Review ASUS Transformer Book TX300CA

    ASUS continues to experiment and produce innovative devices. Such interesting devices as the Transformer Pad or TAICHI have proven themselves, having unique features that their competitors do not have. The new Windows 8 operating system with a finger-oriented interface gave a powerful impetus to the exit of computers in a new form factor. One of these devices is the hero of our today's review - Transformer Book, a thin tablet running on full Windows 8, inside which is a Core i5 processor. Included with it is a dock that turns the tablet into a laptop. The dock also houses additional external interfaces, a battery and a 500 GB hard drive (!).

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    image Specifications


    Processor: Intel Core i7 3517U or Intel Core i5 3317U
    Operating System: Windows 8
    RAM: 4 GB, DDR3 1600 MHz SD RAM, integrated
    Display: 13.3 "16: 9 IPSFHD (1920x1080)
    Graphics: integrated, Intel® HD Graphics 4000
    Storage data: 320 GB HDD with 128 GB SSD or 500 GB HDD with 128 GB SSD
    Camera: HD WebCam
    Network: 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0
    Tablet interfaces: COMBO audio jack, micro HDMI, Docking Connector, micro SD
    Dock interfaces -stations: 2xUSB 3.0, RJ45 Gigabit-LAN, Docking Connector, mini Display Port, 2-in-1 card reader SD / MMC (SDHC / SDXC)
    Sound:4 speakers, microphone, support for MaxxAudio
    Battery: dual-cell 5000 and 3120 mAh polymer batteries
    Power supply: output - 19 V DC, 3.42A, 65W; input - 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
    Dimensions: Tablet: 213 x 340 x 4-11mm; Keyboard: 219 x 340 x 3-12.9mm
    Weight: 1.9 kg with dock

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    image Packaging and packaging


    The appearance of the box is similar to the boxes of other laptop models from ASUS - the elongated black box is short, the surface is matte, the Transformer Book is shown at the top. There are no stickers, barcodes - nothing more.
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    Opening the box, we see: a tablet, on the right - a charger. On the inner surface of the box lid is a sponge that prevents scratches on the device, although initially the tablet itself and the dock are packed in film. Below there is a small notch for more convenient extraction of the tablet.
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    We remove the separating cardboard and see the bottom of the docking station, under it is an envelope with documentation.
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    The charger is different in that it uses not a regular connector, which is inserted into the tablet, but a magnetic one. To connect it, it is enough to bring the connector to the connector on the case, and it does not matter how it is rotated. To disconnect the charger, just pull on the wire. Everything is simple and quite convenient. And now, if you accidentally pull the charging cord, the laptop will not fall off the table - the wire will simply unhook.
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    The charger itself is small, has a matte case, the sides are glossy. The charging design follows the idea of ​​concentric circles on ASUS laptops.
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    image Appearance


    The front part is completely covered with glass. The screen is widescreen, respectively, the body of the device is elongated and narrow. After 9-inch tablets, it’s unusual to hold such a large device. When the tablet is inserted into the dock, it no longer seems so narrow - we have before us an ordinary modern laptop. The tablet itself weighs 975 g, its dimensions are 340x219 mm, and the thickness is only 11 mm. Moreover, when you hold it in your hands, it seems even thinner due to the fact that the thickness of the structure around the perimeter decreases to 4 mm. The case is made of machined metal sheet and is covered by the display, there are no bolts.
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    I checked all the glass around the perimeter - it does not break, it does not creak. The design is sturdy and does not bend. In the design of the back cover, ASUS adheres to the ZENBOOK concept - concentric circles extending from the center.
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    At the top there is a ventilation grill, large speaker grilles are visible on the sides.
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    If you prefer when there is nothing superfluous on the device, the sticker can be removed.
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    Now consider the docking station into which the tablet itself is inserted. The case is completely made of metal, the device is one-piece and durable.
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    In the hands it does not bend or creak, the construction is solid. The bottom is covered with a metal sheet, the joints fit exactly, the distance between the body and the bottom is minimal.
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    The docking station is made in a recognizable wedge-shaped design. The thickness of the dock is about 12 mm; it weighs 956 g. The hinge is made of thick plastic. The pins on which the device rests are steel, the latches are also metal. In order to avoid scratching the glass when installing in the dock, the mounting walls are covered with fabric.
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    The process of installing the tablet in the docking station is quite simple: we lower the device into the dock, we hear a click - it's done.
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    Everything is exactly the same as in the Transformer Pad. In order to remove the tablet, just pull the slider button on the hinge.
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    image Interfaces


    For convenience, I’ll insert the tablet into the dock and describe all the available interfaces.
    On the left side of the tablet is a universal headset jack, next to micro HDMI, then a small perforation made by a laser, from where the diode shines, indicating the battery status.
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    Further we see a hole for a hot reboot of the device and a volume rocker.
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    On the dock is the magnetic connector of the charger, a card reader that reads all modern cards, perforation of battery indicators and accesses to the hard drive.
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    On the opposite side of the dock is an output for a mini DisplayPort monitor, two USB 3.0 ports and a compact RJ45 for the network.
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    At the bottom of the tablet there is a micro SD card reader that reads cards up to 64 GB. Accordingly, the built-in memory can be increased.
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    If the tablet is inserted in the dock, access to the memory card remains free.
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    Next, we see the holes for attaching the docking station, a magnetic connector for the charger and a connector for synchronizing with the docking station.
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    image Sound


    The audio component is certified by Bang & Olufsen , a Danish company specializing in the production of hi-end audio and video equipment. There is also support for SonicMaster technology.
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    According to ASUS engineers, this technology involves the use of hardware and software to improve sound quality, close to what they provide full-fledged separate audio systems.
    In fact, we already have four quality speakers: two in the tablet itself and two in the dock.
    Under the speakers there is a perforation just above the middle. That is, holding the tablet in your hands, you do not close the speakers.
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    The speakers in the dock have small slots covered with metal mesh.
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    The sound is more voluminous and quality. This is one of the best sound systems I've heard on laptops.
    Also, various built-in software for improving sound is built into Windows. There are various settings that allow you to choose the right options for custom scripts.
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    On the upper edge are two microphones with a noise reduction system.
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    image Screen and camera


    The tablet screen has a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, a diagonal of 13.3 inches, the number of pixels per inch - 165. The IPS matrix gives wide viewing angles (178 °) and perfectly reproduces colors. The screen is protected by an anti-glare filter.
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    Advantages of the display include surprisingly high contrast (800: 1) and brightness (350 nits). This display is one of the best on the market.
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    Above the screen is a webcam (720p) for video calls. During its operation, a nearby LED turns on. Also nearby is a light sensor for adjusting the brightness.

    image Input Devices


    The touch screen is made by capacitive technology with support for MultiTouch. The screen fulfills all 10 fingers. It is interesting to play Fruit Ninja.
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    Glass is protected from scratches by Corning Fit Glass technology. Fingerprints are easily erased thanks to an oleophobic coating. The screen sensitivity is high: even weak touches are practiced. All Windows 8 gestures are perceived by the system without problems. During operation, the “Start” touch button lights up under the screen.
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    The keyboard on the dock has a typical keyboard layout for ultrabooks. The keys are matte, no prints left. There is nothing to bend here, since the substrate is metal. The keys do not rattle and have a standard course.
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    Ctrl in its place, next to the Fn button for additional functions. The unspoken standard: if the laptop is thin, then the cursor keys are small.
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    To control the interaction with the dock there is a special key. When you press it, a window opens in the Metro-style, in which you can set various settings.
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    For comfortable work in the dark there is a backlight. The symbols on the keys are laser engraved and glow in the dark. The backlight brightness (three levels) can be changed with a key combination, and it can also be adjusted automatically using a light sensor.
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    It’s becoming more common to see large touchpads in laptops - these trends are only encouraging. The touchpad has a size of 104x61 mm. The finger glides perfectly on the rough texture. You can make a click with the "left mouse button" on the entire area of ​​the touchpad. In the lower right part, you can right-click or tap with two fingers. Naturally, Multi Touch and all Windows 8 gestures are supported: starting, switching applications, swiping, etc.
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    It is noticeable that the platform for the touchpad was made by the milling cutter: the frame was polished, as if chrome.
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    image Performance


    The tablet works quickly: it wakes up from sleep mode in 2 seconds, it takes 8 seconds to fully turn on. If a dock is used, the tablet wakes up from sleep mode when the structure is opened. It looks like there is some kind of magnetic sensor.
    Inside the Transformer Book there is a small cooler that sometimes starts to work. It works so quietly that it is usually not audible. Blowing out of the ventilation grill is closer to the power button. If you put the tablet on the table, then the lattice does not overlap. During productive work, only this place heats up - the rest of the tablet remains cold.
    Inside, the productive and economical Intel Core i5 3317U of the Ivy Bridge family, made using 22-nm technology, is working. The usual processor frequency is 1.7 GHz, when the production mode is turned on, the multiplier increases, and the frequency can increase to 2.6 GHz.
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    RAM - 4 GB, works in dual channel mode. Expansion is impossible - you will not peel off the display for this.
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    As usual, the Intel HD4000 integrated into the processor is responsible for the video. The closest discrete analogs are the GeForce 8600 GT and ATI Radeon HD 3670. You can play Batman ArkhamCity (at average settings it produces 45 FPS) or Crysis 2 (at low settings - 43 FPS). Other games can be found here . But in general, of course, this device is not for games.
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    Inside there is a 120 GB SanDisk SSD U100.
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    In the docking station - 500 GB Hitachi HTS 545050a7e380 HDD.
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    Windows Spherical Performance Assessment in a Vacuum.
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    SSD speed tests in CrystalDiskMark and HD Tune Pro.
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    HDD speed tests in CrystalDiskMark and HD Tune Pro.
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    USB 3.0 speed tests in CrystalDiskMark.
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    3DMark06 and PCMark 7.
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    image Battery and Runtime


    There are two batteries in total. In the tablet there is a dual-cell lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh, in the docking station there is a similar battery of lower capacity (3120 mAh).
    Reading mode: the network is off, the minimum brightness. The external battery worked for 3.5 hours, the tablet itself lasted 6.5 hours, a total of 10 hours.
    Internet surfing: medium brightness, Wi-Fi, every 15 seconds a new page in the browser. 2 hours from the battery of the docking station, 4.5 hours - from the built-in, a total of 6.5 hours.
    Video mode: watching 1080p video, the network is off, average brightness. 2.5 hours from the dock and 5 hours from the built-in battery. Total 7.5 hours.
    In total, it takes 4 hours to charge both batteries. If the tablet is inserted into the dock, then the tablet itself is charged first, then the dock. There are indicators for both batteries.
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    The dock has two modes of operation.
    First mode: all the ports of the docking station, keyboard, touchpad, hard drive are available to us, but the tablet will not be charged from the docking station, only in sleep mode;
    The second mode involves using an external battery, that is, the tablet does not discharge, charging the dock is spent, and only after there is no charge left in the dock, the tablet will discharge. In this mode, all interfaces are disabled, the hard drive is not available.
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    image Conclusion


    Once again, ASUS was able to create a very unusual and interesting device. Transformer Book is convenient to use both a tablet and laptop mode. It turned out a universal device. IPS Full HD screen in conjunction with a powerful processor causes a pleasant feeling from using a computer. At first, it’s unusual that a full-fledged computer with desktop Windows 8 is in hand. Of course, you won’t work on a tablet for a long time - you might get tired, but the very tendency to reduce such devices pleases. An additional battery in the dock will help out on a trip, and a micro SD slot will increase the built-in memory. In general, if you want an interesting and versatile device, then a tablet-laptop then ASUS Transformer Book will be an excellent choice.
    Price from 57 000 p.

    Thanks for attention!

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