ASUS EEE Pad Transformer Full Review
The tablet computer, without bringing anything radically new into our lives, managed to make a revolution of a different type - not technological, but mental. How many devices in life so desperately demanded to buy themselves, while so modestly silent about their capabilities? And how many devices did we like so much in absentia, although it was far from everyone who managed to find an excuse for suddenly waking feelings? It seems as if popularity first arose, and only then people began to share the detected chips with each other, and only then they learned that surfing the Internet, playing timekillers, chatting with friends or watching videos, putting their feet on the back of the sofa, is really convenient.
But for the thousandth time sending an evil bird into a wooden wall, you deprive the device of a halo of appeal. Okay, you already have a tablet computer, but can the second, third, ... a whole generation of devices return the lost interest? Rectangle, square, aluminum, plastic, glass - in fact, the devices of different manufacturers are all alike as one (to the delight of patent trolls). Over time, they become more productive, thinner, more capacious, but ... that's all. Marketing magic, endowing computers with new covers and ultra-protective superglasses, no longer works - the device ceases to satisfy the user's needs.
The company ASUS, strange as it may sound, never sought to direct competition with other manufacturers. To create a new market, to identify an empty niche, to determine what else people may need in everyday life - these are the basic principles for the development of the company's products. Therefore, introducing their tablet computers to the market, ASUS did not go along with the fashion trends and announced four radically different devices: the most powerful tablet, the “transformer” tablet, the tablet slider, and the tablet notebook (and now with 3D). Today, at the review of the Trendclub laboratory, the tablet computer of the company ASUS, is apparently indistinguishable from a serial netbook. Caution! Lots of traffic.
You cannot treat a Transformer separately from its component parts. These are two devices in one, and they need to be considered as a whole. However, if a keyboard without a screen is just a keyboard, then the screen itself is a functional tablet, and we will begin our acquaintance with the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer with it.
')
Specifications
The tablet
OS: Android Honeycomb
Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 2 (1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9)
Memory: 16/32 / GB
Display: 10.1 ”HD (1280 x 800), IPS
Wireless: Wi-Fi - 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1
Connectors: 40pin, 3.5 mm, mini HDMI, microSD
Camera: 1.2 megapixel front, 5 megapixel rear, 720p MPEG-4 / H.264 video recording
Operating time: 24.4 Wh battery, 8-10 hours
Dimensions: 271 x 171 x 12.98 mm
Weight: 680 g
Dock station
Connectors: 40pin, 2 x USB 2.0, MMC / SD / SDHC card reader
Operating time: 24.4 Wh battery, increases the battery life of the tablet up to 16 hours
Dimensions: 271.8 x 175.3 x 15.24 mm
Weight: 621.5 g.
The box is opened easily, to take out the Transformer does not complicate even the child. One set includes a tablet and a docking station keyboard. The manufacturer did not forget to put the user manual, charger and cable to connect to the computer.
With a screen diagonal of 10.1 ”, the thickness of the case is only 13 mm.
A good IPS matrix, which I will discuss in more detail later, is covered with a protective glass.
The basis of the tablet is the screen, in the sense that it is necessary to work most of the time with the front side, but miscalculations in the design of the back cover can lead to significant annoying drawbacks. The cover of the Transformer is made of dark brown matte plastic, the fingerprints of which are not visible.
The wavy pattern on the cover of the case is a corrugated surface, according to the developers, resistant to scratches. I did not dare to check this statement with a nail, but found that the surface prevents sliding - the tablet is comfortable to hold.
The side faces are edged with monolithic bronze metal. Its purpose is largely aesthetic; The tablet visually narrows to the edges and looks even thinner than it is.
The speakers are located at the ends and almost imperceptible. By the way, the sound through them is good, but the low frequencies are not pronounced, which is typical for almost all mobile devices.
Screen
The IPS matrix, unfortunately, is not yet the de facto standard for tablets. Therefore, its use in Transformer pleased. The matrix is ​​closed with a protective glass that collects prints well, and it is impossible to do without a cleaning cloth. Perhaps the prints are the “de facto standard” for modern tablet screens :)
The screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels improves the picture quality, and a good supply of brightness allows you to use the screen outside on a sunny day. An interesting point, a glossy finish can turn the screen into a “mirror”, but the screen at maximum brightness displays an image that can be read without effort.
The matrix has good viewing angles, and although the gloss remains glossy, the display turned out to be much better than in most modern netbooks and many notebooks.
There are two cameras in the tablet and they are located in the most convenient way so that they do not accidentally fall under the fingers. The front camera of 1.2 megapixel provides an acceptable level of picture for video calls.
The rear camera of 5 megapixel is at the level of the cameras of mid-budget telephones. Shooting indoors shows all the capabilities of the camera, on the street the situation is slightly better. Through the camera, you can record video in 720p resolution, while using the H.264 codec.
If you hold the tablet face to yourself, then on the left hand on it will be located on / off button. and volume rocker, and on the right - microSD, miniHDMI, headphone jack.
There are no connectors and buttons on top, and the Dock Connector (40pin), through which the tablet connects to the docking station / other computer / charger via the supplied cable, is located below.
On both sides of the Dock Connector are slots for snap locks.
The ports are located successfully, switching on and off, as well as changing the volume level with one finger without any difficulty.
A familiar and poor set will expand significantly if you connect a docking station that performs basic communication functions.
The touchpad keyboard, carrying an extra battery, is made in the same colors as the tablet case. Thus, in appearance, the device looks like a full-fledged and stylish dark-brown netbook.
The difference from a netbook is the presence of a metal cradle - a connector for installing a tablet. It is mobile and allows you to choose a convenient angle for the eyes of the screen. At the same time it provides a good balance: the screen does not outweigh, the “netbook” does not tip over “on its back”.
Cradle is reliable, it is very difficult to break it accidentally (and intentionally). To turn it, you need to make an effort, stiffness eliminates the appearance of looseness at multiple tilts / turns of the screen.
Automatic latch triggered when you install the tablet. When you need to get a tablet, you need to move the latch lever to the left. The latch reliably prevents accidental separation of the tablet and the docking station - the Transformer can be turned upside down and shake without fear of turning the display into crunchy shards.
In the commercial, the tablet is connected to the docking station with one simple movement of the hand. In reality, you can, if you wish, repeat this trick with snaps only after numerous trainings - the installation requires a certain concentration and at least two hands.
The back cover of the docking station is made of matte plastic, while the surface on the keyboard side is metal.
Let's go back to the connectors. At the docking station there are two whole usb ports, one on the left and the right side. Ports are closed with protective plugs.
On the left side is located and the Dock Connector connector, similar to the connector on the tablet. It is used in the same way: for charging and connecting to a computer.
On the right side, in addition to usb, there is a slot for SD-cards, significantly expanding the capacity of the tablet - 32 GB card for the card reader will be indispensable in the field, where it is not always convenient to use a portable hard disk under usb.
Keyboard layout
The usual laptop keyboard is not very suitable for a device running the Android OS. Therefore, the keyboard layout has changed, adapting to new program conditions.
Android keys on the keyboard are located in the lower and upper rows.
The Windows button was replaced by the "Home" button, the "Search" button appeared.
In the right side of the row there was a place for the "Menu".
The set of F-keys disappeared in the top row. Replaced came:
- “Back”
- “Enable / disable Wi-Fi”
- “Enable / disable Bluetooth”
- “Enable / Disable Touchpad”
- “Decrease brightness”
- “Increase brightness”
- “Automatic brightness”
- “Take a screenshot”
- “Call the browser”
- “Settings”
On the right side of the top row are the multimedia control keys (play, ±, and on / off sound) and the exit button to standby mode
Additional surprises keyboard does not carry, in accordance with the standard used in many netbooks. The small size of the keys does not interfere with the convenience of typing, they are arranged at intervals that virtually exclude accidental pressing.
I do not want to get involved in an argument about whether typing on the screen is capable of replacing regular printing. Personally, I feel uncomfortable when the soft-keyboard closes the floor of the screen, and I’m not sure that there are many masochists in the world who are ready to type text that slightly exceeds the notepad, not on the hardware keyboard.
I will only say one thing about the touchpad - it is there. The very presence of a touchpad of rather big sizes on a device with a multi-touch screen and a usb port free for a computer mouse looks like an anachronism.
To date, Transformer is running Android 3.2. Google is constantly updating the system and what now I want to call innovation, after a short time it will be taken for granted - this was the case with the support of multitasking, external drives, improved browser performance, etc.
This statement also applies to system glitches, seen, for example, on firmware 3.1. In the new versions, most of the problems noted have been fixed. Google is not going to slow down the release of new versions, so that in the future it is only expected to increase the stability of the system.
Subjectively, the system works quickly, without lags. Responsible for the performance of the platform NVIDIA Tegra 2, which includes a dual-core processor with a frequency of 1 GHz and 1 GB of RAM, which means that all applications existing in the Android Market will start and will work on the tablet without difficulty.
Synthetic tests showed the following results:
The popular test application Quadrant Standart is not optimized for the new version of Android and shows an improbable result, so I would recommend comparing tablets using the SunSpider and Antutu Benchmark tests. I can not say for all the tablets, but where you can compare, the Transformer shows an overwhelming, worthy Megatron :), superiority in parrots.
(If you're curious, I am comparing with HTC Flyer and Motorola XOOM, which have AnTutu Benchmark data on the network, although it is impossible to evaluate the relative performance of devices based on these numbers.)
Update 3.2 brought to the Transformer TegraZone - a store from Nvidia, reminiscent of the Android Market, but only for games optimized for Tegra 2.
In ASUS, according to the good old tradition of filling up laptops with a large number of pre-installed software, we installed several interesting applications in Transformer, some of which you could find in netbooks and notebooks of the company:
- MyNet DLNA - for working with multimedia content (music, photos, video) within the local network;
- MyCloud is an application for access to network storage Webstorage, where everything done for free will be provided with storage space and the ability to access from anywhere in the world for a period of 1 year; it is possible to prolong use for a small fee;
- MyDesktop will open access to the remote desktop, and the @Vibe service will take a step further - to the multimedia of the entire Internet.
- MyLibrary is designed for reading electronic books.
- Polaris Office 3.0 - a basic text editor that allows you to create records, spreadsheets and even presentations at the elementary level, as well as possessing a skill in the form of the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents.
Of the pleasant surprises, I note the good work with the GPS coordinates quickly, even indoors.
NVIDIA Tegra 2 supports H264 1080p format with base profile specifications. The system plays video up to 1080p (H.264, MP4 container).
Codec for ASUS Eee PAD Transformer:
- H.264 / VC-1 / MPEG-4 Video Decoding
- H.264 Video Encoding
- AAC, AMR, WMA and MP3
In practice, this means that some videos may have problems and will have to use software that adapts (recodes) to the device.
The tablet's HDMI port displays a 1280x720 pixel image on a third-party screen.
Wireless connection
The set is standard: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WiFi (802.11 b / g / n) and ... one important nuance.
In the sample presented for review, there was no 3G modem, and I wanted to record it in the negative - a device positioned as super mobile, and without 3G? As it turned out, half of the TF101 come with third-generation communication modules. So when you get acquainted with the device, pay attention to whether the seller indicates ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 + 3G or No 3G.
The tablet has a battery with a capacity of 3260 mA • h (a battery of the same capacity is located in the docking station). The charge is enough for 8-10 hours of work (watching videos, toys, surfing). Not bad, but nothing surprising for the world of tablet computers.
The extra battery of the docking station brings the Transformer to an unattainable level for other tablets - the battery life is almost doubled to 16 hours.
Even with a minimum charge in the docking station, it is enough to attach the tablet, and it will start charging, and then it can be used separately. The docking station absorbs energy like a vampire and charges quickly from the network.
In the model presented on the review, there were no problems with the build quality, software was not buggy, and the firmware worked stably. Is the Transformer epithet "excellent" and "perfect" worthy? Of course, there were no errors on the new field and the main difficulties, in my opinion, are hidden in the original dampness of Android itself. From which he goes further and further with each new release.
In most cases, dissatisfaction with Transformer can be expressed with a simple and paradoxical thought: holding, in essence, a modern netbook, you expect all the possibilities from the device…. Windows or Linux operating system. And you come up against the limitations of the system, which recently grew on the phones. Cognitive dissonance does not occur when the docking station is turned off and only the tablet itself remains in the hands.
Despite the excellent design, before buying you need to understand - this is not a netbook with a nice bonus in the form of a tablet screen. The device is primarily a tablet, grown from kindergarten, matured and ready to work with a much more demanding user.
The tablet is separate from the docking station - it is solely a matter of taste, preferences and requirements. But the presence of the keyboard, in addition to the obvious advantages, makes it possible to fully reveal the possibilities of new versions of Android, which with future releases will undoubtedly be increasingly focused on netbooks.
Direct or indirect comparisons can be avoided for a long time, but sooner or later the last crazy thought will appear: so why can I (or you) choose the Transformer? The main difference is not in price or IPS (however, this is not small), but in the keyboard. And if ASUS has this functional accessory much easier to work with office applications, provides extra time for autonomous work, expands the communication capabilities of the device, provides a convenient location of the screen at a level convenient for the eyes, then the competitors ...
pros
+ Can use SD card, external HDD or mouse
+ Performance (speed)
+ ASUS pre-installed software
+ Bright high-quality screen
+ Battery life
+ Hardware keyboard
+ Adequate price
Minuses
- There is no support for .mkv and a number of other formats
- Unique charger connector
But for the thousandth time sending an evil bird into a wooden wall, you deprive the device of a halo of appeal. Okay, you already have a tablet computer, but can the second, third, ... a whole generation of devices return the lost interest? Rectangle, square, aluminum, plastic, glass - in fact, the devices of different manufacturers are all alike as one (to the delight of patent trolls). Over time, they become more productive, thinner, more capacious, but ... that's all. Marketing magic, endowing computers with new covers and ultra-protective superglasses, no longer works - the device ceases to satisfy the user's needs.
The company ASUS, strange as it may sound, never sought to direct competition with other manufacturers. To create a new market, to identify an empty niche, to determine what else people may need in everyday life - these are the basic principles for the development of the company's products. Therefore, introducing their tablet computers to the market, ASUS did not go along with the fashion trends and announced four radically different devices: the most powerful tablet, the “transformer” tablet, the tablet slider, and the tablet notebook (and now with 3D). Today, at the review of the Trendclub laboratory, the tablet computer of the company ASUS, is apparently indistinguishable from a serial netbook. Caution! Lots of traffic.
You cannot treat a Transformer separately from its component parts. These are two devices in one, and they need to be considered as a whole. However, if a keyboard without a screen is just a keyboard, then the screen itself is a functional tablet, and we will begin our acquaintance with the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer with it.
')
Specifications
The tablet
OS: Android Honeycomb
Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 2 (1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9)
Memory: 16/32 / GB
Display: 10.1 ”HD (1280 x 800), IPS
Wireless: Wi-Fi - 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1
Connectors: 40pin, 3.5 mm, mini HDMI, microSD
Camera: 1.2 megapixel front, 5 megapixel rear, 720p MPEG-4 / H.264 video recording
Operating time: 24.4 Wh battery, 8-10 hours
Dimensions: 271 x 171 x 12.98 mm
Weight: 680 g
Dock station
Connectors: 40pin, 2 x USB 2.0, MMC / SD / SDHC card reader
Operating time: 24.4 Wh battery, increases the battery life of the tablet up to 16 hours
Dimensions: 271.8 x 175.3 x 15.24 mm
Weight: 621.5 g.
Equipment
The box is opened easily, to take out the Transformer does not complicate even the child. One set includes a tablet and a docking station keyboard. The manufacturer did not forget to put the user manual, charger and cable to connect to the computer.
Appearance
With a screen diagonal of 10.1 ”, the thickness of the case is only 13 mm.
A good IPS matrix, which I will discuss in more detail later, is covered with a protective glass.
The basis of the tablet is the screen, in the sense that it is necessary to work most of the time with the front side, but miscalculations in the design of the back cover can lead to significant annoying drawbacks. The cover of the Transformer is made of dark brown matte plastic, the fingerprints of which are not visible.
The wavy pattern on the cover of the case is a corrugated surface, according to the developers, resistant to scratches. I did not dare to check this statement with a nail, but found that the surface prevents sliding - the tablet is comfortable to hold.
The side faces are edged with monolithic bronze metal. Its purpose is largely aesthetic; The tablet visually narrows to the edges and looks even thinner than it is.
The speakers are located at the ends and almost imperceptible. By the way, the sound through them is good, but the low frequencies are not pronounced, which is typical for almost all mobile devices.
Screen
The IPS matrix, unfortunately, is not yet the de facto standard for tablets. Therefore, its use in Transformer pleased. The matrix is ​​closed with a protective glass that collects prints well, and it is impossible to do without a cleaning cloth. Perhaps the prints are the “de facto standard” for modern tablet screens :)
The screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels improves the picture quality, and a good supply of brightness allows you to use the screen outside on a sunny day. An interesting point, a glossy finish can turn the screen into a “mirror”, but the screen at maximum brightness displays an image that can be read without effort.
The matrix has good viewing angles, and although the gloss remains glossy, the display turned out to be much better than in most modern netbooks and many notebooks.
Camera
There are two cameras in the tablet and they are located in the most convenient way so that they do not accidentally fall under the fingers. The front camera of 1.2 megapixel provides an acceptable level of picture for video calls.
The rear camera of 5 megapixel is at the level of the cameras of mid-budget telephones. Shooting indoors shows all the capabilities of the camera, on the street the situation is slightly better. Through the camera, you can record video in 720p resolution, while using the H.264 codec.
Housing and ports
If you hold the tablet face to yourself, then on the left hand on it will be located on / off button. and volume rocker, and on the right - microSD, miniHDMI, headphone jack.
There are no connectors and buttons on top, and the Dock Connector (40pin), through which the tablet connects to the docking station / other computer / charger via the supplied cable, is located below.
On both sides of the Dock Connector are slots for snap locks.
The ports are located successfully, switching on and off, as well as changing the volume level with one finger without any difficulty.
A familiar and poor set will expand significantly if you connect a docking station that performs basic communication functions.
Dock station
The touchpad keyboard, carrying an extra battery, is made in the same colors as the tablet case. Thus, in appearance, the device looks like a full-fledged and stylish dark-brown netbook.
The difference from a netbook is the presence of a metal cradle - a connector for installing a tablet. It is mobile and allows you to choose a convenient angle for the eyes of the screen. At the same time it provides a good balance: the screen does not outweigh, the “netbook” does not tip over “on its back”.
Cradle is reliable, it is very difficult to break it accidentally (and intentionally). To turn it, you need to make an effort, stiffness eliminates the appearance of looseness at multiple tilts / turns of the screen.
Automatic latch triggered when you install the tablet. When you need to get a tablet, you need to move the latch lever to the left. The latch reliably prevents accidental separation of the tablet and the docking station - the Transformer can be turned upside down and shake without fear of turning the display into crunchy shards.
In the commercial, the tablet is connected to the docking station with one simple movement of the hand. In reality, you can, if you wish, repeat this trick with snaps only after numerous trainings - the installation requires a certain concentration and at least two hands.
The back cover of the docking station is made of matte plastic, while the surface on the keyboard side is metal.
Let's go back to the connectors. At the docking station there are two whole usb ports, one on the left and the right side. Ports are closed with protective plugs.
On the left side is located and the Dock Connector connector, similar to the connector on the tablet. It is used in the same way: for charging and connecting to a computer.
On the right side, in addition to usb, there is a slot for SD-cards, significantly expanding the capacity of the tablet - 32 GB card for the card reader will be indispensable in the field, where it is not always convenient to use a portable hard disk under usb.
Keyboard layout
The usual laptop keyboard is not very suitable for a device running the Android OS. Therefore, the keyboard layout has changed, adapting to new program conditions.
Android keys on the keyboard are located in the lower and upper rows.
The Windows button was replaced by the "Home" button, the "Search" button appeared.
In the right side of the row there was a place for the "Menu".
The set of F-keys disappeared in the top row. Replaced came:
- “Back”
- “Enable / disable Wi-Fi”
- “Enable / disable Bluetooth”
- “Enable / Disable Touchpad”
- “Decrease brightness”
- “Increase brightness”
- “Automatic brightness”
- “Take a screenshot”
- “Call the browser”
- “Settings”
On the right side of the top row are the multimedia control keys (play, ±, and on / off sound) and the exit button to standby mode
Additional surprises keyboard does not carry, in accordance with the standard used in many netbooks. The small size of the keys does not interfere with the convenience of typing, they are arranged at intervals that virtually exclude accidental pressing.
I do not want to get involved in an argument about whether typing on the screen is capable of replacing regular printing. Personally, I feel uncomfortable when the soft-keyboard closes the floor of the screen, and I’m not sure that there are many masochists in the world who are ready to type text that slightly exceeds the notepad, not on the hardware keyboard.
I will only say one thing about the touchpad - it is there. The very presence of a touchpad of rather big sizes on a device with a multi-touch screen and a usb port free for a computer mouse looks like an anachronism.
Android and performance
To date, Transformer is running Android 3.2. Google is constantly updating the system and what now I want to call innovation, after a short time it will be taken for granted - this was the case with the support of multitasking, external drives, improved browser performance, etc.
This statement also applies to system glitches, seen, for example, on firmware 3.1. In the new versions, most of the problems noted have been fixed. Google is not going to slow down the release of new versions, so that in the future it is only expected to increase the stability of the system.
Subjectively, the system works quickly, without lags. Responsible for the performance of the platform NVIDIA Tegra 2, which includes a dual-core processor with a frequency of 1 GHz and 1 GB of RAM, which means that all applications existing in the Android Market will start and will work on the tablet without difficulty.
Synthetic tests showed the following results:
The popular test application Quadrant Standart is not optimized for the new version of Android and shows an improbable result, so I would recommend comparing tablets using the SunSpider and Antutu Benchmark tests. I can not say for all the tablets, but where you can compare, the Transformer shows an overwhelming, worthy Megatron :), superiority in parrots.
(If you're curious, I am comparing with HTC Flyer and Motorola XOOM, which have AnTutu Benchmark data on the network, although it is impossible to evaluate the relative performance of devices based on these numbers.)
Additional software
Update 3.2 brought to the Transformer TegraZone - a store from Nvidia, reminiscent of the Android Market, but only for games optimized for Tegra 2.
In ASUS, according to the good old tradition of filling up laptops with a large number of pre-installed software, we installed several interesting applications in Transformer, some of which you could find in netbooks and notebooks of the company:
- MyNet DLNA - for working with multimedia content (music, photos, video) within the local network;
- MyCloud is an application for access to network storage Webstorage, where everything done for free will be provided with storage space and the ability to access from anywhere in the world for a period of 1 year; it is possible to prolong use for a small fee;
- MyDesktop will open access to the remote desktop, and the @Vibe service will take a step further - to the multimedia of the entire Internet.
- MyLibrary is designed for reading electronic books.
- Polaris Office 3.0 - a basic text editor that allows you to create records, spreadsheets and even presentations at the elementary level, as well as possessing a skill in the form of the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents.
Of the pleasant surprises, I note the good work with the GPS coordinates quickly, even indoors.
View video
NVIDIA Tegra 2 supports H264 1080p format with base profile specifications. The system plays video up to 1080p (H.264, MP4 container).
Codec for ASUS Eee PAD Transformer:
- H.264 / VC-1 / MPEG-4 Video Decoding
- H.264 Video Encoding
- AAC, AMR, WMA and MP3
In practice, this means that some videos may have problems and will have to use software that adapts (recodes) to the device.
The tablet's HDMI port displays a 1280x720 pixel image on a third-party screen.
Wireless connection
The set is standard: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WiFi (802.11 b / g / n) and ... one important nuance.
In the sample presented for review, there was no 3G modem, and I wanted to record it in the negative - a device positioned as super mobile, and without 3G? As it turned out, half of the TF101 come with third-generation communication modules. So when you get acquainted with the device, pay attention to whether the seller indicates ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 + 3G or No 3G.
Battery life
The tablet has a battery with a capacity of 3260 mA • h (a battery of the same capacity is located in the docking station). The charge is enough for 8-10 hours of work (watching videos, toys, surfing). Not bad, but nothing surprising for the world of tablet computers.
The extra battery of the docking station brings the Transformer to an unattainable level for other tablets - the battery life is almost doubled to 16 hours.
Even with a minimum charge in the docking station, it is enough to attach the tablet, and it will start charging, and then it can be used separately. The docking station absorbs energy like a vampire and charges quickly from the network.
Why Transformer
In the model presented on the review, there were no problems with the build quality, software was not buggy, and the firmware worked stably. Is the Transformer epithet "excellent" and "perfect" worthy? Of course, there were no errors on the new field and the main difficulties, in my opinion, are hidden in the original dampness of Android itself. From which he goes further and further with each new release.
In most cases, dissatisfaction with Transformer can be expressed with a simple and paradoxical thought: holding, in essence, a modern netbook, you expect all the possibilities from the device…. Windows or Linux operating system. And you come up against the limitations of the system, which recently grew on the phones. Cognitive dissonance does not occur when the docking station is turned off and only the tablet itself remains in the hands.
Despite the excellent design, before buying you need to understand - this is not a netbook with a nice bonus in the form of a tablet screen. The device is primarily a tablet, grown from kindergarten, matured and ready to work with a much more demanding user.
The tablet is separate from the docking station - it is solely a matter of taste, preferences and requirements. But the presence of the keyboard, in addition to the obvious advantages, makes it possible to fully reveal the possibilities of new versions of Android, which with future releases will undoubtedly be increasingly focused on netbooks.
Direct or indirect comparisons can be avoided for a long time, but sooner or later the last crazy thought will appear: so why can I (or you) choose the Transformer? The main difference is not in price or IPS (however, this is not small), but in the keyboard. And if ASUS has this functional accessory much easier to work with office applications, provides extra time for autonomous work, expands the communication capabilities of the device, provides a convenient location of the screen at a level convenient for the eyes, then the competitors ...
pros
+ Can use SD card, external HDD or mouse
+ Performance (speed)
+ ASUS pre-installed software
+ Bright high-quality screen
+ Battery life
+ Hardware keyboard
+ Adequate price
Minuses
- There is no support for .mkv and a number of other formats
- Unique charger connector
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/126762/
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