A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about compromise,
about the search for a camera that did it all and didn't cost the
earth. And the conclusion I came to was that more often than not
compromise doesn't work. Well I might've changed my mind...
Ever since the first Asus Transformer
arrived, I've loved the idea of the Transformer range. With one device
you could replace a day to day laptop as well as fulfil tablet duties.
In fact, not only was it supposed to replace both laptop and tablet but
with a battery life of 12-15hours, it would out-perform them both too –
it was the ultimate compromise device!
But, I didn't review it, and neither have I reviewed subsequent
versions, so I'd never truly had a sense of whether any of the
Transformers could actually replace my laptop and tablet in real life.
That was until now.
The original Asus Transfomer
First, a bit of background...
For those of you that don't know, the Asus Transformer range are Android
tablets that include a rather clever keyboard dock that in essence
turns the tablet into a laptop. The hinged dock allows the tablet to
fold flat against the keyboard and open out to hold the screen at
whatever angle you want.
As well as adding a keyboard and
screen-holding convenience, the keyboard also has extra connections like
a USB port and SD card slot and as mentioned above, it adds extra
batteries too to up the tablet's life from around 8-9hours to more like
15. Impressive stuff, right?
Well, the latest version that we just reviewed, the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity,
even adds a Full HD screen, giving it iPad 3 levels of screen
quality. All told, there was no way I was letting this one pass through
our office without giving it a proper test myself.
So, I've spent the last few days using the Infinity as my day to day laptop/tablet and, boy, has it
passed with flying colours. 
The new and improved Asus Transformer Pad Infinity
For
a start, as a basic piece of tablet hardware, it ticks all the right
boxes. It looks nice, feels well made, its Full HD screen is amazing,
it's fast and the battery seems to last forever. But it's the fact that
it really does hold up to being a master of all that has me impressed.
The keyboard dock adds battery life as well as extra connectivity
Take
my daily commute, for instance. It takes me around about one and a half
hours to get to work each day, by train, bus, tube and leg power, and
every step of the way the Infinity delivers. On the bus and train I can –
assuming I get a seat – get some work done, typing away on the
impressive keyboard, or sit back and relax watching a video with the
Transformer sat on the seat back tray or my lap. So that's the casual laptop duties
taken care of, then.
One flick of that switch and you can go from laptop to tablet
But,
once on the crowded underground, the chances of a seat are minimal, and
holding a laptop while standing up is a pig. With the Transformer,
though, I can just unhook the tablet from the base and continue what I
was watching. And while walking, it weighs just 1.14Kg so I hardly
notice it.
It's not just the hardware, either. Android has proved
to be more than capable of taking on serious work duties with the help
of a few key apps, a couple of which I've listed below.
Firefox Beta
Currently
our CMS only works properly on Firefox so the beta version of mobile
Firefox has proved very useful. I actually think it's the best tablet
browser I've used so far.
BeFunky
A great little image
editing app that has all the essential tweaks on hand in a really easy
to use interface. There is a pro version but the free one does plenty
too.
It's not only about making for an easy commute either. When reporting on location, the SD slot means picture uploads are a cinch, the USB socket means a press release delivered on USB stick is no problem and the epic battery life means I never need worry about carrying a charger with me.
Sadly our review sample heads back to Asus tomorrow so
it'll be back again to a regular old laptop... or tablet... or maybe one
of the those phablets...
Have you bought a product that
seemed like a compromise but turned out to be greater than the sum of
its parts? Let us know in the comments.
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