ASUS Announced Transformer Book Duet TD300 With Intel Core processors, Dual-Boot Windows 8.1/Android 4.2.2

Asus is famous for the unusual designs for its Android devices, as one look at the Padfone series of devices will tell you. Another fresh take on mobile devices announced at CES comes in the form of the Asus Transformer Book Duet. This is a convertible laptop/tablet hybrid that dual-boots Windows 8.1 and Android 4.2.2. It also packs some serious laptop-grade hardware.

Tech specs:

• Dual-OS - Windows 8.1 Standard / Android 4.2.2
• 13.3-inch Full HD IPS multi-touch display
• Up to Intel Core-i7 processor [specific configurations not listed]
• 4GB DDR3L 1600 RAM
• Up to 128GB SSD in Tablet
• Up to 1TB HDD in Dock
• 38WHr battery, estimated battery life around 5 hours in Windows 8.1 and 6 hours in Android 4.2.2.
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR
• Tablet ports: Micro SD card, Headphone jack, DC jack
• Keyboard dock ports: 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 10/100Mbit/s LAN, HDMI 1.4, audio combo jack, DC jack
• Tablet measures 342.7 x 216.3 x 12.9mm; dock measures 340.9 x 217.6 x 16mm.

The device can be used in either laptop or tablet mode in Windows and Android. A physical switch on the device (or software button) will immediately shift the Transformer Book Duet between Android and Windows. Asus calls this the Instant Switch button. Because this hybrid is rocking laptop-quality hardware, the tablet portion is a little bigger than standard ARM tablets. Imagine a Microsoft Surface Pro 2, but with an Android option and a slightly bigger LCD.

Asus was originally planning on shipping the Transformer Book Duet with Android 4.1, however, a last minute decision was made to get a build of Android 4.2.2 on the device. It might not be KitKat, but it's better than 4.1. Asus hasn't announced any specific release date or pricing details yet.

Pricing will start at $599 with a Core i3 and 1366x768 screen. For $699, customers can upgrade to 1080p display.

via android police