February 06, 2013

ASUS Taichi – a notebook that conveniently doubles as a tablet

By Databazaar Blog

The 11.6” ASUS Taichi can be used as a notebook or a tablet. It is available with Intel i5/i7 core processors and 128 GB/256 GB SSD. Choose the i7 processor with 256 GB SSD if you’re going to need some serious computing performance. There’s a manual switch to put the Taichi in notebook-only mode or in hybrid mode. In the notebook-only mode, when you close the lid the device goes to sleep. In the hybrid mode when you close the lid the inner display is turned off and the device functions as a tablet. The Taichi supports four display modes—notebook mode (inner display), tablet mode (outer display), mirror mode (both inner and outer display show the same content) and the extended desktop mode.

The glossy outer display is made of gorilla glass and it supports touch screen operations as well as the N-Trig digital pen. When you need to spend long hours on your notebook, it’s better to use the matte inner display; you’ll get relief from eye strain. In the tablet mode you can experience the full power of Windows 8 support for multi-touch gestures and swipes. However, in the notebook mode the display doesn’t support touch screen functionality; so you have to depend on the multi-touch track pad.

The 5M auto focus camera in the tablet mode is capable of 1080p, while in the notebook mode you get a HD 720p camera. Interfaces include VGA, HDMI and USB 3.0. The Taichi supports dual band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and also provides an external cable for Ethernet connectivity. The battery is good for around 5 hours.

Summary

The small and lightweight ASUS Taichi is a convenient notebook that doubles as a tablet.

MSRP: $1,299 (Core i5 128 GB SSD), $1,599 (Core i7 256 GB SSD)

Manufacturer

ASUS

Product Page

Asus Taichi

Specs that matter

Release Date:	January, 2013
Notable Features:	Notebook/Tablet; 11.6” display; 5 hour battery life in power saving mode; Intel HD Graphics 4000; Backlit keyboard; 4 GB onboard memory; SATA III SSD; Sleek and light; Switch between notebook and tablet mode; Notebook and tablet screens work simultaneously and independently; Sonic Master audio and array microphones; N-Trig digital pen
CPU:	Intel Core i7-3517U / Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory:	DDR3 1600 MHz 4 GB (onboard)
Storage:	SATA III SSD 128 GB / 256 GB
Display:	11.6”, 16:9 FHD (10 Fingers Touch in tablet mode) 1920 x 1080
Camera:	Tablet – 5M Auto Focus 1080p; Notebook – HD 720p
Connectivity:	802.11 a/b/g/n with Intel WIDI support; External cable for 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; Bluetooth 4.0
Interface:	Mini VGA Port; Two USB 3.0 ports; Micro HDMI 1.4; Audio jack combo; DC Jack
OS Compatibility:	Windows 8/Windows 8 Pro
Warranty:	1 year limited hardware warranty

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