ASUS wants you to use its new ExpertBook business laptop everywhere
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ASUS is expanding its Expert line of business laptops by adding a new member: the mid-tier ExpertBook B3 Detachable, a computer the company envisions will be used in a variety of industries.
According to to ASUS (opens in new tab), the B3 can be used in remote work environments, “in the classroom, on the production line” and even in healthcare settings. To facilitate this all-rounder style, the laptop includes features that give it a lot of flexibility. Plus, the B3 weighs just 1.3 pounds (about half a kilogram) and has a battery life of up to 21 hours, so you can comfortably lug it around to work without worrying about it breaking down quickly.
The B3 is a 2-in-1 device with a detachable keyboard so it can become a tablet, complete with horizontal and vertical screen configurations. The display is a 10.5-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1920×1200, also known as WUXGA Resolution (opens in new tab) (widescreen ultra-extended graphics array). While it’s not as pretty as a 4K or even a 2K resolution display, the B3 still has a decent-looking widescreen display.
On the back you will find an MPP (Microsoft Pen protocol (opens in new tab)) stylus that ASUS suggests can be used to write notes on the touch screen if you don’t want to swipe your hands on the screen. The stylus also charges quite quickly. A 15-second quick charge takes 45 minutes.
Eclectic Features
When it comes to the features of the B3, the suite is quite eclectic.
You have a few that are expected for a business laptop, such as a high-resolution dual camera system that consists of a front-facing 5MP lens and an outward-facing 13MP lens. The cameras have active noise cancellation to keep video calls clear. AI-powered noise cancellation is included to remove outside noise. ASUS SmartConnect on the machines promises better performing Wi-Fi connections and extends the range of Bluetooth connectivity. There’s even a microphone mute key right on the keyboard.
Perhaps more interesting for those concerned about health and cleanliness are the B3s Antibacterial Guard (opens in new tab), that protects the laptop from germs. It’s a feature you won’t see on any tech device. ASUS explains that laptop surfaces may contain “harmful bacteria.” To counter this, the keyboard has been given an “antibacterial treatment” that is said to reduce microbial growth by more than 99 percent within 24 hours. It even withstands “alcohol-based cleaning products” in case you want to wipe it down before using it.
We should also mention that the keyboard is spill-resistant and built to withstand 10 million keystrokes. The display is TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue light emissions, which is a good thing to have as it reduces the chance of eye strain from prolonged use.
Now on sale
The laptop is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chipset, consisting of an eight-core processor, an Adreno GPU and a 4G LPDDR4X RAM. It has a CPU clock speed of 2.55 Ghz. Not the fastest in the world, but for a general purpose device like the B3 it’s decent speed. Storage capacity is quite disappointing. The device houses a 128 GB eMMC (opens in new tab) (MultiMedia Card), something usually found in phones. In other words, it’s not very big.
Again, this is a mid-tier laptop, so it’s not the most robust, but maybe a decent machine nonetheless. The ExpertBook B3 Detachable is currently on sale with a $599 price tag via Best Buy (opens in new tab)or if you want it a little cheaper it’s $539 on Amazon (opens in new tab). However, it is only available in Star Black.
If you’re looking for something more robust, be sure to check it out TechRadar’s list of the best business laptops for 2022. It has recently been updated.