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Given all the UX31A has to offer, chances are you'll be pleased with your purchase. Just evaluate your patience for temperamental touchpads before you pull the trigger.

The ASUS Zenbook Prime improves upon one of the best Ultrabooks by adding a 1080p IPS screen, backlit keyboard and speedy 3rd generation Core i7 processor.

With a Core i7 CPU, discrete graphics, and a full HD screen, the Asus Zenbook UX23VD is pretty close to being the ultrabook that has it all, but you'll pay for all those features.

The new Zenbook offers a superb IPS display and solid performance in an ultralight, slick package.

The Zenbook Prime is an attractive, well-built Ultrabook with a really great screen and pretty good "everything else."

Asus makes some of the most full-featured ultrabooks available, but this stripped-down Zenbook UX32A version is missing those extras and faces tough competition in its price range.

The Asus Zenbook UX31A is the best-looking and most compact of the current batch of 13-inch Asus ultrabooks. Unfortunately, there are plenty of systems with the same components and reasonably similar designs for under $1,000, making this a tough sell from a value perspective.

The ZenBook Prime UX31A is everything the ZenBook UX31E should have been, and more. We have no hesitation in recommending this laptop if you truly want no-compromise performance in an ultrabook.

It's thin, light, has a backlit keyboard and its battery life is impressive. It still isn't perfect, and our primary gripe with this model is its touchpad, but it doesn't overshadow the strong Ivy Bridge-based configuration and the beautiful IPS-based screen.

Sadly though what prevents this Ultrabook from becoming a true portable great is two things. First is the track pad ... and second is the irritating level of bloatware ... If you can get round these issues, then there is a very impressive piece of kit here which will definitely turn heads.

While in terms of power, battery life and finishing not much has changed since the excellent UX31E, the Zenbook Prime UX31A adds a second USB 3.0 port and, most importantly, a superb, matte, Full HD IPS display. That bumps it up to the coveted five stars.

In a sea of Windows 8 machines with funky swivel screens and striking designs, the sleek style of the Zenbook UX32VD may struggle to get noticed. But awareness issues aside, this is a solid performing ultrabook at a reasonable price.

The issue is with the competition: with rival models also delivering solid all-round performance, if not the pixel-perfect display, for hundreds of pounds less, the Zenbook Prime UX31A looks to have priced itself out of the market before it's even got off the ground.

The Zenbook UX32A is a solid Ultrabook – thanks to the remarkably attractive design and the addition of an Ivy Bridge chipset. If there's one criticism to be levelled, it's that the battery life could have been better.

The Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A is a premium computer with a price tag to match. The build quality is excellent, the performance is great for an Ultrabook and the screen is top-notch. Sadly, the battery life makes you think twice about its good points.