The Microsoft Store recently reduced the price of the Asus ZenBook UX305CA by $100, and it continues to trim the prices of the Taiwanese OEM's products. The next Asus device to get a price cut is the 2-in-1 Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA, now dropping at $279 from its original price of $349.
It's worth pointing out that Microsoft actually cut the price of the device to $199 for Cyber Monday, but that deal has now expired and the new price is $279. Nevertheless, it's still a $70 discount off the regular price tag of $349.
The device functions either as a laptop or as a tablet, depending on the required use. Its 11.6-inch screen can flip around to serve your purpose. Unlike other devices, the Transformer Book Flip TP200SA keeps its dock attached to the display. The resolution of the flip gadget is 1,366 x 768 pixels, and its video functions use an Intel HD Graphics with shared graphics memory. Overall color reproduction, brightness and color accuracy qualify the screen of the Asus TP200SA as a good feature for the money invested.
The processing power comes from a quad-core Intel Celeron N3050 1.60GHz with Intel Burst Technology that runs as high as 2.16GHz, and is backed by 2GB of DDR3L RAM. The standard storage capacity is 32GB, but the eMMC memory can be expanded via a microSD card.
There are a few ports on the TP200SA, including one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, one USB Type-C (first generation) and a micro HDMI. The webcam is a measly 0.3-MP capable of 640 x 480p. It is better than nothing, although far from spectacular.
Due to the reduced weight of 2.58 pounds and dimensions of 11.69 x 7.93 x 0.73 inches, it can be used as an affordable notebook that you can take with you pretty much anywhere.
A headphone/microphone input combo can help end-users accomplish their tasks quicker, thanks to the way in which Asus integrated the Cortana digital assistant from Microsoft's Windows 10 OS. This means that users of the Book Flip TP200SA may use "Hey Cortana" voice commands.
When flipping the TP200SA, users can go on Continuum mode to switch seamlessly to a tablet-custom view. Continuum automatically disables the keyboard keys when the keyboard is flipped, thus avoiding button presses by mistake.
"The best thing about the TP200SA is its prodigious battery life. On Laptop Mag's Battery Test (Web surfing over Wi-Fi at 100 nits of brightness), the TP200SA lasted an impressive 10 hours and 56 minutes," Sam Rutherford from Laptop Mag observed.
Each Book Flip TP200SA purchase from the Microsoft Store includes a one-year Personal subscription to Office 365.
