Asus Transformer Book T100 First Impressions

The netbook is officially dying along with other several form factor experiments, but Asus continues with another formula- the Transformer Book T100.

With the announcement of the tablet, there isn’t really anything new about the said form factor (Asus has been doing it since the first Eee Pad Transformers). This time however, the company is stuffing in Windows 8.1 & a brand new Intel Atom CPU inside – hoping to provide all the essentials for the average user.

I’ve handled a Transformer Prime from Asus before, and in a nutshell, it was a powerful, solid & heavy tablet with an immature tablet OS. That was supposed to be my tool for work, play & school. Supposed to. With the T100, I felt like this was what I needed – it could run legacy Windows apps & Office – not to mention it feels lighter since plastic makes up almost everything.

The rear of the tablet is surrounded by glossy plastic, but that doesn’t really matter that much since it’s very easy to handle and carry. The dock comes with the package as well, but this time it doesn’t carry an extra battery.

Note: The Start button on the tablet is found on the left side. This is an early version of the unit and the Windows logo on the bottom center won’t be found on the retail unit.

The moment I received the tablet, I found games such as Heroes of Newerth & League of Legends. With those in place, I already got the impression that this tablet could be a beast. When I reset it though, I found slowdowns & delays in the Modern UI – something I wasn’t expecting.

Asus Transformer Book T100 specs:
10.1-inch IPS LCD display @ 1366 x 768
1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3740 quad-core CPU
2GB RAM
64GB internal memory w/ micro SD
1.2 megapixel front-facing camera
Bluetooth 4.0
WiFi
USB 3.0 port
Windows 8.1
550g (weight, tablet only)
263 x 171 x 10.5 mm (dimensions)

So far, all I have to say is that this carries potential to be a game-changer. Asus might have hit the jackpot here with the Php23,995USD 409INR 34,663EUR 389CNY 2,978 price tag, but that we have yet to confirm in our full review, so stay tuned.