Asus Eee Pad Transformer price and reviews

thats all folks.

finally a tablet with a better browser and super long battery life. cool google maps, voice etc. comes with document editing software, spreadsheet etc. im tired of the limitations of the ipad and of the gaillion web apps. all i need is just one capable browser. i cant even enter this comment on the ipad because crippled safari couldnt accept it.

Updated on Apr 22, 2011

I have had the transformer for a few days now . I am writing this review because something really irks me about people who write reviews about products before they own it. Anyways, while the Ipad might technically be "thinner", the make, sleek design and build of the transformer is really nice. I have heard mention about the "sharp corners" as a drawback to this. I think that is crazy. I have never even considered that as an issue. Overall while I was debating between IPAD and this, I chose this product because I wanted a GPS receiver, googles navigation apps a better screen among other things.

As an attorney, this has assisted me in staying productive in places where a normal computer wouldn't be viable (like in a courtroom)

This product did not disappoint. Everything from the amazing screen to the battery actually delivered as promised. Asus has a real winner here. Now if they can only produce more then 10,000 a month.

There are more pros and cons but these are the ones that are important to me. You're notice that some pros are also cons because there are good stuff and bad stuff with each. Most of my comments, I'm comparing it to the iPad2. I won't even bother with the other Android device because to me they are in a different price range. I won't bother with the Playbook either.

Body:
The screen on this thing is great. Buttons are minimal and placement are ok. I would have preferred the power button to be on top because you can press it accidentally due to how you hold it. Several times I turned the device off by just shifting it in my hands. They can correct this by making the button more flushed with the device (though not as flushed and small like the Playbook where it is very hard to turn the thing on/off if you have sausage fingers). The edges are sharp as the reviewer stated. I found that after holding it up for awhile, my hands started to hurt. Again this should not deter anyone from buying it since most of us will put a sleeve of some sort on it anyway. The construction isn't nearly as titanium solid as the iPad; however it is plenty solid and does feel like it's quality work. Some reviewers stated that it will 'give' if you apply a good measure of twisting and bending force on it. I'm confused by this. Who would do this to their high tech toy on purpose and on during general usage? I suppose accident can happen but even the titanium strong ipad can get damaged by accidents. Don't use it like a hammer and problem is solved. I like the grippy matted plastic back over the smooth metal back. For me, I rather be able to hold on to the darn thing rather than accidentally flinging it across the room by accident like I often do with my iTouch. If you want to be vain, metal does look better. If you want it functional, then grippy matted plastic is better. This point is moot anyway if you intend to put a cover on the device. Overall, I find the body construction to be excellent.

Applications:
The Asus packaged software is great. They aren't necessary because you can probably get free ones (or dirt cheap ones) in the store to do what you need. But they are there and I like them a lot. The RDP is my favorite. From the confort of my bed, I can control every computer in the house. Even play music and movies through them. I couldn't get streaming to work due to my router but I found that letting my PC do the work while the pad simply displays the content actually worked out better. The app store isn't as big as iTunes; however I found that I got everything I needed for free. Several games for the kids and wife. Several media players, more rdp, vpn, book readers, comic reader, and other useful apps. Reflecting on my experience with iTunes, I found that there are thousands of apps; however many of them do the same thing. There are apps that are gems but so many are just junk. In the end, I found that the Android store has the same ratio of gem to junk ratio. The quantity isn't there but I got everything I needed so there's no complaint here. This is all subjective of course since others may need apps that isn't available yet. This isn't a big deal. If an app is great, it'll either get ported over or someone will copy it and deploy in for Android. As a note, I was surprise at how many apps that are already available. The OS is a bit buggy now and then. It does respond a fraction of a second slower than the iPad but I can forgive this. For one it's way more complex OS than the iPad OS. It's not just several windows with icons on it but appears more like a mini computer. Secondly, it is a newer OS so I'm actually surprise that it isn't crashing or lagging more. None of these bugs prevented me from doing what I needed done. I assume my OS/app experience can only get better after a few updates. Overall, I'm loving the OS and the apps. Multitasking is great. It actually feels like a mini computer rather than a big iPhone without the phone part.

Camera:
Ouch. This is really bad. Laggy and blurry. I do hope that there is some sort of software update that can make this better. On the other hand, are you buying a tablet to make professional movies or become a professional photographer? Probably not so this isn't really a big deal. I tried taking movies and pictures of my kinds, then as I was holding up the pad, I asked myself "What the hell am I doing? I have a Canon T2i that does the job a billion times better". As a separate note, the iPhone 4 does take some really nice movies that are light-years better than this. I also tried the video conferencing and it's pretty decent. It's not remotely movie quality but it's clear enough that you can count the other person's nose hair. In this regard clarity may not be that important. There's definitely room for improvements here; however like any cell phone, the camera isn't a primary selling feature.

There are several things better on the iPad2 and there are some features and functions that fall short of some people's expectations. If I were to weight the pros versus the cons, for every cons, I find that there many more pros.

I believe the reviewer's grades and opinions are valid but too short sighted. To have a good grading system, you have to have a base of comparison. A grading today may be completely invalid 1 year later. What is it that the reviewer is comparing this device too? His ideal picture of a perfect device? The iPad2? If this device is scoring 6-8 rating, does this mean the iPad2 is a 10?

If I compare it to how I believe a perfect pad should be, I would give it an 7 because my ideal pad would be:
1. Weight 1/2 pound
2. Cost 250
3. Bug free
4. More Power
5. Selectively close apps on the fly
6. Built in phone with Bluetooth headset
7. Holographic image projection
8. Voice command and voice recognition security
9. Do my dishes and walk my dog

Pretty stiff order, right? On the other hand, comparing it to an iPad2, I give it a 10 while the iPad2 to me is an 8. iPad2 quality is definitely a 12; however the choke hold they put on you on various things makes it a 6. Average both numbers for an even 8 grade. Some may disagree with me. That's ok because this is based on my needs and opinions. The biggest grading factor for me is cost and freedom. I don't want to pay more and be limited to only how Apple want me to listen to music, play movies, store my files, etc. With flash, expandable ram, keyboard, usb support and a real multitasking OS, it comes close to being a real computer. Simple is great for little kids, grandmas and grandpas but I want something substantial for a real grownup professional working in an electronic world. The transformer is a good step in the right direction to ultimately replacing not only the netbook but the laptop and desktop as well.

Thoroughly disappointed by the review. Basically Eric has nitpicked some minor annoyances and seemed to have pulled some new ones out of thin air, not a single other review mentions sharp corners that fall just short of cutting?, android ui too complicated??? most agree it's simple yet extremely flexible, customizable and not dumbed down and closed + limited like iPad if that's what you mean? Pad too hard to dock? ***? every other review says its sturdy, smooth hinge, easy to dock/undock. Video recording is unfortunate but almost certainly will be ironed out, and who is going to be James Cameron with a 10.1 slate, like any convergence device, its great to have the features there but by no means is it a dealbreaker. Lastly, very puzzled why you still believe G slate is best Android tab, I mean it's pretty darned good, but are you really going to award a $799 device, twice the cost of Eeepad that distinction because of marginally better build and inclusion of cellular optons? You can't ignore how much the Eeepad brings to the table and throw it away because of those "gripes"! Especially considering the world of readily available smartphone tether and unlimited data plans, the tablet won't replace the smartphone you carry so why pay for two data plans or even a share plan?

How about highlighting what a slick integration of tablet and dock Asus has achieved, converting a tablet from a niche into a necessity/useful commodity where you can get work done, impressive offering of additional ports and readers (basically everything except a single USB on the pad itself), the fact that it can run flash, tremendous quality/features/value for the price (gorilla glass, IPS).

The writing of the article wasn't bad, but I can't stop facepalming how overly negative and biased it sounds. I'm sure this thing didn't sell out everywhere because it's average at best.

I'm in Australia & this looks the most promising tablet to come out.
Having to use iTunes to transfer files is ****ing frustrating!!!!!!!!!!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I buy ebooks on the iPad, I can't transfer them to another tablet in future. This is a big shortcoming of the iPad. If I can transfer them, then Apple haven't made it clear enough!!!
I don't really care for the video camera, I just find it stupid to use something so bulky to record video & take photos. Most smartphones can do that in 720p & now being released to do 1080p - one hand operation!
I don't care on the 'handling' issue, as my current iPad is in a protective leather case - I can't imagine someone spending $600 & then not investing $50 in a case to protect.
I don't care for lack of 3G as free wifi is everywhere & 3G is sooooooo slow by comparison.
I hope (fingers crossed) that I can use it at University to work on Microsoft Word Documents & then sync it to my home PC for the same file when working on it. Maybe I am asking too much??!!
Would be great if this tablet could open files on my Home Network too (Windows based PC), via wifi router??

Updated on Apr 24, 2011