[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] link68759:
I'm considering getting this. But I probably won't.

I understand that I'm probably just not a tablet person, but I'd like feedback from someone who still uses their tablet and has gotten past the initial giddiness for the sake of having one...

In my mind, a tablet is an expensive toy, and does not compare to a real computer, in both hardware and software. My older laptop may not be quad core, but I suspect the performance will still rival the transformer prime: a desktop with 'lesser' hardware still performs better than a laptop with 'better' hardware in general, and I suspect the same will be of tablets vs laptops. They tell you the frequency and that it's quad core, but they don't tell you a number of specs that are probably great limiting factors due to it being 'mobile', and the smaller things are, the less able hardware seems to be.

Android is great as a mobile OS, but as tablets are trying to replace laptops or 'bridge phones and desktops', android falls short of this task. You need hardware that can multi boot Windows/Mac/Linux/Android. Or, in my opinion, just get windows 8 :) (when it becomes good, that is. beta is currently terrible). Windows 8 will hopefully make the already 'computer' worthy windows OS a bit more touch friendly and mobile compatible without having to forsake years of software and games that will never end up in any 'market' or 'app store'.

Another flaw in tablets, is that touch input is an augmentation, an enhancement to computers. But it can't stand up on it's own. On screen keyboards can get you in and out of most software, but a real keyboard is necessary to actually get anything done. Until we have the technology to create devices that have surfaces that can change texture, on screen keyboards will be an annoyance. However, the transformer prime actually has a removable keyboard, an excellent idea, and this is what caught my eye, above all. Thankfully, this keyboard has a touchpad. Unfortunately switching between a keyboard and touchscreen isn't as intuitive or smooth, so the touchpad is welcome.

I would be more forgiving to the tablet breed if they didn't fall short in one painfully glaring aspect; no digital stylus. Unfortunately the transformer prime does not have this. I'm going to have to blame apple and google for this, as to my knowledge, tablets used to be a windows thing, and a digital stylus was (still is?) a required component by microsoft. These are an input device unique to and best suited for tablets! What apple made, which they call an iPad, is not particularly a tablet at all, just a big phone. And unfortunately, nearly every android competitor follows suit in this gimmick... shame on google for not adding support to android itself, which I'm sure didn't help the case. It's disappointing to see the HTC flyer as the only tablet that actually supports what should be commonplace.

I think that ever since the iPad, tablets are fun toys, awkward media devices at best. I also think that tablets have taken major steps backwards ever since the iPad. I own two HP touchsmart laptops; the screen swivels and folds over a keyboard to become a tablet like so: http://www.techfresh.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/hp-touchsmart-tx2.jpg

With these, I have had processing power, desktop capability, HDMI out, significant gaming power, 750GB of space, DVD drive, ir remote, fingerprint scanner, upgradable hardware, and a digital pen, BEFORE the iPad sent the market into a spiral of gimmicky, featureless tablets. Downside? Not quite as thin.

I really think the ideal, actually useful design of a tablet would be a tablet that is designed to easily snap into a number of docks. A desktop dock would hold it upright while physically connecting speakers/keyboard/mouse. You pop it out of the dock, use it as a tablet NOT FORGETTING PEN SUPPORT and perhaps pop it into a 'laptop dock' which should pretty much behave as the transformer prime's keyboard does. This also doubles as a screen protector while in transport (something I also benefit in my laptop/tablets).

Having said all this... someone try to sell me on the transformer prime please :)

What do you use tablets for? How do you deal with the lack of capability I addressed?

thanks