14 DAY TRIAL // Perhaps one of the hottest items to show its face at CES 2014 was the ASUS Transformer Duet, the so-called world’s 4-in-1 dual-OS tablet/laptop hybrid.
This versatile machine is apparently capable of switching between Windows 8.1 and Android 4.2.2 in just 4 seconds by virtue of just a few clicks and taps. So you basically have a Windows tablet, an Android tablet, a Windows laptop and Android laptop, all in one.
Now, the device appears to have already been made available for pre-order in some parts of Europe, namely Germany. So eager customers can already sign up to get one via online retail locations like Notebooksilliger.de.
Both operating systems share an Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and Intel HD graphics, so that might explain why alternating between the two is achieved so easily (by taking advantage of the Dual OS Instant Switch Technology).
The Transformer Book Due includes a 13.3-inch HD IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Now, bear in mind that more powerful processors will end up eating up battery life, so the 38WHr is expected to last around 5 hours in Windows 8.1 mode and 6 hours in Android.
ASUS has bundled a front-facing HD Camera, 128GB of SSD storage and a micro SD card slot with the tablets, while the keyboard dock is home to a 1TB hard drive, USB, LAN and HDMI out.
An array of extra is also available with the model, 802.11ac, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0+EDR, a headphone jack, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 10/100Mbit/s LAN, an HDMI 1.4 output and support for microSD cards.
If you’re wondering if the ASUS Transformer Book Duet is a machine that you can carry around with you, it’s not the lightest we have seen so far. When the tablet is combined with the keyboard dock, they end up weighing together 1.9 kg / 4.1 lbs.
The version offered on Notebooksbilliger is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and is available for pre-order at the price of €799 / $1,092.