At $ 399 for the 16GB model and $ 499 for the 32GB version, Wi-Fi-only Eee Pad Transformer less aggressively. Compared to, iPad 2, which took $ 499 (16GB), $ 599 (32GB), and $ 699 (64GB), Transformer is a bargain really. The 32GB, Wi-Fi only Motorola Xoom (3.5 stars), such as iPad, is $ 599, while the Acer Iconia Tab A500 ($ 449, 3.5 stars), the 16GB and Wi-Fi-only, valid for $ 449. So, for now, Honeycomb tablet Eee Pad is the cheapest you'll find. It's also the most-expensive tablet that can come close to competing with iPad 2 in terms of overall experience.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on June 28, 2011 to reflect the software updates since the launch of the tablet.
Design & File Support
Measuring 6.9 by 10.7 by 0.6 inches (HWD), 1.5-pound Transformer looks, well, much like almost every other tablets we've seen. With built-in speakers flanking the screen on either side, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, tablet main difference, visually, is dark gray / metal-coloring is slightly different from standard black plastic look. The rear panel is equipped with attractive carvings, geometric patterns, and of course, Asus logo. In terms of screen size, 10.1-inch, multitouch display 1280-by-800 pixels that are most similar to the Motorola Xoom, which has an identical specification screen. Transformer integrates accelerometer and gyroscope, using the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz processor, and supports 802.11n wireless signals, as well as Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.
Right panel houses a mini HDMI output (cable not included), micro-SD slot, and 3.5-mm headphone jack. The left pane has the Power button and Volume controls, and the bottom panel houses a proprietary connection for the sync cable and dock connection (along with two slots to stabilize the tablet when docked). A USB sync cable and charger included, but like other tablets, you will not find mini speaker.
Also not included, although it plays an important role in marketing Transformer, is a QWERTY keyboard dock, which, at $ 149, it turns into a netbook slim tablet. Even folded like a laptop when connected. Besides connecting the sync cable so you can fill out, or even synchronize files from your computer while you are typing. See our full review of the Asus Eee Station Docking Pad Transformer TF101 ($ 149, 4 stars) for more details, but the point is: Transformer combo-and-dock just $ 50 more expensive than Xoom, which is a good deal.
Honeycomb
Google's Tablet operating system, Honeycomb (Android 3.0, which was recently updated to 3.1) differs only slightly from tablet to tablet. So little, in fact, that we cover the ins and outs OS Honeycomb in our dedicated review. In short, solid operating system, get the little things, such as multitasking and notification e-mail and calendar, correct. It's a little clunkier than Apple's IOS and BlackBerry Tablet OS when it comes to the overall layout and organization. Sometimes, highly customizable appearance gets in the way of simplicity and ease of use. This is not a nightmare, it is full grown only unnecessary visual and organizational choices that really make the tablet more organized. For example, there are many ways to manage your applications, but why not just have them all in one place, and make the start-up screen, such as Apple and RIM do? In Honeycomb, swiping left or right of the screen shows your home more home screens, many of them may be empty if you do not fill it with your application already can access by simply pressing the Apps icon. There is no way to get rid of blank screen, you can only fill them or handle them. You will not see a problem like this complicated user interface on the RIM BlackBerry guidelines ($ 499, 3 stars) or the iPad.
Interface quibbles aside, the main issue is the application store Android, Android Market, which is still growing, but slowly. This browser offers a quality Internet experience, and Android 3.1 update brings full support for Adobe Flash (not the beta support, which has some problems). In other words, Honeycomb getting there, but it has some problems out of the gate. If the push e-mail notifications and update your calendar bread and butter, however, Honeycomb is a winner.
You can also briefly note what Android 3.1 brings to the table. In addition to a full Flash support, no enhanced multitasking-you're no longer limited to five applications open at a time. In 3.1, you can have more than 20 applications open at once, all can be viewed as thumbnails via the multitasking icon. Resizable widgets is also supported now, but it's up to application developers to enable this feature to every app. There is now support for USB keyboard and mouse (mouse support is another feature the iPad does not have), and there are some useful new applications ... but they are all from Google. Google Music using cloud storage to help you manage your library, and there are new Google Video and Film Studio applications. This is great, but the third party actually need to develop an excellent application for Honeycomb immediately, Google can not do everything.
Transformer version of Honeycomb adalah first customization we've seen, but it almost is not adjustable, it seems insignificant. Instead of still images for wallpaper, Transformer uses animated images of ice floating in water that is fit, funny, depending on the angle at which you hold the tablet. Keyboard behaves slightly differently than the other Honeycomb keyboard-and not for profit company. In my tests, predictive text often suspect something wrong when I was looking for an application in the market, and it can be annoying fast. I typed "Advanced Task Killer" with a typo at the end of the first word, for example, and assumed I was looking for "Killer Neanderthal." This usually ignore what your particular type and to select the default search results are more popular, so if you press enter before returning to pick what you type, rather than what is recommended, you will go to the results that may not be what you are looking for. The buttons on the lower left panel is in the same order and have the same basic icons like the other Honeycomb tablet. This is a straight-up Honeycomb as we know it.
Performance and Speed
Since all Honeycomb tablet so far using the Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processors, we see the results of similar tests for CPU benchmarking. The results of our CaffeineMark and Pi benchmark test very similar to Transformer and Xoom Xoom, although it's slightly faster to compute Pi, and Transformer CaffeineMark scored better. Our suite of tests Softweg give a slightly higher graphics and CPU scores for Xoom, but better memory tests and score tests for Transformer file system. They are in the same realm with Slate GT-Mobile with Google (by LG) ($ 629, 3.5 stars). Transformer also recorded our fastest SunSpider JavaScript test results-1, 999.9ms, for all tablets, iPad 2 and BlackBerry Playbook included. Even the results of which, however, is nominal only faster than most competing tablets. In other words, we have not seen the tablet is far and away the best in performance and speed.
Camera
The front facing 1.2-megapixel camera is the equivalent of almost every other tablet in this category store iPad 2, which has a much lower-quality than what we've seen on Honeycomb tablets. Video chatting on a Transformer running more smoothly than they did at the G-Slate, but it has nothing to do with the camera application or app-Talk in both cases, the tablet using the same application. Placement of the lens G-Slate is a far right corner, which makes viewing the screen and appear as if you see your chat partner type complex. Thankfully, although the lens Transformer is a bit off-center, is still central enough that your video chat-mates will not think you are too cool to see them.
The rear facing 5-megapixel camera captures 720p video camera and use the same application that all other Honeycomb tablet use. In it, you'll find shooting modes, color effects, and automatic white balance settings that go a little deeper than iPad camera application no. Throw in the fact that the rear-facing camera iPad offers less than 1-megapixel resolution, and it is difficult to recommend the iPad, from camera angles, on each tablet Honeycomb, Transformer included. That said, there is no camera on this tablet can be seen as a legitimate substitute for a point-and-shoot dedicated. A prominent real only in the Honeycomb crew G-Slate, which has a stereoscopic lens for shooting video in 3D. It does not look too good, but it's fun. If not, no big differences from one camera to the next Honeycomb tablet. One note: Unlike Xoom or G-Slate, Transformer does not have an LED flash, which means you're limited to shooting subjects that are quite bright.
Apps
If you have to boil the arguments why the iPad 2 is superior to other current tablets for one word, the word will likely be "application." In particular, Apple's App Store is full of applications designed for the iPad, and the intended application for the iPhone, but on the iPad functioning without a hitch, and can be doubled to more than fill the screen, if you do not mind the loss in image resolution. Android Market is an entirely different story. To say that there are thousands or even hundreds of applications designed for Honeycomb tablet would be distortion of truth. There are many applications in the tablet market, but they suffer from one major drawback: most of them designed pre-Honeycomb. They look terrible on any screen tablet Honeycomb, because they are designed for the mobile OS, any version of Android before Honeycomb, that is-and not a tablet OS. Selection is growing: USA Today is a sample application, clean, simple, and useful from what Android developers can accomplish and what the future might look for markets. But when the most exciting applications available for the Google operating system created by Google (Google Earth application is a blast to mess around with), which says a lot about the depth of selection, or lack thereof, in the app store. Here's hoping that the new wave of tablet Honeycomb encourage more developers to create a more promising option.
Preloaded on the application, including Transformers: Polaris Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Display, MyNet (DLNA-based streaming applications), MyCloud, Sync ASUS, ASUS Webstorage, Google Books, MyLibrary, and standard music, video, photos and widget applications Honeycomb is shipped with the device. MyCloud is "cloud-based" storage applications to be available via firmware update in May-Asus Webstorage use to access your content, and the first year free, then the Asus Webstorage costs $ 4.99 monthly fee. The Google Talk loaded, video chat application that syncs with your Gmail account (required to make a tablet Honeycomb), is a more open approach to video chat FaceTime from Apple, which is limited to Apple devices only. Talk will work on any device with a web camera and access to a Google account-so, almost all computers and all the Honeycomb. This means you can chat on the tablet with your friends regardless of what they use on their end, as long as you both talk through your Google account.
Music, Video, Photo
Music, Videos, Photos and storage, are also very similar to the Honeycomb, across the board, although some manufacturers try to add a user experience that little bit extra for Music and the standard Gallery application. Of course, Google's new music application beta adds a new wrinkle with cloud storage. Unlike Apple's new cloud storage, however, there is no "match" service, you really have to upload your songs. My most favorite thing about Honeycomb storage file has to do with which video files can be accessed on your tablet. If you connect the Transformer to your PC and drag some video in the folder labeled "Movies," you might reasonably expect a "Movies" folder, or application to appear somewhere on your tablet when you are disconnected from the computer. Unfortunately, Google is not a lump in your video with your photos in an application called "Gallery." There's nothing wrong with this concept, but could be clearer, and there is no reason to confuse the person loading the file into a tablet with a folder on your computer appear as "Music" and "Picture" when that same structure does not reflect on the device own. Regardless, the interference by one after you have located your video file, and if you read this, then I have saved you suffering never seen anywhere but in the app gallery for your video collection.
Transformer includes support files for AAC, AAC +, MP3, OGG, MIDI to audio, H.263, H.264, MPEG4 for video, and JPEG, BMP, GIF, and PNG for photos.
Video seems to look stunning on a high resolution display, and mini-HDMI port allows for playback of HD video on television, and reflects the tablet on TV, which can be fun to video chatting or gaming. Angry Birds Rio looks very good on an HDTV test, and we never had a problem loading or viewing any application, photo, or video.
Audio files are served with a little talent, but it's easy, intuitive navigation of the menu music. Cover art can be scrolled through by friction finger, and while it may not look as graceful as Apple to play it, Apple did not even put the play on the iPad, so that Google at least get credit for trying. The Settings menu offers the user no adjustable EQ, built-in speakers sound like, well, a built-in speaker (not robust and there is no bass response) and no earphones included, so this, along with most tablets, not just the device being marketed by music lover in mind.
Battery Life & Conclusion
Memeringkatkan battery life Asus Eee Pad Transformer for around 9 hours and 15 minutes to use the mixture on a full charge. Our own tests, which consisted of playing video at high volume, non-stop, while Wi-Fi is active, collecting 6 hours and 12 minutes of battery life.
In a crowded field of emerging tablet, it is difficult to recommend one over the other Honeycomb tablet. If you are interested in the keyboard and dock accessories sold at Honeycomb as your platform, the price must be right, as the Transformer is the cheapest tablet with Android 3.1 (or 3.0, in this case) now. If you are looking for more than a model Wi-Fi-only, T-Mobile G-Slate (by LG) is a very small position ahead of the competition because it's Honeycomb tablet first to integrate wireless and 4G-camcorder also has a silly-but-fun 3D. But you will see the tablets are all the same rate, and that's because the main element here is the operating system. If you want the best tablet you can buy, go with the iPad.
