Asus Transformer Book T100 Chi hands-on
At CES 2015, ASUS showcased the follow-up to the Transformer Book T100 convertible tablet. It's a 10.1-inch tablet-PC hybrid called TB T100 Chi, and it comes bundled with a keyboard dock. It's the mid-range offering in the new Transfomer Book Chi trio of devices that's completed by the TB T90 Chi at the low end and the TB T300 Chi on the high end.
Design
At 10.43 x 6.87 x 0.53 inches (265 x 174.5 x 13.5 mm) with the dock included, ASUS has made a seriously thin convertible tablet. The company used some kind of metal construction that gives it a sturdy, more premium feel. There isn't anything remarkable otherwise - just a plain, functional mini computer of the kind we used to call a "netbook" back in the dark ages. Holding it in your hands, you'll find docking ports on the bottom, a microUSB port for charging and data, a microphone, a Windows button, volume controls, power button, and micro-HDMI output for connecting to TV. There's a microSD card slot, too.
Display
The 10.1-inch 1080p display here is an okay panel with good natural colors and proper viewing angles maintained. It holds lot of smudges and fingerprints, but that's typical of tablet screens.
The Transformer Book T100 Chi is equipped with a Intel Atom Z3775 64-bit quad-core processor clocked to 1.46Ghz, paired with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. This is a fine configuration, considering the device's price and form factor.
Processor and memory
The Transformer Book T100 Chi is equipped with a Intel Atom Z3775 64-bit quad-core processor clocked to 1.46Ghz, paired with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. This is a fine configuration, considering the device's price and form factor.
Camera
There's a 5MP auto-focus camera on the back and a 2MP cam on the front of the T100 Chi. Good on ASUS for not crippling its product in the photography department! Hey, 5MP isn't plenty to work with, but it gets the job done, and a 2MP camera is great for video chatting.
Expectations
Priced at a comfortable $399, the T100 Chi has plenty to offer to those looking for a decent hybrid device on a budget. Such affordable devices should be giving Microsoft and its hardware partners quite a bit of steam in the months leading to Windows 10's launch.
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