Ipad 2 VS Asus Transformer

[dpodblood]

Thanks largely to some of the arguments made here on AT I am considering picking up a tablet in the near future to replace, or at least partly replace my netbook as my means of portable computing. I am mainly considering the iPad 2 and the Asus Transformer. My thoughts so far:

The Transformer:
I played around with this tablet in store and liked it. At $400 it's $120 less than the cheapest iPad 2. While that's not a huge deal it is at least a small factor in it's favor. I liked the screen and the aspect ratio of the Transformer over the iPad. 16:9 is nicer for movies since less screen real estate will be wasted with black bars. I also like that there is no need to convert video files since there are several media players available in the market, and I can use mass storage rather than iTunes. I also like the 3rd party on screen keyboard which can be used to split the keyboard in half making it easier to type in portrait mode. When I played with the transformer Honeycomb did seem a bit laggy, particularly with 720p video in youtube, but I understand that subsequent patches may have fixed some of these issues. Having flash available in any browser is also nice, rather than having to use Skyfire. It also nice that I can upgrade the memory in the using an external flash card rather than paying a lot of money to
upgrade to the next model. Desktop widgets are also pretty cool, but I don't think they make or break the deal.

The iPad2:
Esthetically the iPad 2 is quite a bit nicer, and is also thinner and lighter, which is a big deal when it comes to tablets. I don't like the 4:3 aspect ratio the iPad uses as much, but the screen does seem nice none the less. The main thing the Ipad has going for it is the app store. While the android marketplace is continuing to grow the iTunes store already has a great selection. Games in particular seem to have a much better selection and quality when compared with the Android marketplace.

In short I am looking for a tablet to read e-books (particularly Kindle), browse the web, IM, play casual games, and watch movies. I am really torn as to which tablet would be the best option.

Hopefully this doesn't start too much of a flamewar. Please just give me your honest opinions and experience. Thanks AT!

 

[Aikouka]

The only thing I wish my iPad had was a keyboard dock similar to the Transformer. :\

I also like the 3rd party on screen keyboard which can be used to split the keyboard in half making it easier to type in portrait mode.

This is being added to the iPad in iOS 5.

 

[dpodblood]

I don't think the keyboard dock will be an issue for me. Likely I will not buy the dock for the transformer as I plan to use the device almost entirely for media consumption, other than the odd email, or post on AT.

I've also heard good things about iOS5. Glad to hear that's one of the features which is coming.

 

[badb0y]

Thanks largely to some of the arguments made here on AT I am considering picking up a tablet in the near future to replace, or at least partly replace my netbook as my means of portable computing. I am mainly considering the iPad 2 and the Asus Transformer. My thoughts so far:

The Transformer:
I played around with this tablet in store and liked it. At $400 it's $120 less than the cheapest iPad 2. While that's not a huge deal it is at least a small factor in it's favor. I liked the screen and the aspect ratio of the Transformer over the iPad. 16:9 is nicer for movies since less screen real estate will be wasted with black bars. I also like that there is no need to convert video files since there are several media players available in the market, and I can use mass storage rather than iTunes. I also like the 3rd party on screen keyboard which can be used to split the keyboard in half making it easier to type in portrait mode. When I played with the transformer Honeycomb did seem a bit laggy, particularly with 720p video in youtube, but I understand that subsequent patches may have fixed some of these issues. Having flash available in any browser is also nice, rather than having to use Skyfire. It also nice that I can upgrade the memory in the using an external flash card rather than paying a lot of money to
upgrade to the next model. Desktop widgets are also pretty cool, but I don't think they make or break the deal.

The iPad2:
Esthetically the iPad 2 is quite a bit nicer, and is also thinner and lighter, which is a big deal when it comes to tablets. I don't like the 4:3 aspect ratio the iPad uses as much, but the screen does seem nice none the less. The main thing the Ipad has going for it is the app store. While the android marketplace is continuing to grow the iTunes store already has a great selection. Games in particular seem to have a much better selection and quality when compared with the Android marketplace.

In short I am looking for a tablet to read e-books (particularly Kindle), browse the web, IM, play casual games, and watch movies. I am really torn as to which tablet would be the best option.

Hopefully this doesn't start too much of a flamewar. Please just give me your honest opinions and experience. Thanks AT!

iPad 2 is arguably the best tablet on the market and in my opinion on the other hand ASUS transformer is the best Honeycomb tablet.

Go to Best Buy and try them out which ever one you like better, buy it.

The only thing I wish my iPad had was a keyboard dock similar to the Transformer. :\



This is being added to the iPad in iOS 5.

http://www.zagg.com/accessories/zaggfolio-ipad-2-keyboard-case

 

[dpodblood]

Problem with trying them out in store is you can't get a really good feel for them. When I played with the transformer for instance it had the stock firmware installed, and didn't have flash installed. Those 2 things alone make a huge difference. As for the iPad; each time I've tried one there's been no internet connection and only the stock apps installed. It didn't give me a very big taste of what the device is capable of.

 

[badb0y]

Capable in terms of what? Jailbreak is out so you can tinker with it if your into that and as far as applications/browsing/games the iPad is second to none.

The only thing other tablets have on the iPad is Flash and maybe the SD cards if you use them.

 

[Tristicus]

Problem with trying them out in store is you can't get a really good feel for them. When I played with the transformer for instance it had the stock firmware installed, and didn't have flash installed. Those 2 things alone make a huge difference. As for the iPad; each time I've tried one there's been no internet connection and only the stock apps installed. It didn't give me a very big taste of what the device is capable of.

This is why I made a Google account for our devices, because there was no way to test stuff out otherwise. You could make a fake one + fake Apple ID and sign them in just to test them out. That way no personal data is compromised.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Well, some food for thoughts on the iPad side since I only own an iPad 2:

There are apps on iOS that can play back a lot of movie formats. The only drawback is that they cost money and can't play back all 1080p contents that well. Here's one that leverages the dual-core processor in the iPad 2:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avplayerhd/id407976815?mt=8

It's actually able to play back some 1080p contents at low bitrate. iTunes trailers come to mind here.

iOS 5 adds native 1080p support for MP4 contents that are compatible with iTunes.

iPad 2 has Netflix and HBO Go support out of the box for sure, and Hulu Plus if you have an account.

YouTube, Vimeo, GameTrailers, etc... some of the major video hosts on the internet serve iPad contents directly in MP4 h.264 enclosures without having to go through Flash. More sites seem to be following. At least Youtube and Vimeo serve 720p directly to iPad.

iPad 2 has a USB port adapter, and jailbroken, you can use the USB port to transfer files back and forth with an external hard drive.

 

[pm]

I have an iPad1 and an Asus Transformer. I bought the Transformer to help me code Android and also as an iPad replacement. While, I generally like the Transformer, it's a little quirky sometimes (things don't always work... I can elaborate), and I tend to prefer the iPad over it. But I generally reach for whichever one is closer to me and I have no real complaints with the Tranformer. But right now, if I had to keep just one and had to choose, I'd take the iPad. It's smoother to use, the screen is a bit better, it's a bit more firm in the hand, the iPad games are more numerous and more polished and generally things seem to work better. But that said, I really have no issue with the Transformer either. It works ok... aside from a couple of quirks.

In the Transformer's favor, I like the Amazon AppStore (and it's daily free giveaways) a lot.. while Android apps are a bit behind iOS apps, I think Amazon's appstore is far superior to Apple's in terms of ratings and searchability. I like the Transformers better integration with Google (like Google+) and Amazon (like the Cloud player). I like the 16:9 form factor better. I'm not super impressed with the screen customizability - which is supposed to be a superior Android feature over iOS... I'm underwhelmed with my Transformer customization options. I like the microSD slot... although I rarely use it and my fingernails often have a hard time removing the small card. The speakers seem slightly better than the iPad although not enough to be notably better. I really like the way that Apps and the Android OS auto-update themselves. While Adobe Flash support is not anywhere near as good as I thought it was going to be (a lot of Flash games don't work) it is nice that Flash sort of works.

Still, like I said... if I personally could only pick one, I'd take the iPad1. Android has a bright future (if litigation doesn't nuke it) but for the present, I still think iOS has the edge.

 

[Aikouka]

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avplayerhd/id407976815?mt=8

That looks interesting, but what worries me is this remark:

"Just copy files via USB and just drag and drop into the AVPlayer’s Media Explorer."

Do they mean that you copy files using the files section under applications? The problem with doing that is that all of the files associated with an application get backed up when iTunes performs a back-up. This means that if you fill up your device, you could end up with a rather large back-up! A bad aspect of that is how back-ups are placed under %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup, which means if you have a SSD as your main drive... it will start eating up your space rather quickly.

iPad 2 has a USB port adapter, and jailbroken, you can use the USB port to transfer files back and forth with an external hard drive.

Does this circumvent the problem that I mentioned above? I don't have the USB adapter, but I could always pick one up.

(like Google+)

Supposedly the Google+ app has been submitted to Apple for approval.

http://www.zagg.com/accessories/zaggfolio-ipad-2-keyboard-case

I've seen those before as Logitech has one as well, and I'm just not too sure. What I like about the Transformer is how it locks into place and for all intents and purposes, it pretty much is a netbook (with a touchscreen). It's also nice how it helps power the tablet.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Does this circumvent the problem that I mentioned above? I don't have the USB adapter, but I could always pick one up.

Yep. It does. However, you would face another problem: not all hard drives work with the USB slot without some sort of additional power. I know only a handful of drives and SATA-to-USB enclosures work right. You can remedy that by lugging along an additional power brick from Zagg or whomever, though. Just find one of those USB hubs that can supply additional power and you're good to go. (alternatively, DIY with an enclosure that also supplies the drive with power works as well)

iFile + USB adapter + USB hub + hard drive means the only nuisance would be when you have to connect all of those together and transfer files. But then again, $100 can buy you all of the extra accessories and a pretty spacious hard drive versus max 64GB storage capacity that Apple offers.

 

[QueBert]

iOS has an XBMC port, there's no better media player out there. You mentioned playing videos, if that's high on your list iPad 2 by a mile.

 

[Aikouka]

Yep. It does. However, you would face another problem: not all hard drives work with the USB slot without some sort of additional power. I know only a handful of drives and SATA-to-USB enclosures work right. You can remedy that by lugging along an additional power brick from Zagg or whomever, though. Just find one of those USB hubs that can supply additional power and you're good to go. (alternatively, DIY with an enclosure that also supplies the drive with power works as well)

iFile + USB adapter + USB hub + hard drive means the only nuisance would be when you have to connect all of those together and transfer files. But then again, $100 can buy you all of the extra accessories and a pretty spacious hard drive versus max 64GB storage capacity that Apple offers.

Am I correct in thinking that any portable hard drive that is powered via USB alone will work fine? For example, I have a WD Elements 500GB drive that I use with my laptop that only runs off USB power.

 

[pm]

USB-powered hard drives do not work. Most flash drives work, and self-powered hard disks, but not USB powered ones. There's some power limitation with the card that was introduced in one of the iOS releases - I'm being vague because I don't remember the details but I remember the gist of the problem. I only remember it because a bunch of people were annoyed that something that used to work stopped working.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

i checked out the transformer at bb and didnt really like it. it didnt look that nice compared to ipad, it had a smaller screen than xoom and galaxy. it froze and lost the wifi connection repeatedly and the keyboard and touchpad would stop working for no reason. i would personally pass on it. the only android tablet that i like so far is galaxy but they dont have verizon 4g for it so i wouldnt get it yet

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

USB-powered hard drives do not work. Most flash drives work, and self-powered hard disks, but not USB powered ones. There's some power limitation with the card that was introduced in one of the iOS releases - I'm being vague because I don't remember the details but I remember the gist of the problem. I only remember it because a bunch of people were annoyed that something that used to work stopped working.

I think what they did was lower the power going to the USB port so things that needed more power wouldn't work. I'm not 100% sure though.

 

[Aikouka]

i checked out the transformer at bb and didnt really like it. it didnt look that nice compared to ipad, it had a smaller screen than xoom and galaxy. it froze and lost the wifi connection repeatedly and the keyboard and touchpad would stop working for no reason. i would personally pass on it. the only android tablet that i like so far is galaxy but they dont have verizon 4g for it so i wouldnt get it yet

It sounds like the firmware (on the dock) hasn't been upgraded. Supposedly that will alleviate the disconnect problems.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

It sounds like the firmware (on the dock) hasn't been upgraded. Supposedly that will alleviate the disconnect problems.

so thats a known issue that is currently fixable? once you do that, overall, how is transformer. does it work with no major issues

 

[trmiv]

so thats a known issue that is currently fixable? once you do that, overall, how is transformer. does it work with no major issues

There was a problem with the firmware on the dock and the wifi was spotty also on Honeycomb 3.0, I doubt the display unit was upgraded. Mine has the latest stuff and I have no issues with the dock or wifi.

 

[pm]

so thats a known issue that is currently fixable? once you do that, overall, how is transformer. does it work with no major issues

Mine has been updated too and I've had none of these issues on my Transformer.

 

[Geekbabe]

I have the Transformer and use the Amazon Kindle app everyday, I really enjoy using the tablet as an e-reader.

 

[Qbah]

Went to the shop today to play with a few tablets. Spent around one hour total for 3 of them:

-iPad2
-Acer Iconia
-ASUS Transformer

Let me just start by saying that I'm no fan of Apple and iTunes makes my blood boil. So the iPad2 was at an disadvantage to start with.

Weight - the iPad2 felt distinctively lighter than the ASUS/Acer, though still a bit too heavy for just waving it around all the time. After ~20 minutes with each in the air I could feel my hand getting a bit tired.

Size - I don't know if it's the bezels, but the ASUS looked the biggest. The iPad2 looked the smallest. The ASUS was also the strangest to hold, its side bezels being too big for me. The Acer was about right. iPad2 was OK too.

Screen - the Acer was bad. Surprisingly, so was the ASUS (there was ghosting/blurring happening) - I read the screen was supposed to be really nice. iPad2's screen was great.

Looks - I think I liked the Acer the most in terms of design. It just looked like something you will use for doing things. The ASUS looked bad, the bezels and colors killed it for me. However, the back looked nice and was nice to the touch. The iPad2 looked like an Apple device, I'm not a fan.

Smoothness - I hate to say it, but the iPad2 was just killing the other two HC tablets. Doing things on Honeycomb (scrolling, typing, navigating, selecting, launching) just isn't as responsive and smooth as on the iPad2. The ASUS had HC 3.1, Acer I forgot to check, iPad2 had iOS 4.3. Using the browser and scrolling through the pages, zooming on stuff, pinching to go back, clicking on things - all was a pleasure on the iPad2. Launching other apps, scrolling through them - it was instantaneous. On the ASUS you could see a jerk here and there and the browser crashed twice on me (and Flash was not installed). Also the scrolling on the homescreens, in applications and during browsing (especially here) was just not super smooth (when coming from the iPad2). It wasn't bad by any means, it just was worse.

Usage - on iOS, there's an app for pretty much anything. I don't think Android is far behind. I played with Polaris Office on the Transformer and I just don't see myself using this thing to type anything beyond an URL or search in Google. So the dock in the Transformer would just be a battery extender - since it's a lot less portable with the dock, it's a non issue not to have it for me. I see the tablet as a purely consumption device.

As a fun fact, the iPad2 was jailbroken

If I were to buy a tablet today (which I probably will in the next few weeks), it would be the iPad2. I have seen iOS5 and what it will bring and together with the great and extremely smooth experience I was getting on iOS4.3, it would be the device of choice (the 3G model, to be precise). For me it's all about the experience, smoothness, no annoyances, stutters and hassle free usage - Honeycomb still is not ready to provide me with that.

 

[Bateluer]

I have the Transformer and use the Amazon Kindle app everyday, I really enjoy using the tablet as an e-reader.

Do you find the 10in tablet too large or heavy for reading? I can see how it'd be nicer for magazines though.

 

[Oyeve]

Do you find the 10in tablet too large or heavy for reading? I can see how it'd be nicer for magazines though.

I myself find the 10.1" perfect for reading either kindle books, emails or web browsing. I dont use it in public transportation as I think 10.1" would be a bit too large for me to read on a train or bus, but for reading in bed or on the terrace or on the can its the perfect size. I can see where an 8" tab would be perfect for the train or the bus but my commute is less than 30 mins and I use my 4" vibrant to read on that commute.

 

[pm]

I myself find the 10.1" perfect for reading either kindle books, emails or web browsing. I dont use it in public transportation as I think 10.1" would be a bit too large for me to read on a train or bus, but for reading in bed or on the terrace or on the can its the perfect size. I can see where an 8" tab would be perfect for the train or the bus but my commute is less than 30 mins and I use my 4" vibrant to read on that commute.

Yeah, I'll echo these comments. I think you have it exactly right, Oyeve. If you are sitting around at home, reading in bed or want to prop it up to read while eating breakfast (something that I do almost daily), then 10" is best. If you are commuting on a train or something slightly cramped 6-8" would be better. And if you don't want to take up any space, then just use a 4" phone screen.

Beyond reading, for watching movies bigger is always better. You can watch a movie on a 4" screen, but it's a lot better on a 10" in my opinion. On vacation, my wife and I will watch Netflix on the iPad and we just sit side-by-side and if they made one, a 12"+ screen would even be better.