A seriously svelte business notebook that'll slip into almost any bag
The 14-inch Asus Pro B9440 is one of the most lightweight business notebooks around.
Opting for a business laptop over a regular laptop used to mean sacrificing a stylish and slim design, but the Asus Pro B9440 notebook is one of several recent biz systems bucking the conventional wisdom.
It's an incredibly lightweight and thin 14-inch laptop that's thoughtfully designed and perfect for travel. It'll be available in May for $999 (converts to about £790 and AU$1,320).
On sale in May for $999.
Specs
- Windows 10 Pro
- 7th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 U-series CPU
- Two USB 3.1 Type-C ports
- 14-inch full-HD screen
- Glass-covered touchpad
- Backlit keyboard
- Fingerprint sensor
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 4.1
While the Asus Pro B9440 claims the title of the lightest 14-inch business notebook around (2.31lbs), it's all a technicality. To be sure, it's one of the lightest, weighing less than the Lenovo X1 Carbon (also a business-aimed notebook), but when compared with other non-business laptops , it's not. The LG Gram and Lenovo LaVie Z remain the featherweight champs in the laptop category.
Thoughtfully designed.
In person the laptop looks and feels great. It has an all-metal magnesium alloy chassis, and even though it's super thin, it feels solid. The keyboard automatically lifts at an angle when the laptop is open to give you a more comfortable, ergonomic angle to type at. I liked its compact size and appreciated its modernly svelte design. It still looked like a business notebook, but a cool one.
The notebook is also compatible with the new Asus SimPro Dock USB-C docking station, which has dual DisplayPort, USB-C and USB 3.1 ports, VGA, HDMI, LAN and an SD Card reader. Pricing and availability on the dock have yet to be released, but it will also work with any third-party USB-C dock, which is a rapidly growing category.
A solid and slim business notebook.
If you don't have the need for Windows 10 Pro but like the idea of the Asus Pro B9440, fret not. Asus is planning on releasing a similar, consumer-based model with Windows 10 by the end of the year.