When I heard the title, “Transformer Pro”, my mind immediately went to thinking of a gaming PC. Then, realizing the word Asus in front of the almost cryptic title meant it was a new addition to the tech company’s series of 2-in-1 convertibles, detachables, and hybrid tablets, I laughed. How could I have forgotten this popular line? It was about time to hear about the latest Transformer book, the Transformer Pro T304UA- a 2-in-1 detachable laptop, running Windows, and depicted as a Surface Pro clone in many ways. Many have alleged the same about the Dell Latitude 5285 2-in-1, but at this point, it appears that there is a growing army of Surface Pro look-a-likes from many tech companies.

Many are calling the Transformer Pro T304UA’s craftsmanship bright and attractive, and stunning, yet sturdy. All of this could reside from the fact that it sports a sleek, aluminum-magnesium alloy chassis. Made from a premium metal, the hybrid is a mere 8.85mm thick (tablet section only), and weighs just 1.85 pounds with both the tablet and keyboard bundled (while the tablet alone weighs 1.79 pounds). With a 2160 x 1440 (206ppi) 12.6-inch touch display, this is quite a treat for the eyes. As noted, the new Transformer model is very comparable to the Surface Pro. Although the Transformer Pro T304UA weights a little more, its LCD screen size is a mere 0.3 inches less than the Surface Pro’s 12.9-inch display. Anything comparable to Microsoft’s most beloved detachable tablet has a chance in the market, and knowing if Asus actually has more to offer, will be the convincing factor.

Asus does have more to offer. The near-clone Transformer Pro T304UA will show its differences once you feel its frame, but it also maintains incredible expandability (Asus Pen, Universal Dock, and Audio Pod as options). Not only that, but this device includes a keyboard cover and Asus’s Active Pen, whereas Microsoft forces the consumer to purchase those as accessories for its Surface Pro.

The keyboard itself is excellent, and with the option of its Charcoal version, users could enjoy the ultra-light Asus Transformer Cover keyboard. The keyboard is also firmer and more responsive (1.4mm travel distance) than the slimmer keyboards in many 2-in-1s. This is all thanks to its aluminum-made top panel. For I/O, Asus included one USB-C port, a full-sized HDMI port, one USB 3.0 port, and a MicroSD card slot for extra storage. No need to travel around with the nuisance of adapters and converters.

That is a lot for something cheaper than the Surface Pro. Actually, the two have been compared enough to state that, for $1,600, a user could configure their Transformer pro T304UA to be as Surface Pro-like as possible. This is an overall excellent tablet, turned bonafide laptop. It’s not as portable as it could be, meaning handling it with one hand for too long will get tiring. However, carrying the two parts whilst magnetically connected will cause your mind no concern, as this thing is built so stable, they will not inadvertently come apart. Both able to unlock the best Windows 10 experience to date, with Windows Hello, Cortana, and a fingerprint sensor, there are two options for deciding on your prime CPU processor, memory and storage requirements. The first model is packed with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-7200U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256 SSD, available for $1,349.99. The Intel Core i7-7500U (2.7GHz) model allows for 16GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB PCIex4 SSD, for an experience three times faster than SATA3 SSD, priced at $1,575.00.