Asus has announced a new ultra-slim notebook that appears determined to tackle Lenovo's recently launched IdeaPad U260. The company says its new U36 notebook is the world's thinnest with a standard-voltage Intel Core i3 or i5 processor. The machine is said to measure only 0.74 inches thick or 0.04 inches more than the U260. However, Lenovo uses ULV processors which we assume require less cooling apparatus and can afford a slightly trimmer chassis. The U36 is also a tad heavier at 1.44kg versus 1.38kg.
In addition to full-power i3 and i5 processors, the U36 packs discrete Nvidia graphics, though Asus hasn't mentioned a specific chip. Accompanying the GPU is Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching technology which, in combination with Asus' various CPU throttling software, can push the runtime up to 10 hours on a 4-cell battery. Unfortunately, Asus hasn't shared much else, leaving us to ponder the screen size, launch date, regional availability, and pricing. On the bright side, we should be done with our review of the U260 sometime soon.