Image: Michael Crider/Foundry
I got to see the Asus Zenbook A14 at a preview event, and I was instantly smitten with its super-light weight, incredible battery life, and stylish finish. But I waited for a sale (I’m a nerd, not an oil baron!) before I bought it for myself. Today you can get the same laptop I bought at an even better deal: just $579.99, $420 off the retail price.
The Zenbook A14 is no powerhouse, In fact its Snapdragon X Plus processor is definitely on the pokey side compared to the latest from AMD and Intel, especially if you want to play games. But it’s designed to last almost forever on battery — 20 hours or so — and do it while weighing under one kilogram (2.16 pounds). Other highlights include a roomy and vibrant 1920×1200 OLED screen, a decent selection of ports (two USB-C, one USB-A, full-sized HDMI), and an IR webcam for Windows Hello face unlock. My favorite feature is the stone-like “Ceraluminum” finish of the body, giving it a unique sandy color and a slightly grippy feel.
Qualcomm’s first-gen Snapdragon laptops still struggle with gaming, and with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, this slinky little laptop isn’t going to handle massive, processor-intensive workloads. But it’s served me very well over the last few months, offering up a great browser machine with solid typing that won’t weigh me down in a laptop bag. For a more thorough breakdown check out the full PCWorld review, but keep in mind that’s a model with more RAM and a slightly faster processor.
Best Buy is offering the version of the Zenbook A14 for $420 off the original price, both on its main store and via its official eBay outlet. Exactly how long it will last, I couldn’t say — I’ve seen this laptop go on short-term sales from Best Buy a few times before. If it’s not quite what you’re looking for, then be sure to take a gander at PCWorld’s laptop roundup for the Amazon Prime Day sale, which includes our picks from stores all over the web.
Get a super-light Asus Zenbook A14 for $580
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he’s the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop “battlestation” in his off hours. Michael’s previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he’s covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he’s always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.
