That the tablet device changed the face of the consumer electronics industry is beyond question. Ever since the introduction of the iPad and the subsequent popularization of tablet-type computers, the new form factor has condemned even the vaunted netbook, once considered the future of mobile computing, to the trash heap of technology history.
But not all manufacturers agree that the tablet device need to be constrained in its existing form. Intel, with its continued chip and processor innovations, looks to enable hardware manufacturers to reinvent mobile computing as we know it. One of those, Taiwan-based ASUS, has capitalized on Intel’s new generation chips to introduce an entire line of computing devices that seek to change the way we work.
Three-In-Ones, Two-In-Ones, and All-In-Ones.
ASUS’ recently launched Transformer Book Trio (main picture), for example, is a three-in-one portable computing device that runs on both Windows 8 and Android and can essentially “transform” for different use cases – it can work as a tablet, a laptop, as well as connect to a monitor to turn it into a desktop PC – and blurring the lines of how we use computers.
“The ASUS Transformer Book Trio is the perfect device for individuals who want to establish the balance between work and play, yet desire the flexibility of a convertible device that could enhance their mobility,” explains Alvin Huang, ASUS Country Manager for Systems. Or it could appeal to those who have absolutely no clue how they want to use a computer, but perhaps that’s the reason for offering flexibility.
If the Transformer Book Trio is a bit too complicated for your use case, there’s the slightly less confusing Transformer Book T100 (above), an ultra-compact two-in-one device – deploying an Intel Bay Trail’ quad-core processor – that features a detachable screen that turns the laptop into a tablet.
But it looks like ASUS is not just on a quest to change how consumers use tablets; it’s really about how they integrate workflow and processes into the home and work spaces.
Consider the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 (left), an “all-in-one” desktop PC with a 10-point touchscreen display… that can be detached and used separately as a gigantic 18.4-inch tablet computer. I’m sure some offices or homes may have a use case for the P1801, but I can’t yet imagine what I’d find it useful for.
Yet all these devices are examples of ASUS’ sheer panache in its approach to mobile and desktop computing, the willingness to embrace the rapidly evolving computing needs.
“We seek to perfect the balance between engineering and humanity, where every intricate detail echoes our needs for both emotion and function,” said Darwin Wu, the ASUS South East Asia (SEA) Regional Director for Open Platform. “This is the ASUS way of design thinking, where every idea starts with people and we turn our imagination into a myriad of revolutionary innovations.”
