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The Asus Eee Pad Transformer, launched last year, was one of its kind. The fact that the device could be used both as a standalone tablet and a netbook, as and when required, obviously generated a lot of interest from buyers. The device itself didn't disappoint either when it came to design as well as functionality. However, earlier this year, Asus upped its game by launching a brand new Asus Transformer Prime as an upgrade to the original Transformer.
Vital stats
When used solely as a tablet, the 10.1-inch IPS screen of the Transformer Prime makes the tablet a really good platform to read e-books or stream media on. The fact that it's also currently one of the thinnest tablets in the market adds to its desirability.
Its predecessor, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer featured a brushed brown aluminium bezel enveloped by a patterned matte back panel. The Transformer Prime, however, ups the aesthetics with its new design. A metallic spun design on the lid and a shiny, sleek bezel on the keyboard lend the device its premium looks.
As far as the hardware is concerned, you'll find most of the ports in the same place as they were located on the original Transformer. There's nothing different about the docking latch either. Align the tablet's ports over the dock and press it down till the ‘Unlock' slider on the dock automatically snaps in to place.
The device helps overcome the consumption-only usage that tablets are mostly capable of. The keyboard dock, or the Eee Station as the company calls it, is compact enough to lend to a reasonable amount of portability. The differences between the keyboard on the Prime and the original Transformer are barely discernible. However, a thinner built and sleeker design makes it feel a little classier than the first one. The island-type keyboard is comfortable enough to type on and doesn't feel any different than typing on a regular netbook.
The convenience of having a touchscreen tablet as well as a keyboard on your fingertips comes across especially when you are browsing the Web or typing a document. It's so easy to just touch and point instead of moving your mouse pointer all the way up a document. Perfect for those who feel like they can never get too used to a virtual keyboard.
Media and apps
The screen sports a 1280x800 pixel resolution, the standard format for most LCD monitors and laptop displays. The screen is a Super IPS+ panel which makes for decently wide viewing angles although the glossy bezel might end up distracting you in a brightly lit room. While watching endless episodes of Family Guy on the Asus Transformer Prime was engaging enough, the volume can be a bit of a letdown. It's advisable to have a pair of external speakers ready if there's more than one person watching a video. The device comes in two storage capacitiesL 32GB and 64GB.
As a counter to the super-functional Note feature that debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Note late last year, Asus now ships the Transformer Prime with an app called SuperNote. The app gives you more than one way to capture quick notes. You could quickly jot one down, on the keyboard – physical or virtual. If not, you can take a photo or record a video and save it as a note to refer to later on.
The Transformer Prime features the world's first quad-core mobile processor – the NVIDIA Tegra 3. The brand new quad-core CPU is designed to deliver faster processing to run apps, games and HD videos while keeping the power consumption low. The tablet ran for the most part without any lags or stutters. The Asus Transformer Prime scored a whopping 4,086 on the Quadrant Standard test, shooting far ahead of other tablets on the score charts.
Negatives
There are intrinsically bound to be some problems with a tablet-keyboard setup and I knew I'd eventually run into them. A lot of apps (and really popular ones too) on Google Play, such as Temple Run, can only be played in the portrait mode. Also, at times when I was using the Transformer Prime as a netbook, say while watching a move or reading a document, the device tended to topple over backwards if I don't pull the screen till it was more or less perpendicular to the dock. On a complete cycle, the Transformer offers a little more than a day of usage with web activity, gaming and video playback. It takes more time than I'd like to spend waiting for the battery to get fully charged.
We say
The Asus Transformer Prime somehow manages to come together as a better-integrated device than its predecessor. Maybe it's the slimmer form factor or the new interface or maybe a combination of both and more that has been packed into the Transformer Prime to make it a new-age convergence device. With the price tag it comes with, the device might not be the best value for money but the product is obviously slightly upmarket and you'd have to fall for more than just its utility if you want to pick it up.
Love: Great combination device, comfy keyboard
Hate: Low sound quality, several non-compatible apps
Rs 49,999
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