Looking for an all-in-one that is a be-all-do-all device? While the Asus Transformer AiO is probably technically geared more towards everyday consumers, I think there is some very real business potential in this strange all-in-one.
For starters, it is a massive 18.4-inch tablet with a screen resolution of 1920×1080. That’s not what is so special about it though. The tablet/all-in-one not only works great in its dock, but it comes out so you can take it around with you.
Still not impressed? What about having a FULL Arm Tegra 3 and FULL x86 Intel Core processor inside? Thanks to this unique set-up, the device can be switched from Windows 8 (x86) to Android Jelly Bean (ARM) at the push of a button. Keep in mind that the Windows 8 part of the step-up is actually inside of the all-in-one dock but it can still be used on around the office– as long as you are in streaming range. Out of range? It reverts to Android and ARM.
This means you can use Android apps natively, you can use Windows Store apps, and you can use your legacy Windows desktop apps. It also has a battery so you can drag it wherever you need to go.
In nutshell, this device can be used for quite a wide range of scenarios:
1) As an office workstation for executives and other ‘special’ employees.
2) While it works great as an Office computer it can also be hauled to meetings, placed on a table and used for presentations and other business functions.
2) The device is perfect for work environments where having Android, Windows and legacy compatibility is important.
Alright, so buying dozens of this for all your employees wouldn’t make sense, but having a few key executives with this unique device could certainly be a good idea. Its a presentation device, its a workstation, and it has the power of two great mobile operating systems.
So how much is it? Actually, not too horribly expensive when you consider just how much hardware is tied up in this Frankenstein-ian creation. The base Transform AiO will arrive at $1,299 with a Core i3 processor and Tegra 3. Higher end options for i5 and i7 will obviously cost quite a bit more. No word on when exactly this device is shipping, but color me impressed. While its dual-OS platform and nature might be confusing to some, it could also be the perfect compromise device for some business users and average consumers as well.
What do you think, great idea or is such a clunky monster tablet more confusing than anything?
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