16 January,2015 08:00 AM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
If looks matter, we would give Asus’ latest hybrid laptop, the T200TA a 10 on 10, but a poor camera and overweight body play spoilsport
Asus' T200TA laptop, Asus, Gadget review, laptops, Mumbai Guide, Technology
With a design language that oozes style and elegance, the T200TA is without doubt a beauty, you would proudly own. The latest in Asus' Transformer range of devices, the T200TA, like its predecessors comes with a detachable screen and a keyboard dock station, but with a lower price tag.
What we liked
Powered by a 1.46 GHz Intel Bay Trail processor (with integrated Intel HD Graphics) and 2 GB RAM with a 11.6-inch touch screen (1366x768 wide view LED backlight glare panel) the T200TA not only makes for a great companion for daily tasks like word processing, typing and browsing with a long-lasting battery, it also offers the flexibility to change between a tablet and laptop at your convenience. So, if you wish to browse the Internet or read an article, unlock the screen and use it like a tablet. The Windows 8.1 OS makes sure you get a decent browsing experience in the tablet mode.
And, if you want to type out something, or store or access large files, dock it to the keyboard station. You get direct access to all keyboard functions of a laptop as well as 500 GB data space built in the keyboard station apart from the 20 GB EMMC storage built-in the screen.
In terms of connectivity, the device comes with a mini USB port, a MicroSD card slot, a headphone-out jack/audio-in combo, one line-in jack, and HDMI slot, all built in on the screen. With the keyboard dock, you get an extra USB port, and a LAN port. No optical drive, though. The 38 Whrs Polymer Battery gives enough juice to make the device easily last up to 8-10 hours.
What we didn't like
But then, like every good thing, the T200TA has its own limitations. Firstly, for an 11.6-inch laptop, the T200TA is the heaviest we've tested (partly due to the HDD that comes in-built). However, the weight issue can be fixed easily, by replacing the HDD in the keyboard station with a lighter SDD drive. But this will increase its cost.
Secondly, the cameras are very bad. The T200TA gets a 5 MP web camera in the back, and an HD web camera on the front. The captured images are of poor quality; and the cameras are very slow. They take ages to start, and when they do, the live preview lags behind the actual action in progress, making photography or videography a nightmare - a huge disappointment.
Besides, despite the smart engineering of Asus, the locks in the dock are not sturdy, as the screen is a bit shaky. We also didn't like that the keyboard dock didn't have an in-built battery, which in fact could have been an added bonus for device owners.
Final verdict
Overall, the Taiwanese company seems to have finally figured out a way to make laptops impressive to buyers, but while doing so, it has ignored some basic features like camera and weight. If it corrects these two aspects, the T200TA can easily be the best hybrid in town.
Rating: 6/10
