Database Users

The ipad has nothing on the xoom and honeycomb.

I have had an ipad since release. We have used it for school, presentations, documents, email, etc. I can already say it is nothing compared to the xoom.
I've had it less than a day, and I have run into a few quirks. The ipad did too, like wifi dropping on me constantly on release. Anyhow, just sitting here chatting with a friend, browsing the market, internet, xda, etc, I can't help but notice how much better it is than my ipad. Quickly swapping between apps, voice input, etc. I can plug it into the TV and instantly show my wife an article I've found.
Sure the apps aren't there yet, but they will be. The quirks will be fixed, and it can only get better. For all the "I'm taking it back" threads I just don't get it. I'm hooked.
This is the tablet I was looking for.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

i envy you. I originally was going to wait for the xoom but i got impatient and bought an ipad. Then xoom came out and i sold my ipad and bought it. First day amazed, second annoyed. Im getting ALOT of keyboard lag and I need a good pdf reader. The ones for the phone are not cutting it. Tried ez and repligo both lag like crazy.
Definitely returning this for the xoom for ipad 2. Ipad 2 will be my placeholder until Honeycomb gets more apps and bugs fixed.

iPad has nothing over the Xoom? Really? Not even a better screen (I would take IPS and much much better viewing angles and color reproduction over higher resolution)? Lighter weight? Thinner body? Better, more diverse accessories? And that's not even mentioning the better app store at launch which you just handwaved away but a lot of us consider to be pretty important.
It's one thing to be a fan of the Xoom (which I am). I'll even admit that I do have an anti-Apple bias and that I'll probably never purchase an Apple product. But it's another to completely toss all objectivity out the window and just become a cheerleader for a product that so obviously isn't perfect.
It's not as if the benefits I listed above are limited to Apple. Samsung's new Honeycomb tablet is taking care of 3, potentially 4, things from that list. It'll have a lighter weight than even the iPad 2, a thinner body than even the iPad 1 and Xoom, all while having pretty much the same internals as the Xoom. It also might have a better screen (still looking into this). And the delayed release of the product after the release of the SDK means launch customers will have a lot more apps available to them.
Liking a device doesn't mean you have to be blind to it's shortcomings.
EDIT: I just noticed that most of my recent posts are criticisms of the Xoom and I want to clarify. I'm not trying to bash the product. I just think we should be holding Honeycomb tablet makers to, at the bare minimum, the standards that Apple has set with its wildly successful iPad. Clearly that's being done with some factors. Xoom has more connectivity options, a higher resolution screen, an OS that's better suited for tablet work and productivity, etc. But it's obviously not being done with others, especially screen quality which is a huge HUGE deal with tablets, and I don't think Honeycomb tablet manufacturers should get a pass on that.

You plug your tablet into a tv to show her an article?

I own both as well and I love the potential here but wouldn't say that the I pad 1 has nothing on the xoom. The screen is better as mentioned before. Colors and viewing angles. Also overall OS smoothness. The ipad is silky smooth everywhere. The Xoom is smooth sometime then it gets choppy. Right now that is my biggest disappointment. I mean functionally it is fine the the chop gets a little annoying tbh.
On the ipad for example I neverrrrr had a case of music coming in and out while I surfed the web or download files using filer. On this device I randomly get delays in sound when I perform other tasks. Like ashura3 mentioned not to hate on the xoom after all I actually have one and I am going to keep it for sure but being objective the ipad is pretty slick in what it actually does. And insult to injury google and Motorola have had alot of time to look at what apple did before shipping this device. We are comparing the almost 1 year old device on top of that all the early reports and videos I watched and read about yesterday on the ipad show an extremely fast polished ipad2.
I understand its limited in certain aspect but take like functions or apps and compare how the work and objectively it is hard to say the I pad has nothing on the xoom.

ashura3 said:
It also might have a better screen (still looking into this). And the delayed release of the product after the release of the SDK means launch customers will have a lot more apps available to them.
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If I supply is correct the display is a 16bit tft. That would explain the differences I see when looking at the two and comparing the IPS 32bit display on the ipad. All the other downsides of the Xoom can be easily addressed but like the lack of SD or 4g upgrade on the ipad, there is no way the xoom screen will be as nice unfortunately. It isn't a terrible screen but there is a difference and it is pretty obvious to everyone I nave showed both devices to.

But the iPad 2 has a magnetic dust cover!!!!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

I have an ipad and just got the Xoom. The Xoom is certainly a nice device, I don't think the screen is so bad but it isn't IPS.
I think Motorola blew it big time although I hope they do succeed. They should have released the wifi version before Apple announced the ipad 2 event. As a consumer that just wants a wifi tablet, are you really going to spend $800 on a Xoom or $500 (less for a ipad 1) for a ipad? Even if both are the same price, how many people do you think are going to buy the Xoom over an ipad? Let's hope the Xoom does better than the Zune.
The whole user experience of the Xoom isn't nearly as good as what iOS offers. I'm keeping my Xoom as I would rather have Android than Apple (sd slot, usb and I like the file system better for my field work). If Apple had released a 2x res screen with sd slot as some rumors had mentioned, I would have stuck with iOS.
Long term, Android has a good shot but I don't see the Xoom making a dent getting Apple's market share. The cost, hardware and software don't surpass the Apple user experience. There is no compelling reason to switch from iOS or choose Android unless you're a fan of the platform.
I don't have an iphone nor a Mac so no fanboy here but you can't beat the ipod and the ipad is getting to be just as iconic. Jha has done a good job but I think he completely underestimates what Apple is in the market to think that the Xoom is going to compete against the ipad at the same cost.

google voice... the ipad has it...

Ehhhh.... this is what were supposed to do. Early adopters are basically testers, if you guys see anything you don't like, email google and suggest them. You guys are doing a great job of testing out the device. Also, in order for android tablet apps to increase in numbers fast, there's gotta be customers for developers to sell to right? I purchased a xoom to fill my needs, it does get laggy sometimes but it isnt such a dealbreaker to me right now. Looking at the I pad 1 or 2 it doesn't matter. It's still the same ****ty grids of icons from page to page. But I,too, really think motorola should just release the damn wifi version before the I pad 2 takes a whole bunch of customers.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

My emphasis was more on the software experience rather than hardware. I don't see how iOS is going to hold its own once Honeycomb has its kinks worked out. The user experience is just that superior to the iOS grid of icons.
The xoom isn't that special for hardware. Every few months something faster or thinner or brighter is going to come along, but I don't see Apple drastically changing their operating system anytime soon and I think Honeycomb itself is going to be the real threat.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Sirchuk said:
My emphasis was more on the software experience rather than hardware...
The xoom isn't that special for hardware... but I don't see Apple drastically changing their operating system anytime soon and I think Honeycomb itself is going to be the real threat.
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AMEN to that! I was just thinking that this morning... This isn't really a "war" between Apple and non-Apple. It's about user experience, needs etc. Since hardware is always obsolete the moment you leave the store (or click check out) the software is the main determinant. Unfortunately, it looks bad right now for HC. But the more I see users post their homescreens with all the wild widgets and customization going on the more I feel "home". I LOVE the apps on the iPad and the screen (I'm playing with a coworker's iPad today) but the user experience is reminiscent of my iPhone...

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what the Frequency Response is on the Xoom, I can't find it listed anywhere in the specifications. I know its listed for the iPad. I would like to know what it is on the Xoom though.
Anyone?

Being an owner of both, I have to say that the iPad has the luxury of being on the market for a whole year. Last April, iPad was in the same position as a Xoom is today with the uncertainty, bugs and the like. Compairing to Xoom today, its not really in that bad of a position. My Xoom has already replaced my ipad and I'm super excited to see where this thing can go.

I've had my Xoom since launch, and have not had a single issue of lag, or sound problems. Everything has ran very smoothly... Not a android or apple fanboy, I've used them all, i just like the notification system and widgets on honeycomb much better than the ipad.

[INFO] Let's face it honeycomb is not ready

I have had the Acer and Asus and honeycomb is weak. It's just too unstable, and the Transformer has too many quality problems. I tried to make the most of it, but today my Asus wouldn't boot up got stuck at the Asus screen. It's over, and as I look in this forum there are more complaints then then anything. Honeycomb is not ready and the Asus has serious quality issues. I'm waiting for webos now.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Quite the opposite for me. Honeycomb has been very stable and no crashes.

qhinton said:
It's over, and as I look in this forum there are more complaints then then anything.
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That's because people who are happy with their tablets don't flood the forums with new threads. Honeycomb has been anything but unstable for me. No crashes. Sure, still has video problems but that's not Honeycomb's fault.

Honeycomb FTW!!!!!!!!! sucks these forums are a good spot for crybabies lol . * just bustin blz*

yes i ****ed up my TF, yes i bought another one that i will have the next tuesday, but i never had problems with HC.... ok i lied i had my FC and other stuff, but im a CE and im so USED to computers crashing and doing weird stuff, plus i only screwed up HC when i was trying to do some anime playback

cowballz69 said:
Honeycomb FTW!!!!!!!!! sucks these forums are a good spot for crybabies lol . * just bustin blz*
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I love honeycomb as well, not one crash so far. These threads are getting really annoying.

While I am liking it mostly, i think the iPad is much more polished. Things like txyping on this forum are painful. Typing with two fingers is faster than the tablet can display. Then there are the apps, even things like the XDA app consistently crash. I found many which work fine and seem to cover my needs nicely, I still find my self wishing for a more polished product. And that is just honey comb.
As for the hardware I think it is lacking optimizations massivley. Againg this is a look and feel issue, the damned TF has friggin sharp edges. Mine actually gave me a small aluminum splinter. Also the sharp edged holes at the bottom make it uncomfortable to hold sometimes.
There are good things though. The battery seems to be great. I really like the screen. The fact that there is a micro sd slot is wonderful. Overall the tablet is light and durable.
I told myself i'd give it a wek like i did for the Iconia. I like things about both but i think the iPad is a better product overall.

not seeing any instability...works fine here.

HC was stable for me. I would't say HC is not ready, I would say the HC ecosystem is not ready yet. Too little apps for HC tablets

quietas said:
While I am liking it mostly, i think the iPad is much more polished. Things like txyping on this forum are painful. Typing with two fingers is faster than the tablet can display. Then there are the apps, even things like the XDA app consistently crash. I found many which work fine and seem to cover my needs nicely, I still find my self wishing for a more polished product. And that is just honey comb.
As for the hardware I think it is lacking optimizations massivley. Againg this is a look and feel issue, the damned TF has friggin sharp edges. Mine actually gave me a small aluminum splinter. Also the sharp edged holes at the bottom make it uncomfortable to hold sometimes.
There are good things though. The battery seems to be great. I really like the screen. The fact that there is a micro sd slot is wonderful. Overall the tablet is light and durable.
I told myself i'd give it a wek like i did for the Iconia. I like things about both but i think the iPad is a better product overall.
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google its.... a bit bold on its modus operandi, they are developing hardware and hardware related software (AKA OS android) as if they were developing Gmail,and other aplications of google (and those are good), if you think about those you know what its comming its GOOOD
Ios its not bad, but... its simple and that helps a lot on the polishing part and its 4 year old too, its not bad i repeat nor old, its just more mature
EDIT: dont let the tablet fall, mine did hitting one corner and bye bye LCD, im still waitng for asus RMA

Itaintrite said:
That's because people who are happy with their tablets don't flood the forums with new threads. Honeycomb has been anything but unstable for me. No crashes. Sure, still has video problems but that's not Honeycomb's fault.
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True. I am one of the non posters who is thrilled with the Transformer.
No doubt Honeycomb has a little ways to go, but this is the first time that I have used a tab that, to me, beats out the iPad. Since I have had the TF my IPAD has just collected dust.
The quality issues are minimal and the benefits greatly outweigh them.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

Somethings are great. Most of what isn't will be fixed over time. Build quality issues will be resolved as different manufacturers get involved or TF 2 =)
Honeycomb apps overall can be slow though. Things like typing in this quick reply box are slow and stuttering, the halting cursor movement is very erratic. No netflix yet is annoying, but might be here eventually. In my mind I want the iPad polish on Android, but that will be in time. I'm 50/50 atm as to whether this goes back next week, if so I'll end up waiting to see what comes out this summer.

Honeycomb is awesome. I was slightly worried when I read all the initial reviews bashing the XOOM, but I've had almost no issues with it. In fact the Froyo and Gingerbread that I've had running on my phone is less stable than Honeycomb on my Transformer.

I would say that honeycomb and the transformer have both surpassed my expectations. I expected HC to have a lot more bugs than I have experienced. My first android experience was with an og droid on eclair, and until I started using what the dev community had developed, I would have killed to have my iPhone back.
I also purchased the original ipad when it came out and quickly returned it because it operated exactly the same as a big version of my iphone/iPod touch, which made it boring and usuless to me. The transformer, on the other hand, has been able to do anything that I have needed it to while also being fun. The transformer has really gotten more use than any other new gadget that I can remember, in the few weeks that I have had it. I also have not exprienced any of the quality control issues that are constantly talked about on here, other than some limited light bleed, which in my book can't really even be considered a defect.
I believe HC itself to be quite stable, as I have never had a crash/reboot. Many apps, even the supposed HC optimised apps, need some real attention to run well on HC but I don't blame the OS for that.
In short, I am very happy with HC and the quality of the transformer. The one thing that may bring me to ditch the transformer in the future is the lack of any way to use nvflash. I have partially bricked many phones and have had to use this method to restore them. Without it I don't really feel comfortable rooting and romming the thing, so for now I'm choosing to stay stock, at least until 3.1 and the constant FOTA updates are pushed out.

I'm enjoying my TF and HC more than I ever thought. I probably wouldn't have been as enthusiastic if I didn't have the keyboard dock, since typing on screen (on any tablet) is awkward. I spend more time with my TF now than I do with my laptops.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

quietas said:
Somethings are great. Most of what isn't will be fixed over time. Build quality issues will be resolved as different manufacturers get involved or TF 2 =)
Honeycomb apps overall can be slow though. Things like typing in this quick reply box are slow and stuttering, the halting cursor movement is very erratic. No netflix yet is annoying, but might be here eventually. In my mind I want the iPad polish on Android, but that will be in time. I'm 50/50 atm as to whether this goes back next week, if so I'll end up waiting to see what comes out this summer.
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The typing issue on this site and others built using the same base platform is due to how the stock browser handles it.. try switching to the classic skin or use Firefox.. works much faster IMHO this 'lag' issue has been mentioned here and explained many times now, and whilst its not ideal.. its a pretty isolated issue and not a real reason to generalize that 'the TF is laggy/HC is laggy' (IMHO of course - but then, I'm biased and love me my TF )

No crashes to me. Very stable OS. With 3.1 should be perfect.

qhinton said:
I have had the Acer and Asus and honeycomb is weak. It's just too unstable, and the Transformer has too many quality problems. I tried to make the most of it, but today my Asus wouldn't boot up got stuck at the Asus screen. It's over, and as I look in this forum there are more complaints then then anything. Honeycomb is not ready and the Asus has serious quality issues. I'm waiting for webos now.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Goodbye, have a nice life!

People need to get real. You read the post just like me, I see complaint after complaint. It's a 400 dollar half baked product.70 % bad 20% good 10% don't know what to do with this thing. Good luck with the light bleed, Sharp edges, bad speakers, unresponsive screen, gaps in the corner of screen, vibrating plastic back when volume is full blast, buggy OS, no accessories available, really I want to like it too.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Getting real.. my Transformer works just fine thankyouverymuch Only wearing the rose coloured glasses because it really does work (for me, and quite a few others it seems - though not all, I'll admit)
I'm sure you love your tech, and for that reason of course I'm disappointed that you're not getting the same experience as I am.. more satisfied customers equals a growing userbase equals more support and so on...
.. (although cheaper than the competition, the Transformer's RRP still isn't trivial and I can see why you'd hacked off), but those that are enjoying the transformer experience aren't deluding themselves that its something it isn't; we're evangelising for a reason (in our own honest opinions of course) ... I would probably be as disillusioned as you if I'd encountered the same problems, and by the sounds of it the blame (if you want to call it that) could be thought to lie with both Asus and Google.. however, for now.. i'm loving the tech, and didn't blink once when the reviews of another world beating tablet started coming out (Galaxy Tab 10.1) - this thing ticks all the right boxes for me
I guess you'll have to go with an alternative (Galaxy Tab 10.1, iPad/iPad2 etc.) or wait for something else that ticks all the right boxes from an o/s, usability, support, software library and build quality perspective..

Xoom vs TF101 vs Galaxy 10.1 vs iPad2

Hey all,
Figured I'd pass on my opinions of these devices, and since I finally chose the TF, I figured I'd get the least flames posting here - lol. Looooong time gadget geek/hacker going way back to the Palm Pilot days. If it was a tech gadget, and particularly if it was internet capable, I probably owned one. My current phones are a HTC Desire Z (w/ NAM AT&T 3G) running CM7, and an iPhone 4 jailbroken.
Over the past couple of months I've owned (or still own) the Xoom, iPad 2, TF101 (w/dock) and GTab 10.1. I still own all but the Xoom, and here's a few of my thoughts on all of them and why I'll be keeping the TF.
Xoom - Well built, sturdy, and nice design. Lousy screen (comparitively) and lack of promised features like LTE and the SD Card werre a bummer, but my biggest reason for selling that one was the screen, and seeming lack of "responsiveness" from Moto on the device. Plus I knew cooler devices were coming soon.
iPad 2 - Not yet Jailbroken (grrr) but it's still a suprisingly good media consumption device as is. I go the 32GB AT&T model, and have used it for a couple of trips as a laptop replacement. It'll be cooler when I can JB it, but since I have a fiarly big investment in iOS software, I'll probably keep it a while. Not real impressed with it's Safari performance, considering all the hub-bub about how fast it is. But it does do games great, is slick and trouble free, and nice sized with a great (smart-cover) solution.
Galaxy Tab 10.1 - I got this one on Sunday, so I haven't given it a whole lot of time. It's a beautiful, "Apple like" device from a design perspective. Also the screen while very saturated, is very nice, light weight and thinness also gets it lots of oooohs and aaawwwws from everybody. I hate that Samsung doesn't allow direct mounting of the internal storage, and we're forced to use that awful KIES software. I've just been using Drobbox and all my music is in the Google cloud. This one would have been my second choice if I didn't already have (and love) the...
Transformer 101- now this one is my keeper. A lot has to do wth the dock - I'm an "ultraportable" laptop fan (current Lenovo x220) so I like smaller laptops, and man this thing makes a damn good laptop substitute with tablet caapabilities. The screen is gorgeous, the responsiveness of the OS is equal to or better than the other Androids, and even beats iPad when Safari is sucking wind. I love the quick controls in the browser (missing in the Tab) and that it feels like there's a really robust community developing for this device. I'm not rooted on any of these yet, and actually pretty content like that. Therre's a few things I'd do with root (and anti ad hosts file for one!) but for the most part I'm ok with them as is. When I start to get bored I'll probably root this too.
I sold the Xoom about a month aftr I bought it, I'll keep the iPad (partly for the fun things to try like iOS 5 and it's great for kids to play games on) but the Tab is going back to BB (restocking fee be damned.
I just really like the versatility of the TF w/dock. I have it paired with a small BT mouse and it's like a pretty full featured laptop, that goes into Tablet mode at the flick of a switch. Still on the hunt for the slimmest folio case for it that allows it to be propped up for typing, but the kybd dock does that for now.
Hope these tips help some people interested in any of these, remember their just mmy opinions and everybody has different needs and required attributes that may differ from mine. Either way their all fun.
If anybody has any question about my experiences, fire away, love to chat gadget talk abou the cool toys.
-Joel

well played!

Shouldnt be a restocking fee witjin 14 days. I returned a tab a few weeks ago to wait for tf no issues
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

gottahavit said:
Shouldnt be a restocking fee witjin 14 days. I returned a tab a few weeks ago to wait for tf no issues
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
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Good to know thaks, I'll push and see what they say, thanks for the heads up!

Good Post. Thanks.
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt.

I quite agree with you.
From all these devices i tried the iPad 2 and the ASUS transformer.
Im already acquainted with iOS and although its simple and intuitive it's kind of boring. im quite into personalizing my device which the iOs wont really allow.
The bigger and wide screen on the transformer is really nice, and although build-wise it may seems "cheaper" then the iPad (everything that is not shiny-aluminum-ultra-appleish is cheap nowdays) its a comfortable device to hold in the hand.
Price-wise the transformer costs less, + the keyboard dock which increases battery life and also allows you to use it as a netbook.
Performance seems to be almost identical on both A5 and the Tegra 2. BUT the transformer is overclockable, therefore you can squeeze some more juice out of it.
I didnt use the other two, but by reviews i understood that the xooms screen is washed out and not all that great, and the lack of a MicroSD on all of the three (xoom,iPad,GT10.1) is meh-ish.

just picked up mine last night after doing a lil bit of reseasch for a week or so glad i chose this one,, love you wife she bought for me.. BAMBAM

good...
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Thanks for the comparison.
Regarding TF and Tab 10.1 screens, which do you prefer? Which is nicer for news/e-book reading? Does Tab 10.1 oversaturation mess with your eyes?

a042349 said:
I hate that Samsung doesn't allow direct mounting of the internal storage, and we're forced to use that awful KIES software.
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Don't agree with this point. I had the Tab 10.1 for about 3-4 days and I had it mounted on my PC as a plug-play device and was able to transfer files directly. All your need is to install the proper USB drivers from the Samsung US site

myself11 said:
Thanks for the comparison.
Regarding TF and Tab 10.1 screens, which do you prefer? Which is nicer for news/e-book reading? Does Tab 10.1 oversaturation mess with your eyes?
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Yes it does. Although the Galaxy screen seems better than the TF , its for sure over saturated and hurts your eyes if watched closely for lot of time.

Srikar_NBK said:
Don't agree with this point. I had the Tab 10.1 for about 3-4 days and I had it mounted on my PC as a plug-play device and was able to transfer files directly. All your need is to install the proper USB drivers from the Samsung US site
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Yeah, you could be right. I'm just so happy with the flexibility of the TF that for now (and for now could be 1-3 months lol) it's the one I'm choosing. IAs I stressed, this is just my humble opinion, hope everybody is happy with their respective choices.

glad to see that are still people who can choose between products without trashing another.
i'm stlll not sure if i'll send my tf back. i do like the versatility it has but seeing that i am keeping my gt 10.1 it's really hard to justify keeping it.

I don't think the keyboard dock can be stressed enough, and I wish I saw more advertising from Asus around the tremendous increase in productivity it provides. It's really not "just" an external keyboard or dock. It really does turn the TF into a completely different class of machine.
That said, I'll admit that if it weren't for the dock, I'd probably opt for the GT 10.1. I don't really use the microSD card I have in my TF right now, and I doubt I'll ever use HDMI. So if choosing between the two on the screen, size and weight alone, I'd probably lean toward the GT. However, man, the keyboard dock makes me want to stick with the TF no matter what else might be out there. As someone who needs to be able to write long-form stuff anywhere, I can't think of a better device than the TF...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

i'd have to suppose the lack of advertising is one major factor for the price of the tablet. moto, apple, samsung all have commercials yet i've not seen one asus commercial, not even for their laptops.

To each his own I guess. I played with them all as well including the acer and viewsonic and kept the wifi Xoom. I really wanted to like the Asus because of price but it was just as bulky as my xoom and had serious build quality issues. The Asus screen was great, the quality around the screen, not so much. Enjoy your new toy dude. Aint technology fun
The only one I haven't played with is the tab 10.1, I secretly want one but Samsung and I have bad history.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

wynand32 said:
That said, I'll admit that if it weren't for the dock, I'd probably opt for the GT 10.1. I don't really use the microSD card I have in my TF right now, and I doubt I'll ever use HDMI. So if choosing between the two on the screen, size and weight alone, I'd probably lean toward the GT. However, man, the keyboard dock makes me want to stick with the TF no matter what else might be out there. As someone who needs to be able to write long-form stuff anywhere, I can't think of a better device than the TF...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
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This!
The dock is the absolute biggest reason for my choice. With my BT mouse (dislike trackpads) I feel like I'm using a real computer, with 16hr batter life and tablet flexibility. Love the shape, size and design of both the iPad and Tab 10.1, but just love the flexibility of the keybd dock too much - at least for the next 90 days or so. ;-)

a042349 said:
This!
The dock is the absolute biggest reason for my choice. With my BT mouse (dislike trackpads) I feel like I'm using a real computer, with 16hr batter life and tablet flexibility. Love the shape, size and design of both the iPad and Tab 10.1, but just love the flexibility of the keybd dock too much - at least for the next 90 days or so. ;-)
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I know about the 90 day shelf life all too well
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

wynand32 said:
I don't think the keyboard dock can be stressed enough, and I wish I saw more advertising from Asus around the tremendous increase in productivity it provides. It's really not "just" an external keyboard or dock. It really does turn the TF into a completely different class of machine.
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+1
Not just a different class of machine, but two machines!

My 2 Bitz
Ok, I'm a little late to the game... but if anyone buys one of these tablets second hand.... like I just did, then here goes nothing: I bought a Motorola XOOM wifi (32gb) and an Asus TF101 (16gb) (and I nearly bought a Galaxy Tab 1 and an iPad Gen. 1). It's my first tablet; I haven't yet figured out what I'm gonna do with it, but there ya go.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 1: I passed on the Sammy because it did not have an SD card slot.
iPad Gen. 1: I passed on the iPad because.... well, it's an iPad. About as useful as a maxi-pad to me. I was put off by the closed system. It means far less choices for free or hard-to-get apps (of the kind I might need), and limited storage with no SD card options. It wouldn't do, even for a kid's tablet. (Despite the fact I have an iPhone....).
Asus Transformer Eee Pad TF101: I really wish they would have stuck to one name, and left it at that. What was the original name? The "Asus Transormer Mario Consuela Maria Concito Esperanto Gonzalez Eeee Pad TF-101"?
Motorola Xoom: Anyway, it came down to Asus and the Xoom. And boy, I had a hard time deciding. So hard, I spent 3 days of my life testing these two tablets, up, down, backwards and forwards. I ended up settling on the Xoom, but first, the Asus....
The Asus has a gorgeous screen, compared to the Xoom. The TF101 is sharper, more clarity, brighter, blacks and whites are more darker and brighter, respectively. Better contrast and angle viewing, and reading books is less of a strain with a more muted white for the background.
THe sound of the Asus however, is like slamming a suitcase lid down on twelve kittens while Freddy Krueger scratches his name out on the chalkboard. It's the ridiculous choice of stuffing really tiny speakers so they can fire out both sides of the unit. Even EQ'ing the thing with Viper4FX could not hide the tinny shortcomings of the speaker sound. Which also had a tendency to break up at louder volumes (its particularly keen to distorting around 500hz). Connected to a stereo though, was quite another matter.
Though much less bass, richness and body, the Asus resolved timbre better than the Xoom on music program material, output through a stereo via headphone jacks. However, I still preferred the sound of the XOoms (yes, "Xooms" as in I had TWO Xooms to compare), because the Asus was causing some degree of stress through its sound and picture, as compared with the calmer energy of the Xooms.
The construction of the Asus was nice in parts (ie. color, back design, aluminum frame)... but the superb construction, design, looks, case and smaller size of the Xooms is what pushed me toward the Motorola choice. I have not seen any tablet as well built as the Xoom. The Xoom has a timeless design and hough it is heavy on the wrist if you have to hold it up, it just feels nicer in the hand than the ultra-wide Transformer; which appears more dated due to its size and design. The really nice charging dock and 32gb internal (vs 16gb of Asus) also helped me accept the inferior colors and viewing angle of the Xoom. I also liked the nice design of the various white & green charging LEDs, around the screen of the Xoom - the Asus has none of that. I was not enamored by the fact that Asus required special prorpietary data cables, where the Xoom uses microUSB. What also pushed me toward the Xoom was the mediocre camera in the Asus. No flash and grainy photos (though it let in an unusual amount of light, despite or because of no flash... but it was too much light, and washed out detail at times). The Xoom 5mp camera was excellent... perhaps better than that on my iPhone. I like the idea of snapping pictures on a tablet, because of the large viewfinder.
I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to design. On pure performance and lightness of weight, the Asus wins. But you might not feel like a winner, trying to listen to vidoes and music on those tinny built in speakers for extended periods of time.
My wife has a Samsung Tab 4, and comparing it with the Asus, I don't find the Tab 4 any much better in any way, and in some ways, not as a good (it has a cheaper build, for example).

TF Love

So, I used to be relatively anti-tablet. I will admit that a lot of that stemmed from how much people freaked out about the iPad when it came out. I'm not a big fan of apple, regardless of the beauty of their devices.... I can't stand how locked down and controlled their phone\tab is.
Either way, I was pretty meh on tablets and honestly that sentiment was still there when the first android tabs came out. Why the heck would I want a blown up Froyo OS if I didnt want an overblown iOS? Then.... THEN... google showed off honeycomb.
I instantly had a little twinge in my feelings of tablet-hate. Wait.... I really like Android on my phone, and.... and... an operating system that actually is MADE for tablets? I didn't understand what I was feeling.. so many conflicting emotions!
By the time the Xoom was announced I was trying my hardest to get rid of my problems with a tablet because I was so intrigued by the possibilities of honeycomb.. The issue that took the longest to overcome was... hey.. I have a nice laptop (M11x) and a phone that I use quite often. When the heck am I actually going to WANT a Tab?
I went and picked up a Xoom wifi the first day, cringing at the 600$ price-tag. So much money. I ripped the thing out of the box and set it up and found that I absolutely loved honeycomb just as I thought I would. But I had some major disappointments with the thing as well. 600$ was probably the biggest problem, but the second issue I had was my gigantic disappointment with the screen itself. It really just looked BAD, and I felt that if I was using a tablet, it had to be a TREAT to look at. And with the xoom, I appreciated the resolution, but the screen was just too poor to handle.
I boxed the Xoom up and on a whim, after about the 3rd day, decided I NEEDED to take the thing back (something all my friends did NOT expect, as I LOVE my gadgets). I felt good about my decision, and pleased to get my 600$ back. I decided I just NEEDED to wait for more tabs.
I wasn't planning on getting one so quickly after that, but when I read about what Asus was packin', I couldn't believe it. From the very first "impressions" on the TF that I read, I KNEW I had to have it. It was perfect.. beautiful screen at an amazing price point. This thing wasn't losing ANYTHING (other than 16gb) that the xoom had, yet it was gaining so much... for 200$ less!!
I dont know how Asus did it 200$ cheaper than the xoom, but I absolutely love my TF and I use it way more often than I expected I would. The screen is beautiful, the thing is lighter than the xoom, and it has a freakin' working SD card slot! My TF has it's problems (light bleed), and honeycomb has its bugs, but I couldn't be happier with my purchase. My tablet is an absolute pleasure to utilize, and its so nice to just break the thing out on an airplane or go sit outside and smoke a cig while surfing the web.
The TF really should have been the flagship product to showcase honeycomb, at the same price point, with the same screen, with the same keyboard adapter (which I am not buying\using). Maybe the public perception of android tablets would be a lot higher.
I know, cool story hansel, but so often there is a lot of negativity on these boards, I thought a happy owner story might be nice to hear. I can't be anything but excited regarding the future of Android and tablets in general. I'm truly a convert

I was in the same mindset as you until the Transformer came out. I am on my second TF (first one had a vertical line on the third IPS panel) and have no light bleed or any issues. The price point was what sold me on it's beautiful display. Now I make fun of my friends that own an Xoom and complain that their display colors are off (they use them to draw).

Ah so nice to see a refreshing I love my TF thread in the middle of all the complaining....
Here I am typing away on my Honeycomb tablet that last me for days (with combination of the dock, started at 10am this morning, I'm sitting at 80%) and actually lets me type and multitask with ease.
It took me a couple tries to get one where light bleed wasn't bad, but assuming this thing lasts (with care), I am a very happy user so far.
It's funny your story started out just like mine with the Xoom; it was the display for me too that made me take it back.

I think the part I love the most is that is not Apple nor Windows.

Baconstrip said:
So, I used to be relatively anti-tablet. I will admit that a lot of that stemmed from how much people freaked out about the iPad when it came out. I'm not a big fan of apple, regardless of the beauty of their devices.... I can't stand how locked down and controlled their phone\tab is.
Either way, I was pretty meh on tablets and honestly that sentiment was still there when the first android tabs came out. Why the heck would I want a blown up Froyo OS if I didnt want an overblown iOS? Then.... THEN... google showed off honeycomb.
I instantly had a little twinge in my feelings of tablet-hate. Wait.... I really like Android on my phone, and.... and... an operating system that actually is MADE for tablets? I didn't understand what I was feeling.. so many conflicting emotions!
By the time the Xoom was announced I was trying my hardest to get rid of my problems with a tablet because I was so intrigued by the possibilities of honeycomb.. The issue that took the longest to overcome was... hey.. I have a nice laptop (M11x) and a phone that I use quite often. When the heck am I actually going to WANT a Tab?
I went and picked up a Xoom wifi the first day, cringing at the 600$ price-tag. So much money. I ripped the thing out of the box and set it up and found that I absolutely loved honeycomb just as I thought I would. But I had some major disappointments with the thing as well. 600$ was probably the biggest problem, but the second issue I had was my gigantic disappointment with the screen itself. It really just looked BAD, and I felt that if I was using a tablet, it had to be a TREAT to look at. And with the xoom, I appreciated the resolution, but the screen was just too poor to handle.
I boxed the Xoom up and on a whim, after about the 3rd day, decided I NEEDED to take the thing back (something all my friends did NOT expect, as I LOVE my gadgets). I felt good about my decision, and pleased to get my 600$ back. I decided I just NEEDED to wait for more tabs.
I wasn't planning on getting one so quickly after that, but when I read about what Asus was packin', I couldn't believe it. From the very first "impressions" on the TF that I read, I KNEW I had to have it. It was perfect.. beautiful screen at an amazing price point. This thing wasn't losing ANYTHING (other than 16gb) that the xoom had, yet it was gaining so much... for 200$ less!!
I dont know how Asus did it 200$ cheaper than the xoom, but I absolutely love my TF and I use it way more often than I expected I would. The screen is beautiful, the thing is lighter than the xoom, and it has a freakin' working SD card slot! My TF has it's problems (light bleed), and honeycomb has its bugs, but I couldn't be happier with my purchase. My tablet is an absolute pleasure to utilize, and its so nice to just break the thing out on an airplane or go sit outside and smoke a cig while surfing the web.
The TF really should have been the flagship product to showcase honeycomb, at the same price point, with the same screen, with the same keyboard adapter (which I am not buying\using). Maybe the public perception of android tablets would be a lot higher.
I know, cool story hansel, but so often there is a lot of negativity on these boards, I thought a happy owner story might be nice to hear. I can't be anything but excited regarding the future of Android and tablets in general. I'm truly a convert
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a good man... I agree with you 100% on everything you said. This tablet is amazing and it very well should have been a flagship device but google is already in bed with samsung, htc and moto so there really wasn't a chance for that.
I'm willing to bet though that if Asus did some aggressive advertising in the American market, android tablet sales would blow up much more than how they did through moto's xoom advertisements. The TF appeals to so many different kinds of people, it offers something unique that other tablets don't and it's priced extremely competitively. This thing should of blown up by now.

The Xoom's display was really just lacking a sharpness and it really disappointed me. The screen on the TF was exactly what I was looking for. I'm a big sucker for NICE screens, and it's nice to use that instead of my M11x for casual browsing and stuff.
TF screen is STILL so pleasurable, even after owning the thing for a month.
I'm struggling with the thought of getting the keyboard dock for the TF. Not only would it actually be nicer than I expected to be able to type on my TF (I really am not a big fan of touchscreen keyboards so I switch to my laptop when heavy typing occurs), but the other benefits are pretty exceptional too. People say it's expensive but you really get kind of a lot for your money. It's WAY more intriguing than I expected it to be, purely because I love using my TF so much

Oh and starplaya... I'm at LEAST pretty happy with the fact that the TF seems to be selling pretty damn well and beyond expectations. It could STILL be the jumpstart android tablets need.
I really seem to get a lot of positivity when people who have HEARD of the TF actually see me using it. People seem intrigued and generally have a favorable amount of interest, whereas the Xoom seems to generally be thought of as negative. That's important for sales.

I agree 100%! Great post!
When I had the xoom I doubted every second of using it. I think every other electronic device I own has been doubted at one time or another after purchasing it.
I have no regrets at all after finally getting my eee pad. One of the best investments I have made in a long time.

Nice post Baconstrip.
I agree with your thoughts on the matter...I too was a doubter at first.
Incidentally I'm a TF user with no hardware issues whatsoever - which contributes to my happiness with the situation.
Only a couple of downsides for me: No 3/4G and No standard USB on the tablet.
One BIG positive that people often confuse as a negative:
It's early days for honeycomb. Sure that means not a whole boatload of apps right now but we do get to be there right from the start of the journey. There is going to be a whole lot of awesome coming for android tablets soon enough.

my friend got a galaxy, i held it and it felt...off. felt almost like a toy, easy to break almost. i like the transformer much better ^_^

I really enjoy using the transformer,
The hdmi port which I didn't think I will use much,
But now I am always connecting it up to my tv for playing games, streaming moving, playing flash streams,
I don't even use the built in Internet on the tv anymore...

Agree with you.
The only thing I miss is an Usb port. But I agree it should be honeycomb flagship. With its specs and price it would be the greatest threat to ipad, and would make android recognized as the #1 tablet OS.
Regards.

Love the post OP. Just like you, I was not on the Tablet train; AND I don't consider to be part of it even after buying the TF + Dock! When the iPad was first released I thought it was the dumbest thing ever and was later baffled by the insane explosion that the Tablet market became. The Transformer is different though, it.... Transforms! XD
But yes, the screen, build quality, seems to rival that of any top-quality gadgets. Sure, the TF has its issues, but mine is great and I love every second of it!
This thing has 1GB of RAM, a Dual-Core processor, and excellent integrated graphics! Think about running Windows 8 in a year or even running a Native Ubuntu in the near future!

xTRICKYxx said:
Love the post OP. Just like you, I was not on the Tablet train; AND I don't consider to be part of it even after buying the TF + Dock! When the iPad was first released I thought it was the dumbest thing ever and was later baffled by the insane explosion that the Tablet market became. The Transformer is different though, it.... Transforms! XD
But yes, the screen, build quality, seems to rival that of any top-quality gadgets. Sure, the TF has its issues, but mine is great and I love every second of it!
This thing has 1GB of RAM, a Dual-Core processor, and excellent integrated graphics! Think about running Windows 8 in a year or even running a Native Ubuntu in the near future!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imagine being able to dual boot either android or ubuntu - now that would be the sweet spot!
Rob

silverball.slayer said:
Imagine being able to dual boot either android or ubuntu - now that would be the sweet spot!
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be amazing! Unfortunately, I only have a 16GB TF101 so, I would be short on memory constraints unless I use the 16GB SD card.

xTRICKYxx said:
It would be amazing! Unfortunately, I only have a 16GB TF101 so, I would be short on memory constraints unless I use the 16GB SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more than enaugh for ubuntu distro together with honeycomb.
On topic - I love my transformer and except some light bleed and SOD 5 times/day, it's perfect. I believe SOD will get sorted out eventually anda light bleed is nothing to worry about (I can always return it if it bugs me).

Hahaha sweet. OP I'm using an m11x here too as my laptop! *high fives*
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I went from a playbook to a transformer and honestly what a huge difference. The playbook did appear to be pretty smooth at handling multitasking but the biggest problem was what could you multitask with....Once i got my transformer I had it rooted, overclocked and had ubuntu running vnc within days of purchase. These forums are forever giving new ideas and the devs are amazing so i couldn't have made a better purchase imo.

*high fives back* I love the combo

I would hardly call the Transformer a Tablet. it just feels like it can do so much more!

Almost bought an iPAD today

I went out today with the intent of buying an ipad with a few accessories but decided against it once I tried it out
While the screen is nice, it is small.
The thing was very warm to hold, something is wrong with these devices and I am sure Apple is aware. Will this get fixed? Will it cause early failures? Will Apple provide some weird fix like free oven mitts?
Where's the app drawer?
Where the micro SD port?
The prices of accessories are in line with everything Apple - too much. $30 bucks for a stand? $80 for a flimsy leather cover? what about the backside?
The price $499 is crazy for a 9 inch, hot to hold, closed system. I was not impressed one single bit. And the fact that Apple never drops the price a penny anywhere is too controlling.
My ASUS lives to another day, or year. No thank-you Apple, not today.

Dude you have enough money that you should not even be bothered considering apple when you could afford so many better tablets and phones with higher specs and better systems
Just my opinion but congrats on ditching the i-crap
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium

possible heating problems. guess they weren't kidding when they say it's a "hot" item.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/tech/gaming-gadgets/ipad-overheating/index.html

i went out today and all most got two slices of pizza. But then I saw In and out and opted for a burger. Heck with that greasy cheesy two toppings slices of NY pizza.
Damn now I want pizza.

I was starting to give into the tablet craze last summer and was about to buy an iPad1 when I randomly saw a sarcastic comment on Engadget about the transformer. I'm so glad I saw that comment and got a transformer instead, and I cant wait for the padfone now.

Last year I started to read about tablets, wanted ti get an ipad, but then waited a little, in December google made the $0.10 offer and I bough a bunch of apps & games that I like a lot, and now switching to the iOS world will require me to repurchase all the nice apps and games, so now there is very little chance of switching from the Android to iOS....
not to mention the closed nature of iOS and different apps for doing one thing, for example, for sometime I liked Swype as a keyboard, then discovered Swift Keyboard which I liked a lot on my phone, switiching to tablet I really like Hacker's Keyboard, on the iOS you have only 1 option: iOS keyboard.....

The case acts as a heat-sink doesn't it? So it's no surprise it gets warm.

I always thought maybe I was a bit of an android fanboy since I tend to bash apple a lot and talk people into buying android products. But when the new iPad came out I decided to get one because I do a lot of photography (not a professional but I do like it) and with that resolution and all the quick edits I can do with iPhoto I wanted it.
Well at work this friend of mine knew I had gotten it and he came over to check it out. He was asking some questions and I made sure to answer them. Then I was surprised that he said "well you don't seem very excited about it". I guess he was right, I got it for a specific purpose but for everything else I still really prefer my TF101.

The heat issues are a bogus debate created by a bunch of whiners. Tests were done and the iPad 3 is at roughly 30-33 celsius while the iPad 2 was at roughly 28-ish celsius. Does this matter? No. They don't have the same hardware, one will clearly be hotter and better than the other. Is this dangerous? No. The MacBook and iPhone run hotter than this and each of those shows designs where space is constricted to the either end of the spectrum. On the MacBook you have more room and air so the temps might not matter as much but on the iPhone you have much less room and air and an overall denser device than an iPad 3 and it's still hotter than the iPad 3 but people have to ***** about it anyway.
In addition to the fact that those two devices run hotter and nobody cares, none of this changes the fact that the tested heat levels are within acceptable thermal levels. Processors are usually allowed to go WAY UP to 70 celsius or more. 30 celsius spread out on the back of the plastic exterior where we're not even sure how much of that is directly contacting any of the working parts like the proc. or batt. and people are complaining? Give me a break. It's shiny new gadget syndrome, everyone gets it including TF101 owners. Suddenly every tiny issue is a huge one that warrants a nationwide recall.

Tubular said:
The heat issues are a bogus debate created by a bunch of whiners. Tests were done and the iPad 3 is at roughly 30-33 celsius while the iPad 2 was at roughly 28-ish celsius. Does this matter? No. They don't have the same hardware, one will clearly be hotter and better than the other. Is this dangerous? No. The MacBook and iPhone run hotter than this and each of those shows designs where space is constricted to the either end of the spectrum. On the MacBook you have more room and air so the temps might not matter as much but on the iPhone you have much less room and air and an overall denser device than an iPad 3 and it's still hotter than the iPad 3 but people have to ***** about it anyway.
In addition to the fact that those two devices run hotter and nobody cares, none of this changes the fact that the tested heat levels are within acceptable thermal levels. Processors are usually allowed to go WAY UP to 70 celsius or more. 30 celsius spread out on the back of the plastic exterior where we're not even sure how much of that is directly contacting any of the working parts like the proc. or batt. and people are complaining? Give me a break. It's shiny new gadget syndrome, everyone gets it including TF101 owners. Suddenly every tiny issue is a huge one that warrants a nationwide recall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might not be an issue for a naked iPad3, but put that puppy in a nice leather case folded over to double thickness on the back play a video game and the insides are getting warm enough to impact the reliability. If it actually turns out to be an issue, Apple will most likely issue a firmware fix to cool it down. BUT as this is more of a mechanical issue than a firmware issue, it will most likely slow down the clock without publicly announcing it.

now.. there is report of problem with "new ipad" wifi... half power of the ipad2...
antennagate : the return ?

Well, I will have to buy the new iPad as a developer but I'm not much happy about it. I think Transformer will still be my main tablet. I'm waiting for a A15 Android tablet with Wacom stylus and maybe 1920x1200 resolution until I part with my Transformer for good.

Magnesus said:
Well, I will have to buy the new iPad as a developer but I'm not much happy about it. I think Transformer will still be my main tablet. I'm waiting for a A15 Android tablet with Wacom stylus and maybe 1920x1200 resolution until I part with my Transformer for good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thas what im doing too.
Also have to buy a iPad3 for my job but the tf is still my favorite.... Apple stuff are overpriced and very over rated.
I think moust people only buy iStuff just to show off...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA

I bought an ipad 2 last week. $350 on sale was too good to pass, so I got it. Played with it for about 2 hours and the next morning took it back and got myself transformer for the same price.
I don't care about the image, or styling, or brands. I just found that ipad is not capable of doing anything that I wanted it to do.
It's basically a tablet for blondes. If all you want is to spend money in itunes and use their content - it will work just fine. If you're not interested in itunes - don't get an ipad.
It doesn't see the file shares, there's no file manager, it doesn't play all the video formats, keyboard is terrible and it's impossible to install a different keyboard, it doesn't work with the book formats that I use, I couldn't even set up a homepage in safari, and the app store asks you for password every 1/2 hour.
Oh, and some of the stuff can be resolved by jailbreaking, but I chose that it just didn't make any sense to start troubleshooting things that work natively on android.

i didnt buy an ipad today
Verstuurd van mijn Transformer TF101

I think the guy talking about how hot processors run in normal Macs forget that you're holding this thing in your hand or something. Anyway, I didn't buy an iPad today either! (I'm Spartacus too?)

2011CorvetteZR1 said:
The price $499 is crazy for a 9 inch, hot to hold, closed system. I was not impressed one single bit. And the fact that Apple never drops the price a penny anywhere is too controlling.
My ASUS lives to another day, or year. No thank-you Apple, not today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2
It's 9.7" 4:3 aspect ratio and not 9" and this ratio it's much better for web browsing and ebook reading in portrait mode. In fact i would be happy if transformer had the same screen. Except this i prefer my transformer with a much more capable OS.
.

Holy sh#t this hackers keyboard is amazing omg.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

vfragos said:
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2
It's 9.7" 4:3 aspect ratio and not 9" and this ratio it's much better for web browsing and ebook reading in portrait mode. In fact i would be happy if transformer had the same screen. Except this i prefer my transformer with a much more capable OS.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Le Pan II was designed with you in mind.
Almost forgot: I didn't buy the new iPad today.

I did receive my new iPad today, also having a TF101. I have to admit the iPad is just way more snappy, and a lot less buggy than the transformer has ever been.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD