The display won't win any awards for resolution, but it's actually a very good looking display that's as sharp and colorful as you'd expect from IPS. The zero-gap bonded glass is supposed to reduce reflections, but there's no getting around the fact it's a typical glossy touch screen that does have glare. It's certainly no worse than average, but I wouldn't call it wildly better. It responds well to touch, and given the relatively small size relative to resolution, text is clear and images look good. HD videos likewise look lovely on the panel, and the tablet has enough horsepower to play full HD 1080p video out through HDMI or Miracast wireless display. The panel is also very bright, another bonus for a budget tablet. Sorry, there's no digital pen option with Wacom or N-Trig digitizer, which would raise the cost too much.
asus transformer book t100 10 touch tablet review
It has a 10 inch touchscreen IPS display with wide viewing angles, 2GB of RAM, and an Intel Atom Z3740 quad-core Bay Trail processor. The tablet has a 31Whr battery and a 1.2MP front-facing camera for making video calls or snapping photos, but no rear camera.
But I was able to find many of the apps I was looking for, including Netflix, Amazon Kindle, and Comixology. While an Android or iOS tablet might be a better choice in late 2013 for folks looking for devices that will only be used in tablet mode. But the Transformer Pad T100 offers a passable tablet experience while also acting as a full-fledged Windows notebook.
I actually enjoy reading your very good and practical reviews. At the moment I want to buy a Hybrid tablet less than 380$. After many web surfing I found two models as below: Asus transformer T 100 and Acer aspire switch 10.
My 13-year old bought this device today from a local MS store. He wants it for schoolwork and use as a tablet when not doing homework. It really is a fantastic device, very light, snappy, touch is terrific. Unlike iDevices, it has parental controls, which are outstanding. My wife hinted she may want one to replace her iPad mini.
Today we meet one of the best candidates from the Wintel side of the fence. Using the traditional formula of the latest version of Windows coupled with similarly targeted silicon from Intel, ASUS put together the Transformer Book T100. Built by the very company that originally kicked off the netbook revolution, the Transformer Book T100 attempts to breathe new life into the entry-level Windows notebook market. We were very excited at the prospects of a $349 10.1-inch Windows 8.1 tablet with keyboard dock back when ASUS announced the T100 last month, but let's find out how it holds up in its final, shipping configuration.
ASUS supplies a 10W (2A @ 5V) wall charger in the box, similar to what you'd get with most of their other tablets. I would've liked for ASUS to have tried something similar to what Google/HP did with the Chromebook 11 and use a higher current charger over micro USB. I think it's still too early for the USB Power Delivery spec but it's clear that you can boost charging rates while maintaining some backwards compatibility with USB.
The dock itself comes with the T100, making this a very affordable package compared to other similarly priced tablets. Unlike previous Transformers, the T100's dock doesn't include an integrated battery to keep both cost and weight down. The dock serves to give you a physical keyboard, clickpad and single USB 3.0 port. ASUS has clearly gained a lot from its experience in building these Transformer devices over the years as the docking mechanism feels very secure. While previous Transformers might've felt a bit awkward in clamshell mode, the T100 ends up feeling like a netbook once you've put both pieces together. The hinge doesn't have the widest range of motion but I found it enough for both on-lap and on-desk use.
Although ASUS purports to have modeled the T100's keyboard after Apple's MacBook lines, the feel is pretty far off. Part of the issue is the obvious tradeoff you have with marrying a keyboard to a 10.1-inch form factor device, something that eventually drove Microsoft to a 10.6-inch screen size for Surface. It's a tough deal to navigate. I believe 10.1-inches makes for a better tablet experience but a compromised typing experience. If you see yourself putting equal amounts of time into using the T100 as a tablet as you would use it as a notebook then ASUS will have chose correctly. If all you're looking for is a touch enabled netbook however, I don't know that this is the ideal solution.
The trackpad is nice to have but it's something that's honestly less of an issue since the capacitive touchscreen is within a few inches of your reach. I don't know that I agree with Apple's position that a touch screen on a traditional clamshell is useless. I'm not sure how much less I'd use the touchscreen in clamshell/notebook mode if I had an amazing trackpad, but it's definitely a mitigation in this case.
The Acer Switch 10 E ($349 in the US while not being available in the UK and Australia in this exact skew) dives into a veritable ocean of shiny, new 2-in-1 notebook computers ready for Windows 10. Pioneered by the Microsoft Surface 3 and others, the new hybrids further refine the mixture of tablet convenience and laptop productivity.
Following the Surface 3's lead, the Switch 10 E is a Windows 8.1 tablet that attaches to a keyboard base. Together, the system weighs in at 2.82 pounds (1.27 kg), while the tablet by itself is 1.39 pounds (0.63 kg). Not the lightest 10.1-inch notebook around, but it's within the range of comparable systems, and the tablet is a tad lighter than the 1.6 pound (0.72 kg) Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000. Nevertheless, I spent a good deal of time commuting with the notebook tucked in my backpack and barely noticed its weight.
There's a relatively sturdy connection between the tablet and the base, although there were a few occasions when the two accidentally came apart when I didn't pick it up or open it correctly. The notebook also has a tendency to fall over backwards when the screen is tilted too far.
You probably aren't expecting much from a $349 system, and in this case you'd be right not to. The notebook falls short in most areas, particularly with its low resolution (1,280 x 800) screen. Add a paltry 2GB of memory, an Intel Atom 1.33 GHz processor, a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, and a single USB 2.0 port built into the keyboard (the tablet half has a Micro USB 2.0 port), and you have a ridiculously under powered system.
Both competing notebooks outperform the Switch 10 E, and the Transformer Book T100 Chi has a slightly lower price tag. The Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 costs significantly more, but the superior hardware and features of Dell's tablet-laptop more than make up for the price difference.
Unfortunately, this same battery also takes forever to charge, especially when the notebook remains in use or is left in sleep mode. It takes almost three hours to fully charge the tablet from 30 percent, even with the system is shut down. This is largely thanks to the fact that the tablet uses a micro USB port and 2-amp charger typically used to juice up less power hungry Android devices.
Feature-wise, the T100 isn't overflowing. The Wi-Fi capability is adequate but unremarkable; no 802.11ac is on the books here, but you do get 5GHz on 802.11n. A lonely USB 3.0 port resides on the dock and is the only option for USB accessories. A microUSB port on the tablet portion charges the device, and a microHDMI port gets you display expansion. A microSD slot gives you expandable storage and a 1.2MP front camera handles video chat. The 31Whr battery is comparable to the iPad Air's pack, offering a comparable battery life of just under 10 hours. That the keyboard dock lacks an additional battery is likely a matter of cost, though a future accessory could have big appeal.
The package is anything but thin or light, which reemphasizes the compromises necessary to bring a convertible form factor down to this price point. The tablet itself is a bit thick, though its soft curves make it a good fit in the hand. The slick plastic makes it unpleasant to touch though, and it's more prone to slipping through fingers. The broad bezels are fine on a tablet but a bit less so on a notebook. The dock has a single large hinge, which feels solid and offers a good range. When you close the notebook, the hinge gives the device an industrial appearance, though it's undermined by the cheap plastics used in construction.
Before even cutting the plastic wrap on the Prime's box, one thing younotice is how svelte even its packaging is. The box also is blissfullyuncluttered within, as the only things it contains are the tabletitself, a quick-start guide, the warranty form, a screen-cleaner cloth,and the power cable and plug block. You notice at once when you lift thetablet out of the box how solid it feels, to the point where it almostfeels heavier than it is. The casing, which features the same circularbrushed-aluminum design with more-recent ASUS ultrabooks and othermachines, feels smooth. There is a little flex to the tablet's casing,but only if you squeeze it harder than most people are likely to do.
Multimedia: this is a tough call, as both are perfectly capable ofplaying most types of file-based media. But I have to give the Prime theedge here, because 1) Android supports more streaming and otherInternet-based media services, and 2) the Prime is so light, it's with meall the time. Pulling out a tablet to listen to some music whileenjoying a latte is a little more convenient in many cases thanbooting up a Netbook.
You can't imagine how much more useful the two pieces become until youhave them both. I tend to spend time flipping through Web pagesor RSS feeds with the tablet alone. But if I have an idea for, well,anything, I can have it captured before it evaporates (which happensfaster and faster these days). The keyboard is every bit as usable forlonger typing sessions as the Netbook this tablet-combo is meant toreplace. Although I haven't had the opportunity to try any other tabletswith any other types of keyboards (such as Bluetooth models to pair withthe iPad or Galaxy Tab, both of which I've spent some time using), Ican't imagine any of them are as convenient and easy to use as the Primeand its keyboard dock. Highlights of the tablet/keyboard combinationinclude: 2ff7e9595c
Comments