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The AsusPro series is a new business series. In January 2012, the 15.6 inch sister, P53E-SO102X, was introduced the business world. The laptop offered great input devices and low emissions. However, the chunky synthetic material case made of aluminium imitate material and the consumer style interfaces were no match for the ThinkPad Edge, ProBook or Latitude competition. ASUS UX31 charger

Asus shows us how much they have learnt. The 14 inch B43E-VO158X only looks similar to the P53E. The aluminium surfaces, ports (docking port) and full-size docking station are all new features for low-priced business notebooks. ASUS ZenBook UX31 charger

The price is especially interesting: 600 Euros for the B43E (our test model with an
i3 2350M) and 150 Euros for the docking station, Asus Powerstation II (for the B series). This docking station was available in our test. So the buyer can get a fully-equipped working station for 750 Euros? There are very few other models which can match this offering. The direct competitors include: Lenovo ThinkPad L430 (i3), Fujitsu Lifebook S751 (i3) and HP ProBook 6465b (AMD A4). These models also offer a docking port for a low price. ASUS ZenBook UX31A charger

The B43E wants to be a true work laptop. Due to this reason, the laptop unashamedly uses a plastic border with an aluminium cover and an extremely heavy base. Only the mid-range ThinkPad L430 has is as thick as our test model: 35 mm. Whether or not this heavy build is a flaw, is a subjective question. In any case, the sturdiness is good: the B43E does not bend when pressure is applied on the base or on the display cover. ASUS ZenBook UX31E charger

Weaknesses are in the details: the area under the DVD drive can be pushed in with a click. The right side of the keyboard can also be pushed in, above the optical drive. The brushed aluminium of the display cover and base has a conservative elegance. Unfortunately, after a short while of use, the elegance evaporates as the surface is covered by a plethora of fingerprints. The hand-rest regions are made of the same material, but are not brushed, which keeps them cleaner. ASUS UX31 Ultrabook charger

The 14 inch laptop is quite heavy: 2,464 grams plus 346 grams (power adapter). Office laptops of this size usually weigh between 2.1 - 2.3 kilograms (ThinkPad L430 - 2.25 kg, LifeBook S751 - 2.3 kg, HP ProBook 6465b - 2.35 kg). The hinges hold the display stiffly and do not let it wobble. The maximum opening angle of 130 degrees is sufficient for using the notebook on the lap. Due to the heavy chassis, the user can open the laptop with one hand. ASUS UX31A Ultrabook charger

The hand-rest regions and the touchpad are hard and cool. Asus has placed the heat-emitting components near the middle and thus allows the air to move around the case. The large flap on the bottom of the case hides a 2.5 inch hard disk and a 4 GB DDR3 RAM module (one slot occupied, the other is free). ASUS UX31E Ultrabook charger

A look at the connectivity speaks volumes: we no longer deal with the P53E (15.6 inch) with its consumer interfaces, but with the complete opposite. The most noticeable features would be the three monitor interfaces: VGA, HDMI and DisplayPort. We have never seen this trio all together on a laptop before. The eSATA interface is also provided, which makes connecting external hard disks easy. The laptop can also connect to USB 3.0 HDDs. If the user is not satisfied with the interfaces of the B43E and its docking station, s/he can add additional ports using an adapter in the ExpressCard34 slot. Does the laptop leave any stone unturned? Asus C22-UX31 charger

It would have been nice to have an integrated HSDPA modem in the test model. The manufacturer did prepare for such a module by creating a SIM card slot under the battery, but sadly, Asus does not offer any configuration of the model with such a modem. Instead, the manufacturer has installed a LSI HDA 56K modem. Of course, it can not replace broadband internet, but the B43E can receive and send traditional faxes. Plus, in regions where there is not broadband internet, the user could access his/her Email. ASUS Eee PC 1225 charger

Overall, most users will make more use of the Atheros DraftN WLAN or the Realtek Gigabit Ethernet modules. The laptop includes Bluetooth 2.1, which allows it to connect to Smartphones and other peripheral devices wirelessly. Unfortunately, this version is quite outdated as Bluetooth 4.0 is already out. ASUS Eee PC 1225B charger

This is were it gets interesting: Asus has installed a TPM module (Trusted Plattform Module) and a SmartCard reader (at the front, below the card reader). Amongst the direct competition, only the LifeBook S751 offers such a configuration. The ThinkPad L430 and ProBook 6465b may not offer this combination, but it can be found in the more expensive T-series ThinkPads/ EliteBooks. ASUS Eee PC 1225C charger

Small companies without an IT department or individual users will be more interested in the BIOS Preboot password, HDD password and fingerprint reader. The Embassy Security Center allows the configuration and activation of all these features. The touchpad can be used to interact with the BIOS, and, in comparison to consumer notebooks, the BIOS is extensively configurable: every port (USB, card reader, etc.) and every device (camera, audio, network, DVD) can be explored. Asus A31-1015 charger

The Seagate Momentus ST9500325AS is protected against falls by its "Drop Sensor" (G-Force protection). Of course, the user should still be careful. A fall sensor usually requires a drop height of around a meter to secure the read and write heads on the hard disk. Asus AL31-1015

Asus provides a Driver/Software DVD. The user will have to create their own copy of the recovery disk for Windows 7 with AI Recovery. Asus has not pre-installed too many tools on the laptop. Secure Delete deletes files without a trace. Fast Boot allows the user to unshackle the boot process. Asus Vibe Fun Center does not fit into the overall work laptop image. This media player accesses various websites and bundles their content. The WebStorage Sync Agent seems more useful, as it allows the user to synchronize certain files online and make them available for the mobile. Asus A32-1015

The guarantee runs for 24 months and a pick-up service is included (Pick-Up & Return service). Upgrades up to three years (WEP - Warranty Extension Package) are available for 70 to 80 Euros. Asus PL32-1015