ASUS Transformer AIO - Part Desktop, Part Tablet

2 in 1

ASUS has been releasing a range of all-in-one (AIO) machines of late. Surprisingly, most of them were actually showcased at Computex 2012, but they've only been made available recently. Last year we reviewed their ET2411INTI and recently followed that up with their ET2300INTI AIO systems. However, their latest AIO, dubbed simply the Transformer, might be its most radical yet.

Why?

Well, as its name suggest, the Transformer AIO is able to “transform” from a regular AIO desktop into an Android tablet. How it pulls this off is by having a display that doubles as a tablet. You simply detach the display and it turns into a giant size Android tablet. Therefore, it can be said that the ASUS Transformer AIO is really two devices in one, each with its own OS, processor, memory and storage.

The desktop component of the ASUS Transformer AIO, which ASUS calls the "PC Station" is equipped with a quad-core Intel Core i5-3350P processor, 8GB of DDR3-1600MHz memory, NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M discrete graphics and a 1TB hard disk. The tablet is powered by a Tegra 3 processor and has 2GB of memory and 32GB of flash storage. On the OS front, the desktop runs Windows 8, while the tablet is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Here's a table that quickly summarizes the ASUS Transformer AIO's key specifications:

To make the full use of such a configuration, ASUS has also provided a nifty button that lets users switch between OSes on the fly when the tablet is docked. With this, it kind of feels like you are running Android on your computer, and with its large display, such a setup makes it great for playing Android games with the family.

The Transformer is a product unlike any other, as it combines both desktop and tablet devices into a single form factor. And while this sounds good on paper, how does it perform and work in real life? Can you really use an 18.4-inch tablet? Read on find out how the Transformer compares against comparable AIO systems and how the tablet works in real life usage scenarios.

PC Station: Design & Features

As an AIO, the ASUS Transformer is a modern-looking system featuring liberal use of brushed metal and polished piano black surfaces. And with its 18.4-inch display, it looks and feels more compact than most other AIOs, which typically have 20-inch displays or larger. Additionally, like most ASUS products, the Transformer AIO certainly looks and feel like an expensive and premium product.

That said, the Transformer AIO is a tad unusual because rather than house all the components in the base of the stand like most other AIOs do, the desktop components are housed in a rectangular compartment that is perched on the stand. In some ways, this makes the Transformer AIO look like a docking speaker.

Speaking of which, like Apple iMacs, the stand adjusts for tilt but not for height. Fortunately, the display docks at a comfortable height and the stand itself allows for a fair degree of tilt, which means users should be able to find a position that suits them best.

Finally, for an AIO, the Transformer actually has decent audio chops. It is loud and sounds sufficiently full-bodied, unlike most other AIOs which typically sound thin and weak. In fact, if you are not picky about sound, the Transformer AIO could easily do without standalone speakers.

Desktop: Performance

To test the ASUS Transformer AIO, we'll be putting it through our usual benchmarks of SYSmark 2012, PCMark 7, 3DMark 11 and Far Cry 2. Dirt 3 was not included because the Transformer AIO failed to run that benchmark. We suspect this could be because NVIDIA has yet to furnish proper drivers for the ASUS Transformer AIO's very new NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M GPU (at the point of publishing this article, it's not yet officially launched).

SYSmark 2012

Last year, BAPco recently released SYSMark 2012, the latest edition of their popular benchmarking software. SYSMark 2012 puts the system through a rigorous series of various workloads ranging from office productivity, data analysis, media creation and 3D modeling.

The ASUS Transformer AIO scored a respectable 157 points, which is about 20% down when compared to the ASUS ET2300INTI. It also scored lower than the 21.5-inch Apple iMach (2012) and Lenovo A720 IdeaCentre. A probable explanation for this is although the ASUS Transformer AIO has a quad-core Core i5-3350P processor, this particular chip does not have Hyper-Threading, unlike the Core i7-3770S processor found in the ASUS ET2300INTI and Apple iMac. The Lenovo A720 IdeaCentre’s Core i7-3610QM processor also has Hyper-Threading. Furthermore, the Core i5-3350P has a smaller L3 cache, and this too accounted for its lower performance standing.

While all this is just a relative performance numbers, for normal day-to-day use, you would have no qualms with any of the systems in this comparison. Once you notch things up to stress the system in heavy multitasking or video editing, the differences would be evident in the long run. The bottom line is that if you're not a serious user demanding top notch performance, the ASUS Transformer AIO will deliver decently. From the system's selling points, you can obviously tell that it's not targeted at such enthusiasts in the first place.

PCMark 7

Moving to PCMark 7, the ASUS Transformer AIO emerged as the top scorer, managing 3816 PCMarks - almost 10% better than the second-placed ASUS ET2411INTI. Looking at the result breakdown, we can see that the Transformer AIO excelled at the Creativity and Computation workload. On the Computation workload, which tests video transcoding and image manipulation performance, the Transformer AIO recorded an impressive 10527, nearly 20% greater than the second-placed ASUS ET2300INTI. With this benchmark has reduced workloads compared to SYSMark 2012, there's a different level of emphasis on various workloads. Furthermore, this positive outcome could also be attributed to the improved performance of its NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M graphics.

Desktop: Performance (Part 2)

3DMark 11

The ASUS Transformer AIO is one of the first systems we’ve tested to use NVIDIA’s new GeForce GT 730M GPU. And looking at the results here, it is obvious that it is a more capable GPU than the GeForce GT 630M found on the older ASUS and Lenovo machines. The Transformer AIO recorded 2008 3DMarks, a whopping 50% greater than systems equipped with the older GeForce GT 630M GPU. However, it was still no match for the GeForce GT 650M GPU found in the Apple iMac and also the GeForce GT 670M GPU found in the MSI GT70 gaming notebook (shown here for reference).

Far Cry 2

Seeing that the ASUS Transformer AIO comfortably outscored all the GeForce GT 630M-equipped AIOs by around 30%, it is obvious that the new GeForce GT 730M is a far superior GPU. However, it was still soundly beaten by the Apple iMac's GeForce GT 650M. 

The Tablet Perspective

The ASUS Transformer AIO’s display/tablet portion is mostly made of plastic, just like most of ASUS’ more affordable tablets. However, it’s well put together, and doesn’t feel cheap nor tacky. In fact we appreciate the fact that the tablet weighs much less than it looks (more about handling in a later section), making it easy to carry around your home when you need to.

Once detached from the dock, the AIO tablet can also be propped up with an aluminum built-in stand. The stand enables users to prop the tablet up in quite a few angles. This means users can easily adjust the angle of the tablet to suit lighting conditions (for less reflection or glare) or for viewing comfort.

This is important because while the tablet’s Gorilla Glass display protects the tablet’s screen from scuffs and adds to the unit’s rigidity, it’s also highly reflective. This is something that users might want to take note of when getting the Transformer AIO. Fortunately, this can also be solved easily with an anti-reflective screen protector.

Handling the ASUS Transformer AIO as a tablet

One of the key selling points of the Transformer AIO is that the display is removable. Once removed, the display becomes a massive standalone 18.4-inch (full HD resolution) Android tablet. We’ve never encountered a tablet that’s actually this huge, and we’re initially not quite sure what to make of it.

However, after playing with it for a couple of hours, it became less of a joke, as real-life usage scenarios started to manifest in our minds. For example, the tablet might be huge and unwieldy, but it was never meant to be operated as a conventional tablet. If anything, we find that it’s more suitable as a (really) huge, touch-enabled, game pad or an interactive photo-frame, instead of a tablet.

• In your hands

First, to answer the question of why this device exists, we needed to try using it the way its operating system says it should -- as a mobile device. Unfortunately, while we were wielding it as a regular tablet, our arms got tired after 30 seconds, and the device landed on our lap. Once there, the Transformer AIO become more comfortable to use.

Because its mostly plastic and has a 18mm thick frame, the tablet is actually lighter than it looks. However it’s still weighs a considerable 2.4kg, so once the device is propped up on your lap, you wouldn’t think of holding it like a regular tablet anymore. But even so, the device began to feel unwieldy on our laps after a while and we decided that it would be better suited for the table, where it could be propped up by its built-in stand.

 

• On the Table

Once it’s propped up on the table, the Transformer AIO becomes much easier to use. You’d have both your hands free to interact with the touch panel of the AIO. Games that only require one finger are relatively easy to play on the massive touch panel. However games that are console-style and require you to hold the device like a console controller are a bit harder. In our experience, because of its sheer size and weight, the tablet feels most at home on a table or any kind of surface where it can be propped up.

 

• Touch Controls

However, one minor problem we faced with the touch panel, is that it is not as responsive as the touch panels on much smaller tablets. This is most likely due to the sheer size of the panel. Regular usage like games and typing will be just fine, but you’ll face some lag if you try to draw or write on it.

 

Multimedia Matters

From the components list of the Transformer AIO, you can immediately tell that the machine isn’t meant for intensive gaming. It's more of a daily-use multimedia machine used for casual gaming, web surfing and indulging in some music and movies.

As such, the Transformer AIO’s Android equipped display, comes with a pair of 1.5W speakers that are built into it. The speakers are incredibly loud for their size, and quite clear. If you’re not picky on audio expectations and aren't an audiophile, it’s entirely possible to get by without additional standalone speakers. This is incredibly useful for folks who’d like to lug the tablet to different corners of their home. Speaking about usability around your home, the tablet has a beefy 35Wh battery integrated, which you'll soon find out that it can last you for a reasonably long period without connecting to a power outlet.

The tablet also only comes with a single 1MP front-facing camera which can be used by the default Android camera function. This basic camera is good enough for casual self-snapshots, or webcam chats.

Productivity Matters

Connecting via Splashtop

The Android portion of the AIO is a standalone device, but it can also display your Windows 8 desktop via the Splashtop app. The app comes with the machine and is extremely easy to set up. All you have to do is turn it on in the Windows 8 environment, and you will be given an IP address.

Switch over to the Android side of things, add in the IP address and you have immediate access to your Windows 8 desktop, even when the display isn’t attached to the desktop station. However, we found that there was considerable lag between between our inputs on the tablet and the device actually responding. Whether this was due to the hardware of the tablet or maybe our network connection, it was hard to tell. Because of this, our experience with the app wasn't fantastic and we won't recommend using Splashtop regularly, unless you really need to be on the Windows 8 desktop environment to do something really quickly.

Screen Real Estate - An 18-inch Display vs. A 7-inch display

To give an approximate gauge on how an 18.4-inch tablet benefits you, we took a screenshot from the Transformer AIO, and compared it to the screenshot of the same site from a 7-inch ASUS Nexus 7 (1280 x 800 pixels resolution) and a 5-inch Sony Xperia Z (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution). Here you can see that an 18.4-inch full HD resolution display gives you much more screen real-estate due to its size, not resolution.

Most of the Android apps we've used also scale well onto the Transformer AIO. There are certain apps (shown below) that weren't made to be used on the 18.4-inch display, and have plenty of empty space in them. However, for the most part, apps that utilize plenty of text like Flipboard and Android games fill out the extra screen real-estate well, so you don't have to worry about Android apps looking strange on the gigantic display of the Transformer AIO. 

Tablet: Performance (Part 1)

The Android tablet from of the ASUS Transformer AIO sports an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core 1.5GHz processor and and has a total of 2GB RAM onboard. A thing to note about Tegra 3 is that its successor, Tegra 4, is just around the corner. With the introduction of Tegra 4 into the market sometime midyear, this will render Tegra 3 chip obsolete. However, as we mentioned in the beginning of the article, the concept of this machine was first showcased last year and as such, it was designed with Tegra 3 in mind.

For performance comparison, we’ve got a Toshiba Regza AT300, and ASUS’ own Transformer Pad Prime that runs on a similar Tegra 3 chip. We’ve also thrown in the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that runs on a 1.4GHz Exynos chip.

The following benchmarks are used for raw performance evaluation: -

• Quadrant evaluates the CPU, memory, I/O and 3D graphics performance. This is an Android OS based test.
• Smartbench 2011 is a multi-core friendly benchmark application that includes both the Productivity and Games indices for a more complete gauge of the overall performance of Android tablets.
• SunSpider Javascript benchmark measures the browsing performance of the tablet.
  
   

Performance Charts

In Quadrant, the Exynos chip in the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 managed to breeze past its Tegra running competitors. It may have a lower clock speed, but it’s clearly much more efficient than the chips on the other machines -- especially when it comes to 3D rendering.

In the Smartbench Productivity benchmark, the results are more even. The Transformer AIO managed to outperform the Note 10.1, but not by a huge margin. In Smartbench Gaming benchmark, the Note 10.1 was the clear leader. Looking at the results, we can conclude that the Exynos chip is more adept at handling gaming and 3D rendering tasks.

Lastly, in the Sunspider Javascript benchmark, the Transformer AIO takes the lead, though only by a slight margin.

Overall, looking at the results of the benchmarks, the ASUS Transformer AIO performed up to our expectations and it is clear that its 1.5GHz Tegra 3 chip can handle pretty much anything you throw it, productivity and gaming apps alike.

Tablet: Performance (Part 2)

Battery Performance

While the 18.4-inch Android tablet is unwieldy, and nigh impossible to use in public spaces while on the move, its battery life is still of significance. You’d need it to stay alive long enough to get through perhaps a movie, or some recipe browsing in the kitchen.

To get a gauge on how the Transformer AIO tablet performs when unplugged from a power source, we put it through an intensive video loop battery test. The video used was a 720p high resolution video and the device was set to run under these specific parameters:

• Screen brightness and volume at 100%
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email and Twitter

The ASUS Transformer AIO might be a monster tablet, but it’s also got a monster of a battery (for a tablet). Its battery capacity is closer to what you’d expect from an 11-inch Ultrabook, at 35Wh. This amount of stored power allowed the Transformer AIO to last for 5 hours 22 minutes. That’s 22 minutes more than what ASUS claims the tablet is capable of achieving.

The battery life of the Transformer AIO tablet is quite similar to that of other regular sized tablets. At 5 hours and 22 minutes, it’s only slightly less than the 5 hours and 39 minutes that the Toshiba had, and slightly more than what the Note 10.1 can achieve. Sure it’s far less than the seven hours that the ASUS Transformer Pad Prime is capable of, but for an 18.4-inch removable Android tablet, over five hours is plenty of time for a tablet that won’t even leave the home.

Power consumption for the tablet is also quite low, considering its large full HD display. It understandably consumes more power than regular sized tablets, but not by much. At 6.5W, it’s only slightly more than what the relatively 10-inch Regza uses, and about half the power consumption of a typical modern 13-inch, CULV Ultrabook.

However, while its power consumption and battery life are pretty impressive, its portability index is in a different league altogether. It’s so low that you might even have difficulty spotting it among the scores from other tablets. This is largely due to size and weight, which are obviously much more than a typical tablet and thus, one can't really compare it with existing tablets.

While we wouldn’t recommend that you carry it onto the train (though we would like to see you try), it’s definitely not a problem for anyone to move about different locations within their home.

Big But Useful

When we first saw this Transformer AIO project that ASUS was trying to showcase nearly a year ago, we thought that there’s no way a hybrid machine such as this would make it past the prototype phase and land in our labs. Yet here we are, reviewing this monster of a tablet.

As a tablet that you'd carry around, this is definitely not one of them with its huge 18.4-inch form factor. You could handle the tablet easy enough, but there’s no way you can expect to use it like a regular tablet. The best way would be to prop it up on the table to consume your media or play your games. Some might prefer to do so on your lap, but you wouldn't be able to enjoy long as your neck would get strained.

Another issue that the tablet has is a lack of ports. It only has one mini-USB on it, even though the tablet itself was huge and has plenty of space for additional ports. We felt that it would be nice if the tablet had a few more ports, especially a full-sized USB port.

In conclusion, we didn't know what to make of the Android tablet on the Transformer AIO - initially. It seemed comically big, but after spending some time with it, we felt that that there are some occasions that would be useful to have a portable 18.4-inch tablet with its own processing platform, OS and battery as a self-contained unit for some untethered light usage. For one, kids will totally love the large Gorilla glass screen for gaming and other entertainment needs when placed on the floor or propped on the desk (while Adults needn't worry about the glass shattering with its strong strength). In other scenarios, perhaps you just want to enjoy a move on your bed, but the usual tablets are not large enough. However the tablet on the Transformer AIO is large enough to facilitate cuddly couple viewing.

Its battery performance is also good enough to use it dock-less for quite a few hours, which means you can bring it along to other parts of your home, and not worry about having to charge it. And if you do need to charge it, there is a DC-in jack and an additional tablet-only adapter which you can use to charge the tablet.

The Future of Desktop Computing?

We have seen Ultrabooks that convert to tablets, but this is the first desktop AIO that we have tested to combine both desktop and tablet computing elements. It’s radical and wacky, but does this concept work? Let’s evaluate it first from a performance perspective.



Where performance is concerned, the ASUS Transformer AIO performs as expected. Its Intel Core i5-3350P processor is a decent performer, but not quite up to par when compared to the higher tier quad-core Core i7 AIOs that we’ve tested thus far because of its lack of Hyper-Threading and smaller L3 cache. Graphics performance is commendable, thanks to the new GeForce GT 730M GPU which offers appreciably better performance over the older GeForce GT 630M GPU that sees service in many of the better AIOs.



In tablet form, the Transformer performed well too. Although its Tegra 3 processor is due to be outclassed by the incoming Tegra 4 coming next quarter, it managed to hold its own against Samsung’s flagship Note 10.1 tablet and its 1.4GHz Exynos processor. Battery life, despite the huge screen, was also decent, as it lasted a full five hours untethered from the power socket. And while the tablet is in use, the main desktop unit is still functional when connected to another monitor or a TV.

While the ASUS Transformer AIO offers decent performance, we have some issues with its form factor as we find it too much of a compromise between two conflicting computing purposes. As a tablet, the ASUS Transformer AIO is fairly large and isn’t very portable. But if we were to view it as a desktop, its 18.4-inch display, though it's a full HD screen, seems a tad too small compared to most AIOs today, which typically have displays in excess of 20 inches. The workaround to this is that you could use the Transformer AIO with an external display via its HDMI output port, but that would mean considerable clutter on your table.

That said, if you can live with the large display and the considerable heft, the ASUS Transformer AIO, in its tablet form, works well as a huge news reader, a device for family gaming or even simply as a giant-size photo frame. The Splashtop app which lets you control the PC station remotely, is also useful, if a bit laggy to use.



All things considered, the ASUS Transformer AIO is a promising, if a little wacky, product. It offers decent performance, whether in desktop or tablet form, and the ability to "transform" into an Android tablet can be useful, depending on your needs and lifestyle. We reckon the entire system could be an ideal personal entertainment system for schooling children and for those who've limited footprint to set aside for an all-rounder system. For parents with young children, the Gorilla glass screen equipped tablet is an ideal gaming tablet with its large real estate to prod and have fun. Furthermore, considering the system's performance and dual desktop/tablet capabilities, its asking price of S$1799 is actually pretty good value.

The ASUS Transformer AIO isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for those who need a versatile system without too big a price tag, it offers a viable solution.

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