Review: ASUS Transformer Book Trio

We have been talking about convertibles, hybrids and 2-in-ones for some time now. But can one device really be an Android tablet as well as a Windows 8 notebook and desktop PC at the same. That is exactly what the Asus Transformer Book Trio claims to be capable of. While this device is exactly a year old, it is only recently that the it has become available in India. We test this all-rounder to see if a multi-purpose computer is really practical.

Design: The Transformer Book Trio looks like any 11-inch notebook and weighs much more than most of them. Open up the clamshell and you will realise that this is no ordinary notebook and the hinge stands up a bit. Just under screen is a buttons that unlocks the screen, or the tablet to be precise, from the keyboard or the Windows 8 computer. The device as a whole reminded me of a lot of other notebooks from Asus. It has two USB ports and a micro-HDMI port. The power button is a part of the keyboard. But you pull the tablet out and things become anything but the ordinary. This one has another power buttons on the side and a volume button which is almost of the back flap. On its own the tablet is not very heavy and can be handled easily despite its large size. There are micro-SD and micro-USB slots. The docking mechanism is really smooth and easy, and that is a big plus considering most of the other hybrids have struggled with this aspect.

The Android Tablet: The 11.6-inch 16:9 IPS Full HD touchscreen of the device can pull out and become a standalone Android Jelly Bean 4.2 tablet. Despite the size, the tablet is easy to handle. But this is not the sort of size at which you can carry it all over the place. The smooth brushed metal finish at the back could also put you at a disadvantage. It works better when you are in the home or office, safely seated.

However, the tablet does not leave scope for other major complaints as it performs reasonably well thanks to a 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor. The interface is easy to navigate and the Full HD screen adds to the entire app experience. Multi-tasking works well, and thankfully we did not feel the device heating up when stressed.