The best tablet for the job

There are few examples of Android operating system (OS) tablets designed for the enterprise, but the OS is finding its way in through bring your own device (BYOD) programmes. While it primarily targets the consumer market, Asus’s latest tablet shows what to expect in the enterprise market this year.

To tie in with CES in January, Asus unveiled a hybrid Windows 8.1 Professional tablet, the Transformer Book Duet (TD300). Asus claims it is the world’s first quad-mode, dual-OS laptop and tablet convertible that allows users to switch between Windows and Android in either laptop or tablet modes in just four seconds. The user either pushes the Instant Switch button or uses the virtual key on the tablet to change modes. The device uses an Intel Core i7 processor and so should run faster than existing tablets based on ARM processors. It is configured with Intel HD graphics and 4GB DDR3L 1600 RAM.

According to Asus, the manufacturer’s patented dual-mode technology enables users to switch seamlessly and resume each OS from where they left off. As it does not use OS virtualisation, Instant Switch also allows each OS to harness the full power of the Intel processor, the supplier said. The Transformer ships with 128GB of SSD storage which can be supplemented by a 64GB Micro SD card, while the keyboard dock houses a 1TB hard disk drive. The dock includes USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, a LAN port and HDMI 1.4 output with 1080p support.

The final slide in this series gives a round-up of trends in the enterprise tablet market >>

More articles on tablets:

• Do you need tablets in your workplace?
• The future of the tablet computer in the enterprise
• Download the Computer Weekly ezine to read Best tablet for the job