I see a lot of technology on a regular basis. It’s par for the course that I spend my life immersed in laptops and tablets, components and monitors, and all other technological gadgetry as it is a part of what I do for a living. Sometimes I get a bit blasé, but sometimes, like today, I am reminded as to why I got involved with this world.
The ASUS Taichi is one of those devices that’s just clever. Pure, unadulterated clever. The concept is simple – you get to play around with this hybrid device in the way that suits your work mode and work needs. On one hand you have a standard laptop that can tackle your daily grind tasks. On the other, you have a tablet that responds to touch and command as flexibly as any other on the market today.
At the IFA tradeshow in Berlin, ASUS mentioned that the device could well be in before Christmas, which makes this a top contender for Christmas Gift of the Year. In fact, I am willing to bet that this announcement will have the ASUS Taichi sitting on many gadget loving Christmas lists already.
The Taichi features dual screens on the inside and the outside of the lid that can be used at the same time. You can sit inside the laptop, slaving away over a hot presentation, while your offspring or partner is poking away at the tablet on the other side and staying out of your way. Something that perhaps will be a hit in the parenting market as they struggle with yet another month of juggling work and school holidays?
I think what excites me the most about the Taichi is the fact that it isn’t like anything else. There are always the naysayers and critics who will find problems with a design this different, but what’s really thrilling is the fact that someone has had the courage to be this different. Exploring alternative ways of working, of design, to create devices that are as odd, unique and challenging as the people that use them.
When examining the Taichi as a whole, it is clear that there are a variety of uses upfront. There’s the standard laptop, the standard tablet, the shared work experience, and the portability of a device that’s everything in one. ASUS remains close mouthed about what the final specs of the Taichi will be, but I’m quite keen to see how the Taichi will fit on the market, and how well it will do.
Tamsin