Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wanted to post my thoughts on the switch from a retina MacBook to this ZenBook. I'm aware that I'm comparing an almost $2500 machine to a $750 one, but honestly overall I feel that it's not that big of a difference, other than the processing power and memory, of course. First impressions I didn't like the initial start up to be honest. It seemed kind of buggy and didn't have a very sensible user-flow. That might sound picky, but I really like how Apple handles the start ups, it just seems like they put a lot of care and thought into your first experience with the machine. I didn't get that with the ASUS. I was taken to the same screen multiple times that read something like "We are setting things up for you. This shouldn't take long." After it asked me for some info, it took me back to the same screen. This happened probably 2 or 3 times. Again, super picky and not a huge deal, but the first experience with the computer was just kind of "meh." Quality Overall I think the computer is made beautifully. I love the aluminum and the color, and the size is incredibly sleek. I love the way it looks. The screen opens beautifully from a closed position without lifting the bottom, which is not always the case for a laptop this size. It's sounds like a small thing but I really enjoy that aspect of it. Trackpad One of the first and biggest differences I noticed about the computer was the trackpad. I'm a huge fan of the MacBook trackpad - it's incredibly smooth and highly responsive. The ASUS trackpad feels much cheaper and requires a much stronger touch to get a response. Definitely will take some getting used to. Keyboard Honestly I expected worse. I read several reviews complaining about the lackluster keyboard, but I really don't mind it much at all. It's easy to type with, comfortable spacing and the keys feel like they're pretty quality. I do still prefer the MacBook keyboard, but the ZenBook keyboard really isn't bad at all. One thing I do miss is the music control keys on the F7-F10 (or whatever it is) keys. On the ZenBook you can't control your music with the keyboard (as far as I can tell) and as an avid music listener this is kind of a bummer. Screen This was one of my biggest concerns. I had a retina display on the 15 inch, and I loved it. I was also worried about the ZenBook having a matte display instead of a glossy one. But honestly, I kind of like it after I've been looking at it for a couple of days. The glare is virtually non-existent, and the 1080 screen at 13 inches is plenty of clarity. Of course it's not as clear as the rMBP, but it's pretty damn close to my eye. Operating System I thought this was going to be one of the biggest adjustments to make. I've been a Mac user for the past 7 or 8 years, so my last experience with Windows I think was Windows XP. That being said, Windows 10 isn't too bad at all. It's very user friendly, and honestly wasn't a very big adjustment and I'm fairly used to it after a few hours of using. I do miss some of the trackpad gestures on the MacBook (like using two fingers instead of clicking the back button to go back in the browser), but there are some useful gestures on here as well, and I'm still learning them as I play around with it. Speakers Probably one of my biggest gripes with this machine is the speakers. Granted it is a pretty small computer, but it's just not very loud at all. The sound is pretty tinny. I was aware of this before as many reviewers have mentioned it as well, but I thought I'd throw it in there. I mostly use headphones, so it's not a huge deal. Overall thoughts For the value I'm getting with this computer, I'm very happy. I spent a fraction of the price and got better specs than if I had spent $1200 on a 12 inch MacBook. The computer is responsive, beautiful, easy to use and has everything I need. 9/10, would definitely recommend. TL;DR: The computer is a great value. As a long time Mac user, the switch was very easy to make. I don't feel that I'm missing out on much at all with this computer and I spent a fraction of the money on it.