Asus Expertbook is an ultralight laptop under 1kg. The laptop is powered by a 66Wh battery that can sustain an entire workday. This reminds me of Intel's Project Athena which strived to design ultralight laptops with long-lasting batteries. Tests conducted by CNET revealed that Asus Expertbook B9450 could stream video for 16 hours and 30 minutes.
Asus Expertbook B9450 is fully equipped with 16GB of memory, Intel Core i7-10510U, and 2TB of storage. However, the laptop's storage is divided into a pair of Samsung 1TB NVMe drives. The laptop comes with two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, a full RJ45 adapter, HDMI output, and a USB 3.1 Type-A port. It also allows the user to adjust the typing angle using the ErgoLift hinge which raises the keyboard. The design is practical since it hides the lower bezel and creates room for ventilation.
Indepth Look at Asus Expertbook B9450
The major drawback with the Asus Expertbook B9450 is the A 14-inch 1920x1080 IPS panel screen. This screen is sub-optimal due to the default configuration and the 16:9 aspect ratio. The default configuration is set at 150% zoom level. This minimizes the effective pixels to 1280 by 720. However, the ideal zoom level for the Asus Expertbook B9450 is 125%. The 16:9 aspect ratio is ideal for entertainment and not work. On the other hand, it doesn't have touch screen capabilities.
The storage space configuration is not optimal. The Asus Expertbook B9450 default configuration has 380GB in an OS partition, 572GB as data, 953GB also labeled as data. Surprisingly, the smallest partition contains the user folders. This makes it complicated for the lay user to optimize the available space. The Asus Expertbook B9450 also comes with a touchpad button that lights up a number pad. However, this feature looks half baked or something experimental.
The Asus Expertbook B9450 also has a mix up of different modes of input. This gives the user a hard time registering numbers. Before numbers can be registered you might have to exit and re-enter NumberPad mode. The calculator app has also been reported to have minor issues with key registration. The implementation of the NumberPad appears to be lacking. The other enigma with this laptop is availability and price.
According to Asus, the i7 version has a starting price of AU$3,500. For the i5 version, the starting price is AU$3,000. Shoppers who intend to purchase the laptop on Amazon US will get it at $1,800. However, despite the above critics, the laptop has a superior battery and ultralight design.
If you're one of those users that carry laptops around, this is a great deal. Furthermore, its battery is superior and long-lasting. It's a great laptop for business travelers who need something light and manageable. Despite the low resolution, power button placement, and the 16:9 aspect ratio the laptop is absolutely fit for business travelers. So if you're thinking of acquiring an ultralight laptop for business travel then this is a worthwhile buy. This is of course if you don't mind the low resolution and aspect ratio. The battery life is long-lasting and ideal for a whole day's work.
