Asus Zenbook touch screen challenges MacBook Pro retina display

It may seem like an astonishing claim, but the full HD, IPS display on the 2012 Asus Zenbook Prime is considered a true challenger to the MacBook Pro retina display. Add a touch screen option to the Asus Zenbook and Apple appears to be facing some real competition.

The touch screen option available on the 2012 Asus Zenbook Prime is offered in advance of the October 2012 release of Windows 8, which will operate with both a keyboard and as a touch screen device.

Apple will be releasing Mountain Lion as an update to the current version of the Lion OS in July. However, unlike Windows 8, Mountain Lion will not provide a touch screen user interface on Apple laptops.

While no one has ever accused Apple of being a sleeping giant, Asus is winning respect in the hotly-contested Ultrabook market, and the 2012 Zenbook Prime is leading the way.

Asus has raised the bar for Ultrabook displays with their second generation Asus Zenbook Prime.

“The screen on this laptop is so good you might not even care about the angle you view it from. Where the original 13.3-inch Zenbook had a 1600 x 900 traditional LCD panel with poor viewing angles, the 1920 x 1080 IPS display obliterates the issue. Not only can you view images and colors from almost any angle with only a slight loss of brightness, but it's one of the best displays I've seen on a laptop, period,” according to The Verge.

That’s not to say that the MacBook Pro retina display is not jaw-dropping. Apple calls it the best computer they have ever made.

“The screen on the new MacBook Pro is incredible: it is definitely the sharpest computer display we’ve ever used, and it portrays the best coloring on any computer we’ve seen,” according to 9 to 5 Mac.

What’s surprising here is not that Apple has taken the good display on the MacBook Pro and made it better with the retina display, but the fact that Asus has focused on the biggest weakness in PC’s, namely the display, and demonstrated an ability to compete with Apple and their best-selling MacBook Pro.

Beyond the high quality resolution display, the Asus Zenbook Prime adds touch screen capability. For some laptop buyers, that could be a game-changer, especially if Windows 8 exceeds its user-friendly and performance expectations.

While there will always be steadfast Apple OSX fans who would never dream of buying a PC, the boost in display quality in the Asus Zenbook Prime Ultrabook will undoubtedly tempt Windows users, who might otherwise be considering a MacBook Pro with a retina display.

However, for those who have been waiting for someone to offer a powerful, 13-inch touch screen Ultrabook with a full HD IPS display, your dream machine may have just arrived in the 2012 Asus Zenbook Prime.

Related:

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