Asus Transformer Book Duet TD300 runs Android and Windows, switches at any time

Asus has announced the Transformer Book Duet TD300, which it calls “the world’s first dual OS laptop-tablet hybrid”. It runs both Windows and Android on the same device – an Instant Switch button on the keyboard can switch between Windows 8.1 and Android 4.1 at any time if you’re in laptop mode, or you can use the specially-included virtual key on the onscreen keyboard when using it in tablet mode. The device will change operating systems in just four seconds.

It does this with Asus’s own patented Instant Switch technology. Since it doesn’t use OS virtualisation, both operating systems will be powered by its single Intel Core i7 processor and 4GB of RAM. Asus says this combination makes the Transformer Book TD300 almost twice as fast as your typical ARM-powered tablet, and you’ll be able to seamlessly switch between each OS from where you last left off.

The laptop will have two storage methods as well. A 128GB SSD, which can be supplemented by a 64GB micro SD card, will be housed in the tablet, while a 1TB hard disk will be kept in the keyboard dock, giving you plenty of space for your files.

It looks stunning as well. Its 13.3in IPS touchscreen display will come with a 1,920×1,080 resolution, and its slim chassis will stand at just 16mm when closed in laptop mode. The tablet, on the other hand, will be 12.9mm thick. Asus hasn’t disclosed the weight of the tablet yet, but together they’ll weigh 1.9kg, making it easy to take with you on the move.

Unsurprisingly, the tablet won’t have many ports as all you get is a micro SD card slot and a headphone jack. Instead, most of the TD300’s ports will be concentrated round the keyboard dock, where you’ll find one USB3 port, two USB2 ports, a Fast Ethernet port, an HDMI output and a combined headphone and microphone jack.

We don’t have any word on a price or launch date yet, but we’ll keep you up to date with all the latest news as we get it.