Intel has named the new UX Series notebooks from ASUS as amongst the first to be included in a new "Ultrabook" category. Launched at Computex 2011, the new high performance, ultra-thin UX21 and UX31 ultraportables will be powered by Intel's second generation Core processors and feature SanDisk's latest solid state storage technology.
Intel says that members of its new Ultrabook class of notebooks will all be less than 20mm (0.8-inch) thick and the new UX Series from ASUS will be amongst the first to hit the shelves. There will be two models available - the UX21 with an 11.6-inch display and the UX31 with a 13.3-inch display - and both will have the same slim profile as the MacBook Air (17mm/0.67-inches at its thickest point, tapering to just 3mm/0.11-inches at its front edge).
There will be standard voltage Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor options and SanDisk has revealed that specially optimized versions of its new U100 SATA III SSD will provide storage for the new ultraportables. The U100 benefits from up to 450 megabytes per second sequential read and up to 340 megabytes per second sequential write speeds and comes in capacities ranging from 8GB to 256GB, although the exact storage options for the UX Series notebooks have not been announced.
Information on available system memory, screen resolution, wireless capabilities and battery life is also lacking, but ASUS has confirmed that the new laptops will feature the company's "Instant On" technology, which is said to resume notebook functionality from sleep in less than two seconds and retains settings and data in hibernation for up to a week. There will also be a couple of USB ports, one of which is USB 3.0, an oversized keyboard with metallic chiclet-style keys and large glass trackpad.
Each model is housed in an aluminum alloy outer shell with a stunning spun metallic finish and will join the Padfone for a Q4 release. Pricing information is not available at this time.
