ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Part 2

Clip to Evernote
Tweet

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Part 2

Laura Doggett – lauradoggett.com

Instructions? Whatever.

I don’t read instructions for kit any more. Any gadget I buy or even try, I expect to be so intuitive that for the general functions I shouldn’t need to squint through flapping bits of paper in eight languages to get it moving. I’m pleased to report that the ASUS didn’t disappoint. I had it up and running in no time, connecting with ease to my home wifi. And the best thing? I didn’t have to plug it into anything. No fiddling around with passwords and iTunes. No obligatory syncing with the mothership! Yay!

I still haven’t plugged it physically into anything apart from the mains to charge it and am happily getting everything I need from the cloud. Result.

Android 3.0 Honeycomb

The little guy had a big responsibility here given that this was my first proper Android experience. I’ve never even owned an Android device and so was cautious about how easy adapting would be.  The whole thing was incredibly painless. Downloading apps from the Marketplace is a pleasure, especially when so much is free! The ASUS is very quick to respond and pretty agile switching between apps. It’s pretty, moves fluidly and the touch interface has all the sensitivity I hoped for.

Handling

The Asus is a slightly odd shape. It’s long and thin, making its proportions more comfortable to manipulate and hold in a ‘landscape’ rather than ‘portrait’ position. It’s a nice weight but not as light as I had expected, being of a more plastic construction than the iPad. Typing feels comfortable, especially thanks to the joys of a proper keyboard layout significantly superior to the iPad which includes numbers in the default keyboard. No shift or toggle required! Simple things like that are so pleasing when entering passwords, addresses and all those really ordinary bits of data that become that bit less of a palaver.

What’s next?

What the Year 8s think. They take no prisoners when it comes to gadgetry so this should be interesting!

Related Articles

Share |
  • http://profiles.google.com/laurahudsonstudio Laura Hudson

    sounds brilliant – must be well designed if it is so intuitive – is the main difference to an ipad that it is stand alone and does not need to be docked to get going. My partner got an ipad for christmas and had to wait 2 weeks to use it till we got back home.

  • Anonymous

     You need not dock it … to get going. You can use it in tablet mode just fine.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Villanueva/100000241552025 David Villanueva

    Best honeycomb tablets so far with keyboard dock adding 6+ hours of battery life.
    Will be nice if we can do full system backup to your laptop in case you need to reload the OS and all the installed softwares. 

  • http://twitter.com/BobZigalig Bob Zigalig

    This looks like a cracking device. I’ve still not seen anything to take on the iPad yet though.

  • Charlie Cavaye

    Have to agree that it’s a slightly odd shape and heavier than I’d expected, but it is also one tremendous device!

  • http://twitter.com/libra10001 Frances Heaton

    You’ve sold this nifty little gizmo to me.

    Sounds brilliant.

  • http://twitter.com/libra10001 Frances Heaton

    You’ve sold this nifty little gizmo to me.

    Sounds brilliant!

  • http://www.facebook.com/cassandra.fryer Cassandra Fryer

    Anything for an easy life! :D

  • CHRISTINE BRAY

    This is soooo me !!!! I don’t read instruction and the very thpught of having to buy a “book for dummies” to get you moving on you new devices sends me heading for the hills but this

    I’m pleased to report that the ASUS didn’t disappoint. I had it up and running in no time, connecting with ease to my home wifi. And the best thing? I didn’t have to plug it into anything. No fiddling around with passwords and iTunes. No obligatory syncing with the mothership! Yay!   Wonderful I so want want want one!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/pete.c.hewitt Pete C Hewitt

    Looks amazing and with the detachable keyboard it looks like you can keep up with work as well

  • http://www.facebook.com/dav532000 Dave Rimmer

    Great to see something to up against the iPad, Asus has gone one further with being able to attach the keyboard and hey presto you have a laptop, fantastic Idea well done Asus.