Microsoft slashes $200 off price of Asus notebook

Microsoft has cut the price of an Asus Transformer notebook for Monday's 12 Days of Deals special.

Normally selling for $499, the 15-inch Asus Transformer Book Flip is on sale Monday for $299 at Microsoft online and retail outlets.

For each product sold through the 12 Days of Deals promo, Microsoft offers a "Doorbuster" deal that lowers the price tag for the first 50 people to grab it at a Microsoft store. Earlier in the day, the Transformer was selling for $399.

But for the Asus Transformer, the software giant has extended the Doorbuster deal for the entire day, both at Microsoft retail stores and online. So your final price is now $299.

Part of Microsoft's 12 Days of Deals promotion for the holidays, the tablet promotion starts at 5 a.m. at Microsoft's online store and at Microsoft retail outlets whenever they open. Most Microsoft stores open around 10 a.m., but some have been opening earlier for the holidays.

Why would notebook buyers flip for the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LA? Well, the notebook's 15.6-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel touchscreen display can be flipped to any angle, from 0 to 360 degrees. This means you can use it as a conventional notebook, as a tablet or in presentation mode to watch videos or slideshows.

The PC is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor to give it just enough power without chewing up as much juice as an i5 or i7 chip. A single charge on the 3-cell lithium-ion battery allows the computer to run for around 5 hours without having to recharge.

Memory comes in at 4GB, while the 5,400rpm hard drive offers 500GB of internal storage. Running Windows 8.1, the Asus Transformer Book Flip uses Intel's HD Graphics 4400 for video and Asus SonicMaster Lite with MaxxAudio for sound. Also part of the package are a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and a 2-in-1 card reader.

As a bonus, the notebook is part of Microsoft's Signature series. That means it doesn't come with any third-party junkware, trialware or other garbage software that might muck up or slow down the PC. You can pretty much use the computer right out of the box without worrying about uninstalling software you neither want nor need.

Microsoft's 12 Days of Deals started on December 8 and ends on December 19. Tuesday's deal throws in a free pair of $39 Yurbuds Earbuds with the purchase of a Fitbit Activity Tracker for a total price of $99.

Updated at 10:10 a.m. PTto reflect Microsoft's decision to open up the $299 Doorbuster deal to all customers, online or in-store.