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| transformer T100 full frontal (Image: Asus) |
I buy a lot of gadgets. Far too many of them. My desk is literally covered with all the gadgets I own, there's not a clear spot for another. So why on earth would I be considering purchasing the Asus Transformer T100 hybrid?
First of all, it is a hybrid. The T100 is a nice 10.1-inch tablet that weighs only 1.2lbs. It's a good form for a tablet and I'm pretty sure I'd like using it. It has a keyboard dock that turns it into a real laptop. Pop the tablet in and you're good to go.
I'm familiar with the Transformer style of hybrid, I really liked the original model running Android. It worked well for my writing work and as a tablet, too. The T100 should be even better as it runs Windows 8.1. I've come to like Windows 8.1 on tablets, and I suspect I'd like it a lot on the T100.
Then there's the hardware specs of the Transformer T100, especially that Bay Trail processor. It's reported to get 11 hours on a charge with that CPU, and that meets my criteria for the minimum required battery life.
Transformer T100 hardware specs:
- Processor: 1.86 GHz Intel Atom Quad-core (Bay Trail)
- Memory: 2GB
- Display: 10.1-inch, 1366x768, IPS
- Camera: 1.2MP
- OS: Windows 8.1
- Storage: 64GB SSD
- Ports: 1-USB 3.0 (dock), audio combo, microHDMI, microSD card reader, microUSB
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
- Battery: 31Whr, 11 hours
- Dimensions: Notebook: 10.4" x 6.7" x 0.93"; Tablet only: 10.4" x 6.7" x 0.41"
- Weight: Notebook: 2.4lbs; Tablet only: 1.2lbs
I like my ThinkPad Tablet 2 but its pre-Bay Trail processor is looking a bit old next to the Transformer. Plus, the ThinkPad's keyboard is a separate unit, unlike the laptop dock of the T100. It's a good keyboard but not as convenient as the dock model.As if these hardware specs weren't enough to entice me, even though it's full Windows 8.1 Asus has included Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013. That's additional value to the overall package.
OK, I'm offering excuses to justify why I should buy this Transformer. To be fair, I've been using Windows 8.1 for a while and I've tested lots of tablets so I know it would serve me well. I wouldn't be taking a risk buying one so I might as well. If I can find one in stock somewhere.
I admit what set me off wanting a T100 was running into a young lady in the coffee shop this week who had one. I got a chance to see it up close and I liked it, plus she loved it. That got my gadget lust running in full gear, even though I certainly don't need one. But that never stopped me before.
If you own a Transformer T100, tell me how you like it in the comments. I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on performance, and if there's something you wish was better.
UPDATE: Uh oh, just found the 32GB model on Best Buy for just $299. They throw in a $25 gift card for the Microsoft Store, too. I like to think of myself as the gadget whisperer, but this hybrid from Asus has turned the tables and is calling my name.
Via: ZDNet
We have heard that the next-gen Nexus 10 will be made by ASUS, and it appears like the tablet from the Taiwanese company might arrive sometime in the near future. That’s what is being suggested by an image, which comes to us via @evleaks, posted above.
The screenshot is apparently from a UK based retailer. Looking at the image, we believe that it’s safe to think that retailers are getting ready to stock the Nexus 10 and make it available for sale sometime in the future. But unfortunately there are no hints regarding an exact launch date and no details about the device’s specs (an impressive display, Qualcomm chip and Android 4.4 KitKat are expected).
So why is Google going for an ASUS made Nexus 10 and not making a deal with Samsung this time around? Samsung, as you should know, has good experience with Android tablets, and the South Korean giant’s Nexus 10 was pretty impressive. Maybe Google wants the new Nexus 10 to be as successful as the ASUS made Nexus 7 tablets.
We will keep you updated about upcoming Google devices, so stay tuned to Mobilemag. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts about the upcoming Nexus 10 in the comments below.
Source : Ubergizmo
- See more at: http://www.mobilemag.com/2013/10/03/asus-nexus-10-coming-soon/#sthash.iwb64V1Y.dpuf
Asus continues to break new ground in computer form factors, announcing a number of new PC products at the IFA show in Berlin today. The company demonstrated two new additions to its Windows Transformer line of convertible tablets, two glass-enveloped Ultrabooks, and what must be an extremely inexpensive ultraportable laptop. Asus also showed off a new Android-powered Transformer with a 2560-by-1600-pixel display.
Transformer Book T300
The new Transformer Book T300 is an Intel Haswell-powered ultraportable laptop with a detachable 13.3-inch display that can also function as a stand-alone tablet. Asus will offer models based on Intel’s fourth-generation Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs (from the Haswell family), with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and SSD storage up to 256GB.
The IPS display supports 10-point multi-touch and delivers resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. The tablet is equipped with a front-facing 720p camera, a rear-facing 1080p camera, one USB 3.0 port, and a micro-HDMI output. It measures 0.45 inches thick and weighs less than 2.5 pounds.
The dock has a full-sized backlit keyboard, a multi-touch touchpad with Windows 8 gesture support, and a micro-USB 3.0 port. It also less than half-an-inch thick, weighs slightly more than 1.5 pounds, and attaches to the display via magnetic contact points for storage (much like the smaller Sony VAIO Tap 11 Sony announced earlier today. Asus promises the system will deliver eight hours of battery life.
Transformer Book Trio
The Transformer Book Trio gets its name from its three-way functionality: One person can use this convertible as a Windows laptop, or you can detach the 11.6-inch display and let someone else use it as an Android tablet while you plug the backlit keyboard dock into a stand-alone display and use it as a Windows desktop PC. The base station is outfitted with both mini DisplayPort and micro-HDMI 1.4, and both units have stereo speakers onboard.
The base station is powered by a Haswell processor (up to a Core i7), 4GB of DDR3/1600 memory, and up to a 1TB hard drive. The detachable IPS touchscreen display (with resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels) has an independent Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB of DDR2/1066 memory, and up to 64GB of flash storage.
Data stored on the tablet can be accessed by either component. Both units have Bluetooth and wireless network adapters, so each can connect to the Internet independently: There’s a dual-band 802.11ac adapter in the base, and a 2.4GHz 802.11n adapter in the display.
Asus claims the paired units will deliver up to five hours of battery life when operating in Windows mode, and up to 13 hours when operating in Android mode.
Zenbook UX301 and UX302
Asus announced two new 13.3-inch Zenbook Ultrabooks, both of which will be powered by Intel’s fourth-generation Core processors (aka Haswell). These new notebooks feature lids encased in Corning’s scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3.
Both Zenbooks will be available with either Core i5 or Core i7 processors. The 3.04-pound Zenbook UX301 will feature Intel’s HD Graphics 5100 (aka Iris Graphics 5100) and deliver resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. It will be available with either 4- or 8GB of DDR3/1600 memory and up to 512GB of SSD storage—in RAID 0, no less.
The Zenbook UX302 will come with 4GB of DDR3/1600 memory and will be outfitted with a discrete GPU in the form of Nvidia’s GeForce GT 730M with 2GB of video memory. It will deliver resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. The UX302 will be outfitted with up to a 750GB mechanical hard drive, supplemented by a 16GB SSD cache. It will weigh 3.3 pounds.
Both Zenbooks will feature backlit keyboards, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapters, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI 1.4 video outputs, and SD card readers.
X102BA ultraportable laptop
Those with less exotic budgets might be interested in hearing about Asus’s new X102BA ultraportable, a 10.1-inch multi-point touchscreen notebook powered by an AMD A4-1200 processor (from AMD’s Temash family of APUs).
While Asus did not release pricing for any of these new machines, the specs for the X102BA have “low-cost” written all over them. Video resolution from the integrated AMD Radeon HD 8180 GPU is limited to resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels, for instance, and the base model will come with just 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB mechanical hard drive (4GB of memory and a 500GB drive are available as options).
The X102BA will come with an integrated 720p webcam, USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and an 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter. And Asus is also bundling the full version of Microsoft’s Office Home & Student 2013.
Source : PCWorld
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