Asus wants to give you the best of both worlds with its Transformer Book T300 Chi: a tablet that can double as a laptop thanks to its docking keyboard.
The "razor-thin" Transformer Book T300 Chi tablet sports a 12.5-inch screen and is feather light. Running on the Windows 8.1 platform, the Transformer Book T300 Chi is poised to give the MacBook Air stiff competition, according to the company's chairman Jonney Shih.
Before you scoff at the notion, Shih backs up his claims with facts: the Transformer Book T300 Chi has twice the number of ppi and offers superior performance. At 0.29 inches, it is also slimmer than its Apple rival.
The Transformer Book T300 Chi packs in the Intel Core M processor, either the 5Y10 or the 5Y71, which clock at 800MHz or 1.2GHz, respectively. According to Asus, the processor has a similar performance to the Core i3, and it doesn't need a fan. It is available with either 4GB or 8GB of RAM.
The area where the Transformer Book T300 Chi pips previous Transformer tablets is in sleekness. The Transformer Book T300 Chi is svelte and resembles a laptop until you yank off the screen from the detachable hinge. Previous iterations of the Transformers had a massive bulge in the bottom to aid the stabilization of the display, as well as enable the mechanical connections that kept it in place. These made the tablet doubling as a laptop quite obvious.
However, the T300 Chi's magnetic system for the docking keyboard is quite simple and it also reduced the bulge drastically, contributing to the sleek look of the chassis.
Another area where the T300 Chi gets brownie points is the weight of the device. When the 12.5-inch tablet is docked into the keyboard, it weighs 1.43 kilograms, or a little over 3 pounds, which is reasonably light for a laptop. However, if you were to just hold the tablet, it may feel a tad uncomfortable for a long period because then it weighs 720 grams, or 1.6 pounds, in your hands.
The highlight of the device, however, is its 12.5-inch Auto WQHD screen that touts a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution.
The Bluetooth keyboard is also pretty sturdy and slides in to the tablet smoothly. The keyboard stays locked in even when the device is held upside down. Typing on the keyboard is also a breeze, unlike on some other devices.
However, owing to its sleek form, the Transformer Book T300 Chi needs to compromise on its battery size. The 32Whrs battery claims to support up to 8 hours of usage. However, the battery power leaves a lot to be desired and can be a deal breaker.
Moreover, the speakers on the device are not up to the mark either and the sound is quite faint, so much so that one has to strain their ear to figure out a dialogue. Also, the lack of full-sized USB ports on the keyboard can be a deterrent.
If you want a dual-purpose device - a tablet that doubles as a laptop - that is sleek yet functional, then the Transformer Book T300 Chi could serve that purpose. However, considering the battery life of the device is not that great and it is not exactly cheap (price starts at $699), you'd be better off with premium options such as the MacBook Air.
