The large surface area is definitely a strong point, and the entire pad feels suitably responsive, with basic multi-touch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling working particularly well. With the latest Sentelic TouchPad software installed, we found the trackpad quite pleasant. We've been told that the UX31 trackpad can be too jittery or at times entirely unresponsive, but ASUS appears to have overcome many of those early problems with a driver update. The minimal amount of travel can take some getting used to, but it's a short learning curve and we soon felt right at home.Īs for the trackpad, it's nice and big, with a smooth top surface that feels great, but we approached with caution having heard numerous bad reports. It isn't backlit, for starters, and it needs to be in order to match the MacBook Air or live up to the £1,000 price tag, and the keys themselves can feel a little shallow. ASUS doesn't attempt to throw too much into it - there are no superfluous shortcut keys - and this allows for an excellent layout in which the main keys are all large and well-spaced.Īs you'd expect from a metal chassis, the keyboard tray shows absolutely no sign of flex and feels solid throughout, while not too clinical - the keys look as though they could be slippery, but they hug the fingertips surprisingly well and feel natural in use.įor the most part, the keyboard's well-put together, but there are a few niggling issues. The keyboard, which uses plastic metal-effect keys, is perfectly sized. We'd prefer no stickers at all (and we'd happily lose the "UX31 Series Ultra Slim" branding beneath the screen) but this is a very clean design nonetheless. The brushed aluminium surround is very easy on the eye, the speakers are integrated into the display hinge, and even the "Intel Inside" and "Windows 7" product stickers are tastefully finished in silver. The two components are critical to the user experience, and ASUS has paid particular attention to the visual appeal of this inner area. If we had to sum up the UX31's keyboard and trackpad in one word, the word would be "inviting." The keyboard looks every bit as sophisticated as the rest of the system, and the large, expansive trackpad is about as welcoming as a trackpad can be.
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