Demand for Ultrabooks in higher price category is quite decent where consumers expect great performance with a portable, sleek and lightweight devices. Today we review the AsusPro BU201 Laptop  which is priced at Rs. 85,999. We have tested / used this device for almost a week and this review is based on that.

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AsusPro BU201 Laptop Specifications

  • Display: 12.5″ 16:9 Full HD (1920×1080)/Wide View Angle LED Backlight Non-Glare LCD Panel
  • Operating System: Windows 8.1 Pro
  • Processor: Intel Core i5 4210U 1.7 GHz ~ 2.7 GHz Processor
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 500 GB HDD
  • Battery: 2 x 4200 mAh
  • Price: Rs 85,999

In terms of design, shape and size, AsusPro BU201 does impress you. It is compact, lightweight (just 1.2 Kg), Sleek and yet not as good as any Macbook priced in the same range. You can carry it around without any hassle thanks to it being lightweight and compact. Considering the price tag of 85k+, there is a lot that can be done when it comes to better design. It offers non-glare display and backlit keyboard which helps in your day-to-day work flow even under dark surroundings or night.

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AsusPro BU201 sports a full-HD display with resolution of 1920x1080p and the screen appears great while watching movies or normal day-to-day work. Even though the size of the screen is just 12.5 inch, yet you can use it just like a big screen laptop thanks to the full HD display which makes everything looks crisp and clear. But yes, you may prefer to use a bit of Zoom as the fonts in documents & websites may seem too small and it may strain your eyes. But that’s like a bit of compromise for performance and portability that you get with this.

It is powered by a Core i5 processor with 4GB RAM and a 500 GB HDD accompanies it. We expected at least 128 GB SSD drive or 1 TB HDD or better RAM at this price point. 500 GB of hard disk drive (HDD) storage is pretty normal these days even for entry-level laptops priced in the range of 30-40k. The performance of the laptop was smooth, without any issues and everything worked great thanks to the Intel Core i5 CPU & 4 GB of RAM.

In terms of connectivity, it offers three USB 3.0 port, one VGA port, a  docking connector, LAN port, mini-display port and an SD card slot among others.

The battery life on the review unit though wasn’t great. It’s got 2 cells of 4,200 mAh fitted inside the notebook. Perhaps the review unit was old or faulty. It lasted for just two to three hours with WiFi always ON. We expect a battery life of at least 5-6 hours from laptops / ultrabooks in this price category.

AsusPro BU201 runs on Windows 8.1 operating system and we wish either it upgrades to Windows 10 or downgrades to Windows 7. This has nothing to do with ASUS, yet in our opinion Windows 7 or Windows 10 offers better user experience that Windows 8.1.

In conclusion we can say that, at a price of ~Rs. 86,000, AsusPro BU201 does a good job of managing your workload with sleek, light and compact design with good enough performance. But, we feel it is overpriced. In this price category, Consumers expect much more than what the AsusPro BU201 is offering.