Introduction
Spoilt for choice with the vast number of new laptops and tablets our in the market? Or simply looking for a change in your personal computing device? You may want to pause by here and take a look at the latest ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi.
My friends always ask me about the best time to purchase a new laptop computer. My usual answer to them is to purchase computers when new processors are launched and available. Pertaining to the mainstream market which generally utilizes Intel processors for devices across the board, newer processors also means better performance, better battery life and possibly better design. Therefore, thanks to the brand new Intel Core M processors, we are extremely sure that NOW is the right time to get your new laptop or tablet device.
Intel Core M processors sets the standard for new ultra portable computers. We are seeing even thinner devices out on the market thanks to the small Intel M processor. Battery life has also dramatically improved with additional hours of productivity, yet performance is not compromised. Intel Core M processors has indeed enabled many different possibilities previously never thought possible. In this article, we are going to lay our hands on the sexy pioneer Intel Core M device from ASUS – Transformer Book T300 Chi, which really exemplifies what it means to be a ultra-portable, multi-lifestyle computing device.
Design
A “Razor Thin” device is starting to become a reality. Consumers were initially awed by the beautiful thin design of the first generation Macbook Air, but it seems that such concept is already a norm. Nonetheless, ASUS has gone way ahead and pushed the limits, releasing the Transformer Book T300 Chi, which boasts a sleek design at only 7.6mm thin. Additionally, the tablet device weighs only 720g even though it is made of hard aluminium metal. Moreover, every single device is crafted with precision engineering producing all aluminium one-piece art. This means that you can find no screws and seams on the device. Sexy, but could really be a hassle if you want to break it open to maintain it.
The idea of the Transformer Book T300 Chi is all about equality and the best of both worlds. By what the name suggests, this unit transforms itself between a laptop and a tablet. All the core computing components are located within the tablet unit itself, while the keyboard is an additional accessory to the Transformer Book Chi. In fact, the tablet devices works perfectly well without the keyboard. The tablet device is attached to the keyboard via magnets found at the hinge area.
Bluetooth technology is used to connect between the tablet and keyboard, to make it into a perfectly working laptop. Sadly, as bluetooth utilized as the connectivity option, you may experience some delay from the connection of the keyboard to the tablet device after starting up Windows. Even so, the full sized keyboard provides perfect typing experience for the user, upgrading it from a entertainment device to a full blown office productivity machine. Intuitively, the keyboard is also customized to improve ergonomics. When opening up the device in laptop mode, the keyboard is automatically raised for a better typing experience, giving the user lesser strains on the wrist. It is usually these small thoughts put into the concept of usability of the device that impresses me the most. Genius.
However, there are definitely some compromises made to thin and compact such design. Firstly, instead of usual full sized USB ports, we are left with a single microUSB type B jack. This is commonly found in higher end Samsung smartphones. With the adoption of such a port, it also means that the device is highly limited to additional expansion, unless you purchase a converter and a USB hub. If you need to connect a mouse, you should think of getting a wireless bluetooth one, instead of a USB one. A microHDMI port is also integrated next to the microUSB type B port. Luckily, conforming to usual standards, we are still getting our 3.5mm Headphone/Microphone jack.
The home and volume buttons are easily located at the left side of the device, while the MicroSD card slot is hidden right at the bottom.
Looking at the device as a whole, I got to say that I’m definitely impressed. This sophisticated machine looks glamorous with its shiny metallic side borders that is said to be so precisely cut with diamond. ASUS has somehow led its own brand to a higher dimension, portraying a premium and high class image, just by showcasing its shiny metallic ASUS logo. However, the ugly side of this design is that it attracts nasty fingerprint stains, especially if you are someone with sweaty or oily hands.
Experience
This machine is a great entertainment device
If you are familar with ASUS, you will understand that ASUS laptops have got one of the best speakers out in the market. Do not judge a book by its cover. You will be surprised by the loudness of the sounds coming out from the ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi. Such quality audio brings much entertainment value to the device, and listening to music and watching HD movies has never been so realistic. I have always recommended ASUS machines for their good quality speakers, that are coupled with SonicMaster technology as it really suits my ears. Distinctive taut bass and crisp trebles with crystal clear voices are some of the good points that the speakers never fail to produce. However, speaker quality is still a personal preference, so I shall not talk too much about it. (Audiophiles will probably complain about my biased opinions on the speakers).
As Apple goes “Retina display yada yada yada…”, ASUS has decided to go straight to the point. Equipped with a ultra high definition 2560 x 1440 WQHD resolution display, the Transformer Book T300 Chi has a class-leading 235ppi that is sure to level up your whole movie viewing experience. It is also a IPS display, which means that you will be able to view your content from a variety of angles.
This machine is a great office productivity device
After using the ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi for a few weeks, I have always thought that it is indeed an excellent office productivity device. Thanks to its bluetooth keyboard that is attached to the main tablet display, I was able to get the most work done out from the whole device. It was really nice to type on the Transformer Book Chi, and I was able to get used to it within minutes, as it uses standard key sizes and spacing. Moreover, its high definition display is not only good for videos and simple games, but also productivity applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel. Sadly to speak, the touch pad that comes with the bluetooth keyboard is barely usable and I had to attach my bluetooth mouse to use the device all this while.
Loading of applications was snappy. I attributed the quick response of the device to 3 main hardware parts, namely its SSD, huge RAM and of course, the brand new Intel Core M processor. Unlike many manufacturers who opted for sloppy SSDs, the SSD used in the Transformer Book T300 Chi was in fact a branded SanDisk i110. It gave the whole machine an additional performance boost. Upon testing the SSD, even though the OS and applications were running on it, it was able to perform at a speed of 405MB/s read and 330Mb/s write. Definitely much faster than many other tablets out in the market. Coupled with the 14nm Intel Core M processor which promises unparalleled performance to power consumption ratio, the huge 8GB RAM also made the device one of the top choice for ultra portable machines that is available for purchase. I can’t believe that I was in fact getting a whooping 9 hours of battery life on this machine!
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| Wireless AC speeds from Transformer Book T300 Chi |
Will it Game?
I wanted to really push my luck just to find out if this machine is really as good as what it is said to be. That is why, I installed Street Fighter IV on it and ran the benchmark. If it was able to play the game smoothly at decent game settings, I’m quite sure that many people will have their eyes on this device.
Sadly, my hopes were a bit too high on the Transformer Book T300 Chi. It was totally unplayable with framerates below 20FPS at its native resolution of 2560 x 1440 (durrr….) but it generally got better as I reduced the resolution. With a resolution of 1280 x 720, we managed to hit a average FPS of 45.78FPS, quite decent for a portable machine like this.
Conclusion
The ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi is one sexy device. Adaptive to your different lifestyles, this device will be a great companion for those who like to consume entertainment and also get some serious work done. It has brought the idea of ultra portable to a new level, and we thought that this device will certainly be a great choice for many people who are seeking for the ultimate lightweight and productivity machine. It’s probably the first Windows device that I have tried that truly provides the user with a full day use battery life. For the hard work that ASUS has put into the Transformer Book T300 Chi and all the perfect features that results in such incomparable experience, I highly recommend this device for everyone.
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