Asus Transformer AiO
We set out to look
at the 'evolution of the all-in-one PC, and it's impossible to do that without
looking at the upcoming Asus Transformer AiO. Unfortunately we were unable to
secure a review model in time for this feature, but we did have a brief hands-
on with a pre-production version of the device at an Auckland event in late
April.
The Transformer AiO consists of a massive
18.4-inch multi-touch tablet, with a 1920 X 1080-pixel IPS display. The tablet
is a marvelously svelte (for its size) 18mm thick, and weighs 2.4kg- also
reasonable for the size. Asus claims the screen's viewing angle is 178 degrees,
and in our limited experience, that does seem accurate.
Though handheld use is possible, it's
designed more as a desktop tablet or portable entertainment display, and as
such has a built-in kickstand like Microsoft's Surface. It claims up to five
hours battery life, and charges via its dock or a dedicated power adapter.
The
Transformer AiO consists of a massive 18.4-inch multi-touch tablet, with a 1920
X 1080-pixel IPS display.
The dock turns the tablet into a full-on
all-in-one PC, and contains an Intel Core i3- 3220T with 4GB of RAM and a ITB hard
drive, or Core i7-3770 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 2TB drive. Both models include
Nvidia's ultra-high-performance GeForce GT730M graphics solution, with 2GB of
dedicated memory. Based on that, we'd expect the i5 and i7 models to have
decent mainstream gaming performance, though that's for the lab to confirm.
When the tablet is docked, it becomes a
touchscreen for that Intel CPU and the Nvidia graphics engine, plain and
simple. You have a normal' all-in-one PC, albeit on the smaller end of the size
range.
Undocking the tablet, it begins running on
its own Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, in one of two modes. The first is a
simple remote display - you could create a presentation with the all-in-one
docked, then take the screen and carry it into the boardroom to use as a
tabletop tablet. You can remotely control the all-in-one via the touchscreen.
However, this is not a Windows tablet - it's a remote-access solution like
Citrix or LogMeIn, and as such, the visual quality isn't perfect and performance
when watching video is questionable. For gaming, it's right out.
When
the tablet is docked, it becomes a touchscreen for that Intel CPU and the
Nvidia graphics engine, plain and simple.
Press a button on the side, and the tablet
switches immediately from its remote-access mode to a standalone Android 4.1
install. Yep, it's got its own storage, its own operating system and can
function as a big ol' tablet independent of its Intel and Nvidia-powered dock,
Technically, the remote access
functionality seems to be a proprietary Android app triggered by that button.
When the tablet is docked, its screen seems to be connected directly to the
Nvidia GPU, meaning none of the screen-lag or quality loss present when using
remote access.
While the tablet is undocked and in use in
Android mode, the all-in-one can continue to run an unattended task (such as
encoding video, or compiling a software project), or be used via an external
screen.
The Transformer AiO is a bold concept, and
an interesting idea - it's just hard to tell whether it's a good one or not. It
feels like a solution in search of a problem, but maybe there is a niche for
such a device.
The
Transformer AiO is a bold concept, and an interesting idea - it's just hard to
tell whether it's a good one or not.
Asus revolutionized the laptop market in
2007-2008, when it created the 'netbook' category with the Eee PC 701. It was
one of the first companies to commercially test tablet/ laptop hybrids with the
Transformer series of Android devices - a design style that has become very
popular in Windows 8 tablets. That doesn't mean it's guaranteed success with
the Transformer AiO, but Asus does have a good track record with new and
experimental form factors. We're looking at this one with a bit of skepticism,
and a lot of interest. Watch this space.
Asus
revolutionized the laptop market in 2007-2008, when it created the 'netbook'
category with the Eee PC 701.
At a Glance
·
18.4-inch 1920 x 1080-pixel IPS display
·
Intel Core 13 or 17 processor in desktop dock
·
Nvidia GeForce GT730M graphics (2GB)
·
Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor in tablet
Asus transformer AiO
·
RRP incl GST: $2,499
(Core i3/4GB/lTB), $3,499 (Core i7/8GB/2TB)
·
Contact: asus.com
A truly interesting concept. Perhaps a
solution in search of a problem, but it may well find its niche in the
tech-savvy home.
