Ultrabooks never come with an affordable price tag -- not until Asus unleashed its Intel Haswell-Powered VivoBook. Asus brings the Vivobook S301, a 13-inch ultrabook that offers extended battery life and high computing performance, all for a starting price of only $700.

Ultrabooks changed the idea of portable computing. They come with more computing power and battery life. Many models offer more than 7 hours of battery life in only two hours of charging. The best thing about the latest Asus laptop is it remains feature-rich despite the affordable price tag.

The device runs on Intel's Haswell processor plus an Intel Core i7 CPU. Users can stick with the entry-level, i3-powered class if they are not into games. The device is ideal for web surfing and similar tasks.

On the other hand, people should make do with the 13.3-inch screen. This is where the price difference is most apparent. The newest VivoBook only packs on 1,366 x 768 pixels resolution. It weighs 3.8 pounds which is a subject of debate on users' view of portability. It also comes with a 38 Wh battery.

The VivoBook runs on a complete Windows 8 platform. It has an excellent back-lit keyboard along with 8GB Ram and 750GB HDD storage. The graphics is imersive using the AMD Radeon Mobility 8530G, which padded a bit on its price.

While the latest VivoBook appears to be a product worth checking, it pays to wait for now. Asus has yet to confirm the exact date when the device will ship. Sources say it is highly likely the product will be delivered to stores by end of September.

Once the VivoBook hits stores any time soon, it will go against the likes of Apple and Sony. Apple is gearing for its Intel Haswell-powered MacBook Air rollout while Sony has been doing great with its line of Sony Vaio products.

Just as the competition for tablets and smartphones stiffens, it seems ultrabooks are steadily finding their place in the tech industry.