Hi Dthrp,
Thank you for a very clear explanation. Very much appreciate your advice. I agree with your recommendation. The matte anti glare is my preferred choice as well and there doesn't seem to be a major feature performance wise that will justify the additional price tag of the convertible.
I am not a fan of fingerprint smudges on glossy screens as well. So the choice is clear!
Thank you!
I have shortlisted my purchase decision to either the UX360UAK or the UX330UA. I understand both have the same specs (core i5-7200u, 8gb ram, 256gb ssd, fhd display) but different form factors, former is a flip convertible while latter is a regular laptop.
Would you be able to guide me on any major technical or performance based advantage the ux330 may have that would justify NOT buying the ux360uak convertible laptop instead? Is the glossy screen a major deal breaker compared to the matte on the ux330?
Otherwise I may just pull the plug and spend approximately $150 more to get the ux360uak and have the benefit of flexibility while watching videos and browsing the net. I don't plan on heavy gaming. I value good display, relatively quiet performance, low fan noise, good keyboard and trackpad.
Quote from: dthrp on July 22, 2017, 13:56:22
@Jimbotron:
They're updates to the previous UX305UA thus almost identical in terms of chassis design and components. Whichever one you decide to go with, make sure to check for a 7th gen Kaby Lake CPU since there are models with the last gen Skylake as well. Kaby Lake models not only have better battery life and minor upgraded components, but also fixed lots of reported hardware issues and bugs, so it's more than just a small update. (Unless you want to install an older Windows OS, which I believe isn't possible from Kaby Lake onwards.)
Now as for differences, here's what I can tell.
- As you know, UX360UA has a reflective glossy screen, and UX330UA has a anti-glare matte screen (Though just like phones and tablets, there are some decent aftermarket matte, anti-glare screen protectors. These also help with fingerprints and smoother touch experience due to the film being plastic, not glass.) If you don't have experience with both, don't try to guess what it's like as general opinion is very polarized. Some prefer matte due to the less reflective aspect while others actually enjoy glossy due to more vibrant colors. I highly suggest you try out either or both in a store. (though not Apple store b.c Macbooks are glossy + anti-glare)
- Their Full-HD IPS screens both have around 340 nits of brightness, 90% sRGB 60% AdobeRGB color coverage and issue of low frequency PWM (which I heard could be controlled via software). Difference lies in contrasts and black levels. UX360UA has 1269:1 contrast ratio whereas UX330UA has 1636:1. That's quite a difference since contrast is the most noticeable aspect on an IPS screen for an average user.
- UX360UA has a full HDMI port whereas the UX330UA has a micro-HDMI port so needs a converter dongle for use.
- UX360UA has dedicated volume buttons, a long vent grill, and its power button all on the left side. UX330UA has no volume buttons, no vents on neither sides and its power button is positioned on the top right corner of the keyboard where an End or Delete key would normally be on a US key layout.
- UX360UA has an option for a fingerprint reader, UX330UA does not.
There're no performance differences, except these laptops are comprised of storage from multiple manufacturers. Storage is the slowest part in a PC so with bad luck, this could be noticeable but only if you care enough to notice it.
I would personally choose UX330UA because I need anti-glare and a 2 in 1 laptop without an active pen and aftermarket pen support for me is unusable.
Hope this helps.
Source:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-Flip-UX360UAK-BB351T-Convertible-Review.198302.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ZenBook-UX360UA-Convertible-Review.181132.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-UX330UA-Notebook-Review.182710.0.html
https://www.asus.com/Laptops/AllProducts/