With its hybrid design and quad-core
processor the Transformer Prime delivers a refreshing new twist on the tablet
concept
Asus enjoyed much praise for the original
incarnation of the Eee Pad Transformer and it was certainly an unusual bit of
kit that amalgamated the best bits of both a tablet and a laptop. Having said
that, it wasn’t one of the most desirable of gadgets to look at even if it
delivered the goods on the performance front. The new Transformer Prime though
is an altogether different beast, with some really nice design flourishes that
puts it up against the current cream of the tablet crop. It feels a little
bulky when put alongside rivals mind you, but that robust build quality could
come in handy over time and prolonged use.
High specification
The
Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is the most powerful Android tablet on the
market
The Eee Pad transformer Prime also benefits
from a wealth of features that make it a better bet than other tablets on the
market – certainly when it comes to connectivity there are plenty of options.
Storage is easily expanded thanks to a microSD card slot, there’s a micro HDMI
port on-board too. You also get an SD card slot, USB compatibility, a 3.5mm
headphone jack and Bluetooth into the bargain. Asus also throws in one year of
free web storage too. Not bad considering that all the high-tech tricks are
packed into a chassis that’s just 8.3mm thick and weighs in at 586 grams.
The detachable mobile dock features a full Chicklet
QWERTY keyboard along with a touchpad, and both are a dream to use in most
scenarios. The USB port that comes built-in also enables the little Asus to
increase its battery life to around 18 ours, which is pretty impressive when
you compare it to many other similarly pieced mobile devices. That extra juice
does come into its own if you’re on the go and wish to make the most of the
many features, such as the 1080p HD video playback that benefits from the
enhancement of SonicMaster audio technology.
The Tegra 3 quad-core processor is also the
first of its type to feature in a tablet and the Transformer Prime comes with
the benefit of Android 4. Blending the processing power with the appeal of
Android means that you get a great user experience, with enough beef in the
computing department to offer up some killer 3D-style graphics that attracts
admiring glances from whoever sets eyes on it.
In the frame
Although tablet devices tend to get
dismissed by many as not really being a practical way to take digital images,
the Transformer Prime comes with a very decent 8-megapixel camera, complete
with autofocus, flash and a black-illuminated CMOS sensor that delivers some
very striking images even in low-light conditions. We also found that the
capacity for shooting 1080p video in high-definition worked very well indeed
too. In addition, you get a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, although that’s
obviously less useful but is handy for social networking updates, mugshots and
so on.
The
Transformer Prime comes with a very decent 8-megapixel camera, complete with
autofocus, flash and a black-illuminated CMOS sensor that delivers some very
striking images even in low-light conditions
During day-to-day use you’ll find that the
Pad Transformer is a great all-round performer, with the benefit of the Gorilla
Glass helping to stave off scratches to the 10.1-inch LED viewing area. While
many will by this device because of that extra keyboard dock potential, the
on-screen multi-touch functionality actually proves to be wonderfully easy to
use, and is highly responsive thanks to the Android 4.0 operating system that
has been tailored specifically for this kind of user environment.
Adding extra value to proceeding is the
wealth of pre-loaded applications, which includes Polaris Office. This makes
the Transformer Prime perfect for carrying out word processing and spreadsheet
duties, but there’s also lots of emphasis on cloud computing within the
interface, meaning that this is a tablet that should also be reasonably future
proof. However, with many of us using our tablets to enlist the help of GPS and
online maps, this is one area where the device tended to be less successful.
It’s hardly a deal breaker, but the Transformer Prime appears to lack something
when it comes to general GPS performance. Nevertheless, if you can overlook
that then this is still a mobile device that offers a pretty comprehensive
computing experience.
Verdict
Although tablets like the Transformer Prime
might get overlooked, with many people heading in the direction of the new iPad
3, there’s no doubt that this is a fantastic device. It also makes an appealing
proposition for those who want a tablet but don’t necessarily enjoy the virtual
keyboard experience delivered by most of them. The design and build quality is
very good, the tablet feels like it’ll last longer than some of the flimsier
netbooks on the market and that keyboard dock is undeniably handy. Add to that
the specification and the bonus of Android 4 and you’ve got a cracking device.
Asus
Eee pad Transformer Prime Full Specifications
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Specification
·
Price: $749
·
Processor: 1.5GHz
·
Memory: 32GB
·
Display: 10.1-inch
·
Camera: 8-megapixel
·
Operating system: Android 4.0
·
Web: www.asus.com
·
Total: 8/10
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