ASUS seems to have come up with yet another innovative design with its newest offering – the Transformer AiO. Living up to its name, the Transformer AiO has the capability of transforming not only from a desktop all-in-one PC to a handheld and albeit gigantic tablet, but also features the ability to switch between Microsoft Windows 8 and Android 4.1 JellyBean. At a staggering 18.4 inches, it may very well be the largest tablet running the Android operating system. The Transformer AiO consists of two detachable parts – the docking station and the tablet.
The Windows 8 operating system runs on an Intel Core i-series processor in the docking station in i3, i5 and i7 variants with a GeForce GT730 GPU from Nvidia. Also present in the dock are a large number of USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 2.0 port and an optical DVD drive. Additionally, the dock also offers HDMI connectivity. RAM and HDD options are 4GB/8GB and 1 TB/2 TB respectively. An in-built TV tuner as well as an SD card slot is also present. All put together, the dock alone weighs nearly 9 lbs.
The other part of the AIO system is the detachable tablet, which by itself weighs more than 5lbs. Featuring a quad core Tegra 3 processor from Nvidia, a multi touch full HD display, 32 GB of on-board storage and 2GB RAM, the Transformer AIO is shaping up to be one of the most powerful tablets in the market currently. Google’s Android JellyBean OS runs natively on the tablet. A single button press on the side of the display can be used to switch between Windows and Android. However, Windows 8 can be run only when the device is attached to the dock or is within WiFi range of it as the OS can be broadcast a live stream to the tablet when undocked. If the tablet moves out of wireless range, it automatically switches to Android. The tablet also features a front camera for video calling.
ASUS has been known for a wide range of innovative designs, including its dual-screen hybrid, the Taichi. The Transformer AiO is no less and does seem to be a quite powerful device, both docked and undocked. The entire system will be available from $1300 onwards starting sometime in Q2 2013.
