Yes, we did mention the speaker placement. Asus did this before on a Transformer Android tablet, and you can barely call it stereo when the two speakers are next to each other. The dock speakers mitigate this though.
The just announced Transformer Book Trio is a smaller 11.6" machine and when you detach the tablet, the tablet switches to Android. So if you want your tablet running Windows when not docked to the keyboard, the TX300 reviewed here is the better choice.
We just did an Acer and an HP review recently, and a Toshiba is coming up. What we review comes down to two things: what manufacturers get us review units (loaners) and laptops that are new and innovative.
Yes, it's true and reviewers who actually paid attention would realize the speakers are under one grill on the back (Asus also states this). The other grill is for ventilation.
I'd love to but we no longer have the ATIV 700T. If you need a pen and smaller tablet sized machine, the ATIV 700T is a good choice. If you want something more of a standard Ultrabook size with a larger screen choose the Transformer Book. The Transformer Book also has a more high quality feel with a metal casing and backlit keyboard.
Since these Ultrabooks have the same internals, and often full HD resolutions, we don't do the Photoshop demo every time (it would always run pretty much the same, which is to say fine). Lightoom should run fine.
This is higher end with a full HD vs. HD display on the Split x2 and a Core i7 vs Core i3 and i5 on the HP. It depends on your needs and budget, Asus has you covered at the high end and HP for the mid tier.
It's a standard 2.5" drive back in the dock, so you could upgrade to an SSD. Though personally I like it the stock way with lots and lots of inexpensive storage built in.
I haven't had to close the lid to charge the tablet (that would be a poor way of handling secondary charging). When I turn off the HDD and ports using the Asus control panel, the main battery level (tablet) drops slower than usual. It seems to draw off the keyboard dock. Would be nice if we had two battery levels reported by Windows.
You cannot place the tablet backwards in the keyboard dock. The data/power pin is offset and only matches up when the display is facing in the normal laptop fashion.
You do get the sturdy keyboard dock here (feels just like a Zenbook Prime Ultrabook) and actually 500GB storage in the dock. 1.9GHz is close enough to 2GHz, no? Hard to feel 100Mhz diff.
Lisa - Thanks for the comment. I’ve been reading about the announcement of the Asus Transformer Book Trio at Computex. That one is a bit small for me. I’ve almost decided to buy an ASUS Transformer AiO P1801. Portability outside of my home is not important to me so the size of the tablet is an asset rather than a liability. I can do at least 90% of what I do in Android, making Windows almost unnecessary. I’d sure love to see your take on that device if you could ever get your hands on one
Keep in mind that the HP x2 Split a budget-conscious system with Intel Core i3 and i5 Ivy Bridge CPUs rather than the i7 here, and the HP has a 1366 x 768 display. Of course, it will also be less expensive.
I've used the Asus AiO and it's an interesting concept but I did find the tablet too large to be comfortable and using Splashtop to access the Windows base seemed like a kludge.
Those VivoBook models don't transform into a tablet like this one. Very different design. They are also larger at 15.6", have lower resolution displays and are meant to be a little more mainstream. They do have decent dedicated graphics.
I wouldn't say one isn't better than another, they're just different. It really depends on whether you want something with separable keyboard or not. The Asus is more pleasant to use as a tablet since it's thinner and lighter with the keyboard detached.
Great review, just make sure to mention (maybe you did, I didn't pay close attention to the video) that the speaker in pure tablet mode, although stereo - is positioned on the right side of the tablet (both stereo speakers are there, the speaker grill on the left side of the tablet houses no speaker at all, it's only there for cosmetic reasons - this last bit of info was stirring attention on the forums and this was the official asus NL response)
The back has small holes on EACH side, but you said one side had speakers and not both sides. It looks like it does have speakers on both sides of the back. I equate small drill holes with speaker area and the top gill slits for air vent.
Word has a zoom slider, so font size isn't typically an issue. Now Notepad, that can harder on the eyes without setting Windows font scaling up a bit. Though this old lady still manges fine without scaling on 13.3" full HD display. 11.6" and below with full HD- now that's uncomfortable for me.
Great review of a fabulous product ! Well done, Lisa ! Well done ! You should have showed us some potential font size problems in MS Word, Notepad etc. Nevertheless, this one comprehensive review. Up to your usual high standards ! Keep on doing good job, Lisa ! Best wishes !
I suspect you'll more of the same designs (transformers, convertibles and normal ultrabooks) at mostly the same price points in the next year. At the low end, Intel Atom models will be more viable than previously once Bay Trail is out (it's a stronger performer than the current Atom).
Hi Lisa, thank you for the review! I'm getting a good deal on this device, and I am wondering about a few things: 1. Can you use apps like Photoshop or Lightroom with this device? Not a very heavy PS user, but want something that can run it. 2. What is the sRGB reproduction on this display? I saw your Sony Viao Pro 13 review, and when I compared both screens side by side, this one seemed to be warmer. 3. Did you have any issues qith the hinge loosing connections when moving the screen?
Asus just announced an 11.6" version of the Transformer Book that will run Android when the tablet is detached from the keyboard. When it will actually be out? Knowing Asus, it will take a long while ;)
Hi Lisa, love your reviews! A few of us cant work out how the keyboard battery works, some say it kicks in when the tablet itself goes down to 30%, other say it only charges the tablet when the lid is closed, be interested in your thoughts
Lisa, Can you provide a link to where I can purchase this exact model? I am having difficulty finding it and can only find a different models, but not TX300CA-DH71T. Thank you!
I'm watching this video now on my UX31A I got because of Lisa's review almost a year ago. Nice product, but I'm sticking with my UX31A+Transformer Prime Infinity combo for a while.
Lisa, I was wondering if you might get your hands on an asus transformer aio. Im thinking about getting one but im torn between that and the asus transformer book.
Great Review as always Lisa.. One question though.. Is it possible to open it to change the batteries and other things if needed or is it glued? I think you should mention this fact on all "tablets" since I think a lot of people are interested in that fact.
Where I originally saw this table, it said it was 1.7 GHz (and not the most up-to-date chip), so I was a little concerned. I really want to feel as though I am using an ultrabook when I use the tablet without worrying about power, the weight, or the strength of the clamp. The only thing I have seen that matches everything I would want that could replace both my tablet and my laptop is too expensive to worth the investment at the moment. Do you have idea of what will come out in the next year?
So far Haswell doesn't do much for speed, but it does show noticeable battery life improvements. I'm not hugely excited by Haswell just yet, in part because the myriad ULV Ultrabook CPUs and integrated GPU combos make it hard to make a unified statement. In general, CPU perf is a little lower than Ivy Bridge, GPU is a little better but still not good enough to play serious 3D games. But better battery life is nice.
You can get an external GPU box for laptops, it was out years ago, and another company is pushing it again. Lets you put a normal PCI Express graphics card in a box and connect it to your notebook, keeps you from buying a new notebook every few years so you can just upgrade your GPU card.
Thanks for the great review! Been waiting for this one a long time! However, I missed any IRL test of Photoshop or corallDraw, which you usually do. Have you tested it with Adobe Lightroom? That's the software I'd be using the most along with office 2013 and Sibelius 7.
Hi Lisa, I love your reviews! Congrats! If you have to choose (for productivity) between Asus Transformer, Lenovo Yoga 13, Acer R7, Samsung Ativ Q and Toshiba U925T, what would you choose and why? Thank you so much!
Ah, but wait and see how long it takes for Ultrabooks and convertibles to hit the market with Haswell. It may not be for several more months. Heck, it took the TX300 a year to hit market after being show at last year's Computex. And then remember that Haswell's CPU power-saving gains are important, but the full HD display consumes more power than the CPU.
Hi my question actually has to do with the use of a digital stylus. I was wondering how the performance is using that device; does this unit support multi touch? So if you were to use it with MS OneNote, how does it perform?
Nice job! Do you know if it can run digital stylus applications like the Samsung ATIV 700T? Specifically, wondering if the Taichi Stylus works with this computer.
The TX300 could lure folks away from the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A Touch or the Samsung ATIV 7 though... it offers the same power with a more versatile form factor. The Haswell thing; well we go thru this every 2 years when Intel launches a new CPU gen. First everyone has to have it, then they're disappointed that it wasn't as good as the hype.
Hi. Great reviews Lisa. I wondered if you could clarify something I read in another review. The reviewer stated that it is actually better to by the tx300 with the core i5 processor in it rather than one with the core i7. The reason given was that the i7 machine overwhelms the cooling system which limits performance drastically. Apparently this makes the core i5 machine 20 - 40% faster than the core i7 machine. Is this correct? Many thanks for all your great reviews.
Hello! Thank you for you review! I got two questions for you which i hope you can answer to me! 1: What is the whole name of your tx300 (for exampel TX300CA-C4005H)? 2: Have you tried to use computer-penn to it, in case of yes how did it work? Regards; Cecilio
My current laptop is an acer aspire 5820TG. Would the tx300 be able to to do everything this laptop does? I.e. run solidworks, play games (I,m not a big gamer but enjoy some older games occasionly i.e. Sims 3 or AOE 3 etc). Thanks!
Hello Lisa, I have seen your videos and let me tell you they are great!!! I just have one question for you, What do you think is the best convertible tablet at the market that have the most decent graphic card to play some of the newest video games? I know there are laptops for games but I just want your opinion, I'm really into buying a convertible tablet... In advance thanks a lot for your help.
I can't believe they didn't include an active digitizer and stylus for this. Everything else about this seems amazing, but that's one of the dealbreakers for me. I hope they have a Haswell revision with one.
Hey Lisa. My gf studies law and read ALOT for study. Do you think this hybrid is good for reading as a tablet or she should get another ultrabook and let's say nexus 10? Thanks.
Lisa can you please tell me what is the best touch laptop for programming and also great for college price I would like too stay under $1000 but would not mind spending more for a computer that lasts me 10 years thanks in advanced.
Well, I need all of those programs for web development and if my friends ask me for a game of SC, there's no way I'm closing them just for 1 game (sometimes I still have to though). I never really understood the concept of closing programs anyway... if you need something constantly, why would you ever close it? Even Windows has 3rd party workspace management software if you run out of desktop space.
![NISAMANEE - TADA (ท้าดา) [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hcQHEPMmJpU/mqdefault.jpg)
Yes, we did mention the speaker placement. Asus did this before on a Transformer Android tablet, and you can barely call it stereo when the two speakers are next to each other. The dock speakers mitigate this though.
Yes, you can access both the microSD card slot and the full size slot when the tablet is docked.
The just announced Transformer Book Trio is a smaller 11.6" machine and when you detach the tablet, the tablet switches to Android. So if you want your tablet running Windows when not docked to the keyboard, the TX300 reviewed here is the better choice.
No, we haven't reviewed the Asus AIO, but we will be reviewing the Dell XPS 18 AIO soon.
We just did an Acer and an HP review recently, and a Toshiba is coming up. What we review comes down to two things: what manufacturers get us review units (loaners) and laptops that are new and innovative.
Yes, it's true and reviewers who actually paid attention would realize the speakers are under one grill on the back (Asus also states this). The other grill is for ventilation.
I'd love to but we no longer have the ATIV 700T. If you need a pen and smaller tablet sized machine, the ATIV 700T is a good choice. If you want something more of a standard Ultrabook size with a larger screen choose the Transformer Book. The Transformer Book also has a more high quality feel with a metal casing and backlit keyboard.
Yes we'll review the Helix, but Lenovo still hasn't started their review program.
Since these Ultrabooks have the same internals, and often full HD resolutions, we don't do the Photoshop demo every time (it would always run pretty much the same, which is to say fine). Lightoom should run fine.
This is higher end with a full HD vs. HD display on the Split x2 and a Core i7 vs Core i3 and i5 on the HP. It depends on your needs and budget, Asus has you covered at the high end and HP for the mid tier.
It's a standard 2.5" drive back in the dock, so you could upgrade to an SSD. Though personally I like it the stock way with lots and lots of inexpensive storage built in.
So far Asus' transformer hinges have held up pretty well. It's stiff and sturdy now, and feels like it will stay that way for some time.
I haven't had to close the lid to charge the tablet (that would be a poor way of handling secondary charging). When I turn off the HDD and ports using the Asus control panel, the main battery level (tablet) drops slower than usual. It seems to draw off the keyboard dock. Would be nice if we had two battery levels reported by Windows.
You cannot place the tablet backwards in the keyboard dock. The data/power pin is offset and only matches up when the display is facing in the normal laptop fashion.
You do get the sturdy keyboard dock here (feels just like a Zenbook Prime Ultrabook) and actually 500GB storage in the dock. 1.9GHz is close enough to 2GHz, no? Hard to feel 100Mhz diff.
Lisa - Thanks for the comment. I’ve been reading about the announcement of the Asus Transformer Book Trio at Computex. That one is a bit small for me. I’ve almost decided to buy an ASUS Transformer AiO P1801. Portability outside of my home is not important to me so the size of the tablet is an asset rather than a liability. I can do at least 90% of what I do in Android, making Windows almost unnecessary. I’d sure love to see your take on that device if you could ever get your hands on one
Keep in mind that the HP x2 Split a budget-conscious system with Intel Core i3 and i5 Ivy Bridge CPUs rather than the i7 here, and the HP has a 1366 x 768 display. Of course, it will also be less expensive.
Yes, I'd definitely recommend it even more highly if it had Haswell-- mostly for the battery life increase it would likely bring.
I think either scenario could work. It is convenient to have all your stuff on one device though.
I've used the Asus AiO and it's an interesting concept but I did find the tablet too large to be comfortable and using Splashtop to access the Windows base seemed like a kludge.
Hey Lisa you are the best! Only you make reviews about all the coolest gadgets. Thanks for the great review. I'll wait for the haswell edition.
Those VivoBook models don't transform into a tablet like this one. Very different design. They are also larger at 15.6", have lower resolution displays and are meant to be a little more mainstream. They do have decent dedicated graphics.
Correct, This was announced last year became available this year! Going by that it will be atleast a year away before I can test-drive it and buy.
I wouldn't say one isn't better than another, they're just different. It really depends on whether you want something with separable keyboard or not. The Asus is more pleasant to use as a tablet since it's thinner and lighter with the keyboard detached.
I believe Asus will release a TX300 with a Core i5, 320 gig HDD and perhaps no rear camera for less money (maybe $1,200).
Yoga 13 vs. Transformer Book: biggest difference is you can use the Transformer Book as just a tablet rather than always attached to the keyboard.
Great review, just make sure to mention (maybe you did, I didn't pay close attention to the video) that the speaker in pure tablet mode, although stereo - is positioned on the right side of the tablet (both stereo speakers are there, the speaker grill on the left side of the tablet houses no speaker at all, it's only there for cosmetic reasons - this last bit of info was stirring attention on the forums and this was the official asus NL response)
The back has small holes on EACH side, but you said one side had speakers and not both sides. It looks like it does have speakers on both sides of the back. I equate small drill holes with speaker area and the top gill slits for air vent.
Word has a zoom slider, so font size isn't typically an issue. Now Notepad, that can harder on the eyes without setting Windows font scaling up a bit. Though this old lady still manges fine without scaling on 13.3" full HD display. 11.6" and below with full HD- now that's uncomfortable for me.
I love your reviews you hands down have the best reviews
Great review of a fabulous product !
Well done, Lisa ! Well done !
You should have showed us some potential font size problems in MS Word, Notepad etc. Nevertheless, this one comprehensive review. Up to your usual high standards !
Keep on doing good job, Lisa !
Best wishes !
They just announced Transformer Book Trio in the computex,that is an amazing hybrid PC!
I don't usually run a 3D game in the background with all sorts of other apps running.
Yes, the TX300 should be able to handle everything your old Aspire did. It can handle older games like AOE 3 (love that game!) and SIMS 3.
I suspect you'll more of the same designs (transformers, convertibles and normal ultrabooks) at mostly the same price points in the next year. At the low end, Intel Atom models will be more viable than previously once Bay Trail is out (it's a stronger performer than the current Atom).
No Wacom version of this, sadly. It's capacitive styli only.
Hi Lisa, thank you for the review!
I'm getting a good deal on this device, and I am wondering about a few things:
1. Can you use apps like Photoshop or Lightroom with this device? Not a very heavy PS user, but want something that can run it.
2. What is the sRGB reproduction on this display? I saw your Sony Viao Pro 13 review, and when I compared both screens side by side, this one seemed to be warmer.
3. Did you have any issues qith the hinge loosing connections when moving the screen?
Asus just announced an 11.6" version of the Transformer Book that will run Android when the tablet is detached from the keyboard. When it will actually be out? Knowing Asus, it will take a long while ;)
Thanks for the review Lisa. Any chance you get to the Thinkpad Helix soon?
Hi Lisa, love your reviews!
A few of us cant work out how the keyboard battery works, some say it kicks in when the tablet itself goes down to 30%, other say it only charges the tablet when the lid is closed, be interested in your thoughts
Lisa,
Can you provide a link to where I can purchase this exact model? I am having difficulty finding it and can only find a different models, but not TX300CA-DH71T.
Thank you!
I'm watching this video now on my UX31A I got because of Lisa's review almost a year ago. Nice product, but I'm sticking with my UX31A+Transformer Prime Infinity combo for a while.
Lisa, I was wondering if you might get your hands on an asus transformer aio. Im thinking about getting one but im torn between that and the asus transformer book.
Great Review as always Lisa.. One question though.. Is it possible to open it to change the batteries and other things if needed or is it glued? I think you should mention this fact on all "tablets" since I think a lot of people are interested in that fact.
We'll probably see a new Asus Android tablet when the Tegra 4 is ready to ship... probably fall 2013.
You can use programs like illustrator, photoshop etc to display disassembled and to save and open files in the same...
Where I originally saw this table, it said it was 1.7 GHz (and not the most up-to-date chip), so I was a little concerned. I really want to feel as though I am using an ultrabook when I use the tablet without worrying about power, the weight, or the strength of the clamp. The only thing I have seen that matches everything I would want that could replace both my tablet and my laptop is too expensive to worth the investment at the moment. Do you have idea of what will come out in the next year?
So far Haswell doesn't do much for speed, but it does show noticeable battery life improvements. I'm not hugely excited by Haswell just yet, in part because the myriad ULV Ultrabook CPUs and integrated GPU combos make it hard to make a unified statement. In general, CPU perf is a little lower than Ivy Bridge, GPU is a little better but still not good enough to play serious 3D games. But better battery life is nice.
You can get an external GPU box for laptops, it was out years ago, and another company is pushing it again. Lets you put a normal PCI Express graphics card in a box and connect it to your notebook, keeps you from buying a new notebook every few years so you can just upgrade your GPU card.
Hi. Do u hv review on Asus Transformer Book T100A ? My apology if overlooked your existing review of it :-)
Anticipating your full review of Thinkpad Helix, Lisa...
What is your take on waiting for haswell chips? Do you think we will see a lot of refreshes to up battery life?
Thanks for the review! As you probably know HP will have a new Split X2 coming out this August. Which one do you recommend, Split X2 or TX 300?
how about a smack down between TX300 i7 with yoga 13 i7? since both are very fancy laptops, i have been thinking which one to get?
Great review Lisa.
I know it doesn't come with a digitizer pen, but does the tx300 support digitizer pen, like signing documents or drawing? I really want this.
Great review as always Lisa!
Hey Lisa
Does the screen have gorilla glass coating??
Thanks heaps, great review as always. watched every minute!
Thanks for the great review! Been waiting for this one a long time! However, I missed any IRL test of Photoshop or corallDraw, which you usually do. Have you tested it with Adobe Lightroom? That's the software I'd be using the most along with office 2013 and Sibelius 7.
lisa, are there any transformation tablets due to come out or already being sold that have larger displays than 13.3 inches?
I hope Asus makes a refresh of this on par with Surface book specs but on a sub $1.5k pricing.
Do you have a general timeframe to when the next Asus Transformer tablet (Android) will come out?
Hi Lisa, I love your reviews! Congrats!
If you have to choose (for productivity) between Asus Transformer, Lenovo Yoga 13, Acer R7, Samsung Ativ Q and Toshiba U925T, what would you choose and why?
Thank you so much!
Ah, but wait and see how long it takes for Ultrabooks and convertibles to hit the market with Haswell. It may not be for several more months. Heck, it took the TX300 a year to hit market after being show at last year's Computex. And then remember that Haswell's CPU power-saving gains are important, but the full HD display consumes more power than the CPU.
Hi my question actually has to do with the use of a digital stylus. I was wondering how the performance is using that device; does this unit support multi touch? So if you were to use it with MS OneNote, how does it perform?
She does a lot of other stuff too, but she has said before that she really likes both Lenovo and Asus. You can browse for other brand reviews, though.
Nice job! Do you know if it can run digital stylus applications like the Samsung ATIV 700T? Specifically, wondering if the Taichi Stylus works with this computer.
The TX300 could lure folks away from the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A Touch or the Samsung ATIV 7 though... it offers the same power with a more versatile form factor. The Haswell thing; well we go thru this every 2 years when Intel launches a new CPU gen. First everyone has to have it, then they're disappointed that it wasn't as good as the hype.
Hi. Great reviews Lisa. I wondered if you could clarify something I read in another review. The reviewer stated that it is actually better to by the tx300 with the core i5 processor in it rather than one with the core i7. The reason given was that the i7 machine overwhelms the cooling system which limits performance drastically. Apparently this makes the core i5 machine 20 - 40% faster than the core i7 machine. Is this correct? Many thanks for all your great reviews.
Aren't there speakers on both sides, not just right next to each other?
I was wondering how robust the whole thing is. Would you say that it is a tough build that can take some stress or is it like the cheap new HPs?
Are you ever going to review the Chromebook Pixel?
Likely not, it's not available in the US.
Hello!
Thank you for you review! I got two questions for you which i hope you can answer to me!
1: What is the whole name of your tx300 (for exampel TX300CA-C4005H)?
2: Have you tried to use computer-penn to it, in case of yes how did it work?
Regards; Cecilio
There's a good amount of competition, but parts prices need to come down. And with these novel design products, the R&D budget sucks in the bucks too.
Please do a Helix review soon! I am debating between this and a Helix.
Great Review Lisa! Hope you could a comparison between the asus transformer book and the lenovo Helix.
hi liza i kind have a question , does it operate on android (double os) in both mode (docked and detachable ? )
Loving the longer vids keep it up
Would you heavily recommend the TX300 over the T300? The price difference is pretty large but the TX300 just seems so much better.
My current laptop is an acer aspire 5820TG. Would the tx300 be able to to do everything this laptop does? I.e. run solidworks, play games (I,m not a big gamer but enjoy some older games occasionly i.e. Sims 3 or AOE 3 etc). Thanks!
And could you recommend any tablets/transformer/ultrabook with a sim slot? Thanks!
Lisa can you do the Thinkpad Helix anytime soon?
what are u gonna do with a 10 point touchscreen!? *runs at tablet with hands wide open*
Good review as always, keep up the good work!
Hello Lisa, I have seen your videos and let me tell you they are great!!!
I just have one question for you, What do you think is the best convertible tablet at the market that have the most decent graphic card to play some of the newest video games? I know there are laptops for games but I just want your opinion, I'm really into buying a convertible tablet...
In advance thanks a lot for your help.
Awesome review(s)! You're really helping me with my search for the perfect tablet hybrid.
Windows 8.1 will be a free downloadable update from Microsoft for every Windows 8 PC including the Transformer Book.
Do you have plans to review Lenovo Thinkpad Helix?
what would you prefere fore school, this or yoga 13, as there is no good haswell yet :( the sony vaio pro 13 is just to flexible >.<
I have a question, Can I use Microsoft Office on Asus transformer book?
My guess is it will take months for the Haswell upgrade since Asus has barely just released this model.
I can't believe they didn't include an active digitizer and stylus for this. Everything else about this seems amazing, but that's one of the dealbreakers for me.
I hope they have a Haswell revision with one.
Design aside, how does this compare with the Asus Taichi 31 machine wise?
You're the best Lisa!
Hey Lisa. My gf studies law and read ALOT for study. Do you think this hybrid is good for reading as a tablet or she should get another ultrabook and let's say nexus 10? Thanks.
You going to do the thinkpad Helix Soon?
Hey Lisa, can you make a video with transformer book versus Samsung ativ pc pro?
Have you reviewed the Asus transformer AIO?
Lisa can you please tell me what is the best touch laptop for programming and also great for college price I would like too stay under $1000 but would not mind spending more for a computer that lasts me 10 years thanks in advanced.
Well, I need all of those programs for web development and if my friends ask me for a game of SC, there's no way I'm closing them just for 1 game (sometimes I still have to though).
I never really understood the concept of closing programs anyway... if you need something constantly, why would you ever close it? Even Windows has 3rd party workspace management software if you run out of desktop space.