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Asus gives you a tablet and a laptop in one, but also costs as much as two separate devices
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Asus has been on a bit of a roll with convertibles—they launched AIOs (all-in-ones) two months ago, which could work as tablets and desktop PCs. Now it’s the Asus Transformer Book TX300, the latest device from their Transformer line. Unlike the first couple of Transformers, which went between phone and tablet, the TX300 is a hybrid laptop and tablet.
Asus also has the Taichi hybrid, which was an interesting take on the ultrabook, adding a second screen to the back of the lid. The second screen could function as a second computer, so you could have one person working on one side, with someone else watching a movie on the lid. The Taichi was a powerful ultrabook with some unique uses, but there were some issues with actual implementation, and also the price at ₹ 1,39,000.
The TX300 goes for a more typical hybrid configuration—the screen is a detachable tablet, while the keyboard dock doubles up to give you added battery life and ports. In terms of design, the TX300 deserves a lot of praise. It looks and feels premium, and Asus claims it’s also highly durable. The “spun metal" finish also stands out and whether you’re using it as a laptop or a tablet, it will turn heads. The keyboard dock is also comfortable to type on, and comes with backlit keys, which makes it easy to use at night. There’s also a nicely-sized touchpad, which is a must when using Windows’ Desktop mode.
The 13.3-inch computer runs Windows 8 in both tablet and laptop modes, and is powered by a third-generation Intel Core i5 processor, with 4GB of RAM. Used as a laptop, it lasts around 5 hours and 7 hours as a tablet.
Normally, docks tend to add battery life and not reduce it, but Asus has decided to use the main battery in the tablet and the smaller battery in the dock is used to keep the ports and HDD (hard drive) running. The tablet uses a HDD and not just a SSD (flash drive) for storage—in tablet mode, you have access to a 128GB SSD, but the dock contains a pretty big 500GB HDD.
The screen is definitely the highlight of the TX300—the full HD panel is clear, bright and has terrific viewing angles. You can easily move the screen around and look at it from different angles.
Watching 1080p content on the screen was a treat—it’s a great machine for movies, but because of the screen size, using the touch interface can be a little difficult. If you’re using it in Windows’ Desktop mode, then you really want to be connected to the dock, with its touchpad.
In terms of performance though, the TX300 stumbles a little. It’s powerful enough when it comes to everyday usage—you can easily multitask, open a bunch of windows in the browser, and work on a few documents at the same time.
The problem comes when you try to do anything beyond the basic Microsoft Office and Chrome/Firefox combination. Popular games will not run smoothly on this machine, which is, unfortunately, an expensive computer. Some of the latest and popular games are mostly unplayable, while laptops that cost half as much could handle them.
That’s the heart of the problem with the TX300. It works well as a tablet. It works well as a laptop too. But if you really want an ultraportable laptop with a touch screen, consider the Sony Vaio Pro 13, which is cheaper and more powerful. Windows 8 isn’t a compelling tablet interface, and price difference means you can pack an iPad Mini in your bag as well. Until Windows 8 sees a lot of new tablet apps, Asus’s offering lacks value.
The Asus TX 300 is available now at retail outlets for ₹ 91,999.
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