[Eee Pad Transformer General] akarol:
Ok guys, here it is. My first-impressions with the 32GB Asus Transformer after about 24 hours of use. I would like to mention that the opinions below are formulated by someone who owns and uses the first generation iPad (I hate most things Apple) since it was released as well as a Nook Color for about two months.

PROS:

1. Browser (especially bookmark sync with Chrome): After using this for about 5 minutes I knew I was never going to be able to do without this feature. As someone who has their bookmarks extremely well organized in folders and such, syncing is a must. I didn't even bother migrating my bookmarks to my iPad as I knew it would take days to do, so I just learned to do without. However, this feature alone, makes this tablet more like a laptop/desktop replacement than the iPad could ever be. The speed is also very nice. However, I must say that the scrolling and pinching doesn't compare to that of the iPad.

2. Ability to change keyboard (SwiftKey): I must say that the Asus keyboard is pretty horrible. I don't know if it's the slight delay depending on the software that's running, the spacing, aesthetics of the keys, or simply the fact that you have to go to a submenu to access keys such as the "?" or "!" (c'mon, those are pretty commonly used keys). But after using SwiftKey BETA, I must say that the difference has been night and day. I hate having to rest these tablets somewhere or rely on using one hand to access all the keys when in horizontal mode. Fortunately, with SwiftKey, I don't have to worry about that and can keep my hands where they should be, on the bezel. Now if only the TF could automatically change keyboards when docked. SwiftKey can get kind of annoying when using the keyboard to type with its corrections. I think Tasker can handle this though, I'll let you know.

3. Dock: Wow! I was really skeptical as to how practical and efficient the dock would be. To my surprise, I was really impressed with how much it makes the Tranformer feel like a netbook (albeit a bit heavier than most netbooks). Not just a netbook, but an Apple netbook at that. I'm an avid Microsoft/Google fan, but one really must recognize and admire how fluid navigating on an Apple laptop is. The swiping of the finger on the trackpad to scroll up/down, left/right, makes it feel really Apple-esque. Props to Asus! By the way, haven't had any disconnecting dock issues so far. Keeping my fingers crossed!

4. Screen resolution: This thing sure is crisp. Aside from the negative issues I have with the screen (light bleeds; see below), I must admit that in the color/sharpness department, this thing is as crisp as my iPad and Nook Color are. I still would probably give the edge to the Nook Color, but I think it's a small screen/pixel density situation then.

CONS:

QUALITY CONTROL ISSUES:

1. Light Bleed: I posted my issues with it here. As I mentioned on that thread, it isn't too noticeable (only on full brightness or in a really dark setting). But the fact of the matter is that the screen is what you're staring at 100% of the time with such a device; and just knowing that you do have light bleeds keeps you subconsciously hunting for them. Really is a shame that this is an issue. I'm leaning towards getting it exchanged as soon as I feel that newer ones have these issues addressed (not holding my breath). Until then, I guess I'll have to get used to it. The question is, will I?

2. Very small creakiness on left/right edges (pushing inwards): Not much of a problem, but it is worth mentioning. Not that it is very noticeable; it's just that such creaking makes the overall quality and feel of the product seem a bit on the cheap side. I guess I was spoiled by my iPad, but I really don't worry about that thing falling down. This thing seems a bit more sensitive for me. Perhaps I'll get used to it with time?!

OTHER HARDWARE ISSUES:

1. Weight: I don't know of it's just my mind playing tricks on me or what, but the TF seems

much

heavier than my iPad (first gen). Perhaps it is the difference in dimensions which might require some time getting used to. I don't know what it is, but I definetely can't hold this thing comfortably nearly as long as I can the iPad.

2. Video Playback (including HQ YouTube): People are claiming that this is a limitation of the Tegra 2 processor. If that's the case, than why in the hell would they even bother with it? I mean, I don't expect this thing to run and yield the same quality that my 42" Panasonic VIERA plasma TV does, but this is a tablet. At least 1/3 of everything people do with tablet is watch movies. Especially YouTube movies. This thing should handle it as fine as the first generation iPad does (you know, the one that came out over a year ago). C'mon now! Anyways, my HQ YouTube videos sporadically jerks around and HD videos, well, you've probably seen tons of complaints about it. Tsk, tsk!

3. Smoothness/Speed: I must say that I was somewhat let down with the performance right out-of-the-box. Once again, it must be spoiled by the iPad here. I just feel that either Honeycomb is trying to pack too many animations, graphics, etc. or the processor is just lacking. Whatever the case, I am hoping that someone roots this thing fast and removes some of the resource hogs out of here (apparently there are a lot of unnecessary programs running on the background). Don't get me wrong, this thing isn't dragging ass or anything. It just isn't as speedy as I expected it to be out-of-the-box. I guess I'm more concerned about when I have my 100+ apps installed on this thing. If it's like this now, how will it be then? My EVO 4G seems a lot more fluid when navigating than this thing does, especially when it has a fresh install on it.

4. Smudgeness: I've seen some people complain about this here and there but I thought they just weren't used to using anything touchscreen and were probably exagerating. I was wrong. This thing really does attract a lot more smudging than the iPad, Nook Color, or my Evo. Not that big a deal, but a minor nuissance indeed.

SOFTWARE ISSUES:

1. App Availability/Reliability: So far I haven't come across many apps that don't work well with Honeycomb, but the ones that I do have issues with really bother me. Words with Friends need to step their game up and fix some of the performance and density issues the game is plagued with. Also, out of the apps that are available for Honeycomb and the iPad, the iPad version not only runs so much smoother, but usually contain a lot more features as well. Take Taptu for example. It looks and feels completely different and a lot more robust on the iPad. What a shame! (BTW, I know this is not a TF issue, but a HC issue. Relax!)

2. Auto-brightness: I mentioned this before in this thread. It really does seem that the auto-brightness is a bit too dim. Maybe it is just a dimmer screen than the iPad or Nook Color. But even still, it could use auto-brightness to compensate for that when not in max-brightness mode. Right?

3. Camera: I wasn't expecting wonders from the camera, but I was expecting a lot better movement experience when video recording. I hope that this is something that can be addressed with a software update (maybe tweaking the processing of the captured image/video). On a good note, the front-facing camera worked pretty decently.

I understand that getting a "perfect" device is, in most cases, unrealistic. But, as much as I despise almost everything Apple, I haven't had any cosmetic issues with any of the iPads/iPods I've owned or used. So I know it is possible to be a lot better.

I know, well, hope, that the future is much brighter for the Transformer. Asus seem to be very involved in improving our experience, which is a good sign. Let's just hope they can tackle the camera and video performance as soon as possible.

I know it seems that I have a lot more complaints than praises here. Don't get me wrong, there are issues. But the positive far outweighs them. At least enough for me to keep it. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a tablet that will encompass a bit more than just surfing the net and watching YouTube videos. This thing really can replace your netbook.

SCORE: 7/10 (9/10 if they fix the software issues)