Creative professionals typically use a laptop when they’re out and about, then switch to a more powerful desktop back in the studio. The new ZenBook Pro 15 (UX580) is set to change this. Packed into its chassis is an Intel i9 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics card that collectively deliver desktop-like performance. With a weight of 1.88kg and a battery life of up to 9.5 hours, it’s also a bona fide laptop.
One of the first adopters of the ZenBook Pro 15 (UX580) was commercial photographer Elliot Lee, who co-founded and runs Studio Three Sixteen. Said Lee, “I shoot with it on location and edit my work on it afterwards with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I also edit videos with it using Adobe Premiere, while my wife has used it for design work with Rhinoceros 3D. I’ve always used desktops, so I was sceptical at the start, but I must say I’ve been thoroughly impressed, because it’s blazingly fast and I’ve never once missed my desktop while I was on it.”
Power and portability aside, the laptop also dazzles with its two displays – a colour-calibrated 15.6-inch 4K touchscreen, and the smaller ScreenPad that replaces the traditional trackpad with an interactive display. The new ScreenPad can still function as a trackpad, but also allows secondary programmes and menus to be accessed on the fly.
Lee opined, “A good display is important for creatives like me, and the screen was perfect right out of the box. As for the ScreenPad, I think it’s still too early for its widespread adoption, but I did manage to adapt it into my workflow very quickly. If the extra screen space is properly utilised, I’m sure people will love it.”
There aren’t many options for a well-rounded computing solution in a premium package that can replace a desktop. With the ZenBook Pro 15 (UX580), there’s little need to consider the rest.
