Asus first revealed its plans to release the Transformer Book Duet in January, which would have offered people a chance to own a notebook-tablet hybrid that runs both Android and Windows 8.1. Now two stories, each citing their own unnamed sources, claim that Google is trying to keep the Transformer Book Duet from being released.
Both CNet and Digitimes report that Asus has postponed plans to launch the product under pressure from Google; it was originally supposed to go on sale in the second quarter of 2014. As promoted by Asus in January during CES 2014, the 13.3 inch Transformer Book Duet uses Intel"s Core i7 processor and can switch from running Android to Windows 8.1 by just pressing one button. It was designed to run both operating systems in notebook mode and when the display is separated from the keyboard to work in tablet mode.
It would appear that Google is worried that devices such as the Asus Transformer Book Duet could allow for Microsoft"s Windows 8.1 OS to gain more traction in the marketplace. CNet reports that Microsoft has not offered any objections to the Asus hybrid.
Digitimes also reports that other PC makers who have been developing their own Android-Windows hybrid products have now put those plans on hold. This would be a blow to Intel, who previously were rumored to be pushing for its processors to be used inside PCs with both operating systems installed.