veil backscratching: ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 review

Sunday, April 22, 2012

ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 review

ASUS is in a bit of a pickle, but it's one that most manufacturers would love to be in. When designing the Transformer Pad TF300, they had to ask themselves how to refresh what has become an iconic symbol to Android tablet fans. The original ASUS Eee Pad Transformer was a big hit for the company last year, and anyone who has used one can tell you why. It's a great tablet in its own right, but the addition of an excellent keyboard dock puts it on a sort of a pedestal to the folks using it. It's more than a tablet, it's not quite a laptop, but it found a way to fill a need most people didn't realize was there to fill. To describe it in one word -- genius.

In this case the question is more difficult than the answer. You simply take what works, keep it the way people love it, and put the best hardware and software under the screen. The addition of the Tegra 3 SoC, and ASUS' special blend of Ice Cream Sandwich to the formula is exactly how the TF300 should have been done, and is how it was done. Hit the break to see if it worked.

A great tablet in its own right, and the addition of the keyboard dock puts it in a league of its own. The Tegra 3 chip chews through multimedia and gaming like butter, and the quality control on our unit was excellent. There's also a surprisingly good 1.2MP front facing camera, which works great for videoconferencing.	The audio, while loud enough, sounds a bit tinny and there was obvious crackling at full volume. Not enough to be concerned about normally, but ASUS is touting a "Supreme" audio experience and I'm not feeling it. Video artifacts are apparent on the display while the tablet is docked in the keyboard.

There's a lot of choice if you are in the market for an Android tablet. If the idea of having the docking station appeals to you, and you don't want to spend a little extra for a slightly better display on the Prime, the TF300 is a perfect choice. Even if you're not interested in a docking station, the Tegra 3 and very clear front facing camera makes the TF300 a wise purchase.