[Asus Transformer TF700] e.mote:
>I'm a new member but I thought we were supposed to stick to the topic. This and similar posts sure don't seem to be on the topic.

It's natural for the ebb and flow of conversation to sometimes drift away from the main topic. One thing leads to another. It's fine as it doesn't get out of hand and detracts from the topic. That's why mods exist. This is a general forum, and strictly speaking the Infinity itself is off-topic, so there's some leeway.

Back in the day when mods were topic-Nazis, off-topic side comments need to be accompanied with an OT (obligatory topic) post, so I'll post an OT reply for this.

OT: It occurs to me that my comments tend to be down on the Infinity, when that's not my view. In arguments, people take sides; the pro side was already spoken for, so I'm left with the con. I think Inf has many pluses (and some minuses).

TF700 looks great. Let's be honest, looks count for a lot, even for geeks like us. A big reason why we buy toys is to show them off to others. TF700 has a big wow factor. Acer A700, not so much.

Of all vendors, Asus has the best support, and is a Google partner in making the rumored Nexus tab. If you want to get fast upgrade to Jelly, an Asus tab is the best bet.

TF700 is the only Android hybrid tablet available, ie with integrated keyboard+battery dock. It's a versatile configuration. The laptop form is cleaner and less clunky than with a separate wireless keyboard + stand combo.

TF700 should be the fastest Android tablet this year. I've yet to hear any announced product that will surpass it. It'll be a flagship product for Android, picking up where the Prime leaves off.

The Prime has had various troubles with software and hardware. But the TF300 is a better indicator. A perusal of TF300 forum doesn't reveal any major issue, so TF700 will likely fare the same (knock on wood).

Some people were comparing TF700 vs TF Book. Here's why TF700 is "better":

TF Book will be twice as much as TF700's $650 (w/ dock)--based on Zenbook's current pricing, plus premiums for detachable touch screen and 1080p display.

TF Book uses Mobile Ivy Bridge ULV with 17W TDP same as Zenbooks. Battery size should also be same at around 6 hrs rated in reviews (8 hrs claimed). In tablet mode, likely 3 hrs or less. TF Book can only be an occasional-use tablet, not a full-time tablet.

TF Book's main claim to fame is that it can run Metro apps plus legacy Win apps. For the first, there'll be only a relative handful of Metro apps at launch. Many will be social apps that already exist on iOS or Android. I've yet to see a Metro productivity app in action.

Software always lag hardware; rule-of-thumb is a year. What the TF Book represents is a promise of future Metro apps to come. But when they do show up, the present TF Book will already be obsolete. You'll effectively be a paying beta-tester for the 1st-gen hardware and software.

For the second (legacy apps), the TF Book doesn't have anything over your present laptop. Its touchscreen is useless in desktop mode, which is where legacy apps run. Put another way, there's no need to buy Win8 to run your current apps. Win8 is to run Metro apps, and there won't be many of those until at least next year.

To sum: TF Book works poorly as a tablet, will have few tablet apps, has short battery life, and is expensive. But yes, it looks great as well. :)

Wow, I'm OD'ing on this OT, so I better stop. See what happens when you get on a roll.

Hey, let's have an Infinity cheer with a sing-a-long! :)

[YOUTUBE]yGO84ZoYXts[/YOUTUBE]