Dual boot Android and Windows devices still haven’t really caught on and the market remains largely untapped despite a few outings. Now a laptop giant is aiming to change that with its newest foray into the dual-boot ecosystem. Asus is unveiling its latest hybrid, the Transformer Book Duet, at CES and it’s impressive.
The Transformer Book Duet TD300 not only switches between Windows 8.1 and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (unfortunately no KitKat), it’s also a convertible that switches between a notebook and tablet. Asus is hoping its new device will let you have it all!
The Duet features full-fledged laptop specs including an Intel Core i7 processor and 4GB of RAM. As far as storage, the tablet itself has a 128GB SSD. Another terabyte is stored in the laptop dock, however, so there’s plenty of leg room. This is an innovative answer to the storage problems faced by mobile devices. If anything, it’s overkill.
Of course, all the full laptop features make it a larger and heavier beast. It weighs in at 4.1 poounds and has a 13 inch screen. Still, this baby runs a full install of Windows 8.1 and instantly switches between that and Android! The Transformer Book Duet switches between the two OS environments with the push of a single button. According to Asus, the switch only takes about 4 seconds!
Asus will be selling the Transformer Book Duet for $599. There isn’t a specific release date announced yet, but we’ll be on the lookout for it dropping soon. For all the details, Asus’ press release follows below:
ASUS Announces Transformer Book Duet TD300
2014/01/06
ASUS Transformer Book Duet is the world’s first quad-mode dual-operating-system laptop and tablet convertibleLas Vegas, NV (January 6th, 2014) – ASUS today announced Transformer Book Duet (TD300), the world’s first quad-mode, dual-OS laptop and tablet convertible that allows users to switch between Windows and Android in either laptop or tablet modes with just a single push of the Instant Switch button or a virtual key on the tablet. With a powerful Intel® Core™ i7 processor at its heart, Transformer Book Duet runs up to twice as fast as existing tablets based on ARM® processors. ASUS SonicMaster technology and dual speakers ensure that Transformer Book Duet delivers incredible audio for immersive entertainment.
Quad-mode, dual-OS laptop and tablet with Instant Switch
ASUS Transformer Book Duet (TD300) is an extremely capable device that is able to function as an Android or Windows 8.1 tablet or notebook. Users can simply switch operating systems with a single push of the Instant Switch button or a virtual key on the tablet.By offering both operating systems, ASUS provides users the ability to run supported Android applications and a vast array of native Windows applications. Transformer Book Duet features a powerful Intel Core i7 processor with Intel HD graphics and 4G DDR3L 1600 RAM, giving it performance that’s up to twice as fast as existing tablets powered by ARM® processors.
The patented ASUS technology that powers Instant Switch offers many performance and productivity benefits over other dual-OS solutions, such as fast, smooth and seamless switching and the ability to resume each OS from where the user left off. As it does not use OS virtualization, Instant Switch also allows each OS to harness the full power of Intel’s latest processor technology.
Striking audio-visuals
ASUS Transformer Book Duet (TD300) delivers striking visuals on its 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS touchscreen display. This multi-touch display features sensitivity and responsiveness that exceeds Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 8.1. For audio, it comes with ASUS SonicMaster technology for true-to-life sound through the tablet’s dual speakers.In addition, Transformer Book Duet has a front-facing HD camera with a built-in digital mic for video chats. The tablet display has 128GB of SSD storage that can be supplemented by a 64GB Micro SD card, while the keyboard dock houses up to a 1TB hard disk drive. The dock is also home to USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, a LAN port, and HDMI 1.4 output with 1080p support. In terms of connectivity, ASUS Transformer Book T300 has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR.
ASUS Transformer Book Duet sports the same stylish concentric-circle finish found in other ASUS offerings. The Transformer Book Duet has compact dimensions, with the tablet measuring 342.7 x 216.3 x 12.9mm; and the dock measuring 340.9 x 217.6 x 16mm. Together, they weigh around 1.9kg, making it supremely portable and flexible for those on the go.
SPECIFICATIONS*
Transformer Book Duet TD300
Dual-OS – Windows 8.1 Standard / Android 4.2.2
13.3-inch Full HD IPS multi-touch display
Up to Intel® Core™ i7 processor
4GB DDR3L 1600 RAM
Up to 128GB SSD in Tablet
Up to 1TB HDD in Dock
38WHr battery, estimated battery life around 5 hours in Windows 8.1 and 6 hours in Android 4.2.2.
802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR
Tablet ports: Micro SD card, Headphone jack, DC jack
Keyboard dock ports: 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 10/100Mbit/s LAN, HDMI 1.4, audio combo jack, DC jack
###AVAILABILITY
Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.
* Specifications and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. For more details about the products mentioned in this press release, please visit http://press.asus.com .
About ASUS
ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2012 was approximately US$14 billion.
[Via: Asus]