Along with its Google TV-playing cube-shaped “QUBE“, Asus today announced a hybrid all-in-one/tablet Windows 8 PC as part of its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) lineup.

The device is called the Asus Transformer AiO, and the manufacturer is calling a “world first.” It features an 18.4-inch multi-touch screen and Nvidia GT graphics. The catch is that the screen can be detached from its cradle in front of the PC and become a tablet.

Of course, an 18-inch tablet is on the larger side of tablets, so it has a handle on the back that allows it to be carried around. Asus calls the device “king-sized,” though it isn’t quite as large as Lenovo’s announced 27-inch IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC. It seems that super-sized devices that nobody is calling for might be the trend at this year’s CES.

The interesting thing about Asus’ Transformer tablet is that it can be operated in two different modes. When it is close enough to the PC it maintains a wireless connection to the full computer, allowing users to run Windows 8 on the tablet and operate it using the touch display. “At the touch of a botton,” however, the tablet can be “transformed” into an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet that has a Tegra 3 quad-core processor. It’s the sort of versatility that is very impressive but simply not useful enough to justify a purchase for the average consumer.

No release date or pricing for the device has yet been announced, though it was stated the Transformer AiO will be available “from Q1 2013.”