With the advent of several years ago solutions from Nvidia represented by Tegra with full support for the Android platform, a good half of the venerable manufacturers of mobile gadgets rushed to conquer the segment of tablet computers.
The recipe was extremely simple: we take the most optimal modification of the video accelerator - Tegra 2, adapt the interface and standard software for Android version 4, and leave the rest to the discretion of the designers. The last thoughts and plans, as always, were heaped up, so there seemed to be no problems with originality.
The Xoom series from Motorola can be considered the pioneer of tablet computers. The first pancake, as they say, came out lumpy, but other brands picked up the idea and, already taking into account the experience of the American (now Chinese) company, quite worthy devices began to turn out.
One of the brightest representatives of this segment is the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101. The gadget is presented in several modifications, which differ from each other in the amount of RAM and the version of the composite keyboard. The latter just allows you to turn an ordinary mobile device into a kind of netbook.
So, we presentto your attention a review of the tablet computer - Asus TF101. The characteristics of the gadget, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the feasibility of buying will be discussed in our article. When compiling the article, the opinions of experts in this field and the reviews of ordinary owners of this model were taken into account.
Package
The device comes in a nice and stylish cardboard box with a dark design. The front side shows the Asus TF101 transformer itself, and the characteristics in the form of a brief specification are located on the reverse side.
The interior decoration is very well-designed, the accessories "do not swear" with each other, but are neatly located around the entire perimeter. This made it possible not to inflate the packaging to the size of a laptop, so it can be transported in a small bag or even easier - under the arm.
Scope of delivery:
- Asus TF101 itself;
- power (memory) composite type;
- keyboard;
- micro-USB cable for PC synchronization and recharging;
- documentation with warranty card.
The equipment can be called standard, you will not see any additional accessories like cases, handbags or headset here. But, judging by user reviews, it's for the best, because such items are always bought “to your taste and color”, and an extra little thing in the kit adds a lot to the cost of the gadget.
Appearance
The cover of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is made of corrugated plastic and has a matte finish. She ispleasant to the touch and does not collect fingerprints like a vacuum cleaner, and more or less resistant to scratches.
The ends received metal inserts, which adds to the gadget not only protection, but also solidity. The frames surrounding the screen are a little thick, but they do not spoil the overall style and only affect the ergonomics in the best way. Users in their reviews of other tablet computers have repeatedly complained about too thin bezels, where accidental clicks were not uncommon while watching video content or games. There is enough space for fingers here.
The performance of the Asus TF101 is at an acceptable level and the build quality can be called excellent: there are no gaps, nothing crunches, no backlash and no creaks. In a word, a solid device with which you can travel without extreme sports.
Interfaces
On the right side there is a classic 3.5 mm mini-jack for a headset, a mini-HDMI video output, a slot for external memory cards and one of two speakers. On the left side are the volume rocker, power button and another speaker.
The bottom of the Asus TF101 tablet is reserved for the docking station, and in our case, the keyboard. It can also be used both to recharge the device and to connect other peripherals. The interface itself is located exactly in the middle, and on the sides there are guide grooves for the keyboard.
The interface characteristics of Asus TF101 allow you to easily synchronize with other mobilegadgets and specific peripherals, so the model can be called the most versatile. Judging by user feedback, many service technicians use the model for their professional needs.
Screen
The 10-inch "Android" tablet received a pretty good IPS-matrix that can easily handle a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels. As such, pixelation is not visible here, but if you look closely, you may be able to consider individual dots. At least a good half of users in their reviews did not note the presence of this effect.
Matrix provides excellent color depth, good brightness and contrast, as well as maximum viewing angles. Therefore, you can safely watch any photo or video content in the company of one or two like-minded people.
It is also worth noting that the screen of the "Android" tablet is protected by glass from the venerable "Gorilla". At least for some kind of oleophobic coating, the manufacturer did not go broke, so the display surface collects fingerprints like a magnet, since they are removed without any problems and very quickly.
Performance
Dual-core processor working in tandem with the aforementioned "Tegra" of the second version from Nvidia is responsible for the performance. The RAM on board is not enough by modern standards - only 1 GB, but this is enough for the interface and standard applications to work perfectly.
By the way, about the latter. Quite a few distributors anddishonest sellers add their advertising to the operating system, and as a rule, it is not possible to remove it using the usual methods. The only iron option to get rid of it is the stock firmware for Asus TF101. You can find it both on the developer's official resource (Jelly Bean) and on specialized forums like w3bsit3-dns.com.
As for gaming applications, there may be problems with the launch of "heavy" toys. Modern software of this kind is quite demanding, moreover, it is deliberately adapted specifically for high-performance processors in order to increase sales of the latter. So in many applications, you will have to reset the graphics settings to medium, or even minimum values, provided that they even run.
Keyboard
Judging by the feedback from users, they can't say anything bad or good about the standard keyboard. Here we have a quite adequate analogue of the usual laptop workspace. You can both print texts and play games on it.
The keyboard is fastened, it is also a docking station, it is not as simple as it seems at first glance, so you will have to adapt to this procedure. It is also worth noting that it is equipped with additional USB interfaces and a card reader.
Autonomy
With a good load, and this is the included Internet, watching high-definition videos and toys, the device will work for about six hours. In mixed mode, the battery life can be significantly stretched to one or even two days, if notget involved in "heavy" applications and video content.
With the docking station (fully charged), the device adds about twice the autonomy. That is, at maximum load, you can work almost all day. Users leave entirely positive feedback about the autonomous part of the device. Ordinary tablets are very far from such indicators.
Summing up
Despite the rather mediocre set of chipsets by modern standards, the tablet is in demand among a wide range of consumers. Naturally, gamers are not included in it. The model is perfect for surfing the web and for solving some professional tasks. So the money invested in the model, and this is a little less than 10 thousand rubles, she works out to the fullest and does not filonit.
