14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that one of the most ardent dilemma taking form in consumers’ minds today is whether they should purchase a laptop or a convertible (so they can have the option of turning it into a tablet when needed).
ASUS offers products from both categories with acceptable price tags. And we've taken the opportunity here to compare two models, the ASUS X200CA-HCL1104G (sells for $250 / €183) and the Transformer Book T100Ta (starts at $350 / €256).
Interestingly enough the cheaper laptop bundles a slightly faster processor, the Intel Celeron 1007U which has achieved benchmark scores (with PassMark) of 1,470 compared to the 1,080 of the Atom Z3540 powering the Transformer Book.
The performance dissonance won’t be noticeable when you surf the web or create a presentation, but it will certainly become evident with more demanding tasks.
The Transformer Book T100A also has only 2GB of RAM that might slow down performance, compared to the laptop, which boasts 4GB instead.
The laptop is also equipped with a larger storage capacity of 320GB, whereas the convertible offers a choice between 32GB or 64GB (with the second version costing more, of course), but users can increase via the microSD card.
The notebook comes out on top in the ports and slot department as well, because it bundles one extra USB port and has VGA video out with HDMI.
On the other hand, the hybrid is a versatile machine that can be turned into a notebook or tablet at will. It bundles the latest Microsoft OS so it comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013, included in the price.
Display wise, the laptop has a relatively larger screen, but the resolution is the same with both models (1366 x 768 pixels), but the convertible’s IPS screen technology allows for wider viewing angles and a better display of the overall picture.
While the Asus X200CA will last you a meager 4 to 5 hours, the hybrid has an advanced life source that can take you as far as 8-10 hours without going in for a recharge.
Now it’s up to you to decide, the ASUS laptop is pretty cheap and it beats the hybrid performance wise, but it’s certainly much more fun to own a tablet/notebook convertible. But does form-factor and design mean everything?
