Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED Review: Cool Concept, Poor Execution

Don't buy the Zenbook 17 fold. My advice is to follow it. Not just those looking for a practical hybrid working device, or those who wouldn't consider a device costing around $3,500, but also those who have the cash burning a hole in their pockets for such a purchase.

Asus is aware of this as well. WIRED spoke to the freshman foldable manufacturer for an exclusive piece on the device's prototyping process, and the director of technical marketing for gaming and PCs confessed: "This is not a mass-market." It's true. I love the idea of the ZenBook 17 fold. There is a future between the two makers of foldable PCs.

There is a screen with smarts.

I am fully onboard with folding PCs after using the ZenBook 17 Fold for a few weeks now. A large display in your bag is the main appeal. The device may be seen as a laptop that can be turned into a canvas. A portable display with Windows onboard is a more accurate description than a laptop with a folding screen.

The 17-inch screen is an ideal size for multitasking or just tasks like working in spreadsheets that benefit from a larger display.

A keyboard is included in the package. When folded or carried separately, the slim component can be hidden. It is a good shape, size, and weight, similar to a 13-inch laptop's keyboard, and can either sit on top of half of the machine or be placed separately on a desk. The keyboard is in front of the screen, which is my favorite way to use the device. You can always connect your own if you don't like the keyboard and trackpad combo.

I am less fond of the laptop mode. The screen size is halved for this incarnation of the 17-inch display, but it still isn't as big as it could be. It becomes the size of a typical 13.3-inch machine, but the display is less than 12 inches. The keyboard typing experience is worse when the accessory is not on a flat surface. The typing experience is good if you don't have a lot of travel, and the trackpad is clicky. It has been hands-on time with its rival. I will compare it with its only competitor later.

It is possible to get used to the rather small 12.5-inch display size, even if it is only required when space is limited, as my initial impressions of the laptop mode were worse than they are now.