Asus Transformer Book T100HA review

The Asus Transformer Book T100HA is the latest in a line of convertible tablet-laptops from Asus, and once again it's affordable, portable and pretty decent on the specs front. Does it do enough to make it a worthwhile purchase though? We took a look at one to find out.

The good

The original Transformer Book was something a bit special, standing out from the dross of cheap tablets and laptops, and offering a viable alternative for both. We've seen plenty of fantastic tablets like the Microsoft Surface make an appearance since then though, and the Windows 10-based Asus Transformer Book T100HA has a tough fight on its hands.

The 10.1-inch form factor is both a blessing and a downside, proving small and portable and easy to take with you on the move. Despite the size it still packs in a comfortable keyboard, and you can easily detach the keyboard when you want to use the T100HA as a stand-alone slate.

It's easy when you do want to transform from one to the other, with no need to faff around with Bluetooth, and there's also a decent selection of ports, with a microphone/headphone jack, microSD, microHDMI and a still-unusual USB-C port. There's also a full-sized USB 2.0 port.

The on-paper specs help the Asus Transformer Book T100HA to justify its £200-£250 price tag, with an Intel Atom Z8500 processor, 4GB of RAM and integrated Intel HD graphics.

The Bad

Sadly, the on-paper specs don't live up to their promise, and in reality the Asus Transformer Book T100HA is pretty slow. Simply upgrading the Xbox app on the Windows Store took an absolute age, and trying to browse the internet proved frustrating due to the cramped and unresponsive trackpad.

It's unlikely to prove a sticking point for most people, but the camera is laughable, and the speakers aren't particularly impressive either.

Unlike lots of hybrid designs, there's no additional battery in the keyboard section, and the 10 hours we managed to get is pretty average. It's not bad, but it could easily have been improved with a second battery.

It's the screen that really lets the Asus Transformer Book T100HA down though, and at 10.1 inches it feels pretty cramped. It looks poor, too, courtesy of a low-rent 1280 x 800 resolution, and viewing angles are shocking. Even at this price, it's getting to the point we expect to see at least Full HD panels, and it really lets the Asus down.

The bottom line

While the original Transformer Book may have been an affordable trailblazer, the Asus Transformer Book T100HA feels outdated, slow and unremarkable. It's still pretty solid, but quite frankly you'd be better off with a Chromebook if you want a cheap laptop, a regular tablet if you want a slate, or a Surface if a hybrid tablet appeals.