If you’re looking for the perfect tablet, look no further than the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, that’s pictured and detailed below. This Android 3.1 model already received the Honeycomb 3.2 update last week and it’s also a record breaker, having sold 400k units a month lately.
It will promote Honeycomb to new heights thanks to its sales and we finally have a good iPad rival on our hands. The device comes with a 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display (LED IPS LCD), it measures 13mm in thickness and weighs 680 grams. It’s got stereo speakers and a hugely appealing attachable keyboard accessory, that turns the tablet into a netbook. And what a netbook that is!
I tried out an Eee PC model a while back and the Transformer would win a duel with that unit hands down. It’s got well spaced keys, comfortable to use touchpad (that you won’t need, since you’re using a touchscreen) and all the goodness of a portable PC. It even gets two USB ports thanks to the keyboard and an SD card slot, that’s activated for media use by the Honeycomb 3.2 update.
Another stunning feat is the battery life, that reaches 15 hours for the tablet and keyboard combined, since the later comes with its own power source. Back to the specs, on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer we get all the speed and power of the Nvidia TEgra 2 dual core 1GHz CPU, accompanied by 16/32GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and a microSD card slot. No 3G version is available just yet, so we’ll have to do with WiFi and Bluetooth.
As far as the camera goes, don’t expect HD video capture and brilliant shots soon, since you only have a 5MP sensor available here, with autofocus, geotagging and a fellow camera upfront, with 1.2MP resolution and videocall usage. This is certainly a great tablet, that’s even cheaper than the iPad 2 in its standalone version.
The keyboard is sturdy and resilient, but it tends to creak a bit at times, as does the tablet in the large bezel areas it has. There’s a locking button on the superior side of the keyboard, making it very, very easy to attach and detach the tablet in mere seconds. I really can’t imagine a better replacement for a laptop than this device and with the Eee Pad Transformer 2 already confirmed by ASUS and coming with a Tegra 3 CPU, Apple has serious reasons to be afraid.
