$349 Asus Transformer Book T100 packs Windows 8.1, Bay Trail CPU

[Scorpus]

At Intel's Developer Forum in San Francisco, Asus has revealed a brand new 10.1-inch Transformer tablet, the Transformer Book T100, that packs a full version of Windows 8.1 and Intel's recently detailed 'Bay Trail' Atom processor. Like with previous devices in the Transformer line, the tablet docks into a keyboard, transforming it into a small, portable laptop.

Asus hasn't gone all out with including high-end hardware in the Transformer Book T100, which is highlighted by its modest 1366 x 768 10.1-inch display. However, with twice the CPU performance and thrice the GPU speed of previous Atom SoCs, the Intel Atom Bay Trail-T Z3740 - with a 1.3 GHz 'Silvermont' quad-core CPU - should pack a decent amount of grunt.

Other features of the T100 include 2 GB of RAM, a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera, micro-HDMI, a microSD card reader, and a dock connector that doubles as a USB 3.0 port. Internally there's a 31 Wh battery, which Asus claims is good for 11 hours of battery life, thanks to power optimizations in the Bay Trail CPU. Overall, the tablet weighs 540 grams, or 1.1 kg when docked.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Transformer Book T100 is the price: you'll be able to pick up a 32 GB model for just $349 (or $399 for the 64 GB model), which makes it a very attractive prospect for anyone looking at purchasing a cheap fully-fledged Windows device. The T100 will go on sale starting on October 18th, in the United States at least.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/53977-349-asus-transformer-book-t100-packs-windows-81-bay-trail-cpu.html

 

[Arris]

Looks like a nice upgrade for my wife's old Lenovo S205 netbook. Watching this with interest.

 

[Vrmithrax]

And then Microsoft will release their new Surface 2 products, with the RT version priced higher than this full-fledged Windows unit, and the Pro sitting WAY above this pricing... And the MS execs will be mystified as to why their Surface sales are so lame...

Thus ends my prediction.

 

[Arris]

Looking at the other article this will have similar GPU performance to the AMD E-350 in the wife's netbook, but about twice the CPU performance and much better battery life. Not so sure how much of an upgrade this will be but like the fact it can be used as a tablet too.

 

[Guest]

I would think 64GB would be the minimum for Intel Win8.

 

[Guest]

To bad it has to use POC8 for the OS

 

[Jad Chaar]

2GB of RAM and a bad screen? I guess that is what you get for $350.

 

[Vrmithrax]

To bad it has to use POC8 for the OS

Actually, as much as I dislike Win8 on a truly productive desktop PC situation, I have to say that in the touch tablet arena (like this ASUS product and the Surface), the Win8 experience is a pleasant surprise. The whole point of products like this one is flexible mobile access, not hardcore productivity, so Win8 is a good choice. Particularly when it's full-blown 8, not the gimped RT build.

 

[stonarda]

I like the idea of this product - may look into purchasing ti for college

 

[lawfer]

2GB of RAM and a bad screen? I guess that is what you get for $350.

This is a tablet, remember? The fact you seem confused about this fact is a good thing, if you think about it...

 

[Wagan8r]

After reading a bunch of reviews and benchmarks of Bay Trail, (Anadtech's is great, btw) I have a feeling that I will wait until Bay Trail's successor, Cherry Trail. I was really hoping for something equal or better than a Tegra 4 or Adreno 330. However, that's just me, and at $350 for not just a tablet, but a keyboard dock also, that's a great value.

Makes the $550 I spend on a TF300 w/dock look silly...

 

[Guest]

Ewww... It's time to get rid of the awful 1366 x 768 resolution standard that Microsoft loves for no good reason.