The 10.1-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer is a great Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet, but it's the cleverly designed keyboard dock that makes it really stand out from the crowd. While not perfect, the Transformer's competitive price tag makes it well worth considering.
Honeycomb, the tablet-optimised version of Google's Android operating system, hasn't really found its feet yet -- we weren't overly enamoured with either the bulky Motorola Xoom or the Acer Iconia Tab A500. Asus is trying something more ambitious with the Eee Pad Transformer, though. It's a 10.1-inch tablet with an optional dock that converts it into a laptop.
Honeycomb, the tablet-optimised version of Google's Android operating system, hasn't really found its feet yet -- we weren't overly enamoured with either the bulky Motorola Xoom or the Acer Iconia Tab A500. Asus is trying something more ambitious with the Eee Pad Transformer, though. It's a 10.1-inch tablet with an optional dock that converts it into a laptop.
The 16GB version of the tablet costs around £380, while the 32GB version will set you back about £430. Buying the 16GB tablet and dock together will cost you £430. We haven't seen the 32GB tablet on sale together with the dock yet, but you can buy the keyboard separately for around £100. All versions of the Transformer offer Wi-Fi connectivity, but none support 3G.
Phew. Right, let's find out whether Asus can revolutionise the tablet world, just as it revolutionised the world of mini laptops.
Tablet and dock design
The Transformer feels comfortable to hold, thanks to the grippy, textured finish across the back, and around the shorter edges of the tablet. It's more elongated than the squarish iPad 2, and it's heavier than Apple's tablet too, tipping the scales at 680g, while the Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 model weighs 601g.