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Asus Joins High Density Display Club With New Transformer Tablet
crookedvulture writes "The new iPad has received a lot of attention for its high-density display, but it's not the only tablet with extra pixels. Enter Asus' Transformer Prime Infinity, which has a 10.1" screen with a 1920x1200 resolution. The display doesn't look as good as the iPad's Retina panel, which has crisper text and better color reproduction. However, the Android-based Transformer has perks the iPad lacks, like an ultra-bright backlight, a Micro HDMI port, a microSD slot, and more internal storage. The Infinity is also compatible with an optional keyboard dock that adds six hours of battery life, a touchpad, a full-sized SD slot, and a standard USB port. The Transformer's tablet component is definitely no iPad-killer. When combined with the dock, though, the resulting hybrid offers a much more flexible computing platform."
why not have full size hdmi? you have full size USB.
You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad and battery docks are a dime a dozen....
http://www.kensington.com/kensington/us/us/p/1452/K39249US/powerback-battery-case-with-kickstand-and-dock.aspx
are able to read the language of the primes.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Ok. I get it. You have to compare it to the defacto tablet, the iPad. But really? The summary is more opinion with a few marks of fact about the tablet, all comparing it to what the iPad does. Just say what the damn thing stands on in its own merits and let the reviewers give opinion. The summary comes off more as a damn review than a fucking news post. I haven't even checked the fucking article, because if the summary is any indication, this is a bullshit article compared to others out there on the same thing...
You can also use bluetooth keyboards with this. It is more like the Brydge, only, well, first party: http://thebrydge.com/
In what circumstances does this make sense? It seems to me that when you're docking, you're going to be next to a power outlet.
What's this obsession in the media with regards to consumer tech (phones, tablets, portable music players) in which products different to the current market leader are qualified as to whether or not that are a -killer? In the case of tablets, the iPad has its strength and weaknesses, and although it seems like a good all-round device it's not for everyone. Some people want more ports, more expandability, something a bit more like a portable computer than a portable appliance (which the iPad is marketed as). In this case it doesn't need to "kill" the market leader - it just has to offer something different that people want. In this way, we have choice.
Now of course it will be compared to the iPad, but what's this obsession that if you're not the market leader, you're not worth buying? If that were the case there'd be no market for Android phones, or even WM7 phones. Is there perhaps some deep-seated personal feeling that if you don't buy number one, you're by extension not a winner and instead a second-class individual? Or is it just the apps?
Most people on Slashdot are fucking idiots.
You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad and battery docks are a dime a dozen....
Because the keyboard dock turns it into an Android netbook, rather than a kludgy collection of knocked-together addons where you have to support the display with your knees?
Clearly, its more than meets the eye.
finally the 16:9 fad is over. maybe soon i'll be able to replace my 15" WUXGA D830...
So pairing a Bluetooth keyboard and a using a stand makes it a "kludge"?
Right, because there are ergonomic ways to do that.
It might not be so high-res when looking at the number without context, however, on a 10.1 inch screen, it translates to high DPI. Your monitors are most likely at least 24 inches in size.
High DPI vs. Standard DPI.. that's where the whoop-de-doo comes from.
Two 10.1" monitors? Doubt it.
So pairing a Bluetooth keyboard and a using a stand makes it a "kludge"?
Uh, yes. Is this supposed to be a trick question?
Some people are still more comfortable with the laptop form factor, and a discrete keyboard and stand do not replace that design. Maybe the laptop form factor is outdated and dying, maybe not, I don't know. But as of now there are enough people who at least want to keep that an option.
Not enough. I've seen properly produced printed content on The New iPad(tm) and it's like I'm holding a [slightly small] magazine page in my hand. Highly detailed images, razor sharp text. I've been hearing about 2560x1600 10.1" displays from Samsung for over a year and 11.6" for about half a year. 1920x1080 is a real let-down for Android after seeing The New iPad(tm).
That's because marketing made HD television resolutions the standard so any resolution that was a normal option for laptops +/- 10 years ago (1600x1200 and 1920x1200) is now considered special again.
I mainly use my laptops to work and read so I want/need high resolution. Please keep the retarded multimedia formats only in the multimedia hardware section.
home
Do you like sending your passwords over bluetooth? What about SSH?
Bluetooth keyboards: because I hate my security and want to get hacked.
Some people are still more comfortable with the laptop form factor, and a discrete keyboard and stand do not replace that design. Maybe the laptop form factor is outdated and dying, maybe not, I don't know. But as of now there are enough people who at least want to keep that an option.
Then those people should buy a laptop not an Anus Transformer with is both a piece of shit tablet and piece of shit laptop.
And at $149, it's a super-affordable accessory and doesn't push the total price up into the range of really low-end ultrabooks that have the same form factor but are likely more powerful and more compatible with software that sort of user would actually be using.
Oh. Wait.
I'm still holding on to an ancient Dell, simply because nobody builds a replacement in 2012. After 5 years I demand at least equal resolution, and aghast improving on the 1920x1200 WUXGA screen is not an option.
I'm tempted even now to buy a USB or Bluetooth keyboard for my laptop. Basically so that I could elevate the monitor and have the keyboard in my lap. One of the main issues with laptops is ergonomics, all that looking down with your head and reaching up with your hands isn't good for you at all.
But, OTOH, sometimes you really do need them to be connected like on the bus.
As the article mentions, the Transformer Infinity was announced some six months ago. I've been wanting to buy one ever since, but ASUS still hasn't released it yet.
I'd like a tablet about the size of a piece of paper or legal pad. Build this in a 13" size (7.8" x 10.4") and I might just buy it!
It's handy for watching movies in bed.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
"However, the Android-based Transformer has perks the iPad lacks, like an ultra-bright backlight" The iPad 3 backlight is very bright. I doubt you could make a brighter display without having a negative affect.
No, it's a pretty good Android tablet and a not so good netbook.
Because along with a keyboard, it adds a track-pad, full size USB ports, "another" slot for storage expansion, and of course another full day battery. It also folds up nicely similar to a netbook for protection.
It's an actual accessory designed specifically for this particular tablet, not some 3rd party attachment designed to try and fill a void.
The keyboard and track-pad play nicely with the OS. The keyboard offers plenty of shortcuts for the OS and the track-pad offers a pointer -- which can be toggled on or off with a keyboard button; Android supports pointer input along with multi-toch unlike iOS.
And because it's Android, one can plug a hard-drive, thumb-drive, another keyboard, mouse, whatever into the added USB ports, and of course the tablet itself has Bluetooth support. So the doc makes this more than a tablet.
I own an Asus Transformer, iPad, and a few other tablets for reference. The iPad is a great for what it does, but for what I like to do, it falls way short of my Android tablets. Just adding on a Bluetooth keyboard or extending the battery to an iPad doesn't resolve its shortcomings.
Try giving fair descriptions that don't make uneducated people lean more in one direction or the other. Just state the facts and let people decide. a little more like this:
Screen Resolution, Ipad: xxxx, Transformer xxxx
Ram, Ipad: xxxx, Transformer xxxx
CPU, Ipad: xxxx, Transformer xxxx
Ports, Ipad: xxxx, Transformer xxxx
OS, Ipad: xxxx, Transformer xxxx
Your statement ignores the fact that other than 'slightly' higher screen resolution everything else hardware is better in the transformer. In the process trying to make it sound as if there was something the ipad has that the transformer does not. Operating system excluded of course because everyone has a preference.
http://clamcase.com/
Magic!
pwnd!
Slashgear reviews it here: http://www.slashgear.com/acer-iconia-tab-a700-review-25235533/
Not sure why it got ignored. I'm still waiting for mine to arrive so I can't say much about the "hands on" user experience, but these "cutting edge" Android devices are very similar. Reviews from the last generation of Android Tablets from Acer and Asus suggest that while Asus got the buzz for some reason, Acer actually built a better quality tablet. The Acer Iconia A500 got great reviews for things like the case design, the quality and placement of the stereo speakers, the quality and sturdiness of the pluggable ports (micro USB, power, headphones) - the Asus came across as more cheaply made when the reviewer focused on things like that. Since the specs are otherwise pretty similar, I'm really not sure why the Acer is being ignored. For those interested in quality over buzz, I'd advise you to seek out reviews that focus on the actual build quality of the devices and decide for yourselves which seems better. The few honest reviews I found gave the impression that the Acer Tablets were better constructed than the Asus tablets. Do your research before you commit. Give it a few weeks if you aren't in a hurry.
The "transformer prime infinity" ( kinda like Dundee middling infinity) has 2 million pixels, while the iPad has three million pixels. Not quite the same club, is it? The tpi is barely HD.
It's high res because it's a 10.1" screen. By my math thats 5.35"x8.56", at 16:10. With 1920x1200 pixels, that's 224DPI. That's magazine quality. A 24" 16:10 monitor at the same DPI would be about 4560x2850.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
With the right add-ons you can do everything this device does...except expand the internal storage. Kludge? Hardly.
I do know. The laptop form factor isn't dying. It's just being sold to us piecemeal. The first thing people get for their new iPad is a case that stands the damn thing up. The next thing they buy is a keyboard. (Or a second charger but shut up I'm making a point here.) They are just rebuilding the laptop. The transformer is the best proof of that. People want a laptop that isn't a laptop.
If something's good, tell me it's good. If something's bad, tell me it's bad. Stop trying to be balanced. I'm fucking sick of reviews in the form this thing is amazing... but it's really not that good.
Asus' Transformer Prime Infinity
Sometimes I just miss the days of numbered names.
It's the tablet I've been waiting for. Somebody inherits my trusty Xoom.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
...the keyboard dock turns it into an Android netbook, rather than a kludgy collection of knocked-together addons where you have to support the display with your knees?
Xoom's portfolio case takes care of this nicely, it is rugged, stable and light.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Some people are still more comfortable with the laptop form factor, and a discrete keyboard and stand do not replace that design.
I find that it does. The only remaining issues I have are software ones... mainly, why does this have to run a cutdown hack of a UI instead of a standard UI agumented with touchscreen support?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
plop ubuntu on it and you have a pretty decent netbook and a not-so-good tablet :)
Ok, I'm getting really sick of every premium phone, tablet, and small sized laptop, having a far sharper display than my desktop. When are we going to break through the measly ~100 PPI, that's all we've been able to buy for years and years. Most netbooks in the past 3 years have beaten this. ;_;
I would go so far as to say that my TF101 is a pretty good Android tablet that can double as a pretty good Android netbook. Seriously, I do love my transformer . The screen is a bit hard to use as a touchpad while docked, but not really that tough to use, unless you have CTS. The keyboard, for me, more than makes up for the awkwardness of the keyboard. Oh, and if you REALLY need a pad, you just, you know, take it out of the dock. If this one improves on the TF101, so much the better in my book.
commercial presses standardize their input at 300dpi... just saying.
what comes off the press is often a bit less than that, but it's hard to place it with offset printing (except for black-only text, which is often well above 300dpi)
Where?
They say this will start at $499 and the dock puts this at about $650. What really low-end ultrabook that havs more performance and software, which I guess is a full OS like Windows 7?
I know there are 10.1 inch tablets out there like the Latitude XT, but I am curious what you think is close to $650 and better, because the Latitude XT is nowhere close to that with a dock.
Geeks still don't get it. iPads are not for them.
I played with iPad competitors every time I can. Within seconds or minutes, it should be easy to see why, despite more checks on a feature list, they suck for the type of market iPad is geared for.
Ever since iPad came out it was amusing to listen to the nerdrage that a major electronics company had the audacity to release a major product that isn't catered to them.
Does it (a) cost substantially more (b) take up significantly more space (c) drain battery life to use notebook SO-DIMMs?
I'd be nice to have a touchscreen ARM laptop running desktop Linux that doubles as an Android tablet but 1GB for an ultra portable laptop is so 2004!
So in your world there is a difference between a dock that you plug in your tablet and case with a keyboard and battery?
"It's an actual accessory designed specifically for this particular tablet, not some 3rd party attachment designed to try and fill a void. "
Right because an accessory designed for the iPad is not designed specifically for the iPad....
HP sells stuff as low as $600. It has 4x the RAM, 5x the storage, a much larger (and much lower resolution) screen, more (and more useful) ports, and a backlit keyboard. It's also branded as a "Sleekbook", whatever the hell that means, since it seems like they're reserving "Ultrabook" for their more expensive options. Most ultrabooks that were linked from Intel's page on the topic seem to start at $750 or higher and go up from there, so I'm guessing HP's choice to not brand this device as such is indicative of it being rather crappy.
How it would compare in benchmarks against this tablet, I have no clue, but there's an option, since you asked for one.
Hopefully Asus put them together better then the Tf101 and it's known webcam cable that would catch fire and melt your LCD. Or the 201 once purchased INSTANTLY went to the repair depot. Then sat there for 2 months cause we had no parts. I know, I once fixed those POS
High res is nice, but how about a decent sized screen? Why doesn't anyone make an Android tablet bigger then these dinky little 10 inch tablets? I want something in the 14 to 15 inch range. Now that would be useful and worth buying.
I thought we were comparing tablets, or netbooks/ultrabooks with a touch screen interface.
While interesting, what you linked to does not seem to have a touchscreen interface listed in the specs. HP only seems to offer a single touchscreen product for almost 3 times as much when you search their site.
I'm particularly interested in the touchscreen for some mobile employee use cases that we have. The Latitude XT tablet is the cheapest that I can find starting at $750. Without the dock, this new Transformer Prime is $499, considerably less than $750. That's an Android OS, but I have been looking into HTML5 to capture touch screen input.
"It's an actual accessory designed specifically for this particular tablet, not some 3rd party attachment designed to try and fill a void. "
Right because an accessory designed for the iPad is not designed specifically for the iPad....
It's actually the other way around really. The tablet is designed for the accessory, whereas an ipad is not. So the accessory then works quite a bit better with the tablet because the tablet was designed to use it.
Ah, yeah, I didn't mean to suggest they would have touchscreens, merely that they were encroaching on the territory of ultrabooks at that price point, which generally have more power available. Sorry for the confusion.
If by geeks you mean IT engineers that bill lawyer money, I know lots of them who love iPad. Not my thing, but don't exclude them.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
I think he is referring to a hinge. This allow the screen to be angled and not be on a flat surface, like your lap which is currently the biggest concern with the Windows Surface tablet that I've seen. Although that isn't the only concern, you have to have some weight behind the base otherwise it will be top heavy and tip over.
So yes, there is a difference and that Kensington looks like a terrible solution for the problem.
The iPad 3 backlight is very bright. I doubt you could make a brighter display without having a negative affect.
Congratulations. You've just admitted you've never been outside.
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
that's 224DPI.
ipad is 256px. ipad ftw!
Would that work on this model with the closed Nvidia stuff? It's a pity this isn't full native linux like the early eeePC series. Even though I didn't remove the original OS (Xandros) I can still put current software from Debian packages onto the thing.
The only thing on fire here is your pants.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
True. Anyone want a couple of CRT screens made in 1997 that do 1600x1200?
Putting a 1920x1200 in 10 inches is nice though, and maybe we'll see the mainstream bump 20 inches above that sometime soon.
They say this will start at $499 and the dock puts this at about $650.
With the existing Transformers, the dock adds about $120 if you buy it in a box with the tablet; it's only $150 if you buy it separately. So if the tablet is $499 I'd expect the tablet plus dock to be around $620.
"The transformer is the best proof of that. People want a laptop that isn't a laptop."
So was the fact that the TouchPad existed proof that people wanted a WebOS tablet?
Before pundits were looking for the foo-killer, they were looking for the killer app. The next visicalc.
and don't forget the hours of extra battery life :)
This is the sig that says NI (again)
There are three important differences here, somewhat related.
First is that the dock has battery cells inside - enough so to almost double the total battery life. It also charges the tablet when it's docked, rather than running it directly, so you can, for example, use the tablet alone for several hours, then use it for another hour docked, and then undock it and have its battery charged almost to full again.
Second is that the way the tablet attaches to the dock is a hinge that secures it tight and itself requires effort to rotate - strong enough to hold the tablet in place vertically or at an angle. In short, just like your typical laptop hinge. Which means that it does not require any support other than any surface you can conveniently put the dock itself on - such as your laps. Which allows it to be used exactly like a laptop, with convenient typing without having any deck or other flat hard surface on the right level.
Third is that the dock has not just the keyboard in it, but also a trackpad. You might ask why you'd want one on a touchscreen device - well, for one, it's very handy if you're doing something that involves a lot of text input and only occasional tap - such as editing a text document - because swiping the finger on the trackpad is much faster than getting your hand off the keyboard and tapping on the screen every time. The other reason is that it allows you to do things that are clumsy to do with touchscreen, but are much better with improved precision of the trackpad. Again, text editing is better like that, but also RDP/VNC, and many games, especially if you also run DOSBox.
On the original Transformer, some kind Asus employee had leaked the signing key that lets you completely reflash the thing. Which is why there is a project to get Ubuntu there (it's running already, but they are still ironing out hardware kinks).
Frankly, I'm more interested in the upcoming Win8 Intel version (Transformer Book). Especially the Core i5 ones with 13" and 14" screens... this would actually make it a very nice laptop that could completely replace the need to lug the real one around. And, of course, you could always dual-boot whatever on it - even Android.
You have asked this question in other threads, and you have already got a dozen replies explaining it in detail.
None of the docks for iPad - not the Apple ones, and not third-party ones - let you convert iPad into true laptop form factor. All of them require a hard flat surface to rest the dock on, or else you can juggle the top-heavy thing on your laps and pray that it doesn't tilt hard enough to fall tablet first.
There's exactly one company that tried making a dock that would have all the same exact features as Transformer for an iPad - it's called CruxLOADED, and it has been "in development" for over a year now, so you can't actually buy it. There's also Brydge which is almost there, but it doesn't have a trackpad (and even if it did, iOS doesn't know how to use it properly - which is also likely why CruxLOADED hasn't been released).
The moment one of these offers a full OS, with a file system and non-store app support... That's when I'll start shopping for one. I don't need yet another device to switch to my laptop from when i really need to get something don't.
Congratulations, you set a new record in intentionally missing the point. Good thing you stopped in time, going just a little farther and you'd have hit the Moon.
Urrg... stop tacking on words to the previous model, and come up with a new name. It makes finding the actual SKU people are talking about or reviewing hard, as well as being a mouthful. What's the next one gonna be? The Asus Transformer Pad Prime Infinity Plus? The Asus Transformer Pad Prime Infinity Plus Next-Generation?
I have one of the new Logitech Ultra thin keyboards. This is pretty slick and looks as though it was designed for use with the iPad. It uses the magnets like the dock connect to hold it in place. It's stable on a lap or bed or sofa. It's much easier to hold than the iPad on it's own. When folded up it looks like the silver back of the iPad over the front.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00835UQK8/ref=asc_df_B00835UQK88477193?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00835UQK8
It's not quite a dock, but it certainly seems well designed. Apple couldn't have done a much better job if they'd designed it themselves along with the iPad.
Jason
So, did you factor in the parent post I was responding to you when you responded to mine? I'm going to go with "no."
Trust me, the euphoria of owning a new toy does eventually wear off; and until then, know that your farts do smell.
I had a Logitech dock for iPad - not sure if it's the exact same one, but very similar judging by the picture. It was practically impossible to use on the laps or any soft or unstable surface because the dock itself is light, and the tablet is heavy, making the whole thing top-heavy when docked. Basically, as soon as you tilted the base even slightly, the tablet arrived at an angle sufficient for its weight to topple the whole contraption over. This doesn't happen with Transformer because its keyboard dock is as heavy as the tablet itself (due to batteries stuck inside).
You could probably make a similar thing for iPad, though it'd have to use an external charging cable to make use of the batteries, since the charging port is not where the dock attaches. Even then, it would still be missing the trackpad, and OS support for it (i.e. a mouse cursor).
It's certainly not as elegant as a keyboard which doubles up as a stand, port replicator, extra battery and folds flat to become a clamshell screen protector.
Add a zip-lock bag and I use it for reading in the bath.
The form factor is perfect, the price seems about right, but they offer no mobile connectivity. This is a deal breaker is I want it precisely for browsing during the commute as a tablet, with the added flexibility of the keyboard and extra battery everywhere else.
Unfortunately ASUS has been reluctant to offer 3G connectivity in all the Transformer line, first announcing that it wouldn't be a 3G version and later offering it delayed after several months. Come on guys, the high-end line should come with 3G from the beginning.
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
I've found that I hardly every take my Transformer Prime out of the dock. I use it like a netbook; the keyboard is nice for even just typing in URLs. Except I've never run into a netbook with better than 12 hours of battery life. It's really nice to not have to even think about 'how much battery do I have left' all day long.
PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that "dock" you have is more like a stand, right? The ipad just rests in the groove with no positive means of retention, correct? I see that the magnets lock the keyboard in place as a cover, but then you shift the ipad into that groove. So if you were to tip or tilt the keyboard, could the ipad move/slide out of the groove?
The extended battery life is useful but can be provided by anything capable of supplying power via usb. it may well be quite inefficient since you charge a battery to charge another battery. External battery packs are readily available and could also service other devices such as your phone.
incidentally
I made a diy battery pack with 10 AA cells which plugs into a cigarette lighter adapter, and modded a twin lighter adapter with a usb port to allow me to charge the pack using a solar panel or in car. I did this for a marine radio but it works with most devices wanting 12 or 5 volts.
My Tablet has a kick stand which requires little space to have it a usable angle the bluetooth keyboard (ps3) has a range of 10 meters and will act as a handy remote when the tablet is being used with a hdmi compatible screen.
Third while the keyboard doesnt have a track pad it does have a pointer nipple and 2 mouse buttons which works quite well and is quite difficult to accidentally move the cursor, other keyboard mouse options can be better usb host means a full size keyboard / mouse option can be added wired or wirelessly.
With the keyboard not being physically attached you can just pick up the tablet and do tablety things and with a press of a button the keyboard links up when you want to do laptop type tasks.
There is unlikely to be any problems with intermittent connections which might become an issue with the physical connections on the dock.
An obvious point is that there are +/- points to both options in fact you might ask is $150 too much for the transformer dock when the bluetooth option is also an option and cheaper ($40 for the ps3 keyboard for example).
The transformer dock could be easily improved by changing the connection method to bluetooth for the operation of the keyboard and mouse. with increased flexibility the option of portrait orientation might be achievable.
A USB Hub and maybe an amp or speakers might be other options.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
Would it be possible to install Windows on it so that I can code Mono C# and Delphi XE2 on it?
(Serious question, though many /.'ers might consider it heresy.)
If you truly don't understand, you are the most stupid of all the stupid people posting on slashdot these days.
The standard screen resolution on a portable is 1366x768.
The iPad may be higher, but the Transfomer Inifinity could still be called "Retina" going by Apple's own formula.
Since "Retina" has to do with what the eye can (or can't) see, you wouldn't notice the difference in PPI between the two devices in normal use.
I have a lot more interest in this tablet than any iPad that's come out. I still don't know what the use of having a tablet is though when I have a laptop, PC and smartphone.
It started back in Team Fortress Classic
Keep in mind..it was the SBK v1.0 that was released..not SBK v2.0. Only v1.0 (B60's and below..and 'some' B70's) can be NVFLASH'ed.
Outside his parents' basement, you insensitive clod!
Oh, I'm sorry sir, I thought you were referring to me, Mr. Wensleydale.
You can use any Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad and battery docks are a dime a dozen....
Because the keyboard dock turns it into an Android netbook, rather than a kludgy collection of knocked-together addons where you have to support the display with your knees?
No, you don't have to "support the display with your knees", nor is a bluetooth keyboard "kludgy" on iOS.
But you want to know what is kludgy? An Android netbook. First an foremost, because Android is primarily a phone OS, that has been stretched into a passable tablet OS, and is by no means a good netbook OS (Linux, Windows, or OS X would be superior for a proper netbook format). But even before getting into that discussion, just being Android itself tends to imply a certain level of kludginess. The only difference is that it's a type of kludginess that Android and general Linux/FOSS types find enjoyable, and Mac/iOS people find unnecessarily obstructive.
Neither is right or wrong, just different. But your main point is wrong on almost all levels. iOS works just fine with a bluetooth keyboard (and the iPad has supported it since day one as an intentional design choice), you can use it without involving your knees (or legs) at all, and if you do wish to use it in your lap, you many of the options include hinges, slots, or general support configurations, which will keep the iPad firmly oriented with respect to the keyboard, requiring no independent support whatsoever.
So pairing a Bluetooth keyboard and a using a stand makes it a "kludge"?
Uh, yes. Is this supposed to be a trick question?
Only on Slashdot are the so-called geeks so fanboyed up against iOS that they have to deliberately misuse one of the most ancient of geek words in order to justify their irrational hatred of all things Apple.
The bluetooth keyboard support on the iPad is, by definition, not a kludge. It was part of the design from day one, and requires no clever (or even not-so-clever) hacks, tricks, unsupported or unintended interactions... absolutely nothing about it is a kludge. It's part of the original design from day one.
Modders reading this, If you'd rather support your team ("rah-rah, gooooo ANDROID!!!!"), mod me down. If you have any integrity at all, don't let your emotions get in the way of the truth. Whether iOS is better than Android or, for you, has absolutely nothing to do with whether you can bend a word to mean the exact opposite of what it actually means. Your moderation here will judge you far more than it will judge me, just as it already has for user 0123456 and those that have moderated his post.
I was really looking forward to that one, too. Unfortunately, I'm going to bet that due to how awesome the device is and how much Windows 8 sucks, we're going to have to contend with SecureBoot. I'm not holding my breath that anything but Win8 will be able to be booted on it.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Using a bluetooth keyboard and a stand with an iPad to approximate a netbook (although it's one you cannot use while carrying it, and there's the constant annoyance of having to keep reaching up to the touchscreen) is indeed a kludge. (Assuming you're using kludge as the variant spelling of 'kluge'. The other version of kludge is purely software.)
Adding two things to a device to make it a crappier version of something else is in fact the definition of a kluge: 1. /n./ A Rube Goldberg (or Heath Robinson) device, whether in hardware or software.
If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
The extended battery life is useful but can be provided by anything capable of supplying power via usb. it may well be quite inefficient since you charge a battery to charge another battery. External battery packs are readily available and could also service other devices such as your phone.
Yes, but having them in the dock has an additional advantage: it makes it heavy, which means that it nicely counterbalances the tablet when they're combined. See below.
My Tablet has a kick stand which requires little space to have it a usable angle
A kickstand is not usable on the lap, though. It requires a desk or some other flat hard surface at the right height.
Third while the keyboard doesnt have a track pad it does have a pointer nipple and 2 mouse buttons which works quite well and is quite difficult to accidentally move the cursor, other keyboard mouse options can be better usb host means a full size keyboard / mouse option can be added wired or wirelessly.
Is that an Acer? Yes, trackpoint-like thing is also a good idea, and personally I'd find it slightly more convenient than a trackpad, due to my long history of working on Thinkpads.
Anyway, sure, for Android you can do that - because the OS supports pointing devices like mice. Not so on iPad.
Transformer also has full-size USB in the dock, so you can connect a mouse and whatever else you want. It's also one of the very few Android tablets that have NTFS drivers out of the box, so you can use it with large external USB hard drives formatted such that they also work in Windows.
An obvious point is that there are +/- points to both options in fact you might ask is $150 too much for the transformer dock when the bluetooth option is also an option and cheaper ($40 for the ps3 keyboard for example).
Well, again, you'd have to price the cost of battery pack + keyboard + trackpad against the dock, not just a bluetooth keyboard. I wouldn't be surprised if it's still more expensive in the end, but ultimately it's the combination of all three into something that is as convenient as a laptop (and not as convenient as any other existing Bluetooth solution that I've seen) that's worth the price. Really, it's something that has to be used to be truly appreciated. I can go over the points of why I find it much better, and we can argue the relative importance of those, but just trust me when I say: no other tablet ever let me be as productive as this one, and I've owned a few (Xoom, iPad, Notion Ink).
It's Intel-base. Win8 hardware certification requirements for Intel-based devices require that Secure Boot can be disabled by the user in UEFI settings. Only ARM Win8 tablets will be locked to Win8 with no ability to replace it without jailbreaking.
Except this is, as far as I know, the only non-mac laptop with such a high screen resolution, so it actually fills a niche that was previously empty.
Using a bluetooth keyboard and a stand with an iPad to approximate a netbook (although it's one you cannot use while carrying it, and there's the constant annoyance of having to keep reaching up to the touchscreen) is indeed a kludge. (Assuming you're using kludge as the variant spelling of 'kluge'. The other version of kludge is purely software.)
There's no difference between the words kludge and kluge. And you added a qualifier that isn't pertinent, "to approximate a netbook". No one is doing that with an iPad. However, the ASUS Transformer *is* doing that, and is indeed a kludge, as I pointed out.
Adding two things to a device to make it a crappier version of something else is in fact the definition of a kluge: 1. /n./ A Rube Goldberg (or Heath Robinson) device, whether in hardware or software.
No one is making an iPad into a crappier version of a netbook. They are just adding a keyboard to use instead of the on-screen virtual keyboard. The Transformer, on the other hand, adds a trackpad and significantly alters the way you interact with the Android OS, treating it like a traditional desktop OS, which is a kludge.
In no way whatsoever is using a bluetooth keyboard on an iPad a kludge. And just so we're clear, I'm not saying that the kludgy aspect of the Transformer is inherently bad. It's most certainly not to my liking, but some people want exactly that, they want a kludge. It's fantastic that the Transformer exists for those very people.
But please, don't twist perfectly good words around just to fit your fanboy bullshit (or support others doing so, whichever of the two you are specifically doing).
There's no difference between the words kludge and kluge.
You know, for someone rambling about 'geek words', it's pretty funny you didn't check the jargon file to see exactly what that word meant. There actually is a difference, with different origins.
And you added a qualifier that isn't pertinent, "to approximate a netbook". No one is doing that with an iPad.
Oh, I see. You're one of those idiots who does not understand that context flows from the parent posts, even if later posts do not mention it.
I point to the ORIGINAL fucking use of kludge in this thread:
Because the keyboard dock turns it into an Android netbook, rather than a kludgy collection of knocked-together addons where you have to support the display with your knees?
The next post questioned the use of 'kludge', and then other people talked, and then you opened your mouth and stupid fell out. You decided the discussion was about whether not attaching a bluetooth keyboard and using a stand was a 'kludge' in and of itself, probably because you are a complete idiot.
The question was, for the record, whether or not using a bluetooth keyboard and a dock to 'kludge' together a netbook was actually 'kludge' or not.
If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
Bluetooth links are encrypted. As long as you pair the devices in a safe place, you should be fine, but YMMV.
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Geeks still don't get it. iPads are not for them.
You're right. Much like all Apple products, they are solely for technically challenged morons. If you are unable to connect a Blu-ray player to a TV, an iPad is probably for you.
Sorry, I don't feed trolls.
I had a 3 year warranty on an Asus graphics card and they wouldn't replace it even though it was only about 2.5 years old. I was told "our UK RMA center will refuse your RMA request".
They can go fcuk themselves.