Review of the ASUS Transformer Book T100

Those seeking low cost solutions may be attracted by the ASUS Transformer Book T100; I was.  It is a hybrid (tablet with attachable keyboard that can function like a laptop) that runs Microsoft Windows 8.1 and comes with Microsoft Office 2013, Home and Student Edition. It has a 10.1 inch screen with a 1366 x 768 resolution and a decent looking spec list for its current retail price of $349.99. Comparatively, the Microsoft Surface 2 with keyboard starts around $570 and is limited by Windows RT. I thought the ASUS Transformer Book T100 may be a good solution, especially for those determined to stick with Microsoft Office. After reading some positive reviews (full of fluff in hindsight), one could say I got caught up in bottom dollar blindness and decided to purchase one for review. Potential buyers be warned and keep reading to find out why.

View fullsize

What is the buyer really getting? Take away roughly $60 for Windows 8 (32 bit Home Edition) and roughly $100 for MS Office Home and Student. Subtract the $160 from the $349.99 retail price, leaving $189 for retail markup, marketing, and actual device production. It is essentially a reconfigured netbook with an Intel Atom processor. All the internals have been packed behind the screen and the keyboard is a hollow shell with clasp that attaches to the tablet/screen. While it runs the full version of Windows 8.1, it is slow. This reviewer was hit with multiple Windows updates directly out of the box and it took quite a bit of time to get up and running.

The tablet portion of the ASUS Transformer Book does snap securely into the keyboard base for a solid fit. However, when the Transformer Book is open it rests on the hard plastic hinge and does not feel stable. The hinge lifts the rear portion of the keyboard off of the rubber feet so it is no longer grippy on a table surface and wants to slide around. The keyboard is cramped and is made of hollow plastic that makes it sound loud and cheap. Additionally, there is a large ridge in front of the spacebar which makes it awkward to hit while typing. Quite frankly, I have used toddler toy computers that have more solid keyboards.

The screen is 10.1 inch in size with a 16:9 aspect ratio and has a 1366 x 768 resolution. It is the same size and resolution as the original Microsoft Surface RT. Plus HP uses a 1366 x 768 resolution on a 15” HP Envy laptop that is listed at $899 and it is commonly found on PC laptops that are 13, 14, 15 inches in size. The specs look decent—until one tries to use it. The Windows 8.1 tile interface scales just fine, but anything that launches from the desktop such as MS Office looks horrible. The fonts become tiny, pixelated and fuzzy with touch targets that are minuscule and extremely difficult to hit. System fonts have not been adjusted to display properly and it makes the included Microsoft Office apps a chore to use. Additionally, the touchpad is chintzy and clicks loudly due to the hollow plastic.

If your use case includes more than watching YouTube videos and the occasional Office document, then steer clear of the ASUSTransformer Book T100. While the inclusion of Microsoft Office is the primary selling point; it is not practical to use. Which begs to ask, is one getting what they pay for? This reviewers conclusion would be emphatically, no. It is just not that good. It could seem as though I have spent more time and thought reviewing this product than went into designing it. That should be an embarrassment for ASUS, because they do make some solid products--but not this is not one of them. Be warned, don’t get caught up in bottom dollar blindness like I did, there are better solutions to be found.