and launch a dedicated website to showcase the available ScreenPad apps. ASUS demoed an extension for Microsoft Part, letting you lot format text via the ScreenPad, though I couldn't run into how it was whatever better than doing so via an on-screen menu. Coming, somewhen (maybe), will besides exist mirroring support from your phone via the ASUS Sync app, but in that location'due south no timetable for that release.

Honestly, I honestly don't come across the ScreenPad going anywhere. It's a poor experience of questionable value, and it harkens back to the SideShow feature that was released with Windows Vista back in 2006 — a feature that ASUS readily embraced back in the day. At to the lowest degree it has Microsoft Precision Touchpad drivers for when you're using it as a standard touchpad, and at that it was perfectly fine.

Nonetheless, in Jan we wrote an article challenge that dual-display laptops would exist the side by side endeavour at product differentiation. Looks like that prediction is starting to carry fruit.

Don't let my dislike of the ScreenPad turn you off from the ASUS ZenBook Pro, though. It'southward a feature yous can hands ignore, and there's no maxim it couldn't dramatically meliorate. If ASUS decides to stick with it, then in that location's a large potential opportunity in information technology. Merely... ASUS could too practice as they've washed in the past and make up one's mind to pull the plug on a failing experiment rather than keep it around on life support for years (Microsoft dragged Windows SideShow along until 2022 — 8 years afterwards it flopped on reveal).

The 15.half-dozen-inch and 14-inch versions of the ZenBook Pro sport nearly identical specs (apart from size and the dropping of 1 of the two Thunderbolt ports), merely notably different designs. Both accept the standard ASUS aesthetic, with a round brushed cease to the aluminum lid, this fourth dimension cast in a deep blue. The 15-inch is the curvier of the pair, with smooth lines and wider arcs to its corners, along with a polished rose gold bevel around the edges. The xiv-inch, on the other hand, is more squared off and loses the rose gold accent border, though information technology does have an start swivel that slightly lifts the base off the table when opened (for meliorate ventilation and typing angle). Both are fingerprint magnets, though rather attractive, as ASUS ZenBook laptops tend to be.

All of this laptop will hit your wallet difficult, though. When it becomes available in mid-July 2022 y'all can look to pay a starting toll of $2299. Don't blame too much of that price on the questionably useful ScreenPad, though — the PCIe 4x SSD and Core i9 processor and super accurate 4K displays don't come inexpensive.

Oh Dearest

New report reveals Microsoft's future AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is dead

Business Insider has today published a follow-up written report with more than details about Microsoft's canceled HoloLens 3 augmented reality headset. The partnership with Samsung is said to include a headset with a prepare of screens inside, powered by a Samsung phone in your pocket.

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for K-8 Windows PCs

Keeping information technology affordable

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for Chiliad-8 Windows PCs

Starting at just $250, Microsoft's first foray into affordable laptops for the education marketplace is a winner. With a gorgeous design, first-class thermals, and a fantastic typing feel, Microsoft would practice right to sell this directly to consumers too. Allow'south merely hope Intel can make a improve CPU.