ASUS Transformer Book Trio: a hybrid laptop running Windows and Android (hands-on)

If you thought ASUS was done announcing new products here at Computex, get ready for at least one more surprise. The company just unveiled the Transformer Book Trio, a dockable tablet that can run Windows and Android. At first glance, it's visually quite similar to the Transformer Book we just reviewed, except this time it has 11.6-inch, 1080p screen. And, you know, twice as many operating systems. If you're wondering how that works, there's a physical hotkey allowing you to switch OSs, similar to the setup on the Transformer AiO, which was announced last year at this same show. It's important to note, though, that that hotkey will only work if you have the tablet latched into the keyboard dock; once you unplug the tablet it will only run Android Jelly Bean.

Spec-wise, dual operating systems amounts to dual processors, with a fourth-generation Core i7-4500U processor powering the Windows 8 experience, and a 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 chip handling Android Jelly Bean. In fact, Intel EVP Tom Kilroy made an appearance at ASUS' press event in Taipei to help formally introduce the product. Continuing on, dual OSs also means multiple batteries: the package includes a 33Wh cell as well as a 19Wh one. As for storage, you've got a 1TB HDD inside the dock, and 64GB of flash storage inside the tablet proper. If you're looking for a price, ASUS isn't planning on announcing that today, but a company rep did confirm the Trio is slated for a Q3 launch. For now, you'll find a hands-on video and few first impressions after the break.

Gallery: ASUS Transformer Trio hands-on

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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