Asus Transformer Book T100 Chi – First Impressions
Asus launched a trio of new 'Chi' Windows hybrids at CES 2015, including the range-topping T300 Chi. There’s also the tiny 8.9-inch T90 Chi and middle of the pack is this, the T100 Chi. Set to cost just $399 it could be the perfect tablet-laptop for those on a budget.
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Asus Transformer Book T100 Chi – Design
Along with the rest of the Transformer Book Chi lineup, the T100 uses the classic Asus Transformer model for its hybrid design. The screen section completely separates from the keyboard section to make for a more portable iPad-sized tablet.
This design means that all the batteries, circuitry and connectivity, bar one Micro USB socket, is kept inside the tablet, with the keyboard section simply adding the physical keyboard and trackpad into the equation. As such the sides of the tablet section are kept thick to allow for the various sockets and ports it houses, making it not as sleek as either most tablets or ultrabook laptops such as the MacBook Air.
Still, this is a pretty elegant device. The main chassis is all aluminium that’s finished in a nice dark colour, with thin bevels on the edges showing just a glimmer of the raw aluminium below.
The overall thickness of the tablet is impressive too at just 7.2mm, while in laptop mode this only rises to 13.2mm, which is thinner than a MacBook Air at its thickest.
What really helps this latest iteration of the Transformer design is that the hinge/dock mechanism no longer requires a supporting section on the back of the tablet/screen. This used to create an unsightly bump, whereas now it’s completely flush.
The mechanism is also now magnetic, with no need for a sliding lock switch like on previous versions. Asus has also got the balance of strength of looseness of the mechanism just right, with there being enough force to support the keyboard when the laptop is lifted from the screen and yet it being possible to unhook the tablet one-handed.
Asus Transformer Book T100 Chi – Features
Backing up this solid hardware design is a decent set of features, starting with the screen. It sports a plentiful 1920 x 1200 resolution, making it nice and sharp, and as it’s an IPS panel it has great viewing angles. Colours and black levels appeared decent in our brief hands-on time with it too.
The keyboard is impressive, too. The size of the laptop means it is a little squished, but we still had few problems typing on it, even if our overall speed wasn’t quite as high as on larger layouts. Most importantly of all, the action of the keys was nice and pronounced, so it’s easy to tell when a key has been pressed properly.
Further good news comes courtesy of the trackpad. It’s a little small, but sensitivity and responsiveness are excellent.
On the inside the specs are quite modest. The Intel Atom Z3775 is a decently powerful quad-core chip that runs between 1.46Ghz and 2.39GHz. However, it’s certainly no power house and is only backed up by 1GB or 2GB of RAM. It’s plenty for most everyday tasks, but it’s definitely still among the lower rungs of laptop performance.
One potential major stumbling block for this laptop is its connectivity. You get reasonable number of ports, with Micro USB 3.0, Micro USB 2.0, Micro HDMI, microSD and, of course, headphones. However you don’t get any full-size ports, so most things – your camera’s SD card and your mouse, for instance – will need an adapter to plug in. You could certainly work with it, and of course it’s better than most Android or iOS tablets, but it’s definitely a major stumbling block compared to ‘proper’ laptops.
Early Verdict
Overall we’re pretty impressed by the Asus Transformer Book T100 Chi. It packs in a winning combination of slim design, reasonable connectivity, sufficient performance, and a good-quality screen, keyboard and trackpad, all for a bargain price.
However, the fact that the connectivity is all of the 'micro' variety could be a sticking point for some, while the processor and RAM combination may be just a bit too weak for more serious users.