Windows Alternative to Macbook Pro for Photographers
Most of us associate color fidelity for photo editing with Macbook products especially if mobility is the issue. I have toyed with the idea of switching to Mac OS many times mainly for the build quality and screen performance.
Being an IT professional Windows 8 is a big part of my life and I really was not in the mood to carry 2 notebooks. I am aware that you can run Windows 8 on Macbooks but I am also a firm believer in using hardware for its core purpose since at some point work arounds come back to 'byte' you.
This search led me to what I can only describe as a mind blowing alternative to the Macbook Air and Macbook pro. As far as I am concerned I think it out performs the Macbook Air out the box with its full HD resolution and sleek aluminium chassis.
The ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A impresses from the time you open the box. The highlight of this stunning unit is the MATT display. This full HD screen's color production is stunning. Its one of the only units I would trust when I have to do editing in the field or while on holiday.
I don’t have any lab tests myself to showcase this product, just my own experience with it over the last 2 years. Below are links to proper lab tests that show you exactly how great your images will look on this unit.
When you read the reviews you will come across the following impressive stats.
Contrast Ratio : 1085
Black Level: 0.37 cd/m2
Color Gamut Percent Adobe RGB: 80%
Color Accuracy Delta : 1.94
The contrast ratio is staggering for an ultrabook. It is rare to get premium laptops above 1000:1 ratio. The black levels are really key as these make your images pop. the color accuracy is of major importance to photographers as its the degree to which the screen with faithfully represent the color. The lower the number the higher the accuracy. The essence is that no serious editing will take place on a 13 inch ultrabook. For this sort of stuff I would use a 27inch wide gamut display at home. However when you are away from home, you can do a lot of culling, cropping and basic color correction with the right mobile product which is where the ASUS UX31A comes in.
I have only 1 criticism of this unit and that is that it only has 4GB of soldered RAM. If they only put in 8GB this would be the perfect Windows photography ultrabook. There is another model that ASUS make that can take in additional ram. The ASUS UX32VD. Its not as slim as the 31A but sports the same excellent display with the ability to upgrade RAM and HDD.
So, you can have a Windows 8 Photography Ultrabook that’s better looking that a Macbook !!!!
Well done ASUS !!!
NB: If you are looking to purchase this specialised product contact Rui Cruz (Asus Product Manager) at Mecer. Asus product line can be found here
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