The Transformer is a 10.1-inch tablet running Android 3.0.1, the most recently released version of Honeycomb. It’s got a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor running at 1GHz. The Transformer gets its name from the optional keyboard accessory.
It’s not a Bluetooth keyboard; it’s not using some funky tethering system. It’s a full-fledged (only slightly undersized) laptop-style keyboard, complete with a hinge that turns the not-so-mild-mannered Android tablet into so much more.
It is said that tablets are killing netbooks, and there’s no reason to carry around a full-size laptop anymore. Neither statement is true. Where as other tablet-keyboard combinations have come up short, the Asus EeePad Transformer is the most viable android “laptop” we’ve seen yet.
Specs
It’s a 10.1-inch screen IPS display, which is the same kind of screen technology you hear Apple raving about (although I still have issues in direct sunlight and with fingerprints).
It has a 1280 x 800 resolution, which is standard for tablet size, a density of 160 pixels per inch. And for those of you who have a habit of scratching things, the Transformer’s got the scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass.
The Transformer comes in either a 16GB or 32GB version (our review unit was the former).
Battery for the tablet is listed as a 24.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer, rated for 9.5 hours of use. There’s a battery slice tucked into the keyboard dock, too, which ramps up battery life to a massive 16 hours on paper. In our few days of testing, we got through a day of fairly normal use––above average Gmail synching, some web browsing, and gaming. It’s always advised to charge it overnight, especially when you will use it for school.
The Transformer is a WiFi-only device. It’s got 802.11 b/g/n for connectivity, as well as Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. There’s also GPS, so you can use it for navigation and location-based services.
The Transformer has a 5-megapixel camera on the back, and a 1.2MP shooter facing you. The rear camera doesn’t have a flash. But, as we keep saying about tablets, it’s not like you’re going to be running around with this thing like it’s a 10-inch point-and-shoot.
Amped up with Android
The EeePad Transformer runs Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb, Google’s tablet version of Android. Asus starts you out with a pretty wide-open landscape when it comes to the five home screens. The center screen has a weather widget powered by AccuWeather––and I love that font––with nice little graphics for the day’s forecast. There’s a date widget on the bottom right of every home screen, which you have the option to remove if needed.
Standard Google apps are onboard, such as YouTube, Google Books, Android Market, Gmail. The Polaris Office documents app is loaded as well, and it’s functional enough. I began writing this review to get a feel of the keyboard––until the tablet froze and I lost a couple hundred words (be sure to always save!). Polaris allows you to create a spreadsheet and PowerPoint-like presentation.
This being a tablet, it does come with an on-screen keyboard, and it’s one of the few customizations Asus has put in place. It’s decent enough, and you have the option to switch back to the stock Honeycomb keyboard if you want, or you can install a new one.
There’s not a whole lot to say about the software. It’s Honeycomb as we’ve come to know it. Honeycomb home screen experience seems to borrow from traditional desktops, so it lends itself particularly well when met with a proper keyboard and mouse pointer.
That’s what the Transformer keyboard dock does. To launch an app, you click on it with the mouse. To move between home screens, you swipe left or right with two fingers on the trackpad. The tab key moves between fields just like it should. And the enter key confirms actions, just as it should.
With P29,990 you can get a more powerful laptop with a better feature set, so the Transformer won’t replace a traditional laptop just yet. But looking past the necessity issue, with the Asus EeePad Transformer, you get a semi-laptop experience with the might of Android 3.0 behind it. You get an Android tablet and an Android laptop, which nobody but Asus can offer just yet.