Dubai: Asus’ Transformer Book T300 Chi is a two-in-one (tablet/laptop combo) device with a solid full-fledged keyboard for typing.
The 12.5 all-aluminium unibody Windows 8.1 tablet (1920x 1080 pixels resolution) is powered by fanless Intel Core M 0.8GHz processor. The same processor is used in MacBook Air, and comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB solid state drive. The T300 is very similar to the MacBook Air in many respects.
The neat design and the stylish device can turn heads as well as its build quality.
It measures 7.6mm thick (tablet mode) and measures 16.5mm thick when docked with a keyboard. The iPad Air 2 measures just 6.1mm thick. It is the thinnest Windows tablet in the market.
The tablet with a 16:9 screen ratio feels a bit too long in the portrait mode but in the landscape mode, it is really worth for media consumption.
The tablet docks into the Bluetooth keyboard base via two magnets and the strong magnet does not let off the tablet even when shaken rigorously when holding the keyboard upside down. It weighs 1.42 kilos.
There is an extra battery on the keyboard but that does not add more life to the tablet. The keyboard battery is needed for charging the Bluetooth keyboard via micro-USB port to power the device.
There are no full-size ports on the tablet and it has a micro-USB 3.0 port, micro-HDMI, a micro-SD slot for storage expansion (up to 128GB) and a 3.5mm headphone jack port.
The keyboard is excellent and it can resemble a regular laptop and typing is a breeze. The keys have a reasonable deep throw. The 3.4 x 1.8 inches one-piece touchpad is tiny but accurate. Gestures like two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom work really quick.
The unit is top heavy and the screen can only tilt back to 110 degrees and not like a regular laptop. The screen bezel is thick and the hybrid hinge mechanism is clunky.
Opening the laptop needs some pressure as there is no space to grab on the lid to open the base.
The stereo speakers on the edges of the tablet are not high in volume but produces excellent sound quality, so you need to depend on headphones to enjoy the audio. Asus bundles an Audio Wizard app that improves the sound a little, but not enough.
The Core M chip is underpowered compared to i5 or i7 chips, so it is not a gaming powerhouse. When playing games like ‘Asphalt 8: Airborne’ with screen resolution set to 1080p, there is a lag but when reducing the screen resolution to 720p, it plays fine with no lag.
Regarding connectivity, it has WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
The battery life is not as good as promised by Asus. Asus claims the device can last eight hours, but in my video-looping test with WiFi on and brightness to maximum, the device lasted for close to four hours. But it gives close to five hours with power-saving features turned on, which is average in terms of industry standards. It is priced at Dh2,699.
