ASUS Transformer Book T100 is a good bet

There were days when we as students had a dedicated computer lab with workstations that had big protruding monitors along with CPU's that had slots for 5 and half inch floppy device. Increased Processing Power, Memory, Flexibility of usage, Low Consumption, Compact and lighter hardware was on our wish list and technology has taken big leaps to hand us over the gadgets that are designed for the future. The concepts are modular, the approach is highly flexible, the inter-connectivity is seamless and the whole concept of technology has become all pervasive yet leaving space for round the clock innovations. The rate of technology obsolescence has forced the market to create gadgets which can capture the imagination of the users and let them define how they want to make the fullest use of it. This phenomenon of bidirectional dialogue and delivery has changed the business models and if put it rightly, it is “Time to Transform".

ASUS Transformer T100

ASUS has come up with a new product Transformer Book T100 ‘to transform’ user’s expectations about technology. The ASUS Transformer Book T100 comes with a detachable touch screen, a two-part dockable design, long enough battery for all-day computing, productivity features of a laptop with the portability of a tablet. The Transformer Book T100 is a combination of notebook and tablet experience bundled in one single machine with the following specifications:

Type 2-In-1 Ultraportable Laptop with 10-Inch Tablet Operating System

CPU Intel® AtomTM Processor Z3740 (Up to 2.3GHz, 2M)

OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8.1

SCREEN 25.6 cm (10.1) HD Glare Touch Panel

VGA Intel® Gen7 Graphics

RAM 2 GB LPDDR3 1067 MHz

STORAGE 32 GB EMMC

WIRELESS WLAN 802.11 b/g/n + BT 4.0

CAMERA 1.2 Mega Pixel

BATTERY 2 Cell

Weight 0.54kg (Tablet) and 0.54kg (Dock)

USB 3.0 1

My Impressions of Transformer Book T100 and how it fits my Personal & Professional lifestyle:

Aesthetic Design and light weight: With individual weights of the Tablet and the docking station being 0.54 Kg each carrying it around is not cumbersome. The look and feel of the device gives this a perceived value higher than its cost.

I won’t mind flashing my T100 at airports and public places or even during client meetings while using it as a tablet.

Screen: Since this is a tablet as well, positioning it at different angles without any discoloration makes it better than a conventional laptop. A 10.1 inch screen is any day better than a phablet and unless once is bent upon viewing objects in a 14 -15 inch screen T 100 will work good.

The distinct advantage of a small screen with portable tablet serves my purpose of playing Subway Surfer and Temple Run.

Performance: A comparison with a full blown laptop might not serve a purpose because the comparison is between a convertible and a conventional device. It depends if one is ready to adapt to the hybrid model and in that case the performance will sound good in this price range. Multitasking, high definition games, development work is not what T 100 is good for but this should be comparable in performance to the high end note books of today.

I am yet to test if Microsoft Outlook, MS Office Suite and other necessary Software will run smoothly but looks like they should and I am happy doing that trade off with the built in portability and flexibility.

Memory: The 32GB of storage will get consumed by Windows OS and any programs that need to be installed. Additional memory will be required for media and 32 GB specification works well only if viewed as a tablet. I would think internet browsing and gaming is best suited for this memory.

Camera: 1.2 Mega Pixel is weak and this needs to at least go up to 5 or 8 MP. Since I would be using it as a tablet, video call is definitely a feature I would like to use and need a more robust camera.

Battery: The features tell me that T 100 is capable of supporting for 10 hours of internet browsing and that is good enough any day. This is definitely a differentiator for this product and supports mobility big time.

Priced at Rs 32,000 the Transformer Book T100 is definitely to be recommended because of its price. If comparing with Android and iOS tablets, Transformer T100 will be a distant third but as laptop it is a good bet in the same segment. When compared with conventional laptops T100 will again lack features but as a hybrid of Laptop and a Tablet T100 works. I would definitely use the gadget for its convertible docking set up , battery life , connectivity and light weight.