ASUS launches dual-OS, dual-storage tablet Transformer Book Trio for Rs 98,099 in India

Unveiled at Computex 2013 (Asia's biggest computer show) in Taipei earlier this year, ASUS has now launched its dual-OS, dual-storage tablet in the Indian market. Christened Transformer Book Trio, the tablet has been priced at a whopping Rs 98,099 (a little shy of a lakh rupees). Although normally this would surprise us, but the company had earlier (July 2013) launched its hybrid device Transformer Book TX300 in India for a similar pricing of Rs 91,999. Let us look at the specifications of the device.

The company claims Transformer Book Trio is a combination of notebook, tablet and desktop PC, basically making it a three-in-one mobile device (hence the name). The device comes with dual operating systems, an Android one for the tablet and Windows 8 for the notebook. The fact that it is dual-OS also means that users will get access to both Google Play Store and the Windows Store.

With the display docked, Transformer Book Trio can switch instantly between Windows 8 and Android 4.2 by pressing the dedicated 'Trio' key on the keyboard, with data shared between the two operating systems via the tablet's storage. Unlike other dockable ultraportables, Transformer Book Trio's PC Station isn't dead weight when the tablet display is detached. With an external display connected (via Mini DisplayPort or Micro-HDMI), the PC Station can also be used as a self-contained desktop PC with Windows 8. What this means is that the device can be used by two people, in two different places, at the same time.

The tablet has an 11.6-inch full high definition capacitive touchscreen display (1920 x 1080 resolution) and is powered by a 2.0 GHz Intel Atom processor. It runs on the Android 4.2 Jelly bean operating system, has 2GB of RAM and the internal memory of the device is 64GB. On the other hand, the PC Station keyboard dock has its own 4th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and 750GB hard drive and runs on the Windows 8 OS. On the camera front, the tablet has a 5 mega pixel autofocus rear camera and a front facing camera that can also record HD videos (720p).'

Here is a promotional video of the device.

"This 11.6-inch ultraportable device combines a detachable Android tablet with a keyboard dock that can also be used as a self-contained Windows 8 desktop PC," said Peter Chang, regional head - South Asia and country manager – System Business Group - ASUS India.

Both the PC Station and tablet come with stereo speakers and ASUS SonicMaster audio technology, for rich and detailed sound with video, music and games. On the connectivity front, the PC Station has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, while the tablet also comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. Separate batteries have also been provided in both the PC Station and the tablet, and according to the company, Transformer Book Trio has up to 13 hours battery life in Android mode and five hours in Windows 8 mode.