The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is getting press for all the wrong reasons right about now. It’s the tablet everybody wants but no one can get their hands on. Aren’t we the lucky ones. Don’t get too jealous though, this is a US sample we have for all but an afternoon which we’ll be sending straight back. That said, in the brief time we’ve got it we can take you through a quick side by side with a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and its keyboard dock, pool together some images and shoot a video for your viewing pleasure.
Keyboard
These are two have very comparable keyboards in terms of sheer performance. On the one hand the Asus’ offering is wider and has a trackpad, delivering a more netbook type experience. That said, Samsung’s whiter than white keyboard’s chicklet keys are a bit deeper with more travel.
Having extensively used the original Asus Eee Pad Transformer, it was like ridinga bike on the Prime with typing speeds rivalling those of a netbook. With the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 however we were about 10 words per minute slower.
Ports
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime laughs in the face of the slew of non-expandable tablets on the market. Well connected with its micro HDMI port and full sized USB on the dock, you’ll also be treated to both a full-sized SD card slot as well as a microSD card slot opening you up to oodles of additional storage.
Unfortunately this is where the Tab 10.1 falls very short, with little other than a proprietary charger and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Form Factor
In terms of form factor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 keyboard dock is just that, a dock, not a foldable netbook-creating appendage. This means that the Samsung Galaxy Tab’s set up is considerably less secure, with a stern nudge either knocking out the tablet or causing it some damage. On the plus side, what this does mean is that the components slot in and out with ease free from mechanisms.
As for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, the locking mechanism is sturdy. It isn’t as easy to dock as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but gives a solid join between parts which is priceless for peace of mind. It is a masterfully constructed device and can easily replace a netbook for 90% of tasks.
Interface and Web Browsing
As can be expected, with its four cores and more up to date operating system, the Asus Transformer Prime outshines the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in terms of speed. Another area it wins out is ineractivity. The trackpad is a remarkably natural way to type and browse with two finger scrolling on board which when coupled with the occasional tap and swipe of the screen becomes second nature in no time.
We’ll be getting a lot more hands on with the Prime in the coming days and be bringing you a review early next week, so in the meantime, enjoy the video above, the images below and if you want us to test any specific aspect of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime while we’ve still got it, suggest away in the comments section below and we’ll get on it.
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