ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-B1 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Tablet Only) - Official New Excellent Gadgets, Tools & Accesories

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Alex Tamulis (Edmonton, AB Canada) –

  

I was lucky enough to wake up early today and go to Memory Express in Edmonton and they had one. Stores received a limited amount of tablets and they were all sold out within hours, including here on Amazon. I’ve been playing with this thing for hours now and so far I’ve only had great experiences with it.

The main feature for me is the remote desktop: you can access your PC, whether it’s a Mac or a PC, if they’re both connected to your home wi-fi connection. You can control your PC from anywhere and use all of its features. I watched a HD movie and worked on MS Word docs, everything went smoothly.
The tablet doesn’t weigh much for its size and the IPS screen is amazing, it’s the same screen used on the iPad 2. I’m not a person who needs to buy products made by just one brand. I like Apple and I own a iPhone 4, but when it came to deciding which tablet to buy, I went for the Transformer because it offers me a tablet/netbook function, the best of both worlds.
The tablet itself has a microSD card slot so I already have 32GB more to use it. The docking station (which can be purchased by 149.99) has 2 USB ports and 1 SD Card slot.
You can edit Microsoft Office docs on it using Polaris Office, it’s great and this app comes pre-installed on it. Playing mp3s or acc files on it it’s great too. You can use the app MyNet to play music from your own PC or Mac, via bluetooth.

I’m playing SNES games using SNESoid app and using a Wiimote/Classic Controller via Bluetooth and everything works great! It has native email (which Blackberry Playbook doesn’t) and you can sync your calendar and contacts easily. It has full flash compatibility. For $399, there’s nothing on the market with these specs. The Motorola Xoom has similar specs and it costs $200 more. It doesn’t give you the option to attach a docking station with all those slots. When I buy computers, I want to be able to upload content to it easily, or transfer files from it easily as well. The Apple system is ok but needing iTunes for everything is kinda like a dictatorship. I had to jailbreak my iPhone to be able to play SNES games on it, or even listen to music on Grooveshark. That’s where the Android Market comes in.

You can download any apps you want, any developer can create apps for it, it’s a “free” system. It’s not as wide as the App Store, but it’s getting bigger and bigger by the minute. I downloaded the Kindle app and already transferred all my e-books to it (I also own a Kindle and I love it).

There are some quirks that have to be tweaked with Honeycomb 3.0 OS and that’s something Google is working on. That’s easy since updates will be released (an update is scheduled in 2 days). So that will improve the overall performance of the OS. But I honestly didn’t have any issues with it, I really like Honeycomb 3.0 so far.

I definitely recommend this thing for people who want to use their tablets as an extension or even a replacement to their laptops. Asus has hit a home run with this one, since it costs much less than anybody else and its specs are great. It’s hands down the best purchase I’ve had under 400 bucks.

The docking station is sold out anywhere else but I pre-ordered it on Amazon and I’m hoping to get it in a couple of weeks. I’ll post a video with the combo once I get everything up and running. I’m a iOS person who’s welcoming Android with open arms!

Review Update: Apr 29 2011 – Ok, so I’ve been using my Transformer for a few days so I’d like to add a few pros and cons to this review.

Pros: beside what’s been mentioned above, I noticed that:

- multitasking is really easy on the Transformer. You can quickly jump from one app to the other, check e-mails, browse something on Wikipedia, listen to music and even have your Skype session open at the same time. I was chatting with my dad and multitasking and had no issues. The Skype app needs updates, but that’s nothing to do with Asus.

- File Manager: this feature is great! You don’t have to hook up your Transformer to your computer all the time to move, copy or paste files. You can create new folders and even transfer files from your microSD card straight to it. I transferred a movie from my microsd Card folder (path is rootremovable to access microSD files) to my Movies folder and it was very quick. And I didn’t need to plug it in in order to access or move the files.

- Widgets: Your Desktop Area (Or Asus Launcher) is very wide so you can add many widgets to it, and they’re very handy. That’s something that can’t be done on the iPad 2. Mind you Widgets can affect the speed a bit, but nothing noticeable at all. Those people running speed tests between iPad 2 and the Transformer need to bear that in mind.

- Weight: believe it or not, it doesn’t feel heavy at all for its size.

Cons: ok, so here it is:…

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I was one of the lucky view at the stroke of midnight on April 26th, was able to get my order in on Amazon. I just received my tablet tonight via Amazon Prime.

I’ve been on Android since the original T-Mobile G1 released, and have owned an iPad since September of last year, so quite awhile on both. This is my first ownership experience of a Honeycomb 3.0 tablet.

Software wise, there’s not that much I can add in terms of what others haven’t already said. It’s VERY refreshing coming from iOS, to actually not be staring at pages and pages of useless icons. The notifications are ABSOLUTELY sweet (i.e. useful!). The app quick access with screenshots adds to a very desktop-esque experience, but with the navigability of a tablet UI.

Most things run very smooth, typical of all the standard Tegra 2 devices. Speakers are surprisingly loud, and there are actually 2 of them (stereo). Screen is absolutely gorgeous (IPS).

If you’re deep in Google services, such as Gmail, Picasa, Youtube, Docs, etc. Honeycomb is a godsend. I have almost 20gb’s of photos in Picasa, and after one account setup, EVERY SINGLE PICTURE synced. Pretty much all my cloud files and settings synced. From Chrome bookmarks to docs to pictures…. it seriously is a breath of fresh air to have things “just work”, without the use of something like iTunes.

Granted, if you’re not a Googler like me, it won’t be AS beneficial, but that’s not to say it’s still not a great device.

It also charges FAST as hell. My iPad takes on average 6 hours to go from 0% to 100%. I haven’t done a full discharge on the Asus, but it went from 7% to 100% in a little under 2 hrs. That’s insane.

The not so great, both the front and rear camera seem slightly sub-par as far as clarity goes. Very usable, but not great. My only real complaint is the “tightness” of the construction. I absolutely don’t mind the plastic. It’s light, grippy, sturdy, and looks great. However, along the bezel where the plastic seems to meet the glass, the Transformer tends to creak. Nothing worth concern, but it would be nice for a device that’s basically a slab of glass to “sound” solid in your hand.Then I think to myself, this thing cost 399… It’s 100 bucks less then the cheapest iPad.

So, the question really isn’t “Is this thing awesome” or “is it better then an iPad”. I believe either of those answers are really up for interpretation. However, when you throw in the equation of PRICE…”Is this thing awesome for 399″ , i have to give a resounding “YES!”.

****** Edit : Usage Update *******

So I’ve been using this tablet in place of my iPad exclusively for about 4 days now, and have better insight to the Transformer.

The good is that my previous complaint about the build quality really has proven to be a really superficial concern. It does faintly creak in a couple spots, but I would have to classify the actual severity as minimal to non-existant.

Also, after reading the issues with the Asus update, I decided to proceed since it’s only been documented that a handful (i.e. less then 5) people out of potential thousands have actually had issues. My update went without an issue.

I hear people complain about the lack of apps specifically for tablet. I can happily say that i haven’t experience this limitation since even most non-tablet specific apps scale fine. “things look stretched out”. Yes, that’s actually an indication that Android was designed to scale properly (literally). Look at iOS, they literally blow up non iPad apps to the point of pixelation. Android’s solution, while not ideal, is much better and most non-tablet specific apps actually work and look just fine. Having a FULL browser is incredibly helpful.

The notification system is awesome. Just this change makes this tablet twice as more productive then my iPad.

Now, admittedly, there have been more not-so-good issues that I’ve discovered. First off, the tablet is definitely prone to freezes and locks. On several occasions it would just freeze completely and would require a reboot. Also, there have been several times where, when going from portrait to landscape, the resolution of the screen stayed fixed. This would result in an odd partial-screen view. Usually fixed itself after a couple of seconds of rotating the tablet. Other times, presses are unresponsive, ex. opening an app. This is definitely a software issue however, not an issue with the capacitive hardware.

YouTube playback was surprisingly choppy, even in standard def. The recent update however, seemed to have improved that greatly.

Last thing, just like most Android devices, the user experience is proned to “slow-down” once you’ve been on it for any decent amount of time. Can’t be a RAM issue as this has 1GB, and at any given time there’s only 400mb or so in use…

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V. Phan “yimnvs” (Bay Area) –

  

I am a previous owner of the Archos 101, which was a decent tablet during its time, but as time goes by..it became sluggish and multitasking on it was a drag so I sold it on ebay and saved the money for my next tablet purchase. Then I heard about this tablet and I was anxiously anticipating its US release. I was one of the lucky ones who were able to grab one on Amazon on release day(April 26th). I received my package via OnTrac on the 27th. I opened my package and tried it out for about an hour before deciding to do the OTA update. A few people on the xda forum reported that they have bricked their Asus TFs because of the update so I was hesitant. However, everything went well for me and it was updated within five minutes.

-First thing first. Sorry, no iOS vs Android comparison here. If you are looking at this item, you SHOULD already know the advantages and disadvantages for both OS.

-The screen is AMAZING!! Viewing angle is superb. High resolution IPS LED LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass for the win.

-Only $399. $200 less than the Xoom. $100 less than the iPad 2. $50 less than the Acer Iconia a500. With equal or better hardware/features. You make the decision.

-Android 3.0 is great. Very smooth usage. Very open-ended. Customizable to the max. True multitasking; with as many apps running in the background as the CPU can handle. Asus included some exclusive widgets and apps. Games run beautifully with no lag. I am new to Honeycomb, and I am enjoying it a lot.

-Asus included a roll of numbers on the android virtual keyboard. That is very handy as i dont have to click an extra button to access the numbers. Most of my passwords have numbers and that saves a lot of time.

-Flash 10.2. You can browse the internet without feeling left out. Yes, you get flashy ads also. I would say Flash works 95% because sometimes flash videos get laggy when maximized to full screen. Youtube app videos stutters when you play it fullscreen in HQ. However, there is supposedly a fix of that issue coming soon for Honeycomb. Other than that, every flash based websites load fine.

-Apps for Honeycomb is lacking right now but it should kick off soon. Some apps are not compatible with Honeycomb and will crash after installation. If you are a news junkie, Pulse is the app to get. Mobo player is the best video player to me. Many of the free games are very fun to play.

-MyCloud was not there when my tablet came. I needed to do the OTA update for MyCloud to appear in the apps folder.Since the remote desktop in MyCloud can only connect to the PCs in your LAN network, I was excited to find out about LogMeIn ignition on the Android Market. You can buy the app to remotely control any PCs anywhere.

-Plays back basic video formats like avi. Compared to my Archos 101 which is made by a French company, can play many video formats natively, even mkv. (I love European devices with their video playback capabilities)

-Has built in GPS with a free downloadable text-to-speech plug-in on the Android Market.

-Build quality is good for the price although not as good as iPad 2. The texture design on the back is nice and gives better grip.

-Big bezel. Initially, the big bezel turned me off, but now I understood why Asus made it bigger than other comparable tablets. My old Archos has a thin Bezel and because of that I would accidentally touch the screen with my thumbs, wrecking havoc. With this tablet, my thumbs rest on the bezel and that problem was solved, and also my thumbs get some rest.

-Two good cameras, on front and back. Picture quality is great, but video recording is average.

-MicroSD slot and miniHDMI. I also ordered the keyboard so that I will have two USB ports.

-Charging connecter is shorter than I expected. It can be a hassle if you want to use the tablet and charge it at the same time.

-Power button and speakers are on the side. Unlike the Archos 101 and Moto Xoom, having speakers on the side means that when you put it flat down, your sound does not deteriorate. The right speaker is louder than the left for some reason. Hopefuly an update will fix that.

-Battery life is good. Around 8-9 hours depending on your usage. Battery life can be extended with the keyboard dock, while transforming into a netbook.

The Asus TF is hot at $399, and I am enjoying it very much so far. This thing is in another league compared to my Archos 101. This product is rare right now and I hope Asus can ship more units(or maybe it’s just a marketing strategy for more hype).

Anyhow, this tablet is great and I am looking forward to future Android updates to make it even better. Five stars for a good tablet.

Hope this helps and have fun with your tablet(s)!

*UPDATE 5/2/11* So, I have…

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