ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi (T100CHI-B1-BK, T100CHI-C1-BK) Affordable 10.1″ 2-in-1 PC

The ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi is a 10.1-inch 2-in-1 PC with a detachable keyboard. It is an affordable entry-level computer based on a low-end Intel Atom processor, but it sports some high-end features such as a sharp Full HD display with IPS wide viewing angle technology and support for active stylus pen input.

Another great advantage of the T100 Chi and available T100CHI-B1-BK and T100CHI-C1-BK models is a great portability. The tablet portion is just 0.3-inch thin and weighs a mere 1.3 pounds. When you attach the keyboard dock (using device’s magnetic hinge), you get one of the thinnest and lightest notebooks on the market with a profile of 0.5-inch and a weight of 2.4 pounds. The device has a luxurious feel to it, since it is made of brushed aluminum.

Computing-wise, the included Intel Atom Z3775 Bay Trail processor has sufficient power only for the basic tasks of the average home and office user, such as web browsing, multimedia playback, or work in Word and Excel programs. The Atom features very basic Intel HD integrated graphics, which is good only for casual, retro or indie titles, and select non-demanding modern 3D games. Since the T100 Chi has only 2GB of system memory, it imposes some multitasking constraints, meaning you won’t be able to run as many programs simultaneously as on PCs with 4GB or more RAM. As for data storage, the 2-in-1 is available with either 32GB or 64GB of storage capacity. That’s the only difference between the T100CHI-B1-BK model (32GB) and T100CHI-C1-BK (64GB). The later model is highly recommended.

Other important features are stereo speakers enhanced by SonicMaster technology, dual cameras with a 5-megapixel shooter on the back and a 2MP one for video chats on the front, 802.11N Wi-Fi wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, video output via a micro HDMI port, micro USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports on the tablet and another micro USB 2.0 on the keyboard base, combo mic/headphones audio jack, and a microSD media card reader. On the software side, it’s worth mentioning the 2-in-1 runs Windows 8.1 OS and comes with a free 1-year subscription for Microsoft Office 365 Personal and 1 Terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage.

Asus claims the Transformer Book T100 Chi provides up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Overall, the specs and features of the T100 Chi with aforementioned active digitizer pen support, make it a viable and cheaper alternative to the famous Microsoft Surface 3. Especially, the 64GB T100CHI-C1-BK model which doesn’t suffer from limited storage space of the 32GB T100CHI-B1-BK. The comparable 64GB Surface 3 and separately sold keyboard for it currently cost $629.99 combined, whereas the T100CHI-C1-BK with the keyboard included is priced at around $450. True, the Surface 3 with a slightly bigger 10.8″ display uses a newer Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor. But, display resolution is very similar and in everyday use performance difference isn’t that big, except in the graphics processing department.

As for the pen input, both devices use similar technologies with pressure level sensitivity, but unfortunately, the ASUS Chi Stylus isn’t available for purchase at the time of this writing.