Review, Specs and Comparison with the iPad 2
The Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is quickly becoming one of the most wanted and popular tablets available, time for a check if the hype created around it is backed by facts and how it performs compared to the iPad. It is available in two versions, one with a capacity of 16GB (TF101-A1) and one with 32GB (TF101-B1), with a price difference of a little less than $100.
The TF101 comes with a 10.1-Inch IPS Captive LED 16:10 Touchscreen that offers a WSVGA resolution of 1280×800 pixels. That’s slightly more than the 1024×768 of the iPad 2 with it’s 4:3 display. The weight of both is below 1.5 lbs, with the Eee Pad being a bit heavier, but also slightly wider.
From the apps side, the iPad 2 is still unmatched, but the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) powered Transformer TF101-A1 offers the full range of Android Apps as well. There aren’t too many dedicated Honeycomb Apps at the moment, but the numbers are growing daily and especially when it comes to the really useful ones, you get a decent selection. There is one minor problem with Honeycomb at the moment, it tends to sporadically freeze. This won’t happen often and is solely a Android Software problem, doesn’t relate to the hardware itself in any way. Since a fix is going to be released soon, no reason to not buy the TF101 today. Also keep in mind: Honeycomb supports Flash, important for many websites.
The built in rear camera has a resolution of 5 mega pixels which makes great still pictures and can record in the 720p format. No flash, but the image quality is clearly better than what the iPad 2 delivers. The front camera has 1.3 megapixels, a lot more than the 0.3MP of the iPad 2.
The Eee Pad is powered by a fast Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU and 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM, as well as 16GB or 32GB Internal Flash Memory depending on the model as mentioned above. Also included are GPS, a Gravity Sensor, an E-Compass, a Light Sensor and a Gyroscope. The biggest advantage is the connectivity. While the iPad 2 itself totally lacks any integrated card extension or HDMI, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 offers a micro SD card slot, mini HDMI, 2x USB 2.0 and a docking station out of the box. Even an extra battery is included, so no need to buy a lot of expensive accessories to enhance functionality.
Last but not least, customization is no problem for the TF101 while the iPad 2 doesn’t offer any widgets or customizations. Android tablets are simply more flexible and can be tweaked and configured to really fit your needs.
Overall Rating: 9 of 10. The Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 can be considered a serious iPad 2 competitor, while it doesn’t looks a sleek and stylish as the Apple product, it offer a much better value for money, more flexibility, simply better specs. If it’s about easiness to use and Apps, the iPad 2 is still the number one pick, but I’d prefer the TF101 without any doubt.
Price: The cheapest offer at the moment, for the 16GB and 32GB model, is available from Amazon at the moment. This includes free shipping. Hurry while this deal is still available to avoid disappointment!
