Eee Pad Transformer
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Taiwanese hardware giant Asus has taken a bold decision with its Eee Pad Transformer, opting for a 'best of both worlds' design that aims to fuse the performance of Motorola's Xoom with the productivity of its hit Eee PC netbook range.

On the one hand, for £379 you get an affordable, stylish, and powerful tablet, sporting the very latest version of the Android OS (Honeycomb).

For a further fifty notes, however, you can bolt on an ultra-smart matching keyboard that, theoretically, 'transforms' your device into a netbook – you know, those things everyone wanted in 2008.

It's a relatively smart commercial strategy, yet after nearly two weeks of dabbling with the Transformer, its split personality has yet to fully convince beyond it being a solid piece of Android-fuelled portable tech.

Eye of the Tegra asus-eee-pad-transformer-pocket-gamer

Under the Transformer's hood, there's a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz, backed up with a solid 1GB of RAM. This means the Transformer is a fast mover, capable of handling just about any software you can throw at it.

The striking 10.1-inch LED backlight WXGA display is definitely a talking point. While prone to annoying screen reflections (especially outdoors), pushing up the brightness means you can still view the display in most conditions. And because the screen is fashioned out of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, protectors are mostly unnecessary.

For app hungry downloaders, the Transformer comes with a reasonable 16GB of storage space built-in, but you can double that using the microSD reader slot.

The keyboard also has an SD slot and a pair of USB slots that can be loaded up with memory sticks, used to plug in a physical mouse or even an Xbox 360 controller – something the device supports out of the box, but is currently only usable with emulators.

The only notable chink in the tech is the tinny, rather quiet, built-in speakers. With the on-board SRS Premium Sound giving a full, rounded, near surround quality via a good pair of headphones, it's a shame such audio grunt isn't showcased in normal use.

Still, to really show off your fancy new device, you can hook it up to an HD telly through the built-in mini-HDMI slot. The Transformer is able to run video, display photos, or even play games with mostly solid framerates and response times up to 1080p.

Finishing off the hardware is a five-megapixel rear camera, which takes smartphone-quality photos and shoots slightly choppy 1080p video. You also get a 1.2-megapixel camera on the front, solid enough to use for Skyping pals in conjunction with the integrated mic, or taking close up pictures of your beard (or is that just me?).

Typing and power saving asus-eee-pad-transformer-pocket-gamer

If you opt for the vanilla tablet, you can expect a respectable seven-nine hours of use from your Transformer before the battery conks out. It's a little shy of the iPad 2's industry-leading ten hours, but Asus's device does pack a higher-resolution 1280x800 screen.

If you're looking for more juice, though, the keyboard add-on doubles as a charger that can push the Transformer's battery life up to an incredible 16 hours. To attach it, you simply guide the tablet into the rugged metal housing until the lock clicks into place, and it's automatically recognised and ready to work.

With a full QWERTY design, using responsive chiclet keys imported from Eee PC netbooks and a generously sized touchpad, the keyboard is no cheap add-on and has a robust, metallic feel. Along with standard typing and navigation buttons, there are also Android-specific shortcut keys to spare you from constantly tapping on the tablet's 'Home' and 'Back' buttons.

Where the Transformer may prove divisive is in the texture of the curved, honeycomb mesh backing to both the tablet and the keyboard. Compared to the iPad's, Galaxy Tab's, or Xoom's exterior, it feels rough and less slinky. It does, however, give you a solid grip on the 680g device and is tougher, too – meaning scratches and nicks are less likely.

(Honey)combing for the best apps and games asus-eee-pad-transformer-pocket-gamer-3

In line with all second-generation Android tablets at the moment, the Transformer wisely runs on pure Honeycomb (3.1 to be exact, with 3.2 currently being rolled out).

Although it's Tron-like, angular design is a little off-putting for newcomers, Honeycomb is genuinely a smart, intuitive mobile operating system. Setting up the Transformer, for example, was a breeze out of the box, since almost every setting (wi-fi, languages, icon placement, email) was sorted with the bare minimum of user input.

If you're already an Android owner, the chances are you'll have a stack of favourite apps ready to go that you'll want to dive straight into using. If not, then it's a good idea to read up online for some of the essential, tried and tested downloads rather than scouring the cluttered Android Market.

Games-wise, the best place to start, of course, is Pocket Gamer and its list of the highest-rated games to date.

Asus also preloads some propriety software and a link to the NVIDIA Tegra Zone, which is a special section of the Android Market devoted to titles developed exclusively for Tegra 2-powered devices like the Transformer.

MyLibrary consolidates all of your ebooks and PDFs into one handy bookshelf, while MyNet allows you to stream content between your device and PC. Asus also throws in a year's free integration with its MyCloud service, allowing you to quickly access 3GB of stored files, and to set up a desktop link for remotely controlling your home computer via wi-fi.

Less impressive, mind, is the the preloaded office software that comes with the Transformer. Polaris 3.0 is a pretty weak attempt to replicate the Office experience, with key features like spell checks curiously absent.

In fairness, most Android office apps (Documents to Go, Quick Office) are lackluster compared to Microsoft's suite, but it does dent the Transformer's appeal as a notebook alternative – especially as, currently, the keyboard also refuses to work with Google Docs.

Juicier than an Apple? Transformer3

Without a doubt, the Transformer is one of the most affordable, attractive Android tablets available, and the attachable keyboard is clearly more than just a gimmick.

It integrates very smoothly with the Honeycomb experience and, even if the bundled productivity suite is lacking, it should prove invaluable for those who spend as much time typing out text as opening tabs.

In the meantime, the Transformer remains a top choice for Android converts looking for a tablet that doesn't compromise on horsepower, won't break the bank, and doubles as a reasonable netbook.

Eee Pad Transformer

A Honeycomb-filled treat that's a powerhouse for Android gaming, the Eee Pad Transformer does a solid sideline in netbook-like features, too
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Paul Devlin
Paul Devlin
A newspaper reporter turned games journo, Paul's first ever console was an original white Game Boy (still in working order, albeit with a yellowing tinge and 30 second battery life). Now he writes about Android with a style positively dripping in Honeycomb, stuffed with Gingerbread and coated with Froyo