14 DAY TRIAL // One thing about convertible notebooks/tablets is that most of them have a 360-degree hinge that spins the display half and lays it flat over the keyboard, but ASUS figured it could make things simpler. There is also the part about the small rotating hinge being a particularly fragile part of a convertible's construction, and ASUS doesn't like its items to be breakable. Consumers don't either, for that matter.
That is why, last year in October, ASUS revealed the Taichi 21, an 11.6-inch ultrabook with two displays.
It was delayed once, but eventually it reached the market, introducing the public to the idea of a laptop with a second screen on the lid.
Now, ASUS has completed the second item in the Taichi series, called Taichi 31 and measuring 13.3 inches in diagonal.
An Intel Core i5 or Core i7 central processing unit acts as the figurative heart of the computer, and brain really.
The amount of RAM is customizable most likely, probably in the range of 4-8 GB, while storage is provided by a fast solid-state drive (SSD).
The connectivity and I/O is on par to those of other laptops too, with Wi-Fi, LAN, USB 3.0, card slot, 5 MP camera, etc.
Even a backlit keyboard is included, along with a large touchpad and full support for Windows 8 gestures.
Speaking of which, the Taichi 31 has a multitouch screen as well, with 10-finger tracking, making the Windows 8 gestures available to direct display manipulation as well. As a bonus, a pressure-sensitive stylus allows for annotating documents, drawing sketches, handwritten notes, etc.
Finally, both the normal screen and the one on the other side of the lid can be active at the same in, in mirrored Desktop or Extended Desktop mode. It allows one to work on, say, a document or e-mail while the screen on the lid plays a film for whoever is on the other side of the table, watching.
Sadly, ASUS' press release does not include pricing details, or even availability ones, though we suspect sales will start shortly.