Asus has announced UK pricing and availability for its Transformer AiO, a bizarre hybrid all-in-one running Windows 8 with a detachable screen that functions as an enormous standalone Android tablet.
First unveiled at CES in January, the detachable all-in-one will start from £999 when it’s made available in the UK next month.
That will buy the entry-level version of the AiO, with an Intel Core i3, 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
The mid-range i5 version includes an additional 2GB of RAM and costs £1,149, while the top-of-the-range model costs £1,299 and features an i7 processor, 2TB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
Dual purpose
In its desktop mode, the Transformer AiO looks like a monitor sitting in a docking station, but the screen lifts off to create a tablet.
Once dismounted from the base station, the 18.4in screen can either continue to work on Windows 8 using remote access to the desktop’s internals, or act as a standalone tablet powered by an Nvidia chip and running Android 4.1.
“Wireless Remote Desktop technology with Wi-Fi provides complete multi-touch control over Windows 8 on the PC station,” Asus said. “Alternatively, the display can also be used as a standalone tablet with Android 4.1, thanks to its built-in Tegra 3 quad-core processor.”
The base station gets its grunt from a choice of Intel Core processors – with options for the i7-3770, i5-3350P or i3-3220 – and up to 8GB DDR RAM. There’s also a 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 730M to boost graphics performance.
At 2.4Kg, the tablet will require some muscle to cart around, but it features five-hour battery life. The 1,920 x 1,080 pixel screen might make it attractive as a mobile entertainment screen, and with support for 10-point multi-touch, it works for multi-player games too.
As well as the Tegra, there’s 2GB of DDR3 RAM with 32GB onboard storage.
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