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ASUS Transformer Book Lineup Bolstered With T100HA and TP200SA Models
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ASUS Transformer Book Lineup Bolstered With T100HA and TP200SA Models

ASUS has been quite successful at trying to carve out a place in the tech sector by packing more into their lineup than the competitors. We saw that clearly with the ASUS Zenbook UX305 Notebook, which offers much more storage and RAM than pretty much any other notebook in its price range, and doesn’t skimp on the form factor either. In the smartphone space, they also offer an impressive 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage in the ASUS ZenFone 2, and at a price that is pretty impressive. Back in 2013, Anand took a look at the ASUS Transformer Book lineup with the original T100. It was not perfect, but it certainly set a new bar for what to expect for what used to be netbook level pricing.

Today ASUS is at it again. The T100HA is the next generation of the original Transformer Book, and this time comes with Intel’s Atom x5, with the detachable keyboard that defines the T100 series. The TP200SA is a convertible notebook with a 360° hinge allowing it to be used as a tablet as well.

ASUS Transformer Book
  T100HA TP200SA
Processor Intel Atom x5-Z8500
1.44-2.24 GHz quad-core 14nm
2W SDP		 Intel Celeron N3050
1.6-2.16 GHz dual-core 14nm
4W SDP 6W TDP
Memory 4GB
GPU Intel HD Graphics Gen 8
Display 10.1″ 1280×800 IPS with touch 11.6″ 1366×768 IPS with touch
Storage 64 GB eMMC
I/O 1 x micro USB
1 x micro HDMI
1 x micro SD
1 x Type-C USB 3.0
Keyboard Dock 1 x USB 2.0		 1 x micro HDMI
1 x micro SD
1 x Type-C USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0
1 x USB 3.0
Dimensions (mm) : 265 x 175 x 8.38 plus 7.11-9.91 for dock
(inches) : 10.43″ x 6.89″ x 0.33″ plus 0.28-0.39 for dock		 (mm) : 297 x 201 x 18.54
(inches) : 11.68″ x 7.93″ x 0.73″
Weight Tablet: 580 g / 1.28 lbs
Dock: 471 g / 1.04 lbs		 1.20 kg / 2.65 lbs
Battery Up to 12 hours Up to 8 hours
Price $299 $349

The T100HA moves to Intel’s Cherry Trail Atom lineup which is the new 14 nm version of Atom. We first saw the x7 version of this in the Microsoft Surface 3, and ASUS is going with the quad-core x5-Z8500 model. The four cores have a base frequency of 1.44 GHz and a burst frequency of 2.24 GHz. The Scenario Design Power of this SoC is slightly lower than its x7 brother at just two watts. Graphics are Intel’s Gen 8 graphics with 12 execution units, and a frequency range of 200 to 600 MHz. This should be a pretty nice bump in performance over the outgoing Bay Trail model, and the 14 nm Atom should also increase battery life. ASUS claims that T100 can now get up to 12 hours on a single charge.

The tablet features an IPS display, and here it drops a bit of resolution over the old model but it also moves from a 16:9 to 16:10 aspect ratio, with the new model featuring a 1280×800 resolution. ASUS has also redesigned the keyboard dock, and the tablet now locks in with the help of neodymium magnets.

But I think where ASUS shows its strengths is the available storage and RAM, with the new model offering 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC storage as the only option. For the price of $299, the 10.1-inch tablet offers quite a bit of versatility and performance, and as is always the case with the Transformer Book lineup, the price also includes the detachable keyboard. Impressive stuff. The 1.28 lb tablet also features micro USB, micro HDMI, micro SD, and a USB Type-C port, albeit with just USB 3.0 speeds available, along with another USB 2.0 port on the keyboard dock.

For those that would prefer a more traditional notebook, ASUS offers the Transformer Book Flip T200SA. At 11.6 inches, it’s certainly a small notebook, but it also packs a lot in for a low cost notebook. The display is an IPS panel as well, which needs to be called out only because notebooks in this price range generally still ship with TN panels. The TP200SA features Intel’s Braswell SoC, with the Celeron N3050. This is also based on the same Airmont cores as Cherry Trail, but in this case it is just two cores, from 1.6 to 2.16 GHz, but with a TDP up to 6 watts which should let the two cores stretch their legs. The graphics is also Intel Gen 8 with 12 EUs and 320-600 MHz available. Once again, ASUS is outfitting this model with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, which is a nice baseline offering to have. The 2.65 lb notebook also features micro HDMI, Micro SD, USB Type-C 3.0, and two full sized USB ports with one at 2.0 speeds and another at 3.0 speeds. The notebook will come in a dark blue color scheme and will be sold for $349.

We’ve seen some pretty impressive low cost offerings in the last while, but ASUS has stepped up their game and are outfitting these models with enough storage and RAM to not make them feel overly strained. 32 GB on Windows 10 is doable, but space management becomes an issue fairly quickly despite the changes to how the OS uses that space. Even low cost tablets generally come with IPS panels, including the outgoing T100 model, but the TP200SA being outfitted with IPS at this price is very nice to see.

ASUS will begin selling both models later in the month.

Source: ASUS

QNAP's TVS-871T - A 10G NAS with Thunderbolt 2
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QNAP’s TVS-871T – A 10G NAS with Thunderbolt 2

QNAP operates in SMB / SME NAS space and differentiates itself by providing consumers with plenty of choices when it comes to the hardware platform. Over the last year or so, they have been introducing a range of NAS models with 10GbE capabilities. Video production houses are one of the main targets of these 10G NAS units. In order to better serve that particular market, QNAP has introduced the TVS-871T – a 8-bay NAS with dual 10GbE ports as well as two Thunderbolt 2 ports.

The TVS-871T is a tweaked version of one of their premium 10G NAS units – the 8-bay Core i5/i7-based TVS-871. The TVS-x71 series has two free expansion slots, and the TVS-871T has been created by just adding a Thunderbolt 2 PCIe card to one of the free expansion slots. The other slot is taken up by the 10G card.

Obviously, the more challenging aspect is the support for Thunderbolt 2 in the QTS operating system itself. On the QTS side, the Thunderbolt connection is made to appear as an ad-hoc network link. This enables the TVS-871T’s triple play feature – a direct-attached storage (DAS) unit using the Thunderbolt 2 links, a high-speed NAS unit using the two 10GbE ports and an iSCSI SAN over the same network ports. In addition to the TVS-871T’s i5- and i7-variants, QNAP also has expansion enclosures designed to work with them – the TX-800P and TX-500P. These expansion enclosures also come with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for easy daisy-chaining.

Given the variety of connections (multiple network ports, including 10GbE ones, as well as the two Thunderbolt 2 ports), there are many possible usage scenarios. QNAP talks about four main ones, which are outlined in the gallery below.

The hardware specifications of the various models being announced today are summarized in the table below.

QNAP’s TVS-871T has actually been doing the rounds in various trade shows over the last couple of months. Today, we are having the official launch in the North American market along with pricing details. The TVS-871T-i7-16G-US has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $3,199 while the TVS-871T-i5-16G-US comes in at $2,799. The two Thunderbolt 2 ports seem to be carrying a hefty premium over the vanilla versions (around $1000). However, the prices are reasonable when one looks at the cost of Thunderbolt SAN setups that can be replaced with the TVS-871T. Looking forward, the arrival of Thunderbolt 3 with the USB Type-C connector is sure to make such NAS / DAS / SAN triple-play units popular.

QNAP's TVS-871T - A 10G NAS with Thunderbolt 2
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QNAP’s TVS-871T – A 10G NAS with Thunderbolt 2

QNAP operates in SMB / SME NAS space and differentiates itself by providing consumers with plenty of choices when it comes to the hardware platform. Over the last year or so, they have been introducing a range of NAS models with 10GbE capabilities. Video production houses are one of the main targets of these 10G NAS units. In order to better serve that particular market, QNAP has introduced the TVS-871T – a 8-bay NAS with dual 10GbE ports as well as two Thunderbolt 2 ports.

The TVS-871T is a tweaked version of one of their premium 10G NAS units – the 8-bay Core i5/i7-based TVS-871. The TVS-x71 series has two free expansion slots, and the TVS-871T has been created by just adding a Thunderbolt 2 PCIe card to one of the free expansion slots. The other slot is taken up by the 10G card.

Obviously, the more challenging aspect is the support for Thunderbolt 2 in the QTS operating system itself. On the QTS side, the Thunderbolt connection is made to appear as an ad-hoc network link. This enables the TVS-871T’s triple play feature – a direct-attached storage (DAS) unit using the Thunderbolt 2 links, a high-speed NAS unit using the two 10GbE ports and an iSCSI SAN over the same network ports. In addition to the TVS-871T’s i5- and i7-variants, QNAP also has expansion enclosures designed to work with them – the TX-800P and TX-500P. These expansion enclosures also come with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for easy daisy-chaining.

Given the variety of connections (multiple network ports, including 10GbE ones, as well as the two Thunderbolt 2 ports), there are many possible usage scenarios. QNAP talks about four main ones, which are outlined in the gallery below.

The hardware specifications of the various models being announced today are summarized in the table below.

QNAP’s TVS-871T has actually been doing the rounds in various trade shows over the last couple of months. Today, we are having the official launch in the North American market along with pricing details. The TVS-871T-i7-16G-US has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $3,199 while the TVS-871T-i5-16G-US comes in at $2,799. The two Thunderbolt 2 ports seem to be carrying a hefty premium over the vanilla versions (around $1000). However, the prices are reasonable when one looks at the cost of Thunderbolt SAN setups that can be replaced with the TVS-871T. Looking forward, the arrival of Thunderbolt 3 with the USB Type-C connector is sure to make such NAS / DAS / SAN triple-play units popular.

Xiaomi Announces the Mi 4c with Snapdragon 808
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Xiaomi Announces the Mi 4c with Snapdragon 808

It’s hard to get away from the term ‘flagship killer’ these days in the smartphone space. Alongside the top-model lines from Apple, Samsung, LG and others is a band of half-price, similarly specified handsets with a few minor adjustments skirting on thin margins to offer similar experiences. The OnePlus range has been part of this movement, along with others such as the ASUS Zenfone 2. Next steps up Xiaomi, with the Mi 4c featuring a 6-core Snapdragon 808, a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, USB Type-C and dual-SIM for only 1299-1499 RMB ($200-$235).

  Xiaomi
Mi 4		 Xiaomi
Mi 4i		 Xiaomi
Mi 4c
SoC MSM8974AC
Snapdragon 801
4x Krait 400
at 2.45 GHz		 MSM8939
Snapdragon 615
4 x A53 at 1.7 GHz
4 x A53 at 1.0 GHz		 MSM8992
Snapdragon 808
2 x A57 at 1.82 GHz
4 x A53 at 1.44 GHz
RAM/
NAND		 3 GB LPDDR3
16/64GB NAND		 2 GB LPDDR3
16/32 GB NAND		 2 GB + 16GB
3 GB + 32GB
Display 5″ 1080p IPS 5″ 1080p IPS 5″ 1080p IPS
Network Category 4 LTE
150/50 Mbps		 Category 4 LTE
150/50 Mbps		 Category 4 LTE
50/50 Mbps
Dimensions 139.2 x 67.5 x 8.9mm,
149 grams		 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8mm,
130 grams		 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8mm,
132 grams
Camera 13MP rear camera,
1.12 µm pixels,
1/3.06″ CMOS size
Sony IMX 214 F/1.8.
8MP F/1.8 FFC 1/4″		   13MP rear camera,
Sony IMX 238 or
Samsung SSK3M2
(depends on SKU)
Battery 3080 mAh
(11.704 Whr)		 3120 mAh 3080 mAh
OS MIUI v5
Android v4.4.3		 MIUI v6
Android v5.0.2		 MIUI v7
Android v5.1.1
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0		 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0		 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0
SIM Size MicroSIM Dual MicroSIM Dual MicroSIM

(This table is incomplete and may be missing information)

The Mi 4c follows on from the Mi 4 and Mi 4i and sits atop of that small stack, sharing a lot of features with the Mi 4i. At this point, the Mi 4c seems to be China-only, though with something like this that might change. Clearly we’re dealing with at least a plastic chassis compared to the glass or aluminium composites normally seen on the $600-$800 flagship models, but the specifications on paper check out as in interesting element for the ecosystem, especially at that $200-$235 price point and a push towards USB Type-C.

In an interesting twist, Xiaomi actually announced this smartphone via Twitter, rather than an official press release. As a result a lot of the value-adds from Xiaomi are only described through images, such as Edge Tap, a function that allows a double tap to return from the camera to the previous application, and a variable refresh rate in the display allowing for 10% more efficiency depending on the content being viewed. VRR becomes useful as there is no need to drive a display at 60 Hz when it is idle, saving power, or if it is able to reduce down to the frame rate of the video being viewed. There’s no information here as to the rates at which this display will go, whether it is a continuous spectrum (20-60Hz?) or discrete periods (24/48/60Hz?).

Another feature is infrared support, allowing the smartphone to be used as a remote control, and the use of phase detection autofocus on the 13MP rear camera using a Sony IMX238 or Samsung SSK3M2 ISOCELL sensor (depending on exact SKU). The camera is backed up by a two-tone flash, a 5MP front camera, and Xiaomi’s ‘Beautify’ feature to enhance skin tones. Quick Charge 2.0 is also in play.

For the price and specifications, the Mi 4c is hard to ignore. Although in the short-term it might be difficult to source outside of China, depending on Xiaomi’s plans for the device.

Source: Xiaomi

Xiaomi Announces the Mi 4c with Snapdragon 808
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Xiaomi Announces the Mi 4c with Snapdragon 808

It’s hard to get away from the term ‘flagship killer’ these days in the smartphone space. Alongside the top-model lines from Apple, Samsung, LG and others is a band of half-price, similarly specified handsets with a few minor adjustments skirting on thin margins to offer similar experiences. The OnePlus range has been part of this movement, along with others such as the ASUS Zenfone 2. Next steps up Xiaomi, with the Mi 4c featuring a 6-core Snapdragon 808, a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, USB Type-C and dual-SIM for only 1299-1499 RMB ($200-$235).

  Xiaomi
Mi 4		 Xiaomi
Mi 4i		 Xiaomi
Mi 4c
SoC MSM8974AC
Snapdragon 801
4x Krait 400
at 2.45 GHz		 MSM8939
Snapdragon 615
4 x A53 at 1.7 GHz
4 x A53 at 1.0 GHz		 MSM8992
Snapdragon 808
2 x A57 at 1.82 GHz
4 x A53 at 1.44 GHz
RAM/
NAND		 3 GB LPDDR3
16/64GB NAND		 2 GB LPDDR3
16/32 GB NAND		 2 GB + 16GB
3 GB + 32GB
Display 5″ 1080p IPS 5″ 1080p IPS 5″ 1080p IPS
Network Category 4 LTE
150/50 Mbps		 Category 4 LTE
150/50 Mbps		 Category 4 LTE
50/50 Mbps
Dimensions 139.2 x 67.5 x 8.9mm,
149 grams		 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8mm,
130 grams		 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8mm,
132 grams
Camera 13MP rear camera,
1.12 µm pixels,
1/3.06″ CMOS size
Sony IMX 214 F/1.8.
8MP F/1.8 FFC 1/4″		   13MP rear camera,
Sony IMX 238 or
Samsung SSK3M2
(depends on SKU)
Battery 3080 mAh
(11.704 Whr)		 3120 mAh 3080 mAh
OS MIUI v5
Android v4.4.3		 MIUI v6
Android v5.0.2		 MIUI v7
Android v5.1.1
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0		 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0		 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT 4.0
SIM Size MicroSIM Dual MicroSIM Dual MicroSIM

(This table is incomplete and may be missing information)

The Mi 4c follows on from the Mi 4 and Mi 4i and sits atop of that small stack, sharing a lot of features with the Mi 4i. At this point, the Mi 4c seems to be China-only, though with something like this that might change. Clearly we’re dealing with at least a plastic chassis compared to the glass or aluminium composites normally seen on the $600-$800 flagship models, but the specifications on paper check out as in interesting element for the ecosystem, especially at that $200-$235 price point and a push towards USB Type-C.

In an interesting twist, Xiaomi actually announced this smartphone via Twitter, rather than an official press release. As a result a lot of the value-adds from Xiaomi are only described through images, such as Edge Tap, a function that allows a double tap to return from the camera to the previous application, and a variable refresh rate in the display allowing for 10% more efficiency depending on the content being viewed. VRR becomes useful as there is no need to drive a display at 60 Hz when it is idle, saving power, or if it is able to reduce down to the frame rate of the video being viewed. There’s no information here as to the rates at which this display will go, whether it is a continuous spectrum (20-60Hz?) or discrete periods (24/48/60Hz?).

Another feature is infrared support, allowing the smartphone to be used as a remote control, and the use of phase detection autofocus on the 13MP rear camera using a Sony IMX238 or Samsung SSK3M2 ISOCELL sensor (depending on exact SKU). The camera is backed up by a two-tone flash, a 5MP front camera, and Xiaomi’s ‘Beautify’ feature to enhance skin tones. Quick Charge 2.0 is also in play.

For the price and specifications, the Mi 4c is hard to ignore. Although in the short-term it might be difficult to source outside of China, depending on Xiaomi’s plans for the device.

Source: Xiaomi