A tablet that tries to be a laptop (like the Eee Pad Transformer) isn’t really a laptop unless it runs a desktop OS. So we guess the ASUS Transformer AiO will be the first real PC-cum-tablet when it does come to market (unless, of course, somebody else sneaks from out of the blue to cut the line).
Running both Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Windows 8, it’s a full-featured all-in-one computer and tablet in a single device. Staying faithful to the Transformer line, it features a fully-detachable display that acts as a proper Android tablet when pulled away from its docking stand.
In desktop mode, the ASUS Transformer AiO will boot immediately into Windows 8, running off the processing and storage hardware (with Ivy Bridge CPU and a discrete graphics card) integrated right on the stand. Like any all-in-one computer, you can hook it up to your USB peripherals, run optical media and whatever else you normally do on a Windows machine. When removed from its dock, the machine shifts into tablet mode, switching to Android 4.0 using the hardware integrated right into the display panel.
The 10-point multi-touch display measures 18.4 inches, which puts it in the smaller category for all-in-ones and the larger extremes for tablets. The display has its own battery module for powering it in tablet mode, while the docking stand requires to be plugged into a power source the entire time.
A prototype of the ASUS Transformer AiO has been presented at Computex 2012. No pricing or release dates have been announced.