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Don't let the netbook comparison have you running to the hills: the Transformer Book T100 is a quietly attractive device with a glossy plastic lid that echoes Asus' premium Zenbook line of ultrabooks. Though not quite as premium, you won't feel embarrassed pulling it out of a bag whether on a train or sitting down at a business meeting.
The tablet part of the device feels light in the hand. At 1.2 pounds, it's just shy of the iPad Air's 1 pound weight. Its curved sides means its manageable to hold in a single hand in tablet mode and is more comfortable than the third or fourth generation iPad to hold.
Adding the dock lends it significantly more heft, however, doubling that weight to 2.4 lbs. It also adds chunk to the device, jumping from 0.41 inches to 0.93 inches. It's not the thickest convertible out there, but you won't be slipping it into any envelopes to impress your friends.
The T100 has something of a quirk in its design in the form of the dock's hinge. With the tablet connected, it juts out at the back and is used to support the tablet when in laptop mode instead of the four rubber mats on the underside of the dock, which are raised above the ground. It doesn't render the device unbalanced or make it rock - it just comes across as something of an odd design choice.
The tablet's black bezel is a little on the thick side too, which isn't a problem whether using the device as a tablet, but it looks a little overkill in laptop mode.
On display
The Asus Transformer Book T100 features a 10.1-inch IPS display with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. It's an appropriate resolution for the screen size and doesn't leave you with the scaling problems you might encounter on the Surface Pro 2's 1920 x 1080 pixel-resolution panel when using third-party applications.
A drawback here is that it's not quite as crisp as a full-HD panel and can best be described as adequate, yet lacking spark. Colour reproduction is solid without appearing oversaturated and brightness is evenly distributed across the panel.
The IPS display is plenty reflective, but glare at it intently enough and you'll see that it lives up to Asus' 178-degree viewing angle claims, making it suitable for watching Netflix or other content with a friend.
The power button sits at the top-left hand corner of the tablet alongside two volume rockers. Though the three are a little squishy and don't offer a great deal of tactile feedback, opting to use a power button to unlock Windows instead of a centered button under the screen works well as it's easier to reach while holding the device in landscape mode. It also makes it much easier to take screenshots, should you want to.
