laptop,laptops,toshiba laptop,best laptops,laptop notebook,acer laptop,laptop cases: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Hands-On Preview

The Eee Pad Transformer netbook-tablet hybrid may be the first Honeycomb device to hit the UK.AuthorAndrew WilliamsPublished31st Mar 2011 ManufacturerAsusLatest PriceClick here

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At the UK launch of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, we had the opportunity to hold and caress the Android Honeycomb 3.0 tablet-come-laptop. This convertible device will soon be joined by the Windows 7-powered Eee Slate and Eee Slider Android tablet, but for now this is Asus's very first-and-only Honeycomb tablet.

The Asus Eee Transformer is a Tegra 2 tablet that slots into a keyboard dock, and unlike the official keyboard dock for the first iPad, it can be closed with the tablet itself attached, giving that full laptop-style form factor. What surprises us most about the package is quite how little the keyboard dock adds to the price. The 16GB edition tablet alone retails for �379, while the keyboard and dock together sell for �429. Given this �50 difference is not far off what some manufacturers charge for their fake leather tablet cases, it seems like an unusually good deal for a full keyboard with a hefty built-on booster battery - the keyboard is equipped with its own power supply.

Upon getting out hands on the Asus Eee Transformer for the first time, we were initially struck by its screen. We've reviewed several Android tablets of late, including the Creative Ziio and Archos 101, but none have come close to matching the quality of the Transformer's 10.1in display. Like the Apple iPad, it uses an IPS (In-plane switching) display producing incredible viewing angles. At any angle, horizontal or vertical, what's on-screen is very clearly viewable. In budget tablets, the importance of viewing angles is often neglected, stopping them from becoming devices you can comfortably watch a video with a friend or two on. There are no such issues here.

It's worth noting that IPS-style displays will be used in many of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer's rivals though. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 uses a PLS display, which Samsung claims is more advanced a evolution of IPS, and the Motorola Xoom uses a VA panel, offering comparable quality. Also like its big-league rivals, the Eee Transformer's screen is very glossy and highly reflective. The lighting of our demo booth won't have helped in the matter, but as you can see below, it'll be no friend to a summer's day.

Still, it's reassuring to see Asus keeping pace with more hyped, and more expensive, Honeycomb tablets - at 1280x800 pixels its display uses the same resolution as all upcoming key devices. We didn't get to fiddle with the display settings during our time with the Transformer, but images looked sharp, bright and colourful.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is a plastic-backed device. As such it lacks some of the solidity of the anodised aluminium body iPad 2, but it feels well-made and comfortable to hold, without keyboard attached. At 680g, it's slightly lighter than the original iPad. During our demo, holding the tablet one-handed felt natural enough but we'll be back with our full verdict on how fatigue-inducing it is in real-life usage in our full review, coming soon. Topped with Gorilla Glass, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer should make a hardy on-the-road buddy, especially with the keyboard dock on-hand to offer extra protection for the screen.

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