At a point in time when both tablets as well as Google Android really are hot topics, all the same, the Zeen seems to be getting far more recognition than HP perhaps have preferred. Whether the Zeen will help sell more HP Photosmart eStation mother ships is unclear – especially at £379 inc VAT. the Lexmark Genesis, one other game-changing MFP, offers comparable attraction and qualifications.

As a control panel, the Zeen is effective. the sizeable, 7-inch colour touch screen helps make reading the on-screen menus very easy. Sensitivity is definitely the main weak spot: in our tests it was basically slow to identify taps, and sometimes it mistook a swipe for a tap. in the event you undock it, it’s possible to still control the HP Photosmart eStation e-All-in-One, and you have the ability to print from SD Cards filled within the top-mounted slot, and even print website pages. the arrangement looks like it’s a sensible extension of HP’s Web-app tactic.

As an MFP, the HP Photosmart eStationis

acceptable intended for use at your house. It comes with a 125-sheet input holder which includes a 20-sheet picture holder, in addition to a 50-page productivity place together with the input tray’s top. Automated duplexing (printing after the two facets in the web site) is industry-standard, and also is beneficial together with both Computer and also Mac. much like most consumer-level MFPs, it provides absolutely no automatic file feeder so that you can check multipage paperwork, only a letter/A4-size flat bed scanner. Employing the Zeen cpanel, it is possible to check on to a storage device, and not to a Pc; HP’s have a look at application will handle which job via a connected pc.the particular Hewlett packard Photosmart eStation can be an above-average performer. Plain-text web pages imprinted from rates close to 8-10.Several web pages for each minute on your computer as well as 8-10.Three parts per million around the Mac. Designs regarding colour photos upon plain cardstock left rapidly from Three.8-10 parts per million. the particular 22MB specialist picture required less than Three moments in order to print around the Mac, and that is with regards to componen for your program. Standard reads along with duplicates put up occasions inside upper-middle assortment.Print quality is undoubtedly a additionally. Textual content upon plain cardstock had been well-defined and also darker. Picture productivity together with HP’s individual lustrous stock had been basically outstanding, using a comparatively awesome colour temperature. the identical images upon plain cardstock have also been a lttle bit washed out. the particular full-colour duplicate exam displayed a darker reproduction possessing vast banding.We would foresee a multifunction because expensive as the Hewlett packard Photosmart eStation to possess more-economical inks. Sadly, the prices are merely average. the particular standard-size Hewlett packard Photosmart eStation printer ink cartridges comprise a 250-page african american along with 300-page cyan, green, and also yellow. our prime deliver cartridges exercise a much cheaper selection.the particular Hewlett packard Photosmart eStation as well as Zeen tablet unquestionably out-gadget alternative high-end residence MFPs just like the Rule Pixma MG8120 as well as Epson Artist 835. nevertheless, other touch-based mobile phones along with tools are generally speedily making up ground on the Zeen’s printing features. the true secret grounds to pay this particular item’s substantially better cost will be for your Zeen’s providing regarding fundamental tablet capabilities. if you would like this specific MFP, acquire it * but the truth is might get much more printer’s for the investment somewhere else.

Hewlett packard Photosmart eStation Evaluate

Through this agreement, RMI will offer its customers a rugged mini tablet PC that delivers exceptional power and reliability to ADVANTAGE Mobile Workers.

Avon, CT, May 16, 2012 –(PR.com)– RMI Corporation is pleased to announce their partnership with MobileDemand. Through this agreement, RMI will offer its customers a rugged mini tablet PC that delivers exceptional power and reliability to ADVANTAGE Mobile Workers.Businesses serving the equipment rental, sales, and service markets require a rugged mobile unit that can withstand the demands of the job site. Field workers commonly find themselves in situations where their equipment is exposed to harsh conditions that require a sealed, durable computer capable of withstanding a fall without a failure in service.MobileDemand devices offer businesses a tremendous value and return on investment. In addition to their durable design, MobileDemand tablet PCs include a full Windows operating system and broadband connectivity from almost anywhere. this powerful combination delivers greater security and productivity while realizing the full value of RMI’s ADVANTAGE solution from the road.“With ADVANTAGE on MobileDemand tablet PCs, we have service technicians delivering invoices to customers within minutes of completing onsite work; making billing in real-time a reality. In addition, with a MobileDemand device, the mobile sales force delivers and accepts signed quotes from the customers’ location,” said David G. Richards Vice President of Client Services at RMI Corp. “while the ADVANTAGE Mobile User will work on any web enabled device, we found that MobileDemand devices allow Mobile users to take full advantage of our Mobile Worker offering with its built in bar code scanner, touch screen and GOBI technology.”the MobileDemand tablet offered by RMI is a lightweight device equipped with a 7” touch screen display, built-in bar code scanner, and GOBI technology for mobile internet access anywhere. Optional accessories, such as mag strip readers and external keyboards, make it easy to configure the device for your business needs. MobileDemand units can be truck mounted and / or carried by the user.RMI offers the MobileDemand devices either for lease or for direct purchase. http://www.rmiusa.com/mobile.about the ADVANTAGE Mobile WorkerA Mobile Worker interacts with ADVANTAGE through a unique and simplified interface designed specifically for the smaller screens found on tablet PCs, barcode scanners and other mobile devices. a Mobile Worker can do many things; including but not limited to track inventory in real-time (with or without barcodes), manage contacts through CRM, sign and send documents such as quotes, orders, and work orders, and much more. the Mobile user’s refined functionality enables businesses to streamline operations by giving more employees’ access to ADVANTAGE, at a price in line with their limited tasks.about RMI CorporationFounded in 1983 and headquartered in Avon, CT; RMI Corporation is the leader in Enterprise Rental, Sales, and Service Solutions for mid-market companies. RMI is fully dedicated to the equipment rental, sales, and service industry and offers an industry standard solution including software, implementation, training, consultation and support to help their clients maximize efficiencies and reach their full business potential. RMI currently has thousands of users working with their ADVANTAGE Solution, representing various segments of the industry. for more information on the ADVANTAGE Solution and RMI Corporation, please visit their website at www.rmiusa.com.about MobileDemandMobileDemand is a leading provider of rugged tablet computers used by mobile workers in Field Service, Food and Beverage Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, Hospitality, Agriculture, Utilities, Military and Public Sector. MobileDemand is also the #1 provider of rugged tablet computers used in transportation in the United States. xTablet Rugged Tablet PC systems improve operational efficiency and allow mobile workers to make better business decisions at the point of interaction. they provide ultra-mobility and versatility and are built military rugged to withstand harsh environments. they offer a high resolution, all-light readable touch screen, functionality of a full Microsoft Windows 7 OS and the power of an Intel processor to deliver performance at a lower cost and enable greater efficiency and productivity in the field. MobileDemand: Innovations in productivity. Additional information about MobileDemand is available at http://www.RuggedTabletPC.com.

RMI Corporation Partners with MobileDemand

Benefits of new technologies and Android Tablet PC Google android tablet is considered the accretion of the many components of the PC platform, Android has been launched in the Android 3.0 release to clarify. it represents a similar tablet-optimized interface and functionality to deliver PC 3.0, and several new features of the large number of developers and users. this article provides new features and technologies for Android, which launched the PC platform in Android Android pc.this impression gives a clarification of diversity to create a user interface mere instinctive and more proficient in the user interface improved use.Transitions organizations and typical applications. start the mobile screen is actually faster, smoother transition and a list of PC applications from Android.  Adjust the placement, color and text to create the elements in the user interface easier to understand, see and use. Convenient and reliable throughout the robot’s PC user interface and new options that allow users to change the contact held in order to fulfill its needs.Steering and five of the screen interval auditory response enhancement is currently easy – mobile home button bar in the organization, your home screen, which was recently used in the Android PC. these Capacitive touch screen tablet is put proposals to strengthen the internal storage, behold it is the diversity of a larger file types.Android PC with USB connection accessories and peripherals, a wide range of platform support for expanding the use of storage. Users can connect multiple types of input devices (mouse, keyboard, game controller), and all digital cameras. Android Tablet PC applications, USB support platform to make a greater adherence to the recommendations from a USB device android 2.2 tablet pc, it also brings new support for USB accessories about – external hardware devices planned Android tablet, the computer’s power supply equipment such as a USB host connection. The structure of any kind of accessories for connecting to an equivalent and provide consumers with the beginning. The attachment may also represent a URL to the consumer download for Android tablet computer function, if not installed. Can be interconnected purposes, to manage information about Android Tablet PC as the base of the robot controller, diagnosis and readers of motor accessories, kiosks, music equipment, and many.The article source: http://www.chinajiaho.com/

Benefits of new technologies and Android Tablet PC – Le blog de anine

Nokia has held patents for a Tablet PCs for a long time, and if we can believe to the writing from Digitimes, Nokia is planning to make tablet running on Windows 8 OS at the end of the year. We have already been written about the two concepts of Nokia Tablets, Nokia Lumia Coffee Tab and Nokia 1 concept. Both concepts have emerged to design of popular Nokia Lumia smartphones. If the predictions are accurate Nokia tablet will be powered by a dual-core Qualcomm processor and will have a touchscreen of 10 inch. Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO, said that Nokia sees the future and opportunity in making tablets, and how this step will be a great success for Finland munfacturer Nokia. Although this information is not official but it is expected that Nokia will start to making its first tablet PC later this year. We think that this will be a big hit and that Nokia will grab the tablets market very quickly and take a big slice of the best tablet manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung, and many others. It remains a little more than half a year to see will all the announcements be accurate and true.

Http://newtabletpccomparison.info/nokia-tablet-pc-rumor-or-fact/1580/ – Nokia coffee tab – When nokia lumia coffee tab comes to india – Rumours on nokia lumia concepts – When will release nokia lumia coffee tab in india – Nokia Tablet PC? Rumor or Fact?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is now available from Amazon.com

When it comes to Samsung tablets, you definitely have a lot of options to choose from. After all, you have the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 7.7, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, and now you have the recently released Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. While the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is Samsung’s response to Amazon’s Kindle fire, for some, the smaller 7-inch form factor leaves one wishing for more screen real estate.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is Samsung’s replacement of the original …

Continue Reading HereSamsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Review – Wi-FiJonathan Radande – droidmatters.com

Category: Droidmatters

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Review – Wi-Fi

Numerous Samsung Galaxy Tab contract deals are expected to sell this tablet cheaply here. Samsung’s head of mobile communications JK Shin observed, Samsung recognises the tremendous growth potential in this newly-created market and we believe that the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market. By introducing the Tab into the market, the South Korean mobile phone major has opened the doors for a far more competitive and dynamic environment to prevail in the computer tablet market.

This, for sure ends, the largely monopolistic hold that Apple enjoyed thus far. Add to the Samsung tablet, the Dell Streak and the about to be launched Blackberry Playbook, the scene is most certainly hotting up.Samsung has already stated that it sees huge potential in this particular market is working on upgrades of the tablet. Samsung also realises that with more than a couple of players fighting it out, prices will be a key factor in deciding the winner.

Hence, Samsung has tied up with Vodafone and soon the market place here will be witnessing the Samsung Galaxy Tab Vodafone getting released here through umpteen Galaxy Tab Deals and SIM free plans. on first look the Samsung Galaxy does fare more than favourably when pitted against the much fancied Apple iPads.

While the iPads with a much wider touchscreen of 9.3 inches score better against the Samsung Tablet’s seven inches wide touchscreen, Samsung has a far better storage space, two camera devices (3 mega pixel and 1.3 mega pixel) against none in the Apple iPads. Now, combine this with the cheaper prices obtained because of the Samsung Galaxy contract deals, you are sure looking at a potential threat to the iPad stronghold of the market. Following Samsung Galaxy Tab Vodafone, other network service provider are also likely to join in the fray and let out a good number of Samsung Monte Deals and other such lucrative offers.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Deals Opening Up the Competition in the Computer Tablet Market

Special needs children consists of those that fall under the categories of autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, down syndrome and others. These children have a myriad of conditions and developmental difficulties that prevents them from communicating and learning properly. The usage of apps for helping and teaching special needs children has been nothing short of a miracle. together with devices like iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, they offer some form of solution in managing and improving specific conditions. Using devices of this nature have lowered the cognitive base you have to have to interface with a computer. You touch it, and something happens. The iPad is especially popular because its bigger screen for easier interaction and its portability compared to a computer.

The design of each app is different. some are designed to address a singular problem like apps for spelling, or they can be for a combination of problems like reading, writing and spelling apps. Reading comprehension is especially important because that gives an individual the ability to learn, make sense of things, and to adapt in society. Whatever the designs are, many parents have attested to the benefits of using them. there is a case where a parent reported that their down syndrome child is able to say a simple sentence after using it for 3 weeks, which he could not do before. Among the problems faced by these children, the most common are difficulties in communication. This includes speaking and non speaking individuals with varying degree of language delays.

Communication skills are vital in getting along in the community. Proloquo2Go is a comprehensive, full-featured communication solution for people who have problem with speech. It brings natural sounding text to speech voices, 8,000 symbols. powerful automatic conjugations, a large default vocabulary, full expandability and extreme ease of use on various tablet and mobile devices. The word base construction, together with powerful and handy phrases are very practical tools. This app is suitable for those with asperger spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, ALS, traumatic brain injury (e.g. stroke), aphasia, apraxia, and more.

It is often mentioned that these children faced great challenges in social situation, as social situations are complex and need a number of discerning abilities that these children do not possess. In a study conducted by Indiana University, it was found that by modelling exemplary behaviors, children who are at the low end of social skills ability have shown evidence of improvement in that area. another good app is ‘Model me Going Places. It is a great visual tool for helping children to behave appropriately in different locations in the community. This is done by providing different social stories background. Model me demonstrate social skills by modelling peer behavior at school, on the playground, at a restaurant, at the doctor’s office, and more. This type of visual aids social stories greatly assist children and adults with developmental delay adjust much better in real life situations.

These apps covers many area of difficulties ranging from communication, reading, writing, spelling, maths, understanding emotions, understanding relationship of things, behavior, manners, daily living skills and so on. most of them can be used interchangeably among those who have autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, down syndrome and others. some of these individuals have varying degrees of difficulties, as well as different area of difficulties. Only those individuals themselves or their immediate families will understand and comprehend what they are. So knowing where the difficulties lie is very important and also very personal. Apps of these nature can be used to help even the very young, as one parent mentioned the improvement in their 2 year child in being more interactive with them after just three weeks of usage. It works as well in teens and adults. The future is good for further development of apps for special needs.

Apps for Special Needs

Before aptX, there was Standard Bluetooth Codec, also known as SBC. This technology has quite a bit of weakness built-in simply because it was made public and spread across the earth before it was really perfected. What the teams working with aptX technology have done is to bring the tonal quality a whole lot closer to CD-quality and certainly have made its reliability for quality much-improved over SBC. Have a peek at an extremely easy to visualize chart made by one of the groups working with aptX on the speaker end of the equation, Cambridge Audio, to see the difference in delivery.

What you’re seeing here is RED for SBC and GREEN for aptX. the scale shows distortion which occurs when 32 pure equidistant tones are fed into both of these technologies. What you’re seeing here is SBC having a whole heck of a lot more distortion (bad) than aptX which stays relatively well balanced throughout the test.

What this means for you, the Samsung Galaxy S III or HTC one device owner is that you’ll be able to rock out over Bluetooth without worrying about distortion as you have in the past – time to break out the bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and speakers – though good luck finding them on the market! Check out the Sennheiser PX 210 BT apt-X headphones for an example of “true hi-fi quality.” And check the timeline for a couple more!

Update: we’ve now got a full list of aptX enabled products – have a look!

aptX enabled products available April 2012

HTC ProductsHTC one XHTC one SHTC one V SmartphoneHTC Car StereoClip (Aux) Bluetooth Adaptor

Creative ProductsCreative Inspire S2 Wireless Bluetooth Stereo SpeakerCreative ZiiSound D5 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker

Creative ProductsCreative T12 Wireless 2.0 Wireless PC SpeakersCreative D200 Wireless Bluetooth SpeakerCreative T6 Wireless Bluetooth SpeakerWP-300 Stereo Bluetooth HeadphonesCreative ZiiO 10” Android TabletCreative ZiiO 7” Android TabletCreative BT-D5 iPhone/iPod/iPad transmitterCreative BT-D1 USB transmitterCreative WP-450 Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesCreative WP-350 Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesCreative ZiiSound D5x Bluetooth Modular SpeakerCreative ZiiSound D3x Bluetooth Modular SpeakerCreative Zen XFi-3 Bluetooth MP3 Player

Sennheiser ProductsSennheiser PX 210 BT Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesSennheiser PX 310 BT Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesSennheiser PXC 360 BT Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesSennheiser PX 360 BT Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesSennheiser BTD300i Wireless stereo transmitter for iPhone/iPodSennheiser BTD 300 Audio Wireless stereo transmitter for portable audio devicesSennheiser BTD 300 USB Wireless stereo transmitter for PC and laptopBTD 500 USB DongleMM 400 X Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesMM 450 X Travel Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Products from AppleApple Mac Mini Desktop computerApple Macbook Air Laptop computerApple Macbook Laptop computerApple Mac OS X Snow Leopard Operating SystemApple Mac OS X Lion Operating System

Products from JaybirdJaybird Sportsband SB2 Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesJaybird iSport Bluetooth adaptor for iPhone/iPodJaybird Sportsband SB2 Universal Bluetooth adaptor

Products from Altec LansingAltec Lansing inMotion Air Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

Products from Chord ElectronicsChordette Gem Bluetooth Audio ReceiverChordette Peach DAC with BluetoothChordette Maxx Amplifier

Products from QEDQED Uplay Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Products from ConranConran iPod Dock iPod Dock with Bluetooth

Products from SamsungSamsung Galaxy 7.0 plus Android TabletSamsung Galaxy 7.7 plus Android TabletSamsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Android TabletHS6000 Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesHS3700 Bluetooth Stereo HeadsetSamsung DAE-570 Audio DockSamsung DAE-550 Audio Dock

Products from MotorolaMotorola Razr SmartphoneMotorola SF600Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Products from LogitecLBT-MPSP100 Bluetooth SpeakerLBT-TVOH02A Bluetooth Headphones and dongleLBT-AVAR300 Bluetooth Headset

Products from iTechLBT-MPSP100Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Products from NokiaNokia Play 360 Bluetooth SpeakerNokia Wireless Music Receiver Bluetooth SpeakerNokia Essence Bluetooth Headset Bluetooth Stereo Headset

Products from SoundmattersfoxL v2 Plantinum Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Products from NuForceBT-860 Bluetooth Stereo HeadphonesNAD VISO 1 iPod Dock

SharpDC50 (DoCoMo) & JA07 Softbank Mobile SmartphoneGear4Houseparty Rise iPod DockHouseparty iPod Dock

MonsterStreamCast Module USB Dongle

Burmester113 DAC

Cambridge AudioBT-100 Audio Receiver Bluetooth receiver

BravenBraven 650 portable speaker

Galaxy S III just the latest with apt-X Bluetooth audio – SlashGear

And this bet may just pay off. as it stands, the Asus Transformer Pad touted by Asus to be a $399 Transformer prime, which means that users could get a 32GB TF300 with the keyboard dock, for a price that is comparable to a 16GB iPad. if you take into account that a 64GB TF300 would only cost $25 more (the price of the MicroSD), you realize that it can be a formidable competitor for a 64GB iPad sold for $700. in this review, we will to put things in perspective by going over critical aspects of the Transformer Pad TF300. Ready?

Technical highlightsTF101TF300TTF201 (Prime)Dimension6.96 x 10.66 x 0.51”7.11x 10.35 x 0.38”7.11 x 10.35 x 0.32”LCD10.1” IPS panel10.1” IPS panel  (350nits)10.1” Super IPS panel  600nitsResolution1280 x 8001280 x 8001280 x 800OSAndroid™ 4.0Android™ 4.0Android™ 4.0SoCNVIDIA® Tegra® 2NVIDIA® Tegra® 3NVIDIA® Tegra® 3Frequency(1GHz dual-core)(1.2GHz quad-core)(1.3GHz quad-core)RAM1G LPDDR21G DDR3L1G LPDDR2Storage16GB/32GB32GB32GB / 64GBFront Camera1.2MP1.2MP1.2MPRear Camera5MP, 720p video recording8MP, 1080p video recording8MP, 1080p video recordingNo flashlightNo flashlightLED FlashlightWiFi802.11 b/g/n,802.11 b/g/n,802.11 b/g/n,Bluetooth 2.1 + EDRBluetooth 3.0 + EDRBluetooth 2.1 + EDRI/OMini HDMI/ microSD/ Docking connectorMicro HDMI/ microSD/ Docking connectorMicro HDMI/ microSD/ Docking connectorBattery LifePad-only 9.5 hrPad-only 10hrsPad-only 9.5 hrPad + Dock 16hrsPad + Dock 15hrsPad + Dock 18hrsWeight1.49lbs1.39lbs1.28lbsUnboxing

First, if you want to take a quick look what’s in the box of the Asus Transformer Pad TF300, you can take a look at the video below. overall, the tablet comes with a cleaning cloth, a charger and a cable. The optional keyboard dock comes pretty much bare, and don’t forget that it has an internal battery.

Context

We all perceive the gadgets usefulness differently depending on our lifestyle, so let me tell you where I come from. Most of my (computing) time is spent using a powerful desktop computer (a PC) with large displays. if I need to get some real work done outside of the office, I use a laptop (Macbook Pro + Win7). on the go, I keep track of emails with a smartphone, but I tend to reply only moderately from it because typing long emails is a bit painful on a touchscreen. with the tablet, I check news websites and social networks a lot, and I often use a laptop or tablet on my couch.

Because tablets have such a long battery life, I have been searching for ways to use them as laptop replacement in some situations like trade shows and meetings where I don’t do anything drastic like programming or video-editing.

External design

TF300 in the background and TF201 in the foreground

At first glance, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 looks very much like the Transformer Pad, which is most likely the device with which you are most familiar. upon holding the device, one can feel that it is slightly thicker. The specifications show that the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is 0.11lbs heavier than the Asus Transformer Prime. That’s about 50g, or ⅓ of the weight of most smartphones. in my opinion, this has no real incidence in the user experience, even if the extra thickness makes it less “luxurious” than its Transformer Prime (TF201) cousin.

The TF300 on the left is a little more chubby

The slight change in the industrial design was done to make the pricing of the Transformer Pad TF300 more competitive, in terms of value/price. The most notable change is the use of a plastic body instead of an aluminum body. This is pretty obvious when holding the device in the hand when compared to the Prime. if you think that this may be an issue for you, I would recommend checking one out in a store. I personally think of this as an “aesthetic” matter, and not a practical one.

This time, the TF300 is on the right (in blue)

In terms of ports, the Transformer Pad TF300 is pretty much equivalent to the Transformer Prime (TF201). on the left side, you can find MicroSD and HDMI ports. on the other side, there’s a 3.5mm audio jack. Finally, at the bottom, there is the main proprietary connector for the USB, but also for the optional keyboard dock.

Keyboard Dock

This is the genius behind the Transformer Series

Speaking of the dock, I still feel that this is really the genius behind the Transformer Pad series. It provides a perfectly integrated keyboard solution for the Transformer Pad TF300 tablet. It also acts as an extended battery (+5hrs) and a screen protector. This crushes any keyboard solution on competing platforms, period.

For anyone who needs to type in any serious way, the optional keyboard is an amazing option. you may think that for typing a 100 words paragraph here and there, the virtual (on-screen) keyboard is good enough. Try that with 20 or 30 emails, and let’s talk again… you may want to consider using a physical keyboard.

This particular option is awesome for those who are 95% happy with using a tablet, and just want a productivity boost coming from the physical keyboard. in addition of having an internal battery, the Keyboard dock also features a full-size SD card and a full-size USB port.

The TF300 next to a Macbook Air 11"

I previously had a lot of questions about the USB port, so to be clear: it is designed to work with USB keys and other low-power mass-storage devices. However, it may not work with an external 2.5” or 3.5” HDD/SSD, and will most likely not work with a USB 3G modem (use a WIFI Hotspot instead).

ASUS says that the Keyboard dock of the TF300 is not “100%” compatible with previous Transformer models. We noticed that the thickness was different, so that would probably explain the issue. that said, the connectors are the same, so in a pinch they would connect. However, if you want to establish a “solid” link between tablet and keyboard, it’s probably better if the fit is perfect.

User storage (an incredible value)

Just like the TF201, the Transformer Pad has excellent storage options. The TF300 comes with 32GB (versus a max. of 64GB for the TF201), however, it can be extended by another 32GB with the tablet’s microSD port, and by a further 256GB with the full-size SD card. that brings the potential storage capacity to 32+32+256 = 320GB! on top of that, Asus throws in 8GB of free online storage, “for life”.

If you think about the fact that competitors, like Apple, have built a fortune for up-selling flash memory  ($100 premium from 16GB to 32GB, and $200 premium from 16GB to 64GB), this is a huge added-value for the end-user. a branded 32GB microSD costs about $23 on Amazon, so this means that you can get a 64GB Transformer Pad for $422. Compare that with a $700 bill for a new iPad 64GB (WIFI), and you will quickly realize that the price difference this is no pocket-change.

IPS display (very good)

It may not be a "super" IPS display, but it is very good nonetheless

The specifications for the Transformer Pad TF300 show that there is a difference between its IPS display and the Transformer Prime (TF201) Super-IPS display: the maximum brightness of the TF201 display is 600nits, versus 350nits for the TF300. From where I stand, this could make a big difference when using the tablet outdoors, but other than that,the overall user experience with the TF300 is very similar to what I had with the Asus Transformer Prime. in fact, I even find this TF300 unit to have a slightly better contrast than the TF201. unless you plan to use the tablet outdoors, or in a very bright environment, I don’t think that you should worry too much about the brightness difference.

Killer Apps (very good)

The Asus keyboard layout is a bit weird in order to match the dock.

Keyboard: The Asus Transformer comes with two virtual keyboards. The first is the Android stock keyboard, which is just like any other Android 3.x tablet. The second one is from ASUS and mimics the layout of the dock keyboard. It is completely functional and I really like the fact that it has more keys visible at once, however it may take time to get used to it.

At the moment, I prefer the Android keyboard, and I may try adapting to the ASUS keyboard but right now, the key positioning induces too many typos. I also have the keyboard dock, so I tend to use it as soon as some serious typing is required. also with Android 4.0, key response time has been improved, and it’s great because it was one of those things that I complained about previously.

Skype (average): since we did our Transformer Prime review, Skype now works with video out, and overall, the experience is good enough, even if the application could use some improvements. first of all, it is quite slow and could be more responsive. This is true for Skype “mobile” in general, not only the Android version.

Also, we can’t get the incoming video in full-screen, which is a bit frustrating, given that the display is nice. Frankly, Skype could have done a simple magnification, even if the image is a bit blurry. on the other hand, the audio quality is pretty good, and comparable to a computer.

Email: without the keyboard dock, the email experience is very similar to other Android tablets. The support for Microsoft Exchange, GMail and POP email is good, so even professionals can use it (check with your IT department). With the keyboard dock, the email experience goes to a new dimension. Now it is possible to work for a longer period of time, and type faster in general. if your life revolves around sending emails, you should seriously look at the dock.

Office docs: as a pre-loaded option to deal with Microsoft Office documents, Polaris Office comes with the Transformer Pad TF300. It can open a number of MS Office documents, but let me set the expectations: this is not a replacement for MS Office – not by a very long shot. I was able to consistently crash the app with a simple 50KB Word document, and I found simple spreadsheets and even Powerpoints to be quite slow. in short, it may technically “work”, but don’t expect to be productive with it. you may find a better substitute, but as far as we know, there are not silver bullets to replace MS-Office, and that’s probably why Windows 8 is so exciting for Office users.

Web browsing:  The web browsing experience is comparable with other Android tablets, and I did not notice any particular gains in speed. actually, The Asus Transformer Pad TF300 was on-par with the Sony S tablet, and slightly slower than the iPad 2 in terms of page load speed. The difference be as high as 2 or 3 seconds depending on the page. It didn’t bother me, but one may have expected the Asus Transformer Prime to come out on top, because this may be seen as “performance-related”.

Facebook (slow): Facebook upgrades its app so often, that they typically change from one review to the next. This time, I am not impressed with the current version of Facebook for Android Tablets. For example, the background image in my profile page wouldn’t display properly, and more importantly, the Facebook app was quite slow… to the point that I’m ready to use the website instead. The iOS app doesn’t have the same “features” yet, but hopefully, the implementation will be better.

Maps+GPS: as you may know, many Asus Transformer Prime users had experienced GPS issues, so I took the TF300 for a spin, and used my smartphone as a WIFI Hotspot. It worked without any issues: the GPS of the tablet was able to poinpoint my location, and I was able to download the map tiles over the hotspot with Google Maps. as I was driving, the dot was properly moving accordingly. Phew.

Supernote: We have briefly tried the Supernote application, using fingers. We guess that it will be possible to buy a compatible stylus if you want to. unlike the S Memo app in the Galaxy Note, there is no handwriting recognition integrated (or we did not find it), however, you can easily switch from the pen (scribble) to the keyboard in one click.

Just like in the Galaxy Note, it is easy to insert pictures, either by shooting them with the camera or selecting from the gallery, and you can include videos, drawings (from paintbook), audio recording, or other image or text files (but no map – S Memo allows it). in the settings, there is a “scrible recognition speed” feature, which may look like the speed of the handwriting recognition, but I could not find it anywhere.

If you want to create a drawing, you need to select “Paintbook” instead of “Notebook” when you create a new set of pages. in the Paintbook page you have access to more drawing features such as different brushes and more color options than in the Notebook page, and the keyboard is not available there. Although the number of brushes and geometric shapes you can draw with is more important in the Asus Supernote, the size and color choices you have for each of them is more limited than in the Galaxy Note S Memo app.

We find it annoying to have a separation between notes (Notebook) and drawings (Paintbook), especially as you cannot insert videos and audio recordings when you are in a drawing. you have to insert a drawing in your Notes to be able to insert a video on top of it… I have no idea why Asus made this so complicated since they could have just integrated all the features in one place.

Entertainment (excellent)

Books: no problem there. there is a large choice of eBook apps and providers. The easy way is to use the android market, but I personally like Amazon’s Kindle as it is neutral in the operating system war raging in the mobile world. The experience is good, and clearly the ASUS Transformer TF300 is probably a bit of an overkill for reading books anyway.

Starcraft movie over HDMI

Video: The ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 hardware should not have any problem handling MPEG-4 / H.264 videos, even at very high bitrate (40-60Mbps). I don’t have any 1080p file that would go anywhere near 20Mbps, so it’s a bit hard to test this one, but the 1080p files that I had on hand worked without a hitch.

I also tried to connect the Transformer TF300 to a 55″ TV via HDMI and if your video file is good enough, it looks impeccable. This wasn’t even a “high profile” 1080p video and it looked very nice. Check this out:

Normally, the TF300 should be able to use the same CODECs than the TF201. Here they are:

Decode: H.264 1080p30/60i (HP @ 40Mbps), VC1-AP 1080p30, MPEG2 1080p30/60i, MPEG4 1080p/30, DivX 4/5/6 1080p30, XviD HT 1080p30, H.263 4CIF/30, Theora, VP8 720p30.

Encode: H.264 1080p30 (Baseline), MPEG4 720p30 (Simple), H.263 4CIF/30, VP8

Video Teleconference: H.264, MPEG4, H.263, VP8

Speaker (excellent): Asus has made some changes in the speaker system. The TF300 features a visible speaker at the back of the tablet. It is actually better than the Transformer Prime’s and provides a noticeably louder sound, with more “volume” to it. It’s pretty impressive for a device that is 20% less expensive.

Gaming (very good)

In terms of gaming, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is one of the best option on Android. It is basically as good the the Transformer Prime, and if you take into account that ASUS and NVIDIA made sure that a number of high-profile games run with a gamepad (Logitech, Xbox, PS3…), it can pretend to offer very decent gaming outside, but also inside. Although I would not call it a console-replacement, the graphics quality of some games is high enough to make them good plays on a big TV.

Photography / Video

The Asus Transformer Pad photo quality is among the best in the “tablet camera” market. We have tested it against the iPad 3 and the Transformer Prime: it does a slightly better job in terms of exposure than the iPad 3, and delivers more realistic colors than the Transformer Prime which has too much red.

A photo taken with the Transformer Pad TF300

This one was taken with the Transformer Prime

Finally, this was taken with the iPad (gen 3)

On a sunny day, the iPad 3 delivers over-exposed photos that have the only advantage of providing more details in the parts of the images that were in the shade (see example). The Transformer Pad snaps very well contrasted photos shot in similar conditions, we do not get as much detailed in the shade, but the general result looks better. I comparison, the pictures shot with the transformer Prime are too red.

When I looked carefully at the details, I noticed that some parts in the background are slightly more blurry in the Transformer Pad photo than the one taken with the iPad 3, although the resolution is higher (8 MP for the Pad).

Overall the Transformer Pad camera is very good, especially knowing that the device is so much cheaper than the iPad 3. The only downside is the lack of LED flash, I wonder why Asus decided to skip it, it might not be that expensive compared to the cost of the sensor.

The Transformer Pad video quality is also great and it is comparable to the iPad Gen3. The video does not look as fluid as it should, it was a little windy where I was standing and I had a hard time to hold the tablet still enough. You can check all the pictures in original size (8 MP for the Pad and the Prime and 5 MP for the iPad 3) in our Flickr account.

System performance (excellent)

The Transformer Pad TF300 comes with a Tegra 3 system on a chip (SoC) that is cadenced at 1.2GHz. That’s 100MHz less than the Transformer Prime (TF201), but the TF300 is equipped with new DDR3L memory that could make up for some of the performance difference. i have also noticed that the Antutu benchmark has detected that the Tegra 3 SoC runs at 1.5GHz, so there’s a possibility that the frequency is variable, and I will have to check this with NVIDIA. Let’s go over the numbers, and I’ll comment:

SunSpider Javascript performance test: We’ll never say it enough, but the while Javascript performance is an interesting test, it does not in anyway represent web browsing experience. Javascript is used to execute scripts within a webpage. as you can see, the TF300 handles itself fairly well, but there’s nothing extraordinary to report on that front. keep in mind that SunSpider is mainly a single-core test.

Nenamark 2 graphics test: Nenamark 2 basically shows that on Android, the Tegra 3 chip does provide a significant advantage when compared to other players on the market, including NVIDIA’s own Tegra 2. Recently, the iPad Gen 3 scored remarkable numbers, but I have yet to test an Android tablet that uses the same PowerVR GPU than the iPad Gen 3. This time will eventually come, I’m sure. When reading the numbers, keep in mind that “Megapixel per second” abstracts the screen resolution.

Antutu shows an overall system performance score that falls within what we would expect by reading the specifications. The Transformer Pad TF300 is just a hair slower than the Asus Transformer Prime, mainly due to the lower SoC frequency.

Geekbench 2 is a more CPU-centric benchmark that demonstrates the impact of DDR3 on this system. despite the lower frequency, it manages to score higher than the 1.3GHz Tegra 2 connected to DDR2 memory. also, Geekbench is a multi-core benchmark, so the quad-core nature of Tegra 3 gives it an easy win over dual-core CPU SoCs such as the Apple A5, and A5X.

Of course, beyond the synthetic benchmarks, what’s more important is the “perceived” performance. as such, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is one of the best Android tablet on the market, and the only “real” competitor that I have seen to date is Asus’ own TF201, aka Transformer Prime.

Battery life

According to Asus, the Transformer Pad TF300 gets slightly better battery life than the TF201 (9.5hrs, vs 9hrs). This is probably due to the slightly lower SoC frequency, and that’s inline with what we’re seeing on the ground.

If you use the dock, that’s a slightly different story. The TF300 keyboard dock is supposed to push the battery life to 15 hours, while the  TF201 keyboard dock should push the battery life to 18 hours.

Conclusion (excellent)

With this new product, Asus is pushing the power of a high-end tablet lower into mainstream territory. in terms of functionality, it is very fair to think of the Transformer Pad TF300 as a $400 Transformer Prime. This doesn’t mean that the TF300 feels “cheap” at all. It doesn’t, and I would say that if you don’t care much more the “luxury” aspect of aluminum and ultra-thin design, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 will perform just like a Transformer Prime, and that includes the great user storage possibilities.

In fact, I would recommend Asus to throw in $25 to ship a 64GB Transformer Pad TF300 for $424. That’s an extremely compelling argument if you think that the 64GB iPad Gen costs $700. if you want to download 4 or 5 movies for a long flight, this is a big deal.

Finally, this pricing allows users to get the full Tablet+Keyboard combo, practically at the price of most “naked” tablets in the $500 range. For anyone who considers using it as a “serious” (for work) computing platform, this is pretty much the deal in town. Just a few months ago, I didn’t think that I would associate an “excellent” rating with a $400 product, but to make a long story short, Asus did it again…

Thanks to Eliane Fiolet for testing the camera and many apps!

Links

Obviously, we recommend reading the Asus Transformer Prime review, but also the iPad Review (Gen 3) as they both fall into the same category. if not, the good old iPad 2 is now sold for $399 (16GB+Wifi).

Related articles:Asus Eee Pad Transformer 2 is in the pipelineAsus Transformer releases its source codeAsus tablets to ship with Android 2.3 instead of Android 3.0?

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