ASUS Taichi Hands-On: Two Screens, One Windows 8 Ultrabook
Oct 24, 2012 03:25 PM EDT by 
Are two screens better than one? ASUS is hoping to answer that question with its newest ultrabook, the ASUS Taichi. Instead of placing a decorative pattern on the back of its notebook lid, ASUS doubles the users’ pleasure with an additional 11.6-inch touch screen that can we used as a tablet or as the ultimate presentation monitor for someone sitting across from you.
We had a chance to go hands-on with a Taichi and switched between its four modes (Notebook, Tablet, Mirror and Dual Screen) using a blue button in the function key row. There was a 2-3 second delay before the top display responded. Both multitouch 11.6-inch displays are IPS 1080p which made Windows 8′s Modern UI and its colorful Live Tiles pop. When we visited Laptopmag.com, text was crisp and very easy to read. The screen responded to all our gestures quickly, summoning the Charms menu and Recent Apps bar when we swiped in from left or right or closing apps when we swiped all the way down.
Weighing a little under 3 pounds, the Taichi cuts a lithe figure that’s sure to turn heads and it will easily slip into most messenger bags. However we’re a little concerned about the back display and whether it is durable enough to withstand everyday wear and tear.
Available in November, the $1,299 Taichi will feature an Intel Core i5-3317U CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and a Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU. The notebook has a pair of USB 3.o ports, microHDMI, VGA, a dual microphone/headphone jack and a backlit keyboard. It will also feature Bang & Olufsen ICEpower technology, so were are hoping for audio comparable to the ASUS N56VZ-DS71.
Stay tuned for our full review of the ASUS Taichi ultrabook.
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October 25th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Really? You couldn’t wait until the guy in the background stopped bellowing? I can barely make out what Sherri is saying.
October 27th, 2012 at 7:50 am
I dont think the product we are being shown is the taichi. she says this is the transformer….
Aside from “price”, i find the taichi product hands down more interesting than microsoft surface that is if your looking for one solution that will truly replace both laptop/tablet.
October 28th, 2012 at 12:41 am
Hopefully Android and other open tablets will use the Epiphany accelerator chip so they become more powerful and speedier than PCs. Then it will be left up to third party software and hardware manufacturers to make the device ergonomic for office and professional use.