Exclusive: Hands on with the ASUS UX30 CULV ultraportable

We’ve seen the ASUS UX30 at various trade shows and press events this year, but Mobile Computer has managed to snag an exclusive hands-on with this new ultraportable.

The ASUS UX30 is one of a new breed of ‘thin and light’ CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) laptops that fit between netbooks and traditional ultraportables — we covered the similar Advent Altro earlier this week. The idea that these laptops are larger and more capable than a netbook, but lighter and cheaper than a typical ultraportable.

More details, plus our exclusive hands-on video, after the cut.

Much of this is the result of the processor and most manufacturers so far seem to be using Intel’s ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo SU9400. This only runs at 1.4GHz, but it is dual-core and so instantly more powerful than the Intel Atom. Add in the 4Gb of memory (not 2Gb, as stated in the video) and 500Gb hard disk, and the result is pretty compelling package. Sadly, it would be more compelling had ASUS opted for NVIDIA ION graphics, but instead the UX30 is saddled with integrated Intel GMA graphics which are just enough to run the Windows Vista Aero Glass interface.

The UX30 is the first of a three new ranges of thin and light laptops from ASUS and there are models yet to come from the U and UL series. The design of this model has clearly been influences by the MacBook Air — they’re a similar size and weight, and even a similar shape. The Air is thinner, but the UX30 still on measures 20mm at its thickest point.

One less welcome feature copied from the MacBook Air is the fixed internal battery, although how annoying this is depends on battery life — we’re still running our battery tests, so we’ll tell you more in the full review. It does mean that the ASUS UX30 is pretty seamless, though — there are a few vents on the underside, but the all-metal case is much sleeker than that of most laptops.

The big advantages of a laptop this size are the large screen and keyboard. The UX30 has a 1366 x 768 LED-backlit screen with an ‘edgeless’ design — the top glossy layer extends over the bezel, giving a sleek, shiny appearance. This layer is plastic rather than the glass of the unibody MacBook Pros, but it still looks the part.

The chiclet-style keyboard is full-width, but the keys are just a little bit smaller than those on the similarly equipped MacBooks. They’re widely spaced with a positive action though, and the keyboard is generally comfortable to use. The large trackpad is also a nice touch — too many laptops stick with a tiny one, despite sitting in the middle of a wide expanse of wrist-rest.

Pricing for the UX30 hasn’t been confirmed and the model has yet to appear on the ASUS web site. We’ll update you with this information in the full review that we’ll publish later this week.