The Asus Taichi is a prime example of the new and varied form factors that are springing up from every manufacturer in the lead up to the release of Windows 8.
In a market that's as far from the generic clones that are plaguing the Android tablet market, there's no way that Asus will be beset by claims of copying with the unique Asus Taichi.
From afar the Taichi looks like a standard 11.6-inch ultra-portable laptop. There's no swivelling, docking or sliding as we've seen from the likes of the Asus Vivo Tab, the Samsung Ativ Smart PC or the Sony Vaio Duo 11.
On closer inspection, however, you'll notice that the Asus Taichi has a second screen embedded into the lid, so when the laptop's closed, it becomes a tablet PC.
This second screen enables it to be used as a standard laptop while open, held as a tablet when it's shut, and even be used by two people at the same time.
Powering this unusual Asus tablet-laptop hybrid is an Intel Core i5-3317U processor clocked at 1.7GHz with 2.6GHz available at full load. This offers plenty of power to multitask over the two 1080p IPS panels.
Having not one but two Full HD screens is staggering, and the rest of the lineup is none too shabby either. There's Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, 128GB SSD, and 4GB of RAM.
What's more, the size and weight of the Asus Taichi is impressive, without acknowledging the serious amount of technology packed inside. It weighs just 1.1kg (2.5lbs), which is far more than a tablet, but ranks among one of the lightest full form laptops we've ever seen.
Visions of complex Windows commands being required to start using the rear panel were thankfully dispelled, and opening the slim chassis revealed a blue hotkey that shone out from the array of compact black buttons.
Press this button and the screen is dimmed before a horizontal bar appears on the screen for icons for four distinct settings: Notebook mode, Tablet mode, Dual-Screen mode and Mirror mode.
Notebook mode just switches off the second screen and Tablet mode enables you to use the top screen while the laptop is closed, just like a tablet. Mirror mode 'mirrors' whatever is on the laptop screen onto the lid, and Dual-Screen enables you to use both screens independently.
The early pre-production model we had time with was still far from finished, and there were plenty of issues with the software still to be ironed out.
This is understandable, since the system has to decide which way to orientate the display as you hold the tablet and open the screen. Switching was also laborious, but it's obviously a long way from being finished.
In our brief hands-on test we couldn't find any performance issues with the Tegra 3 chip, and Windows 8 remained responsive while multitasking apps and switching between them.
The clear benefit is the ability to carry your laptop and use it as a tablet on the move, opening it up when the keys are required for typing longer emails or working on documents, but enabling you to surf the web and check your email.
However, it still remains a niche product, but one we hope isn't resigned to Asia only, or a muted execution by CES 2013.
Weight is important with any device that's supposed to be used as a tablet, which is still an early build, but we were assured that the thickness, weight and build is extremely similar to the Asus Zenbook.
Other concerns are with battery life, and having an Intel Core processor powering two screens will struggle to cope with anywhere near all-day use. We'll have to wait for more details to emerge before working out whether the Asus Taichi will see the light of day.
We're still dubious whether this will see a genuine release of the Asus Taichi, because it's hard to see how the cost of production can match with mass appeal to become a mainstream product.
Asus has been there before, notably with the Asus Padfone, which has recently been given a proper global release with it's second iteration, the Asus Padfone 2.
Whatever happens to the Asus Taichi, Asus should be applauded for testing the boundaries of what can be achieved with Windows 8.
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