The IT Nerd

When I took the Asus Transformer Book T100 out of the box, my wife said “It’s so small. Can you actually use it?” Let me address the size question. I’ll use my MacBook Pro as a reference point:

As you can see, the Transformer Book T100 on the left is absolutely dwarfed by the MacBook. But, it is actually usable. The keyboard is big enough for touch typists to use. The touch pad though is on the small side and is a bit stiff when you press it. That makes doing gestures on the pad a bit challenging. Good thing that the screen is touch sensitive which makes up for that. Speaking of the screen, it’s a 10.1-inch, 1366 x 768 IPS display that provided bright colors and wide viewing angles. Not to mention that it was very sharp.

When it comes to the overall package, with the keyboard and screen attached to each other it weighs under 3 pounds. That makes it easy to carry. The size also makes it easy to stow in a backpack.

Here’s an overview of the specs inside the Transformer Book T100:

• 1.33-GHz Intel Quad Core Atom CPU
• 2GB Of System Memory
• 64GB Of Flash Storage
• microSD Card Reader
• 10.1″ IPS Display With A Resolution Of 1366×768
• 1.2 MP Camera
• Asus SonicMaster Audio
• microHDMI, microUSB, and USB 3.0 ports
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• Windows 8.1
• Microsoft Office

You’ll note that it comes with Windows 8.1 and not Windows RT. That means that you can run any application that you want on it. Plus there’s a copy of Microsoft Office. That combination makes the Transformer Book T100 usable right out of the box. It also comes with Netflix and Kindle applications. There’s also some preloaded software from Asus as well. Windows 8.1 is well suited to the Transformer Book as you can supplement the keyboard with the touch screen and take full advantage of the Metro interface.

It also has one other trick:

You can detach the keyboard from the screen and use the screen as a tablet. This is a similar setup as the Transformer Book TX300 that I recently reviewed. At 10.1″, it is a good sized tablet that is easy to hold. However, the back is smooth and it attracts fingerprints. Plus I can see how it would be hard to hold if your hands are greasy. One thing that I will note is that Asus has refined how the screen is removed. Press one button on the hinge and the screen comes off. And you can easy pop it back with minimal fuss.

One thing I really like is that it comes with a standard micro-USB cable to charge the battery. That cuts down on the cables that you need to carry on a trip. But you won’t be using this cable often because you’ll get lots of battery life. Asus quotes 11 hours of battery life for the Transformer Book T100. I got just over 10 hours. That’s impressive given that it runs a full version of Windows 8.1. Nothing I did seemed to slow down the Intel Atom processor that’s inside the Transformer Book. Clearly you get a powerful but power efficient processor as part of the package.

Gripes? The only two were that I had was that it did not sit flat on any desk or table that I put it on. The other thing was that because the guts of the Transformer Book T100 are in the screen (rather than being in the keyboard), it throws the balance off a bit which makes it tricky to balance on your lap. Both of which really don’t detract from the usage of the Transformer Book T100.

My verdict? If you’re looking for an ultra portable Windows 8 notebook that can be converted into a tablet, the Asus Transformer Book T100 should be on your shopping list. It’s going to appeal to someone who likes Windows 8. It offers solid performance for the money as it comes with Windows 8.1 and Microsoft Office. Plus it has impressive battery life. If you buy the Transformer Book T100, you won’t regret it.