By Billy Z.
Meet the ASUSPRO B9440 - what ASUS claims to be "the world's lightest 14-inch business notebook." With a thin & light body and a solid military grade magnesium chassis, this seems like a great option for on-the-go professionals who need a portable and reliable laptop.
The laptop sports Intel's seventh generation of processors, and is available in two configurations - the Intel Core i5 7200U (2.5GHz) or i7-7500U (2.7GHz). The processor's integrated graphics (HD 620) are good enough for most business tasks and can take on some light creative work and low resolution gaming.
Users can choose between 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and either 256 or 512GB of flash storage. Content is displayed on a FHD 1920 x 1080 LED anti-glare display, and connectivity wise, the B9440 possesses 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.
Key Features
Pretty and light on the outside, tough on the inside
Weighing in at just 1kg and appearing no larger than many 13-inch notebooks, the ASUSPRO B9440 seems like what most 2017 notebooks are on the outside - light, pretty, and paper-thin (almost fragile-looking). Don't judge a book by its cover though - on the inside, the B9440 is no slouch. The laptop's chassis is made of an all-magnesium alloy which ASUS claims is more rigid that the standard aluminum used in most notebooks. It has met the MIL-STD 810G military standards for durability and gone through ASUS's ASUSPRO reliability testing. The B9440 has survived extra-high drop tests, 50,000-cycle hinge tests, pressure lid testing and keyboard spill resistance, and it appears more than sturdy enough for the everyday business traveller. Built for Comfort Typing The B9440 has a spill-resistant, backlit keyboard which is very slim, but sports a regular full-sized 19.05mm key pitch. The notebook features a specially designed tilting hinge mechanism which, when opened, automatically positions the keyboard at an ideal angle for comfortable typing - similar to what the Microsoft Surface Type Cover can do when folded at an angle
Ready for the rigors of the business and enterprise world
The ASUSPRO B9440 features enterprise productivity and security functions, such as a Trusted Platform Module for secure hardware-based data encryption, a one-touch fingerprint sensor on top of the keyboard, and the ASUS Business Manager software suite which enterprise IT departments can use for easy deployment and centralised maintenance. Users also have the option to purchase a B9440 with Intel vPro support - which basically gives a company's IT staff an easier time remotely managing the laptop. This can be useful in case users experience hardware or software problems but don't have the expertise to diagnose or fix them.
Nothing lacking but ports
Unfortunately, ASUS has gone port-light as Apple did with their Macbooks - the B9400 only has two USB Type C 3.1 ports and a headphone jack. Although ASUS claims that the ports can be used for expansion with USB C docks and other peripherals, it is still an inconvenience as most users today still use Type A devices such as thumbdrives or power cables.
Fortunately, ASUS has bundled a Mini Dock with every purchase of the B9440 to make the transition to Type C easier. This dock features a regular Type A USB port at 3.1 speeds, a HDMI output, and a USB-C port for power pass-through, which will definitely make life easier for business travellers.
ASUS also has a SimPro Dock available for purchase separately - this dock is more geared towards power users as it possesses dual DisplayPort interfaces, USB-C and Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, VGA, HDMI, LAN ports and an SD Card reader.
Pricing and Availability
The ASUSPRO B9440 is now available at all ASUS Brand Stores starting from $2,098. ASUS is also bundling a free 3TB Seagate Personal Cloud NAS with every purchase of any ASUSPRO B9440 at ASUS Brand Stores or selected authorised retailers from now to 7 May 2017.
Specifications: ASUSPRO B9440 Business Notebook
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