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The ASUS Transformer Book T101 is a compact and affordable 2-in-1 notebook

By Koh Wanzi - on 26 Aug 2016, 11:56am

The ASUS Transformer Book T101 is a compact and affordable 2-in-1 notebook

Image Source: ASUS

ASUS has announced the Transformer Book T101, the latest addition to its family of 2-in-1 notebooks. The 10.1-inch machine features a light, compact and exceedingly portable design, the better to cater to those who don’t require the full computing power (and the weight that comes with it) of devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.

The Transformer Book T101 weighs only 580g as a tablet, and although this figure goes up to 1.08kg with the keyboard attached, its weight should be barely perceptible in your backpack or tote bag.

As a convertible, it’s also naturally versatile. Thanks to the reversible magnetic hinge, you can use it in four different modes, including as a regular laptop or tablet, and in tent or stand modes.

Having said that, the Transformer Book T101 is not intended to be a premium device. Instead, it’s targeted at a more budget-conscious segment of the market. At just S$399 (keyboard included), it is considerably cheaper than most of the 2-in-1 notebooks on the market today.

Image Source: ASUS

That means that there are also certain trade-offs. For instance, the 10.1-inch touchscreen display has a modest 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution instead of a 1080p one. Still ASUS is claiming up to 178-degree viewing angles and one of the brightest displays of its size around at 400cd/m2.

The hardware powering it is similarly modest. This means a quad-core Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor (1.44GHz, 2MB cache), 2GB of RAM, and up to 32GB eMMC storage. There’s also a microSD card reader on board that supports up to 512GB of extra storage. Connectivity options are similarly limited, with just a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a micro HDMI display port, and a microUSB port for charging (even from external power banks). That said, it’s still a fairly functional selection for a device this size.

The fairly low-powered hardware has also allowed ASUS to claim up to 11 hours of battery life on the machine. What’s more, the low heat output of the Atom chip enables a fanless design, so you won’t be distracted by any whirring fan noises.

You can get the Transformer Book T101 in pink or gray at all ASUS Brand Stores and retailers starting 29 August.

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