Related
... is a big waste of money.
1) No USB port(s)
2) No HDMI port
3) No power built-in (have to use the adapter that came with tablet. Aargh!!)
4) No SD card slot
5) No micro-SD card slot
Expensive piece of plastic for the price.
But, it does offer a remote control, and a headphone jack!!!
(ASUS messed up by not including a full-USB on the TRANSFORMER, but made it up in a big way with the features on their dock.)
Acer, are you listening? You can surely come out with a much better dock.
Save your money and don't buy this dock.
Actually, The Dock Is Quite Convenient
Nice and sturdy with two different positions. The mincluded remote lets you control a few things like Suspend/Resume and you can unlock the Iconia remotely. Volume/Pause, etc of course. And headphones out.
Charges nicely (need to get another power adapter)
ONE PRECAUTION: The dock automatically opens NemoPlayer so if you are rooted and have changed/deleted/renamed Nemo you must restore it or else the Iconia will not turn the dock on! Maybe some dev can figure a way around this.
Don't disagree with your assessment, but I still think this barebones dock is very pricey at $79.99.
> Charges nicely (need to get another power adapter)
Yes, and that costs another $29.99
So, dock plus power adapter costs $109.98 (before tax & shipping).
Let's compare this combination to the ASUS Transformer dock that costs $150.
- 2 USB 2.0 ports,
- an SD card reader,
- and a secondary battery that doubles the tablet’s battery life.
--------
If you want a stand to hold you tablet, try the Arkon Portable Fold-Up Stand ($12 at Amazon).
Ah, I see. I had ordered mine before Acer unfortunately raised the prices in the store so the dock was $46.50 and the power supply was $10! I would agree that $100+ is too much for what you get.
I'd like to see some clever and shady Chinese company come up with a keyboard dock for this using the port.
Yeah, I don't really understand why anyone would buy it. Rumor is that Acer is working on a keyboard dock, though....
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
Didn't Acer announce a keyboard dock similar to the Transformer for the W500? I can't imagine the two docking ports being too different so hopefully the A500 will see something similar.
rorytmeadows said:
Yeah, I don't really understand why anyone would buy it. Rumor is that Acer is working on a keyboard dock, though....
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sure hope they do a keyboard dock like the one for the Transformer.
keyboard dock +1
If acer made a good keyboard dock I would love them
i just want a dock that:
1: is weighted and securey holds my a500
2: comes with it's own power
3: has HDMI. USB (multiple a plus)
and as a bonus any other useful thing they can come up with, like media card reader, ethernet, anything else would be icing on the cake
panda.bear said:
Didn't Acer announce a keyboard dock similar to the Transformer for the W500? I can't imagine the two docking ports being too different so hopefully the A500 will see something similar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The W500 comes with a keyboard/dock. $549 for everything
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=186188&Sku=A180-101202
banksia said:
... is a big waste of money.
1) No USB port(s)
2) No HDMI port
3) No power built-in (have to use the adapter that came with tablet. Aargh!!)
4) No SD card slot
5) No micro-SD card slot
Expensive piece of plastic for the price.
But, it does offer a remote control, and a headphone jack!!!
(ASUS messed up by not including a full-USB on the TRANSFORMER, but made it up in a big way with the features on their dock.)
Acer, are you listening? You can surely come out with a much better dock.
Save your money and don't buy this dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use my tablet for movies. All the internet sites are telling me that de dock has hdmi. So its very usefull for me.
I like to know if the remote can control the mouse. So i can use the remote for controlling other movieplayers such as moboplayer.
Harm
sollie said:
I use my tablet for movies. All the internet sites are telling me that de dock has hdmi. So its very usefull for me.
I like to know if the remote can control the mouse. So i can use the remote for controlling other movieplayers such as moboplayer.
Harm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all the pics i have seen of the dock show no hdmi at all, only power and a headphone jack.
seems expensive considering all it does if make movie playing on the device easier...
My opinion is Acer messed up a little with their dock, but
Why people want the ACER dock
- HDMI port, there is one on the tablet.... is there any kind of "i dont want see cable out of my tablet" style ? for me USELESS... to have such a port on the dock
- USB ... humm that is a 50/50 coz there is one on the table, but add one more as hub could be nice... still useless 50/50
- SD Card slot? for what ?
- MicroSD Card Slot ??? for what ?
why not asking also a battery support
what the hell really, comparing ASUS and ACER on their dock
compare all in a row
ASUS tablet only is kind of.... naked... you need a dock to add options... should be on the tablet rather than the dock (wich is a keyboard actually more than a dock for me)
don't miss understand me, I don t have anything against ACER nor ASUS.
but just stop to make some stupid comparison.
compare what should be compare.
DOCK with DOCK
KEYBOARD with KEYBOARD
TABLET with TABLET
kindly
PS:
ACER make a dock for stand on a desk
ASUS make a keyboard dock for mobility and TRANSFORMER a tablet to a "netbook"
cannot be compare
sanaell said:
My opinion is Acer messed up a little with their dock, but
Why people want the ACER dock
- HDMI port, there is one on the tablet.... is there any kind of "i dont want see cable out of my tablet" style ? for me USELESS... to have such a port on the dock
- USB ... humm that is a 50/50 coz there is one on the table, but add one more as hub could be nice... still useless 50/50
- SD Card slot? for what ?
- MicroSD Card Slot ??? for what ?
why not asking also a battery support
what the hell really, comparing ASUS and ACER on their dock
compare all in a row
ASUS tablet only is kind of.... naked... you need a dock to add options... should be on the tablet rather than the dock (wich is a keyboard actually more than a dock for me)
don't miss understand me, I don t have anything against ACER nor ASUS.
but just stop to make some stupid comparison.
compare what should be compare.
DOCK with DOCK
KEYBOARD with KEYBOARD
TABLET with TABLET
kindly
PS:
ACER make a dock for stand on a desk
ASUS make a keyboard dock for mobility and TRANSFORMER a tablet to a "netbook"
cannot be compare
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And most importantly the docking station should have its own 6 celled batteries so we can use our unit for 16,18 hours or more!
the dock is great, but is overprice
I've got the Acer dock for the A500. Once on in the dock all the remote does is control the nemo player. Left and right to choose between photos, music, and Videos. Enter to select. Back to go back a step. Select doesn't give you a list though, it just starts a slide show, a random song, or a random video from your selection. Power puts the tablet to sleep. Nothing but a headphone jack and a power jack on the dock besides the dock connector to the tablet. It is weighted and hold the tablet up fine, and in two positions.
You can press the Home button on the tablet itself (not the remote) to get out of the media player, and then use the tablet normally. But the only button on the remote that will work is the Home button to restart the media player.
Hopefully they have something better in mind. The user manual makes a reference to another dock WITH an HDMI passthrough, but I can't find any evidence of it on the web.
docks are a waste of money...agreed. if you just want to stand it up for something, the best way to do this is a very inexpensive art stand. these aren't expensive and it actually looks good on most furniture including your desk. this thing IS a waste of money
I have installed the Thor Rom 14.2.
Where I get the nemo Player back for that docking station?
I did a teardown of the dock in another thread (link) and found that the dock connector is, well, useless.
It has power, audio and a serial link (RS232 logic level). It is not possible to get HDMI through it though I'm guessing the other dock might give HDMI to the A100 tablets.
Also, custom kernels often don't include the driver required for the serial link on the dock so it's even more useless if you run a modded system.
The more I use my TF the more I like it. Although I understand that people with problems need to vent I want to add another positive post to the forum.
First off, I do NOT believe that there is such a thing as the "perfect tablet" (but that doesn't mean that there is not a lot of crap out there!). For some the iPad might be the best, for others the XOOM, for some the Transformer or even the Nook Color.
Now here are some of the Transformer's benefits that make it the currently best tablet for me:
The dock. This was probably the main reason for switching from the XOOM. I was looking for a case with Bluetooth keyboard for so long that the dock just came like an answer to my quest. I do a lot of typing so a physical keyboard was a must for me. The additional battery life and connectors are a HUGE plus (see more below). The keyboard is very sturdy and it is fun to type on. And of course the touch pad. Especially when browsing the web the pointer makes it indefinitely easier to click those tiny links!
ASUS's software. The widgets are minimalistic and beautiful. They add to the Honeycomb experience without forcing a manufacturer's UI upon the user. The applications that are included are well designed and work great.
Polaris Office. So far the best office suite that I have tested. This restores my faith in developers caring about productivity on tablet as compared to only entertainment and "consumption".
Connectivity. I was amazed. I have setup media sharing on my PC so I could stream videos and music to my PS3s. The first time I fired up MyNet it automatically detected my PC and the content was instantly available. No settings to alter, no messing around. Then just yesterday I connected my external HDD (NTFS) where I ripped all my movies in HD (as compared to the 640x480 res for my iPod). It also was detected and mounted automatically and the content plays flawlessly (with Mobo Player). SD card, microSD card, everything works out of the box; I remember how much trouble that was with the XOOM...
The display. Well, admittedly, an IPS screen is just great even though it might not have the most natural color reproduction or brightness. However, the viewing angles and contrast are amazing! I also like the wider bezel (compared to the XOOM) which allows for holding it in one hand without touching the actual touch screen (and I have not the biggest hands!). Sure, I have a bit of light bleed but the one on my Nook Color is worse. If I want to see it I will...
Updates. For not being a "Pure Android Experience Device" the ASUS got updates rather frequently. There seems to be a real person from ASUS support active in this forum and on other social media like facebook (in Europe at least).
Weight and Build. The TF feels nice and light when held. That it is made of plastic is unfortunate because it does feel kind of cheap but it is not too flimsy. I was apprehensive about the goldenish color but I have gotten used to it. I covered the back with carbon fiber skin though
So everyone considering to buy one of these I can only recommend it. There might be some lemons out there but you will have that with every device. If you want to wait for the newest gadgets, good luck, because as soon as you buy a high-tech device you can be sure that it's obsolete a week later...
Hope that helps some folks that were still indecisive.
I have to agree with you my experience with the transformer and dock has been wonderful. My roomate asks why I didn't just buy a net book/laptop and whenever I detach the tablet and go to work or a coffee shop it makes it worth it all. Being able to have the tablet for casual use and the dock for longer/power use is the flexibility a lot of people want. For the most part at home it's in the dock just for ease of use, battery, and I don't have to prop it up on something.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Great post!
I would like my Transformer build quality to be a little better, but otherwise I can't complain too much after getting my dock firmware update.
It is so cool to snap the Transformer into the dock and have a netbook with an additional SD card of storage. The keyboard is pretty good, but the trackpad is amazing. I really like the feel of it. Using the trackpad doesn't feel tacked on either, Honeycomb feels like it was designed to be used with a mouse and keyboard.
I also really liked how my tablet was down to about 40% power, and when I put it in the dock it automatically started leeching energy from the dock and recharging itself. Now that is impressive! (The dock wasn't even plugged in.)
Really looking forward to Honeycomb 3.1!
bleclair said:
Great post!
I would like my Transformer build quality to be a little better, but otherwise I can't complain too much after getting my dock firmware update.
It is so cool to snap the Transformer into the dock and have a netbook with an additional SD card of storage. The keyboard is pretty good, but the trackpad is amazing. I really like the feel of it. Using the trackpad doesn't feel tacked on either, Honeycomb feels like it was designed to be used with a mouse and keyboard.
I also really liked how my tablet was down to about 40% power, and when I put it in the dock it automatically started leeching energy from the dock and recharging itself. Now that is impressive! (The dock wasn't even plugged in.)
Really looking forward to Honeycomb 3.1!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point! I forgot the touch pad. Will add it right now
Two things also impressed me about the keyboard dock that I hadn't thought of and wasn't expecting:
1. My Logitech Anywhere MX mouse works perfectly with it. Just plug the adapter into one of the dock's USB ports and it just works. For whatever reason, I didn't think it would, but I'm very happy to see that it works so well.
2. I've been using the dock to charge my Epic while away from a charger. I also hadn't thought about using the dock as a portable charger for my phone, but that works great as well.
Overall, this combo is working better than I expected, and I think my expectations were pretty high. I haven't used my HP Envy 14 notebook since I got the dock, and so I'm left wishing the TF had been available last November. Would have saved me $1000 for the Envy.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
2. I've been using the dock to charge my Epic while away from a charger. I also hadn't thought about using the dock as a portable charger for my phone, but that works great as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
However, I noticed you can only charge a device when the tablet is docked.
I still can't believe the dock didn't come with it's own power cord. For $150 it really, really should have.
shoehopper said:
However, I noticed you can only charge a device when the tablet is docked.
I still can't believe the dock didn't come with it's own power cord. For $150 it really, really should have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's true: the tablet has to be docked, but it doesn't have to be open or turned on. So, when stored for carrying it can charge.
And agreed: it would have been nice to have another charger and cable. Given the build quality of the dock and the fact that it includes a full-size battery, I don't know that $150 is enough at retail to give the gross margins they're looking for if they included an adapter and cable. And given that they're pricing the tablet at $399, I'm sure they're happy to maybe squeeze out a few bucks of additional gross margin out of the dock.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
The killer features were undoubtfully keyboard with a trackpad (I hate taking hands off the keyboard just to move focus around), and the battery life.
Also, I see this becoming an awesome combo once running desktop Linux on it is perfected. That way I can pick whether I want the battery-conserving Android or full-size productivity desktop at any given moment.
int_19h said:
The killer features were undoubtfully keyboard with a trackpad (I hate taking hands off the keyboard just to move focus around), and the battery life.
Also, I see this becoming an awesome combo once running desktop Linux on it is perfected. That way I can pick whether I want the battery-conserving Android or full-size productivity desktop at any given moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never used Linux (well, I tried to use it in the late 90s) but just to have the option is exciting! I wish to have an OS that allows for multitasking in different windows, even if it's just 2 or 3. Hopefully the Android of the future will have that!
funnycreature said:
The more I use my TF the more I like it. Although I understand that people with problems need to vent I want to add another positive post to the forum.
First off, I do NOT believe that there is such a thing as the "perfect tablet" (but that doesn't mean that there is not a lot of crap out there!). For some the iPad might be the best, for others the XOOM, for some the Transformer or even the Nook Color.
Now here are some of the Transformer's benefits that make it the currently best tablet for me:
The dock. This was probably the main reason for switching from the XOOM. I was looking for a case with Bluetooth keyboard for so long that the dock just came like an answer to my quest. I do a lot of typing so a physical keyboard was a must for me. The additional battery life and connectors are a HUGE plus (see more below). The keyboard is very sturdy and it is fun to type on. And of course the touch pad. Especially when browsing the web the pointer makes it indefinitely easier to click those tiny links!
ASUS's software. The widgets are minimalistic and beautiful. They add to the Honeycomb experience without forcing a manufacturer's UI upon the user. The applications that are included are well designed and work great.
Polaris Office. So far the best office suite that I have tested. This restores my faith in developers caring about productivity on tablet as compared to only entertainment and "consumption".
Connectivity. I was amazed. I have setup media sharing on my PC so I could stream videos and music to my PS3s. The first time I fired up MyNet it automatically detected my PC and the content was instantly available. No settings to alter, no messing around. Then just yesterday I connected my external HDD (NTFS) where I ripped all my movies in HD (as compared to the 640x480 res for my iPod). It also was detected and mounted automatically and the content plays flawlessly (with Mobo Player). SD card, microSD card, everything works out of the box; I remember how much trouble that was with the XOOM...
The display. Well, admittedly, an IPS screen is just great even though it might not have the most natural color reproduction or brightness. However, the viewing angles and contrast are amazing! I also like the wider bezel (compared to the XOOM) which allows for holding it in one hand without touching the actual touch screen (and I have not the biggest hands!). Sure, I have a bit of light bleed but the one on my Nook Color is worse. If I want to see it I will...
Updates. For not being a "Pure Android Experience Device" the ASUS got updates rather frequently. There seems to be a real person from ASUS support active in this forum and on other social media like facebook (in Europe at least).
Weight and Build. The TF feels nice and light when held. That it is made of plastic is unfortunate because it does feel kind of cheap but it is not too flimsy. I was apprehensive about the goldenish color but I have gotten used to it. I covered the back with carbon fiber skin though
So everyone considering to buy one of these I can only recommend it. There might be some lemons out there but you will have that with every device. If you want to wait for the newest gadgets, good luck, because as soon as you buy a high-tech device you can be sure that it's obsolete a week later...
Hope that helps some folks that were still indecisive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such positive vibes! maybe it's not as bad as some people are trying to make out
Agree with the OP on most points. People have to keep in mind that the users with bogus units are always going to be the most vocal so it makes it seem like there are more problems than happy customers.
After the latest update that fixed my dock/keyboard, I am 99% happy. I have a discernable amount of light-bleed at the bottom left that bugs me a bit when watching video/on a dark screen. If not for that, i would be at 100%.
My sleep of death issue seems to have gone away and beside the high profile x264 issue, I don't regret my purchase one bit.
the list keeps growing!
Just shamelessly bumping this thread due to plenty of whiny 'I return my Transformer for the iPad' threads...
More things that I love about the TF:
Overclock. Yep, it's done! Several kernels now available (Netarchy's Netformer, Blades' 1.6GHz MEATABALL).
Network integration. I mentioned that in the OP but I have to reiterate how great the TF works with the installed software. The past few days I was cleaning the house a lot and simply turned on my PC, turned on my TF and streamed videos and music without having to adjust anything.
USB ports. Also mentioned in the OP. I found an awesome use for them: hooked up a goose neck USB reading light and the keyboard shone even more
I love the Galaxy Tab 10.1 but the Eee Pad is $100 cheaper. Plus its easier to transfer files from my PC and it has a micro SD slot.
So should I get the Eee Pad instead of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or should I wait for the ASUS Tegra 3 Tablet?
Also is the Eee Pad's construction solid? and is it a reliable tablet?
The build is fine, its a solid piece. Some people had problems, but I think that was the older b4 serial models. The b6 are better, but some issues still occur. Just return it and get a new one if so. The Galaxy is very nice and light. It's very similar to the ipad 2. It's pretty smooth and people seem to like the build quality. However with the Transformer, it's more like a netbook. It has almost all the functions, and if not, you can find a solution. The Galaxy has no slots or extras. You have to buy them separate. The keyboard dock is alright, and it doesnt have a trackpad. While with the Transformer you have Hdmi, MicroSD, SD, and 2 usb ports. It last 16 hours with the dock attached. Alone it can last 8 hours. They have attachments coming out, like usb, so you dont need the dock. But the dock is really nice to type and use the mouse with. Remote RDP supports the right click function of the trackpad. Streaming works well with spalshtop. All in all, the Galaxy is smooth, pretty, but lacks functionality unless you buy the attachments. The Transformer is the first concept of the tab dock, so it will have some issues. But it's such a cool thing to use, and when you undock it in front of people, they go, WHAT? What just happened?? Haha
The lack of an SD card killed the Tab for me. The Transformer is a much more versatile device with the inclusion of the laptop dock which nearly doubles battery life as well.
I see the Tab the same way I see the iPad, paying for the brand and sacrificing features.
I'm in the same boat. I have a new White 16gb iPad2 3G I'm trying to sell and deciding. I have someone wanting to trade his Transformer + Keyboard dock with the iPad2.
Tough call. MicroSD slot and HDMI out plus extra battery dock and keyboard... or the SGT10.1
I think the Transformer is the better choice in the long run. It isn't as thin, but it is cheaper and has more bang for your buck. I've owned Asus EeePC's before and very impressed by the updates and quality.
AT has a 5MP camera that is better but lacks flash like on the Tabs 3MP + Flash.
My thinking is that I'd probably never use the HDMI out. I have it on my LG G2x and use it, but I would use my phone, not my Tablet. MicroSD card slot is awesome. It would be hard to part without that.
I think I'm going to do the trade for the Transformer.
If you wait.....you will NEVER get a tablet because a newer or better one will ALWAYS be on the Horizon. Get what you want NOW and ENJOY IT.
That said....the lack of expansion on the Galaxy Tab 10.1x killed it for more. No expansion....NO DEAL. If I wanted a Tablet with no expansion I would have gone iPad.
No I like my Transformer ( Eee Pad sounds so retarded IMHO ) very much and would not trade it for the inferior Tablets.
Another good option is the Acer Iconia A500 if you want to look at it....but it does not have the awesome dock that the Transformer has ( if you buy it. )
Just to throw in there, the new Toshiba is pretty sweet too and it's in the same price range as the Transformer and Iconia.
So Im leaning towards the Eee Pad now. So ASUS has been doing good so far in their updates?
And with the most recent model the problem with the Eee Pad failing has been fixed?
I definitely like my transformer, but in another sense it is a let down as well. (but only in the same way that all tablets ares) I really like having the clamshell option with the keyboard, plus the extra battery life
Then there is decently size display and generally android is a good thing.
But....
1) why just 1 microsd slot? why not 2? 3? and so on.... I have a few smaller spare micro-sd cards now, but can't use them along with the main one
2) (dupe of question in accessories) why isn't the hardware keyboard a blue tooth/wireless keyboard when it's not connected or at least not connectable via a long thin cable?
3) android tablet gripe - can't get rid of the status bar/button row ever it seems, so just how much display landscape is lost? 1280x800 Not! 1280x760ish or 1240x800ish...
4) why can't we display apps that need only a fraction of the full size of the screen in some sort of small window or even widget window? look at some of the various remote control apps for example, they end up using the whole screen just to display a few buttons. talk about a waste
I like the device, but I can't help but feel that the industry has been creatively stagnant for decades now...
Moore's law doesn't seem to apply to improvements in form and usability.
Just consider the form of a laptop... when was the last time any serious improvement was actually made to the overall form which isn't really all that great if you look at all the people that sit hunched over while using one sitting on their lap or with their arms are weird angles when using one while at a desk or table.
The transformer in that sense is finally an improvement to the laptop form factor, but it was done it seems by accident. It's like a laptop that can have the display separated from it's base so you can position the screen a reasonable height or whatever...... EXCEPT the keyboard isn't wireless and doesn't have any sort of wired connector. *sigh*
So are there any other simple things that seem like they should have been included?
1. Name another tablet that has 2 microSD slots. Oh wait, that's the Transformer. Get the dock and you have another SD slot.
2. Because the docking keyboard includes extra battery life, USB etc. Unless you can charge your Transformer wirelessly using the dock. Not even going to go there.
3. It has nothing to do with this Tablet. It's Honeycomb in general. I agree with you on this and at times I want it gone like for videos.
4. Again, that's Honeycomb. It's a new OS and it's pretty good for a first catch at it.
these 2 seem to cover opposing needs which overlap with transformer. You need good display and weight then tab. You need expandability, iconia is there and cheap.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
acers too heavy and video playback is gash, otas havent been as frequent and its filled with bloat.
samsung price is too high, connectivity is rubbish, lack of support from samsung, screen problems, touch wizz.
i would have another 7" gtab gtp1000 though, good roms for it and its great for its spec.
put them side by side, looks at the screen transitional rate. Alright, transformer it is.
well long before the TF was out, was xoom and acer iconia. Both of them didnt have a smooth screen transition rate, when android was still at 3.0 honeycomb. so I decided to wait a little longer and see what the TF got to offer. Samsung galaxy tab 10.1 came too late into the market for me =\
I've owned both Asus Transformer and 10.1 and design, weight, and screen goes to Galaxy Tab 10.1. However the lack of ports was a major turn off so I've stuck with the transformer instead. I'm glad I did because its seems to be one with the most development and traffic in terms of tablet in this forum.
At the time I bought my TF the Acer was more expensive. Also, no dock and a cruddier screen almost as bad as the Xoom's.
The Galaxy 10.1 hadn't been announced yet but price, dock and a general dislike of Samsung would still have led me to the TF.
For me it was only ONE reason: The dock-to me it's a total no brainer. These tablets are all pretty much the same, with the only differences being the hardware. Having a built in, removeble, foldable keypad makes the Transformer miles ahead of all the others. Interesting enough, I find that I haven't even uncovered, much less used the USB ports or the HDMI out, as well as the external micro SD slot
Much like fldude99 I bought the Transformer for the dock.
In my look at the time (pre-A500), the Tab was pretty much the cream of the crop when I did research. Especially since I could get a version from my carrier instead of the WiFi only version; although now that I look, it seems they have stopped carrying them :-/. So if I just wanted a typical "Tablet", I would have bought a Galaxy Tab 10.1 or held out for Xoom II. While owning an Android phone, I don't have much use for a tablet unless it can do whatever I can do with my existing system. The ASUS Transformer is almost exactly like the EeePC I have been using, and except for the Android SDK, seems to let me do everything I've been doing in straight Linux (courtesy of a Debian chroot and the Market).
Since I got the EeePC earlier this year, what made it worth my while to upgrade to the Transformer -- excessive of battery life due to the dock.
Which is just good, because I can both work on code longer if the power goes out, and as my fiancee lives 4200+km away -- it is much better suited to plane travel then any other system I could get. Short of buying several battery.
keyboard dock and price.
The iconia was actually my first choice while I was deciding between the TF and the iconia. After using the iconia for a while, I realized the huge advantage of having a keyboard dock option with the TF.
I paid about $300 for the iconia. I paid $380 for the TF+dock. So, money wasn't an issue.
TF over Iconia:
TF not as bigger/fatter
TF not as heavier
TF not better looking
TF screen was nicer
The dock was a very nice option.
TF over 10.1:
TF offered MicroSD card slot (single biggest reason)
TF was $100 cheaper
FT offered a better dock option
I've always hated acer so I don't even look at their stuff. The samsung was too expensive for the same hardware(plus the screen on the galaxy tab is oversaturated)
keyboard and price for me too. and now you lucky late-adoptors can get the keyboard at the tablet's original price point. all the tegra 2 tablets are basically the same...what sets them apart are build quality and accessories.
TF isn't neccessarily the top in terms of build quality (although it's pretty good)...but with the keyboard dock, it's #1 at accessories.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
The dock is the reason I got the TF. If I only needed to consume media than the 10.1 would have been my choice. But the dock moves the TF to a different level of usefulness to me. Typing much more than a sentence or two without a dock is a pain.
I use this as a laptop replacement.
1) USB : Ethernet, 3GB, External Harddrive
2) Dock : Battery, PERFECT RDP client
Neither Acer(usually bad support) nor Samsung (no dock back then)
Asus wins!
1) dock
2) screen
3) never had problems with an Asus product, the only Acer product I've owned was rubish
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Comparing, in my opinion:
-Acer: looked cheap, felt bulky and heavy, great connectivity and expandability
-Motorola: looked great, felt heavy and bulky, expensive
-Galaxy Tab 10.1: looked great, thin & light, felt fragile, lack of connectivity and expansion
-Asus: looks good, good connectivity and expansion options, size and weight is fine, it feels good in my hands
Also after looking a bit, it seemed that those tabs aren't having a great support from the makers, while Asus was getting the updates and seemed to care more about its product.
The price and the dock.
Right now if I were buying, i'd maybe consider the Xoom due to the price drop.
About a year ago I got the now infamous ZTE Blade, which still is an awesome bit of hardware given how cheap it is and was at the time. Ended up becoming a major Android fan, trying out half a dozen different ROMs and generally playing with it. It's still a cheap and cheerful device though - plasticky, doesn't do Flash - numerous drawbacks. I still use it, and still love it though.
I started salivating over the TF when it first came out - I loved the look of Honeycomb, and really wanted to get my hands on a tab running it properly - not a bargain basement number with it hacked on. I just couldn't financially justify it - I'm not rich, and although any spare income tends to go on PC upgrades or gadgetry, the price of most Honeycomb tabs was way beyond my means. Ultimately, a very kind relative gave me a large cheque for my birthday last month and I found a cheap open box TF+dock on the site I most often use for computer related purchases and figured I was sick of obsessing about it and the should just buy the damned thing.
There were a few things that swung it for me - mainly it was the dock which had the potential (and did in practice) turn a tab from being something that seemed purely luxurious and geared towards media consumption into something that could be used productively. The full size USB ports played a part, as did the price compared to other, similar specced tabs (which all seemed to have less options, storage wise) and the fact it was ASUS hardware - all my self-build PCs have had ASUS motherboards, and I've had a couple of their graphics cards too.
So mainly the dock and the price. I've had it for under a fortnight (I was lucky - got a B05) and I don't regret it in the slightest.
it was simple for me... it had MicroSD right on it, and the propietary dock was not needed with the keyboard in order to use a SD card, external HDD, thumb drive, etc
Price and availability where key points against Samsung tab. Didn't even bother with acer as I'm not very satisfied with acer stuff.
Also the dock and speedy update where an plus for tf
Sent from my LG-P920 using Tapatalk