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USB Type-C Lands Gently on the ASUS Transformer Book Flip

The new USB Type-C interface has taken the electronics industry by storm starting first with Google Pixel Chromebook (2015) and Apple MacBook (2015).  Now, the next wave of Windows based PC's and tablets are being released showing off the USB Type-C interface.

The ASUS Transformer Book Flip is one of the first Windows PC's introduced with the USB Type-C connector.  It doesn't leverage a lot of the advanced features of USB Type-C like sharing DisplayPort on the same port, power charging, up to 10Gbs USB data bandwidths, etc.  The only benefit that USB Type-C brings to this notebook is that you can plug in future USB Type-C peripherals without having to worry about the Type-C connector being up or down..  Note the speed of this USB Type-C port is 5Gbs.

I purchased the ASUS Transformer Book Flip TP200SA on Amazon which came in Amazon's ubiquitous brown cardboard boxes

The ASUS box by itself was simple and eco friendly.

The main accessories found inside the ASUS box were the notebook itself as well as the power charger.  Unlike the notebooks of old, the power charger connector is very thin and the adapter itself looks pretty much like just a power charger that you would for a tablet.

To keep up with its thin size, ASUS has squeezed the thin Micro HDMI and USB Type-C connector.  For convenience, there are also traditional USB Type-C connector and a SD card slot available.

The transformable feature of this PC allows you to bend the screen back such that the notebook transforms into an upside down V shaped stand for watching shows.   

If you bend the screen all the way back the keyboard will be disabled and you can start using your ASUS PC as a tablet in both portrait and landscape mode.

One thing that you may have to get accustomed to in tablet mode is having the keyboard on the bottom.  Although the keyboard is not functioning, some part of me feels strange to have the keys being pressed consistently by accident especially if you are supporting your tablet with one hand on the bottom where the keys are. 

The ASUS Transformer Book Fiip is a very conservative implementation of USB Type-C.  Until more USB Type-C devices appear on the market, there isn't much that you can use the USB Type-C port on this ASUS product.