Asus undercuts Apple and Samsung with U36 ultra-thin laptop

Asus has launched an ultra-thin 13.3in laptop that aims to combine the power of a desktop and enhanced portability.

The Asus U36 comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and Windows Professional 64-bit, making it suitable for business users on the move.

The 13.3in LED backlit display features a 1366x768 resolution and a 16:9 ratio. Asus ships the device with a 500GB SATA drive and a USB 3.0 port, which can be switched off to conserve energy.

There are two additional USB 2.0 ports, a VGA connector and HDMI output built into the chassis as well as a five-in-one card reader.

The U36 has a thickness of 19mm, which is still a couple of millimetres thicker than the MacBook Air, and is around 10g heavier than Apple's device with a weight of 1.44kg.

Asus also claims up to 11.5 hours of battery life as the device incorporates Super Hybrid Engine technology. This manages energy consumption based on which applications are being used and if the device can come close to this benchmark, it will catch the eye of business users.

One area where the U36 is able to beat competitors such as the Apple MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 laptop is price.

The U36 is priced at £699 inc VAT, whereas the Series 9 is almost double the price at £1,300. Similarly, a 13in MacBook Air starts at £1,122.