Asus EEE Pad Transformer site now live
Asus’ own site for the EEE Pad Transformer is now live, putting all the specs and features in one place. Read on for a full breakdown of the device.
Specifications:
- Screen: 10.1″ LED-lit 1280×800 capacitive glass touchscreen with IPS technology (178 degree viewing angle)
- CPU: Dual-core 1Ghz Tegra 2
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 16/32GB + microSD slot
- Wireless: 802.11b/g/n (2.4Ghz, no mention of 5Ghz) Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1
- Sensors: GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer, digital compass, light sensor
- Cameras: 5mpix rear, 1.2mpix front (no mention of whether it records 720p or 1080p video)
- Ports: 3.5mm audio, mini-HDMI, dock connector
- Keyboard dock ports: 2x USB, SD card slot
- Other dock features: keyboard, trackpad, 25Wh battery
- Weight: 680 grams
- Thickness: 13mm
- Battery life: up to 9.5 hours standalone, 16 hours in dock
In other words, it’s pretty much the Xoom all over again- though with a working microSD slot and a lot of added functionality through the keyboard dock. The Transformer also has Asus’ Waveshare UI, which gives the user access to things like online storage and AirPlay/DLNA-like wireless streaming called MyNet.
As far as the physical specs, it’s both heavier and thicker than the iPad 2, but makes up for it with a much higher resolution display and better cameras. Software-wise the two can’t be compared so I’m not going into that. The use of mini-HDMI instead of HDMI makes sense since it’s on the tablet not the dock, though at this point in time you can’t just walk into any electronics store and get a mini-HDMI cable, so it’s borderline as proprietary (but much cheaper) than Apple’s HDMI adapter- and you don’t get VGA, component or composite video output. I’d have liked to have seen at least VGA on the dock- VGA and full sized HDMI would be even better, with mini-HDMI on the tablet itself.
This is the first Android tablet that I really like. It’s not just about the low pricetag and good experiences with Asus products earlier, but also that the thing just makes sense with the keyboard dock and all. So much sense that I want my iPad 2 to be more like it. I probably won’t end up getting one though, as Android is a massive dealbreaker for me. Keyboard docks, high screen resolutions, good cameras (I assume, megapixels tell lies all the time) don’t do me any good when the OS has more or less none of the apps I depend on daily- and yes I’ve checked. Most people aren’t in that situation though and for them I’d really suggest taking a long, hard look at the Transformer.
