What may look like a simple hybrid laptop from ASUS is
actually a triple threat but does it impress on all fronts?
ASUS has
definitely made a name for themselves over the years as they continue to
combine multiple devices into one, easing the headache of consumers who can’t
decide between purchasing device ‘A’ or device ‘B’. Their PadFones and
Transformers are the first that come to mind when it comes to combinations and
this month, we take a look at their latest Transformer Book Trio.
ASUS
Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
While the
3-in-1 concept isn’t exactly new to the Taiwanese company, their first being
the Transformer AIO P1801, it is still very impressive to see how they have
managed to fit in all that hardware into a laptop/tablet combo. Both the tablet
and PC station/keyboard dock are quite portable albeit a little heavy even when
not combined. This is because both devices house hardware for the Android and
Windows 8 portion of things. Both the tablet and PC station come with their own
range of ports but we felt as though there could have been a little more such
as having the RJ-45 LAN port built into device instead of having to rely on an
USB adapter as there is quite a bit of real estate on both devices.
ASUS
Transformer Book Trio TX201LA
One of the
nice things about the Transformer Book Trio is the fact that you don’t need the
tablet as a display for you to utilize Windows 8 as you can easily hook up an
external display to the PC station via its mini DisplayPort or micro HDMI. When
combined however, switching between operating systems is also quick and
painless as all you have to do is hit the OS Switch button next to the F12 key.
ASUS
Transformer Book Trio TX01 LA
Equipped with
an Intel Atom and Intel Core i5 (or Core i7) processor, the device ran smoothly
on both OSes. On Android, we were able to multitask and run games such as Dead
Trigger 2 with very minimal lag. However, it lagged quite badly in Ridge Racer
Slipstream. As for the Windows 8 portion of things, it produced okay scores in
PCMark8 and since it has Intel’s HD Graphics 4400, you should be able to enjoy
some older or casual games. In our books, the ASUS Transfomer Book Trio TX201LA
is actually quite a good solution for those of you who can’t figure out whether
you want an Ultrabook or tablet. But it does come with a costly price tag and
we’re only talking about the version with Intel’s Core i5 processor here, for
the Core i7 version, you will have to pay RM300 more. But do keep in mind, you
are sort of getting a 3-in-1 device.
Specifications ·
CPU: 1.6GHz
Intel Atom Z2560 (Tablet) / 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U (PC Station) ·
RAM: 2GB LP DDR2
(Tablet) / 4GB DDR3 (PC Station) ·
Storage: 16GB
MMC (Tablet) / 500GB HDD (PC Station) ·
OS: Android 4.2
Jelly Bean (Tablet) / Windows 8 64-bit (PC Station) ·
Display:
11.6-inch Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 IPS ·
Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4GHz), Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone/mic,
microSD (Tablet) / Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.0, 2x USB 3.0,
Mini DisplayPort, Micro HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm headphone/mic (PC Station) ·
Extras:
5-Megapixel Rear Camera, 720p Front Camera, ASUS SonicMaster technology ·
Dimensions:
304.9 x 193.8 x 9.7mm (Tablet) / 304.9 x 193.8 x 13.4mm (PC Station) ·
Weight: 700g
(Tablet) / 1kg (PC Station)
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