Asus continues to experiment with not only different form factors, but also just how many different experiences it can squeeze into a single machine. The latest device dreamed up by its engineers is the Transformer Book Trio, a three-in-one desktop/laptop/tablet hybrid which runs both Android and Windows 8.
The tablet section, which has an 11.6-inch display with a 1080p resolution, runs Google Android when it’s being used on its own, but dock it with a keyboard and it’s magically transformed into a Windows 8 laptop. However, if you’d rather carry on using Android, the Google OS is a press of a hotkey away. This also works when the tablet is connected to an external monitor, where the Transformer Book Trio becomes a desktop computer.
If all this sounds impressive, Asus hasn’t skimped on the specs either, and has taken the welcome step of giving each of its operating systems its own processor. For Windows 8 an Intel Core i7 runs the show, while a second, Intel Atom Z2580 chip takes care of Android. Asus could have got around this by installing Windows RT on the Book Trio, but we’re glad to see it has gone with the full version of Windows 8.
Of course, this dual operating system configuration means users will have access to apps from Google Play, and the Windows Store, so thankfully there is a 1TB hard drive, plus 64GB of flash memory too. Battery life wasn’t stated for the tablet section, but the keyboard dock has its own battery pack inside which should provide an excellent 15 hours of use.
Like Asus’ other new products announced at its Computex trade show press conference, details are scarce, and we don’t know how much the Transformer Book Trio will cost, or when it will be released. We’ll keep you up to date here as soon as the information is made public.
