ZenBook Laced With 18-Karat Gold Marks Asus' 30th Anniversary

The Taiwanese tech giant hasn't been around as long as Dell or Apple, but it has a prolific product portfolio, now bigger thanks to a limited-edition laptop, smartphone, and motherboard.

TAIPEI—The Asus ZenBook Edition 30 isn't a laptop you should buy to use every day. It's more of a reminder of how far personal technology has evolved in the 30 years that Asus has existed. The company's products are often an afterthought to American consumers looking for the latest and greatest smartphone or PC, but they're a household name here, where Asus paused to recognize its history as part of the annual Computex trade show this week.

Among the slew of new products introduced is the Asus ZenBook Edition 30, a 13-inch Windows laptop clad in Italian leather on the lid and 18-karat gold. There's also a limited edition ZenPhone 6, of which only 3,000 will be made, all with a 30-month warranty. Finally, as a reminder of just how deep the Asus product portfolio goes, there's even a 30th-anniversary commemorative motherboard.

ScreenPad 2.0

Like many of the new laptops Asus announced at Computex this year, the ZenBook Edition 30 will come with a touchpad that doubles as a second display, called the ScreenPad. It also features other ZenBook hallmarks, like a hinge that tilts the keyboard up when you open it and razer thin-borders around the screen for a sleek look. 

What sets the Edition 30 apart are its lid encased in luxurious Pearl White genuine Italian leather, a unique "A" for Asus monogram beneath the keyboard and on the display lid, and an 18-karat rose gold plated logo. It's definitely a looker, but as I handled it for a few seconds shortly after Asus unveiled it, I couldn't help but worry that all of that white leather will get dirty very quickly. This is not your everyday workhorse laptop. 

A Very Special Collection

If you are going to splurge on the Edition 30 (pricing and availability aren't yet announced, but it's safe to call it a splurge), you might as well pick up a few of the limited edition accessories that Asus is selling to match. They include a Pearl White mouse, a faux leather box and mousepad, and a genuine leather sleeve. 

30-Year Warranty

Rounding out the commemorative lineup are a special edition ZenPhone 6 Edition 30 and a PC motherboard, the Prime X299 Edition 30. The phone has a special Edition 30 logo embossed on the back, as well as useful features like upgraded memory (12GB) and storage (512GB), and rather gimmicky ones like a 30-month warranty.

Meanwhile, the motherboard comes with a 2-inch OLED display for monitoring vital system stats, as well as a second mini status display screen that connects via USB and can be mounted to your monitor. Pricing and availability for the phone and motherboard are not yet announced.

Source: pcmagazine.com

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