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Is this the With the exception of the Apple iPad, few new computers of any description have caused so much comment, so much anticipation and so much demand as the just-released ASUS EeePad Transformer. We just had to get our hands on one for a few days – not easy! – to find out what the excitement was/is all about. Asus EeePad “Transformer” Tablet PC Review by Ross Tester B y and large, we’ve resisted the temptation to jump on the iPad bandwagon. When it was released, the iPad was described (in the Wall Street Journal, no less) as the “laptop killer”. Now we’ve seen the Asus EeePad Transformer described as “the iPad killer”. That might be pretty optimistic given the iPad’s huge base. But if there is one thing the iPad has done it’s to change the way people think about computers. Going back a decade or more, computers were those big boxes that sat on or under desks with large monitors occupying valuable real estate. Then along came laptops and (later) notebooks and netbooks which, while maybe not offering quite the performance of the boxes, were more than adequate for the needs of most users. Gone were the big boxes and large monitors – everything you needed was self-contained. And they were portable – you could take your PC with you and effectively work anywhere. That’s not a reduction – that’s an actual size edge-on view of the Asus EeePad Transformer, albeit without the dock/ keyboard which would roughly double the thickness. When docked, the whole thing becomes a powerful netbook. 14  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au e iPad killer? Whether that was a positive or not is arguable: just ask those who now spend hours at home working on their notebooks when they might have stayed back at work . . . Now computers have taken the next quantum leap with the burgeoning “tablet” market – and while the iPad might not have been the first, it was the first which made huge inroads into that market. But there are quite a few things about the iPad that users and reviewers have questioned – such as why it doesn’t handle Flash, the near universal website utility. Or why it doesn’t have USB? Or why it is so expensive? Or why Apple has seen fit to try to force users into proprietary Apple applications? Or why Apple are “locking out” content providers unless they are part of Apple’s own supply channel (with, of course, large royalties back to Apple)? And so on. Despite the quite unbelievable success of the iPad and to a lesser extent, several other tablet computers on the market, it has to be acknowledged that a tablet will (in most circumstances) not take the place of a fully-fledged computer (desktop or notebook) simply because it is not designed to do so. Tablets are convenience devices. They’re small, lightweight and for the most part offer good or exceptional graphics capability. But the one thing they don’t have is a “normal” keyboard. And if you ask anyone who has to punch out an email or text document using the “glass keyboard” which they all offer, it is a pain. It’s slow, it makes errors much more likely and because of its inconvenience, it perpetuates that awful practice of “txt splng”. Indeed, one popular after-market accessory purchased for most Tablet PCs is a USB or wireless keyboard! siliconchip.com.au This might limit their portability somewhat but it certainly increases their useability! Incidentally, the iPad is the obvious exception because, as mentioned above, it doesn’t offer USB expansion. Apple apparently want everything kept either “in house” or at least Apple-controlled. But even without a keyboard, depending on the tablet itself, its installed programs and their capabilities, tablet PCs are fantastic for handling any visual-oriented task, whether that is watching movies, sharing pictures, reading ebooks, using social networking sites such as Facebook and youtube and much, much more. In fact, most of the major manufacturers believe that this is the direction which all computers are heading; so much so that they are putting most of their eggs firmly into the Tablet basket (eg, Apple!). Already, tablet sales are increasing very much faster than their deskbound or lap-bound counterparts. Is this just a fad? The manufacturers don’t think so! Enter Android Originally developed for mobile devices by Android Inc (but now owned by Google), Android is an operating system, just as is Windows (in all its iterations), Apple’s iOS and OS X and even Linux/Unix. In fact, Android is based on the Linux kernel and like Linux (but unlike Windows, iOS etc), is an “open source” system. After Google purchased Android back in 2005, they released most of the Android code under the Apache licence, which in effect means that anyone can write Android applications or “apps”. World-wide, huge numbers of developers continually churn out new apps for Android – currently approaching a quarter of a million – and the Android Open Source Project is responsible for further development of the system. You may know Android as the operating system behind your “smart” It’s the familiar Android logo, in this case overlaid with Honeycomb (Android V3.0/3.1), the operating system used in the Asus Transformer. phone – Samsung, HTC and many other modern phones are now based on it – but in recent times, especially since the release of Android 3.0 and 3.1, it’s found its way into a high proportion of tablet PCs, which have recently or are about to hit the market. Earlier this year, Google claimed that 400,000 new Android devices were being activated every day, with more than 100,000,000 devices in use. One quarter of all new phones are said to be Android-based. Incidentally, you may see references to several Android names, such as Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb. The more astute will have noticed that these stand for versions E, F, G and H corresponding to Android 2.0/2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and the latest (more tablet-oriented) 3.0/3.1. The next version, due for release later this year, will be called Icecream Sandwich and is expected to be a combination of the best features of Gingerbread and Honeycomb, thus blurring the already hazy distinction between Android mobile phones and Android mobile computing. And thus it is that our attention now turns to a tablet PC which not only features the latest iteration of Android . . . it’s also solved the keyboard problem most elegantly, with the functionAugust 2011  15 ality of a notebook and the portability of a tablet. The Asus “Transformer” For reasons that will become obvious in a moment, Asus have named their EeePad TF101 Tablet Computer the “Transformer”. This machine had created a great deal of excitement in the computer world, even before its release to the public in April/May of this year. We first heard about the Transformer from overseas reports in March when it had its public debut in Taiwan on Friday, March 25th and in the US in April. While retail stocks were still very much unavailable, it was receiving the proverbial “rave reviews” from those who had been lucky enough to get their hands on one. Following this, various reports waxed eloquent about the machine and this caused much excitement in chat rooms and forums, with customers clambering over each other to get their hands on one. First it was a trickle supply and some people were willing to pay way over the odds to be the first. Others lamented the lack of availability in their favourite stores while a few, very few, who had managed to buy one raved about it – which of course further increased demand. Until late May, when stocks became available in numbers in the US, it was amusing to read the lengths some went to – like ordering at six different stores For all intents and purposes, it looks like a pretty standard Android tablet computer. But there are quite a few surprises under the Gorilla Glass screen! and cancelling when the first one turned up. In the unlikely event that they got “stuck” with two or three, no problem. Good ol’ eBay ensured they would more than get their money back (and then some!). We’ve seen the Transformer being auctioned on eBay for more than double its US release price! The models The EeePad Transformer is available in two models, apparently identical except for the amount of solid-state disk drive capacity each contains. Asus EeePad Transformer (TF101) Specifications Display: 10.1” LED backlit touch-sensitive screen with IPS (1280 x 800) 10 fingers multi-touch, Gorilla glass Operating system: Android 3.0 Honeycomb Platform: Nvidia Tegra 2 Memory: LP DDR2 1GB Storage: 16GB or 32GB EMMC + unlimited ASUS webstorage Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Camera: 1.2MP (front), 5MP autofocus (rear) Interfaces: 2-in-1 audio jack (headphone/mic-in); mini HDMI 1.3a port micro-SD card reader; internal microphone; stereo speakers Sensor: g-sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, E-compass, GPS 3G Module: Optional Flash support: Yes (downloadable) Multi-tasking: Yes Special App: ASUS launcher, MyLibrary, MyNet, MyCloud, File manager, PC sync Battery: 24.4Wh Li-polymer; life 9.5 hours; 16 hours with dock Size & Weight: 271 x 177 x 12.98mm; 680g (with battery) These specifications were as supplied by Asus at the press launch. However there appear to be a few minor differences in the sample unit received (eg, Android 3.1, 1.3MP front camera and we’re still not sure about that “optional” 3G module). Perhaps the Transformer reviewed was a later model. 16  Silicon Chip The TF101A has a 16GB “disk” while the TF101B doubles that to 32GB. They feature a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, an Nvidia Tegra 2 dualcore processor with 1GB of RAM and both Bluetooth (2.1) and WiFi (b, g & n) built in. Unfortunately, there is no 3G model but depending on who you believe, Asus plans to bring a 3G model out later this year (or they don’t, because someone knows someone in Asus who assures them it’s not happening . . .). The screen on the Asus EeePad Transformer is an IPS panel and it’s one of the best tablet screens around – almost on a par with the iPad. Colours are bright and vivid, contrast is decent and the viewing angle is excellent. When watching videos, the picture is smooth and sharp while the touch input is extremely responsive. With its Dow-Corning Gorilla Glass coating, it will also handle some pretty rough treatment. One thing I have to say is that it shows fingerprints badly – but a wipe with a damp cloth soon fixes that problem. There is a mini HDMI output if you want to use the Transformer as a playback device for home theatre or suitable TV sets, a headphone jack and microphone and a MicroSD card slot. There are two cameras built in, the one facing the user has 1.3MP resolution while the outward-facing is 5MP. Video is recorded at 1280 x 720 (HD) resolution but the recorded video certainly doesn’t look like high siliconchip.com.au This is what sets the Asus Transformer apart from other tablets: the dock/ keyboard. The tablet drops into that slot at the top and locks in place. definition to me. In fact, the quality of both cameras leaves something to be desired; I found them somewhat inferior to similar resolution cameras on many mobile phones these days. Colours are not particularly good (they’re a bit washed out) and they don’t look very sharp to me. However, that’s only a minor criticism – if you’re buying a tablet to use as a camera, you’re probably buying the wrong technology! Like most tablets, the screen image rotates as you rotate the machine. This is accomplished via a three-axis MEMS chip. And it also has a GPS receiver inbuilt which work nicely with the pre-loaded maps and satellite (Google Earth) images. The docking keyboard Here is where I believe Asus have made a brilliant marketing decision – and arguably the main reason this computer has created such a stir. An optional QWERTY keyboard, with tactile keys, transforms the TF101 into what is effectively a netbook computer. Hence the name, “Transformer”. The tablet simply slots into a guide on the edge of the keyboard and locks in place. Once in, the slot becomes a hinge and the keyboard closes onto the tablet just as it would in a notebook PC. To release the tablet from the keyboard, it’s simply a matter of sliding a catch over and lifting it out. It’s not just a keyboard, either. As well as adding two USB ports and an siliconchip.com.au SD card slot, it also virtually doubles the battery life from around 8 hours to about 16 hours. What’s more, the keyboard’s battery will recharge the tablet battery. If both batteries are fully charged, the Transformer will first take power from the keyboard battery, so the tablet always has as much power as possible for when you want to detach it. The keyboard includes a touchpad “mouse” and it also sports 17 dedicated “function” keys along the top row. They’re not like your usual keyboard F1, F2, F3 etc keys – these are all dedicated to a particular task. Notebook and netbook keyboards are often (unfairly) criticis ed due to a perceived close key spacing. We’ve also seen criticism on the web of the Transformer keyboard key spacing –in fact, one of our staff members said exactly that. In general, (although there are exceptions) this perception is quite wrong and is definitely wrong on the Transformer keyboard. Key spacing from the Q key to the P key is 160mm – compare this to my Microsoft PC keyboard at 170mm. So if you are a touch typist looking for speed, the Transformer keypad won’t slow you down. Overseas, the keyboard is sold as a ~$150 option for both Transformer models; here in Australia it appears that the usual sales method is to bundle it with the 32GB model (TF101B). We’ll get to prices in just a moment. Software Straight out of the box, the Transformer is loaded with an extensive range of user applications, or shortcuts to them. These range from your typical office apps (document, spreadsheet and presentation in “Polaris Office”) through to maps, games (yes, Angry Birds is there!), lots of business, education, medical, video and sound . . . Put them together and what do you get? The Transformer transformed into a powerful little netbook with just about all the bells and whistles you could ask for. OK, so it doesn’t have 3G (yet?) but there are ways around that little dilemma! August 2011  17 When not locked to its docking station, you don’t lose any functionality with the tablet (OK, battery life is halved and you lose a USB slot and an SD card slot). But otherwise, it’s all at your fingertips – quite literally with the touch-screen display. we could be here all day listing all of the preloaded and shortcuts to apps. Some are free, others have a nominal charge (the most expensive I found was less than $30; most are much less, in the $1-$3 range). And there’s nothing stopping you downloading countless thousands of Android apps from a huge variety of sources – again, many are free; most entail a quite nominal charge. Performance To be honest, there is not a great deal between the various tablets on the market at the moment – but all the test reports I have seen put the Asus Transformer either at, or near, the top. We didn’t have the opportunity to test the Asus against other tablets; ours was more a subjective test than objective. But in most aspects, I was impressed with the way the Transformer worked. The exception is the cameras – both still and video – they’re not as good as I expected. But as I said earlier, you don’t buy a tablet PC and expect a Nikon result! The audio from the inbuilt speakers is definitely nothing to write home about, either. Through earphones or an external amplifier, it’s not too bad, as you might expect. Otherwise I liked its operation, its smoothness, its light weight – in fact, there isn’t much not to like about it. Using Android If you are used to a Windows-based PC, you may find the learning curve for any Android PC (this one included) a little steep. While there are many similarities in 18  Silicon Chip operation, there are also fundamental differences and if you decide to migrate to Android, you’re going to have to unlearn quite a lot – perhaps what the Android community would regard as bad habits anyway! But there’s a bigger consideration if you decide to use the Transformer as you “main” computer – and that’s applications. As we mentioned before, there are many thousands of Android applications already but compare that to the millions available in Windows. You may find that much of your favourite software is simply not yet (or maybe never will be) available in Android, especially if it is at all specialised. From our research, it would appear that “porting” a Windows application to Android is not a particularly straightforward task, even taking into account that Android is based on the Linux kernel. If commercial software developers can’t see a return in porting, they obviously won’t bother. Many Android apps are obviously labours of love by Android devotees who perhaps aren’t looking for a big commercial return on their efforts. For many Transformer users the loss of Windows applications won’t particularly matter, given the extensive range of software applications that the Transformer comes loaded with. And it goes without saying that the number of new apps being written for Android will continue to grow as Android use grows. Maybe there will be something there that will do the job for you; maybe not. But if there is, you’re going to need to re-learn it because it will obviously work differently. Perhaps that’s a good thing; new applications tend to learn from the mistakes made in old ones! The Cloud But all is not lost! Like the vast majority of tablets, netbooks and even smartphones these days, the Asus Transformer is designed not only for stand-alone use but also to work as a Cloud Computer. Many people are confused by this term so we’ve prepared a separate panel opposite which (hopefully!) explains it for you. Suffice to say that the Transformer works with Cloud applications which are meant to be device (or platform) independent. So you may well find what you want in “the Cloud”. The Transformer has an app called “MyCloud” which Asus describe as a total cloud solution, providing access to digital content such as music, videos and files from the cloud anywhere, anytime. Users can even use MyCloud Where did the “Asus” name come from? We were intrigued to learn that Asus comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology, that represents the inspiration of art and learning. The company’s rationale is that Asus embodies the strength, creative spirit and purity symbolised by this regal and agile mythical creature, soaring to new heights of quality and innovation with each product it introduces to the market. So now you know! siliconchip.com.au So what is “CLOUD COMPUTING”? I t’s already the buzzword of the “ones” decade. A recent visit to the CEBIT show in Sydney revealed dozens of vendors offering “Cloud Solutions” and “Cloud Applications”. Very few made any attempt to explain what those terms meant because, well, everyone knows what they mean, don’t they? No they don’t! If you Google “Cloud Computing” you’ll find hundreds of websites which pose the question, “What is Cloud Computing?” and then many fail dismally in their attempt to answer it – they launch into the savings you’ll make or the flexibility you’ll enjoy or whatever. So we’ll pose the question again: What is Cloud Computing? OK, let’s see if we can answer that simply by using a scenario. At the moment, you’re probably using a computer loaded with a whole swag of programs and a big hard disk for storage. It might be on a network where you share your information or perhaps store and retrieve data from a central server. It’s even possible that you run your applications software from that central server. In Cloud Computing, that “server” is “somewhere else”. Where? It doesn’t matter too much – it’s just physically not (normally!) in your office or building. But that server is where most, perhaps all your applications are run from and all your data is stored. To access it, you simply use an application on your local PC which calls up your particular requirements. It’s called “Cloud” computing because the cloud is representative of “somewhere else”. You can’t see it, you can’t control it, you can simply use it. (The cloud symbol has been used in the telephone industry for decades, simply to depict the same “somewhere else”). Believe it or not, you’re probably using a form of Cloud Computing every day, especially if you use any of the “public” email systems such as Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail, if you use Google or if you use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and even forums and chat rooms. Think about it: all you do is “log on” to any of these (via the siliconchip.com.au internet) and they operate virtually independently of your computer. All the information is stored elsewhere and control of the system resides elsewhere. You don’t know where and don’t care where! Expand this idea a little to a company with say dozens (hundreds?) of computers all working away with their own software. Every application needs to be purchased, licenced and upgraded as necessary. It can be a logistical nightmare. Not any more. Now it’s the Cloud Computing provider who does all that; all you do is pay a monthly fee to the provider for any apps you need and to “rent” some space for your data. The net result is less powerful (cheaper!) computers in the workplace, none of the software worries and the knowledge that all your information has some of the best backup and security available. Security! Aaah, that is one of the major concerns of potential Cloud users – and with good reason, following some recent celebrated “hacks” and theft of data. Cloud promoters say that their security is almost certainly a lot better than organisations who maintain their own wide-area networks, simply because they have world’s-best practices and the experts to keep it that way. They also maintain that they offer better redundancy and data integrity because of the way they are set up. It’s not perfect, nothing is (hackers will always try to break into the unbreakable and sometimes succeed). But it can offer significant savings and labour benefits to organisations who use it. Another big advantage of Cloud Computing is that you no longer need be tied to the same computer, because “The Cloud” is everywhere. As long as you can log onto The Cloud (ie, with appropriate access codes and passwords), you can use it virtually anywhere on earth. If that’s via a home broadband connection, or even on your laptop in a resort on the other side of the world, so be it. This has all sorts of implications including that “holy grail”, telecommuting or working from your home office. Is it the ultimate? Of course not – there will always be something newer, better around the corner. But it’s pretty exciting and it’s right here, right now. August 2011  19 Tablet comparisons: Asus, Motorola, Acer and iPad 2 Dimensions(mm) LCD Resolution Multi touch OS Processor RAM Built-in Flash ROM Front Camera Rear Camera GPS Audio Flash compatibility USB connector(s) Battery Life Weight ASUS Transformer 171 x 276.8 x 6~12.98 10.1” IPS panel 1280 x 800 10 fingers Android 3.0 NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GB 16GB / 32GB 1.2 megapixel 5 megapixel Yes SRS Yes Yes Pad only 9.5 hrs Pad + Docking 16 hrs 680g Motorola Xoom 167 x 249 x 12.99 10.1” IPS panel 1280 x 800 10 fingers Android 3.0 NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GB 32GB 2 megapixel 5 megapixel Yes n/a Yes Yes 10 hrs(6,500mAh) Acer 10’’ 177 x 260 x 13.5~6 10.1” MVA panel 1280 x 800 10 fingers Android 3.0 NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GB 16GB / 32GB 2 megapixel 5 megapixel Yes Dolby Yes Yes Not Disclosed Apple iPad 2 185.7 x 241.2 x 8.8 9.7” IPS panel 1024 x 768 11 fingers iOS v 4.3 Apple A5 512MB 16GB / 32GB / 64GB VGA (0.3MP) 720p/30p video (0.9MP) Yes ? No No 10 hrs(6,500mAh) 730g 758g 601g This table, again taken from Asus’s press kit, shows the basic specifications of four competing tablet computers. As you can see, there’s not a great deal between them – except for that unique docking keyboard on the Asus Transformer. to remotely access and control any PC or Mac system and access applications or files to extend the versatility of the EeePad Transformer experience. An app called ASUS Sync is included (or downloadable from Asus website) which synchronises the Transformer with your PC. Is it a toy? It’s a question one of our staff asked after “playing” with it for a short time. And it’s a fair question, too: it’s so small it doesn’t look like a “real” computer. While there are huge numbers of game apps available, I would have to say that the Transformer is definitely not a toy. Yes, it is small but (especially with the dock/keyboard) it’s as much a contender for real computer status as any of the netbooks on the market today – and given its versatility, better than most. One website I browsed reported that “the world has gone mad with tablets” and they weren’t talking about Viagra. Every mainstream manufacturer is reported to have tablet models on the drawing board for release this year, or has already done so. Don’t be surprised if you decide that your next computer will be a tablet. Given the Transformer’s size and weight, it’s perfect for taking with you. With built-in WiFi, you can get online practically anywhere you need to these days – and while it doesn’t (yet?) have 3G, a (now very cheap!) wireless broadband dongle can take care of that. Or 20  Silicon Chip you can tether it to a 3G phone and away you go! Amongst a huge range of uses, I also found it particularly handy as an e-reader. I read a lot on line and found, again due to its light weight, it’s great for reading in bed without disturbing my partner or for sitting in the armchair without a heavy weight on my lap. The display is right up there in clarity and brilliance – I believe as good as the iPad. Check out the specs panel and you can compare it with the iPad – in most areas, the Transformer is as good or better. Pricing Here’s the burr under the saddle. One of the big selling points overseas, apart from offering more features than the iPad, is that the Asus Transformer is around $100 cheaper. Not so in Australia. Let me explain: In the US, the 16GB Asus Transformer has a retail price of $399; perhaps even a little cheaper in some places (it’s already being discounted now that supply is up to scratch). The iPad 2 sells there for $US499. We won’t worry about currency conversion because it’s close enough to parity. Here in Australia, for reasons best known to Asus Australia, you’ll be hard pressed finding a 16GB Transformer for much less than the recommended retail price – a whopping $599. The iPad2 is $579. So the Transformer’s price advantage is right out the window. In fact, we’ve even seen them advertised here at $629 (althought that might simply be an early supply/demand thing). The question must be asked, why so expensive? Even allowing for Australian GST (10%) and maybe a little bit more freight, the price should not be anything like $180 more – and remember we said we weren’t worrying about currency conversions – if you do that’s another 5% OFF the Aussie price. It’s a better story with the 32GB model. US price: $499 plus docking station/keyboard (~$150) or about $650.00. The “usual” price in Australia, with the docking station, is about $796.00. Strangely enough, the iPad2 32GB (without a keyboard) also sells here for about $796.00 We think Asus Australia are shooting themselves in both feet. Many posters in the Android forums (eg http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/ forum/140) have reported just how easy it is to order online from the US, pay somewhere between $20 and $50 in freight and you’ll save a good $100 or more (there is no GST on <$1000 imports). The Asus EeePad Transformer is a great little product with enormous potential – but with the iPad’s marketing clout and their already huge penetration in the marketplace, the Transformer will be lucky to get any foothold in this country without at least some price advantage. That it does not have – and that’s a real shame. SC siliconchip.com.au