ASUS ZenBook UX330 UX330UA-FB088T 13.3 inches Laptop (Intel Core i7-7500U/8GB/512GB/Windows 10/Integrated Graphics), 1.2kg

I did not buy this from Amazon, but rather from a store. I got the 16GB ram version instead of the 8GB as sold on Amazon; All else being the same. This is the fastest laptop I have ever used. It is sleek, lightweight(1.2 kg) and fits into my hard-zipped file folder. Boot up is in a second, file saving and fetching is several times faster than one with a SATA hard drive. The 512 SSD drive in this Zenbook is said to be of an older generation than those coming in more expensive laptops such as the HP Spectre. I tried both but could not tell the difference. The battery lasts for a day of moderate use and two days if I hook up to my 23 inch monitor in office and switch off the backlit key board and screen. Talking of the screen, this was the deal-maker to choose between the Zenbook and the HP Spectre. The screen is non-reflective, sharp and practically glare-free enabling you to work for hours without feeling eye-strain.

The keyboard travel is long allowing for confident keystrokes. The backlight is not over-bright as in some other laptops I have seen. Only the key- numbers or letters get illuminated which is just enough to work in the dark.

Negatives? The screen does not fold over and is non-touch. It cannot be tilted beyond 110 degrees restricting your movements if working at odd angles such as from a bed. There are only 2 USB 3 ports and I cannot use some legacy devices operating on USB 2 ports. The C type port cannot be used for charging.
I got a few goodies along with the laptop – wireless mouse, headphones, a 32 GB storage media, USB micro-speakers and a micro-to-regular HDMI connector, pouch and sling-bag. All in all a great deal and a happy Zenbook owner.

This review is relevant to all those who want to buy an ASUS laptop in India and other third world countries may be. This also pertains to those who have bought Asus laptops from US and got it shipped through a friend or through amazon. I had bought this amazing laptop from ASUS and I was very happy using it for 2.5 years. Amazing performance. I had no problem at all. But the whole opinion changed from the past 0.5 years where I am facing multiple problems with the laptop. The laptop started switching off and one day the SSD was not detected. I live in Mangalore which is a tier 2 city. I am a teacher by profession and my laptop was my best buddy during the pandemic which I used for online classes and all the other activities. However, the Mangalore based service centre said the SSD was dead and I got a new SSD and the service personnel re-installed the windows. However, within a week, the adapter when bad and I had to shell out 2K and had to get it from Bangalore. And in a couple of weeks, the laptop went dead. It would not start. This time the service personnel told keyboard is the problem. Then I ordered a new keyboard. It has been a month now and there is no sign of the keyboard. There is no stock in Mumbai and no stock in Taiwan and I am asked to wait for 15 more days. I really think the Taiwan based manufacturer is not serious about doing business in India or it could be global scenario. If a laptop does not serve for 5-6 years without a problem or cannot be pushed upto 8 years with small repairs, what is the point of shelling out so much? Mobile phones with smaller size work for more than three years. Very disappointing!