The ASUS Transformer Book is not your usual 13 inch tablet, if there is such a thing as a usual slate over 10 inches in diagonal. Anyhow, this model is more of a hybrid, one running Windows 8 and based on a potent Core i5 CPU. Now the device is finally getting a launch, starting with Japan, this week.
The Transformer Book had a rough start, since the preorder prices of its Core i7 version were a bit too high for anyone’s comfort zone. The device was going for $1,479 in that version and we should probably mention some specs, so that you know what you’re getting for Easter. The hybrid packs a 13.3 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display and in the highest end config it sports a dual core 1.9 GHz Core i7 3517U CPU, with Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB HDD, plus a 128 GB SSD.
The price obviously includes the keyboard dock. The Core i5 version that will hit Japan these days will be priced at a more affordable $1,280 and it will bring a 128 GB SSD, microSD expansion, 4 GB of RAM and all of that inside a 950 gram tablet. The keyboard dock doubles the weight an adds an extra 500 GB HDD, SD card slot and two USB 3.0 ports.
