Asus ZenBook Duo - 2021 (UX482)

The Asus ZenBook Duo is a great all-round Ultrabook, but the ScreenPad arguably adds more issues than benefits. While the second touchscreen is great for multitasking with apps such as Slack, Spotify and Premiere Pro, it also pushes the keyboard down to a more awkward position, limiting the appeal of this design.

ASUS's ZenBook Duo isn't perfect, but it's surprisingly compelling and a notable upgrade over last year's model. It's no wonder why it won our Best of CES 2021 award for PCs: the Duo is genuinely innovative in a time when many ultraportables are starting to feel stale. Dual-screen notebooks aren't for everyone just yet, but ASUS has made a stronger case for why you would want one.

The 2021 edition of the Asus ZenBook Duo 14 improves on its predecessor with a slimmer build, new components, and helpful features, even though some compromises of the unique design remain.

The ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 is not your regular 14-inch laptop. The main selling point is the fact that it comes with two screens, and that's paired with an alright hardware implementation of the Intel Tiger Lake platform that performs well and runs cool, as well as long battery life and good connectivity. At the same time, there are some important trade-offs with this form-factor, which will impact your experience with the laptop.

Elsewhere, the UX482 is more mixed. The touch displays offer great quality and versatility, battery life is impressive, and the Asus is cheaper than its rivals, but the second screen hinders comfort, and more performance can be found elsewhere. If you’re going to make ample use of that second screen, then those compromises are worth it – but if the ScreenPad isn’t a vital addition to your workflow then conventional laptops will deliver a more comfortable experience.

Aside from the second display, this is a solid 14-inch laptop, with a nice main display with an IR camera, excellent performance and a long battery life. In the end, if you can get past the keyboard and touchpad layout, the second display really does come in handy, especially if you're a heavy Adobe user, from Photoshop to Illustrator to Premiere.

The Asus ZenBook Duo 14 UX482E is the company's latest dual-screen laptop. To Asus' credit, it's worked hard to ensure that the second screen is more than a mere curio, and it's now more useful and customizable than ever. New 11th-gen Intel processors, plenty of RAM and a sleek design make this a brilliant premium laptop, but it won't be for everyone.

The ZenBook Duo UX482 is unmatched in its size category for serious multi-taskers. However, this comes at the cost of weight and thickness and a potentially less ergonomic keyboard.