A Google Androidbook could mean that the crossover between Android and Chrome OS is coming sooner than anyone had expected, as a rumor today indicates such a laptop is happening this year.

Different from Google’s Chromebook laptops, these Android-based notebooks would ditch Chrome OS in favor of company’s popular mobile operating system, a report from the sometimes-reliable DigiTimes.

The first Google Androidbook devices are supposed to show up at the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter.

Whether or not these Android-based laptops would resemble the versatile Asus Transformer Pad Infinity remains anyone’s guess.

The Taiwanese publication offered little in the way of additional detail or reasoning behind the launch of a Google Androidbook, so take the report with a some salt.

Chrome, Android teams merged

The existence of an Androidbook would back up the theory that Google is going to merge its Android mobile operating system and Chrome OS in the future.

After all, the Android and Chrome teams have already merged, and the departure of Android founder Andy Rubin and appointment of Chrome expert Sundar Pichai suggests that the products are on the same path.

Even with that knowledge, Chrome OS laptops were able to surpass 1 million units sold in 2013, estimated DigiTimes.

Whether or not releasing additional hardware with a competing laptop operating system is in Google’s best interest remains to be seen. What we can say is that we hope any eventual name is more compelling than “Androidbook.”

We’re not quite sure a display size of 18.4 inches qualifies as a “tablet,” but ASUS is marketing its hybrid Windows 8 and Android combo as such, with a release now pegged for spring.

The Verge reported Thursday that the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 tablet first demoed in January will finally arrive in stores this spring, accompanied by a price tag of $1,299 (UK£805, AU$1,232) and up.

Powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, the Transformer AiO is indeed being marketed as a mobile tablet, despite the dockable 18.4-inch, 1080p capacitive touchscreen display driven by 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 730M graphics chip.

While docked, the Transformer AiO runs Windows 8 with up to 8GB RAM and 2TB of storage – once untethered, a Tegra 3 processor with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage kicks in, converting it to a huge tablet powered by Android 4.1: Jelly Bean.

Tabzilla is coming!

Weighing in at 5.2 pounds when undocked, the ASUS Transformer AiO certainly won’t win awards for being the slimmest, lightest tablet at the dance. But, it’s much lighter than the fully docked “PC Station” at a little more than 9 pounds.

One thing ASUS doesn’t seem to have nailed down with its mammoth Transformer is the interaction between its seemingly conflicted lifestyle as both Windows 8 and Android devices.

For example, Transformer AiO owners who use Windows 8 at home will have to get by with Android while on the go, and vice versa – ASUS hasn’t baked any real integration between the two into this hardware.

If you have money to burn, the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 will be available in the U.S. this spring starting at $1,299 (UK£805, AU$1,232) with a Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 1TB storage on the Windows 8 side.

Asus announced that it’s now pushing out an Android 4.2 update to its Transformer Pad TF300 tablets.

The update is live as of today in the U.S. where it can be downloaded as a free over-the-air update.

Users in regions outside the States will see the Android 4.2 update arrive later in March, though an exact date was not provided.

The update will bring with it the usual performance and stability enhancements, along with new features like the ability to have multiple user account logins for a single device.

The first of many

Android 4.2 is still quite rare on tablets, with even the latest tablets shown at MWC sporting Android 4.1.2.

The Transformer Pad TF300 is now the first tablet outside of Google’s Nexus line to receive Android 4.2.

It won’t be alone for long through, with Asus announcing that the update is also on its way to the Transformer Pad Infinity, MeMo Smart Pad 10, and MeMo Pad in the second quarter of 2013.

Hopefully this means Jelly Bean’s sugary walls are breaking down, and we can expect to see more tablet upgrade announcements before too long.

Asus may have only just rolled out Android 4.1: Jelly Bean to its Transformer Prime and Transformer Pad Infinity a few months ago, but the company is already working on the next Android upgrade.

According to new reports, the manufacturer will bring Android 4.2 to its Transformer tablets soon.

The news of the update was actually revealed to a consumer by a customer service representative who said, “We are currently working on the development of Android 4.2 for our tablets.”

While it’s unclear at this time just which Transformer tablets Asus is planning to update with Android 4.2, the change will certainly be welcome to any and all users looking forward to new features and improved functionality.

Transforming the tablet

Android 4.2 has plenty of interesting features it adds to the existing Jelly Bean OS to make it a worthwhile addition to Asus’ Transformer lineup.

The most obvious addition is the option to create multiple user profiles on one device, which even offers full customization options to make the tablet distinctly unique for each user.

There’s also Gesture Typing included, which allows users to swipe their fingers across the letters to create words, rather than typing in a traditional sense.

Of course, the overhaul Google Now will receive is also a big deal, as it adds a slew of new functionality and new cards into the mix.

Android 4.2 is already available on a variety of devices such as the Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 4, and it will certainly be welcome on even more tablets when Asus is ready to roll it out.

Whenever a new bit of kit is released there’s nothing we like more than pitting it up against its rivals – so the release of Microsoft’s Surface RT gives us a great opportunity for one of our famous spec sheet smackdowns as we compare it to the Apple iPad 4, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Asus Transformer Prime.

Which big-name tablet has the punchiest processor, the most dazzling display and the most awesome OS? Let’s find out.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: release date

Microsoft’s Surface is on sale today, which is also when Apple starts accepting orders for its iPad 4. iPad deliveries start on the 2nd of November. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is already on sale, as is the Asus Transformer Prime.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: price

The Surface RT tablet starts at £399 for the 32GB model, or £479 if you want a black Touch Cover too. The 64GB is £559 and a Touch cover is included. If you go for the tablet-only 32GB option and decide to add a Touch or Type cover at a later date, you’ll pay £99.99 or £109.99 respectively.

The iPad 4 starts at £399 for a 16GB model, rising to £559 for the 64GB; Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads start at £499, rising to £659 for the 64GB model.

The 16GB Galaxy Note 10.1 has an RRP of £399, rising to £499 for the 3G model. At the time of writing the 32GB and 64GB models aren’t available from Samsung or its approved online retailers.

The Transformer Prime is officially £399 without a dock and £499 with one, but heavy discounting means you should be able to pick up a Prime with a dock for around £410. The 64GB model is a rarer beast, and it’s currently going for around £550 in tablet-only form.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: processor

The Surface tablet has an Nvidia T30 quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz, while the iPad has Apple’s own A6X processor, which is a dual-core processor with quad-core graphics. Apple doesn’t talk clock speeds but educated guesses say it’s running at 1.5GHz. The Galaxy Note has an Exynos quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz, while the Transformer Prime has a quad-core Tegra 3 clocked at 1.4GHz.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: memory

The Surface RT has 2GB of on-board RAM. Once again Apple doesn’t publish detailed specs, but the iPad 4 is likely to have the same 1GB of RAM as the iPad 3, aka the new iPad. Which is now an old iPad. Er… the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has 2GB of RAM, and the Transformer Prime 1GB.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: operating system

The Surface RT tablet runs Windows RT, the legacy-free version of Windows 8, so you get a bundled copy of Office RT but you can’t run your old Windows programs. Apple’s iPad 4 is running iOS 6, the Galaxy Note has Android 4.0 and the Transformer Prime has Android 3.2, which can be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: display

The screen on the Surface is a 10.6-inch ClearType HD display running at 1366 x 768, while the the iPad 4′s Retina Display is a 9.7-inch IPS panel running at 2048 x 1536. The Samsung and Asus tablets both have 10.1-inch displays running at 1280 x 800.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: storage

The Surface RT tablet is available in two models: one with 32GB of storage, and one with 64GB. The iPad 4 has the familiar choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB – as does the Samsung Galaxy Note, although you can expand its storage with microSD cards. The Transformer Prime comes with 32GB or 64GB, and again that’s expandable with flash media.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: cameras and speakers

There are two cameras in the Surface, both 720p HD, and it has a pair of stereo speakers plus twin microphones for improved audio in video calls. The iPad 4 has a 720p, 1.2MP camera for video calling and a 5MP, 1080p camera for photography and video recording, but just a single speaker. The Galaxy has a 1.9MP front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear with LED flash, while the Asus has a 1.2MP camera on the front and an 8MP one on the back, again with LED flash; both devices have stereo speakers.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: network

There’s no 3G or 4G in the Surface, but it does have 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 – as does the iPad, which is also available in a 3G/4G LTE Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The iPad also supports dual-band 802.11n, which can deliver download speeds of up to 150Mbps, as does the Galaxy Note, which adds Wi-Fi Direct support into the mix and which is also available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G versions. There’s no 3G for the Transformer Prime: it supports the same a/b/g/n Wi-Fi standards but only on the 2.4GHz band, and its Bluetooth radio is Bluetooth 2.1+EDR compared to the others’ Bluetooth 4.0.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: battery life

Microsoft claims up to 8 hours from a single charge, with Apple promising ten on Wi-Fi or nine on the mobile data network. Samsung doesn’t claim anything, saying just that the battery is a 7,000mAh Lithium Ion one, and in our labs we found that worked out as around six to seven hours of everyday use. Asus says you’ll get 12 hours from the Prime, rising to 18 hours when docked.

Microsoft Surface RT vs Apple iPad 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Transformer Prime: dimensions and weight

The Surface is 274.7 x 172 x 9.3mm and weighs 676g. The iPad 4 is 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4mm and 652g (662g for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model). The Galaxy Note 10.1 is 262 x 180 x 8.9mm and 597g (600g for the 3G version), and the Transformer Prime is 263 x 180.8 x 10.4mm and 586g. That’s without the dock, of course: adding that takes its widest point to 19.4mm and its weight to 1,123g.