04 Apr 2011
Is the upcoming battle of the tablets this year already over? Has Apple's iPad 2 killed off the opposition or is there a chink in Apple's armour?
The other day I walked round to the UK product launch of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, the first device running the Android "HoneyComb" 3.0 operating system.
The main feature Asus is trying to push as an iPad 2 killer is that the screen is detachable from the keyboard, converting your traditional notebook device into a tablet – that's the 'Transformer' part of the Asus device [see picture].
Further reading
For the tablet piece of the device, there's front (1.2 megapixel) and rear-facing (5 megapixel) cameras, and a micro SD card reader (praise the lord!), and mini-HDMI port as standard (i.e. no accessories to buy). The 24.4Wh Lithium polymer battery also gives users 9.5 hours uptime.
For the keyboard part of the Transformer, the docking bay if you will, there's a couple of USB 2.0 ports, and another (full-size) SD card reader [see picture].
The docking bay also has another 24.4Wh Lithium polymer battery, which Asus claims gives the fully docked tablet up to 16 hours of battery life.
The Eee Pad Transformer will be running the Android 3.0 operating system (codenamed HoneyComb) [see picture].
There'll be native Adobe Flash 10.2 support, with an nVidia Tegra 2 dual core processor taking care of the graphics.
There'll also be an office productivity suite pre-installed on the Transformer which I was told at the event will support Office 97-2007 documents.
Having just finished looking at an iPad 2, which funnily enough also costs £379 (but was running on Vodafone's 3G network) it will be interesting to see how this fares when it finally becomes generally available on Wednesday.
You'll only be able to buy a Wi-Fi version of the Transformer though, the 3G version will be available later on.
If I was in the market for a tablet, I'd be looking seriously at an Eee Pad Transformer.
But where is Microsoft in this market I hear you ask?
Well, Redmond's global chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie said last week that he didn't know whether tablets would "remain with us or not."
If they do remain Microsoft could be in trouble because it may well have to fast track its tablet, or get left far behind.
Dave Bailey, reviews editor, Computing
This is exactly what we need, it has more hardware and a better price point than the alternatives. This is what Motorola should have done with the Xoom - price it cheaper and they will come.
This is why Apple released the iPad 2 early! Bring it on ASUS
Posted by: Gary 24 Apr 2011
The funny thing is that HP/Compaq had almost the exact same product almost 7 years ago with the TC1100 range - a tablet with a removable keyboard, bluetooth, WLAN, SD slot, USB..... Microsoft extended XP into the Tablet Edition to include pen input/recognition. Seems that Asus have copy/pasted into 2011 with an updated OS/hardware...
Overall it seems like a good compromise to me! Bring it on!
Posted by: Kev 07 Apr 2011
Can you imagine any half-decent company releasing a tablet but designing it WITHOUT even a USB port, not to mention a card-slot? Well the Apple iCrap is one such machine! The Asus transformer will hopefully kill it off as simply rotten design - the Asus has better battery life, offers TWO SD card slots, will run Flash, and has a more grown-up OS rather than something designed around a phone!
Posted by: John 06 Apr 2011
Asus has really nailed it with this design. A tablet when you want one and a netbook when you need one.
I really expect this type of design to become "THE standard tablet" design over the next couple of years. People will expect this type of setup in a form factor, especially for Windows tablets--I'm surprised that Asus didn't keep this design for the EP121. The only other design that looks even remotely intriguing compared to this is Asus' slider tablet.
I do think those will really be the two most popular form factors going forward.
Posted by: TabletNetbook 06 Apr 2011
@Gary
What you dont understand is the eee pad when docked it has:
1.Keyboard (not connected through Bluetooth)
2.touch pad with Multi touch and a onscreen mouse cursor.
3.Media reader (MMC,SD,SDHC) plus a Micro sd on the tablet itself.
4.Extra battery on the keyboard that recharges the tablet when connected.
5.ease of portability in either form (no need to carry a bag to carry both)
6.Price 16gb $300 32gb $400 dock keyboard $100-$150
Sure it doesnt sound like much to you because you prefer Apple but at this point all apple has is those 300k apps oh, and netflix, Hulu plus.
i mentioned those cause that's usually what you guys fire at us all the time but we should soon have them but enjoy in the meantime.
Posted by: AndroidG1N1 06 Apr 2011
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