The Honeycomb Netbook: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Review

I have the Asus Transformer but not the keyboard.. The problem is..... that it is about the apps and there are just not the quality and quantity of apps when compared to the IPad. I use it to check email, occasionally do a Word document to check RSS feeds and news stories. But, it doesn't support Netflix, or Skype with video, and the kind of fun games and other apps just aren't around. When new apps come out, where do they tell you to check..the Apple App Store. The Asus was a gift and because my work and phone are tied to Google and Android, the Transformer works. But, if I was buying one for how I really want to use a tablet, I would go with the IPad.

I want to know that does anyone knows if I can install office on it?to edit word an powerpoint?
if any of you knows about it pls e-mail me
justfriend.tanha@yahoo.com

If you have office on DVD then connect the netbook to the same network as a machine with DVD/CD drive. Set security settings on the DVD/CD drive for sharing. Access the shared DVD/CD drive via the netbook and run the install. I believe that you can also buy "downloaded" installer versions of software from Microsoft.

I have had my eee pad Transformer now for 3 weeks. Even now I am discovering new things it can do. I have never had an iPad but at least one iPad owner has looked at my Transformer with some envy. But I get ahead of myself.

The box arrived (smaller than I expected) with the device and a charger plus magic cable and a couple of very slim instruction leaflets. There is no protective sleeve or case at all and this is the first extra you need to buy. The Transformer looks good and feels solid and well made.

I turned the Transformer on and it took about 30 sec for me to connect it to my WiFi. Then it basically said "hang on a sec, looks like I need to upgrade my OS" so while I made a cup of tea it upgraded to Android 3.1. The battery fully charges using the supplied charger in an hour or so. I have found I need to charge it every couple of days.

The screen resolution and brightness is extremely good; 1280*800; I can easily read a full page magazine without zooming. The screen aspect ratio is about 16*9 so it fits widescreen TV perfectly. I can connect to external HD video via wifi and play full screen. I get a few hesitations with BBC iPlayer but other sources (say Nasa TV HD or YouTube) are better.

The screen security has a cool feature - you can program a scribble pattern (join the dots) instead of a PIN or password.

The supplied software is good except the MS Office emulation Apps probably need a few tweaks. Having said that, ppt slides look beautiful and with the addition of an HDMI cable, (mini HDMI for the eee Pad end) you can project on a HDMI beamer or TV. That works really well. Adobe reader for Android is also available and works well. Email app is very good too.

Heard all that drivel about there being fewer "Apps" available for Android? One good reason for this is that you don't need so many. The browser on the Transformer runs Flash so all those web sites that you need to download "Apps" for (I call them clients) just run as if you were at a laptop.

Tired of all that tap-typing on a screen? Well you can use the verbal search. Tap the mic symbol then you say what you want to look for and off it goes to Google and pulls back the results in the browser window. As you can imagine the recognition accuracy is patchy but it surprised me how well it did work.

Mapping/location/GPS software is fantastic and very responsive to pinch zoom and rotate. Not used the front and back cameras much yet so can't really comment on those.

I have added a 16GB microSD card but I have no idea how I am going to use a total of 48GB.

The media player was OK but I found a better one in the Android App Store. Kindle is great and text pin sharp. Zinio is a fantastic magazine reader on Android but the magazines you can get are limited (applies to all platforms).

Plug the magic cable in and you can connect to USB port on a PC where your eee Pad appears as a normal drive (two if you have the microSD plugged in). Great for transferring stuff between laptop and Pad. Also has wireless desktop so you can configure you PC so that you can run it from your Transformer over local Wifi - the PC desktop appears on your Transformer screen and you move the mouse pointer with your finger. Apparently you can get this to work over the Interweb too but I haven't tried this yet.

In summary, it is a long time since I have been as delighted as I have with this product. This box is the thing that makes me think that we don't need paper any more. And, if I get the docking keyboard, the laptop may be in big trouble too.
On the negative side: Not QUITE as responsive to pinch and taps as iPad; Polaris Office apps need more work. Will recharge from PC USB but only when powered down.
On the positive side: Everything else.
Can't comment on: Cameras, playing games.

Good Luck!

LOL; That made my day.

If you have a 15.6" or a 14.1" gaming laptop, sure; I know I did, and I will be soon