Asus Transformer Pad TF103C machine tablet (with keyboard) have another look at

Asus has been a pioneer all the rage the cellular phone computing deep space since launching the head netbook all the rage 2007. Netbooks may perhaps not come about so common so they once upon a time were, but Asus continues to liberate portable notebooks, pills, and 2-in-1 diplomacy.

Keep on time the company launched the Transformer report T100: An inexpensive Windows tablet with the intention of ships with a the ivories reduce with the intention of lets you expend it like a notebook. It’s a surprisingly qualified device particular its low assess tag (it sells in lieu of under $399 and you can often discover it on deal in lieu of far less).

This summer Asus launched an machine tablet with remarkably alike specs. It’s a $299 mock-up called the Asus Transformer Pad TF103C.

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It’s the newest all the rage a line of Transformer Pad pills with the intention of grasp their “transformer” choose from the statement with the intention of they’re designed to exert yourself with discretionary the ivories waterfront. But this mock-up is the head to craft standard with a the ivories: It’s not even untaken exclusive of the the ivories.

The Transformer Pad TF103C is furthermore the head 10 creep machine tablet from Asus to element an Intel Bay Trail PC to a certain extent than an ARM-based crumb.

The tablet has a record assess of $299, although completely a month otherwise two afterward launch particular retailers already vend it by the side of hand down prices. Asus recently loaned me a sample detachment to have another look at.

So I revealed as soon as taxing the 8 creep Asus MeMO Pad tablet, machine diplomacy with Intel processors can come about quite competitive with models featuring ARM-based chips. Like its lesser sibling, the Asus Transformer Pad TF103C gets decent battery life, scores well on benchmarks and feels zippy as soon as performing each sunlight hours tasks.

But I found myself having to come up to up with excuses to expend the the ivories. While the practically identical Asus Transformer report T100 Windows tablet felt like a apparatus I may possibly grasp exert yourself finished on, the idea I spent the a large amount phase using the Android-powered Transformer report TF103C in lieu of was sense digital comic books.

Particular individuals may perhaps discover machine to come about a seamlessly ample operating organism in lieu of getting exert yourself finished, I discover it easier to come about productive as soon as using a desktop-style operating organism such so Windows otherwise Ubuntu. If this tablet becomes common as much as necessary, I suspect someone motivation eventually individual comatose how to ransack it and load Ubuntu otherwise other Linux-based software. In lieu of at this point it’s closely an machine tablet… with a keyboard… and specs with the intention of are practically identical to persons in lieu of a Windows tablet that’s been untaken since later than usual 2013.



Overview

The Asus Transformer Pad TF103C is priced so a mid-range tablet, and in lieu of the a large amount part it has the specs to match. It skin texture a 10.1 creep, 1280 x 800 pixel IPS multitouch show, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of luggage compartment.

Ports

But the tablet’s Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core Bay Trail PC is powerful as much as necessary to switch a large amount machine (or Windows) tasks pretty well and the tablet feels pretty zippy a large amount of the phase. The crumb is furthermore efficient as much as necessary to offer decent battery life.

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Asus promises up to 9.5 hours of run phase from the tablet’s 19Whr battery, which seems a morsel generous. But I’ve used the tablet in lieu of hours by the side of a phase with thumbs down problems, and commonly function several days exclusive of recharging the battery.

As soon as you solve need to charge the tablet, all you need is the miniature adapter and micro USB cable with the intention of come up to all the rage the box — although the cable is to a certain extent diminutive. You might lack to pick up a longer cable.

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The tablet has a 2MP rear camera and 0.3MP front-facing camera. They’re not particularly moral cameras, but it’s polite to allow the option to snap a photo if you’ve got thumbs down other diplomacy multipurpose, and you can expend the front camera in lieu of cassette chats.

Back

Other skin texture include 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, stereo speakers, a microSDHC license booklover, and a headset jack. There’s a micro USB docks on the tablet and a single full-sized USB docks on the the ivories reduce.

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Single element the tablet lacks is an ambient light sensor: You’ll allow to adjust screen brightness manually.

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The the ivories section doesn’t allow some other bells and whistles like an superfluous battery otherwise durable drive. It’s completely a the ivories with a USB docks. But as soon as it’s attached the tablet really does feel like a notebook.

This isn’t a flimsy litigation otherwise cover with a built-in Bluetooth the ivories. It’s a  practically full-sized the ivories with island-style keys and a durable support. You shouldn’t allow some problems typing with this 2-in-1 organism on your splash and you need to press a switch to liberate the tablet from the the ivories reduce so you can even restrain the the ivories upside down and shake exclusive of worrying with the intention of the tablet motivation fall comatose.

Turning point

Unfortunately with the intention of turning point has inadequate range: You can’t advocate the screen all the way back. But the IPS show has moral viewing angles, so you must allow thumbs down problems since text, graphics, otherwise videos thumbs down material how the screen is positioned.

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The tablet measures 10.1″ x 7.0″ x 0.4″ and weighs not far off from 1.2 pounds. Add the the ivories reduce and you’ve got a laptop with the intention of measures a reduced amount of than 0.8 inches thick and weighs not far off from 2.4 pounds.

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Oh, single further thing… while I haven’t figured comatose how to ransack the tablet, I did individual comatose how to start up the litigation and peep inside.

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Software

Asus ships the Transformer Pad TF103C with machine 4.4 KitKat, but it furthermore skin texture the Asus ZenUI user interface and suite of apps with the intention of you’ll discover on all of the company’s contemporary phones and pills.

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With the intention of way you must come about able to run completely not far off from some app designed in lieu of the a large amount contemporary version of machine, and in lieu of the a large amount part the user interface must look familiar if you’ve used some other machine device. But here are a not many tweaks.

You can sort the apps all the rage the app launcher by all, downloaded, otherwise commonly used, in lieu of insistence.

Launcher

As soon as you take down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings panel you’ll jot down with the intention of it’s got a upbeat background, significant circular icons, and unlike the have a supply of machine 4.4 Quick Settings panel, there’s an options button with the intention of lets you opt which settings to show otherwise put out of sight. You can furthermore alteration the order of the untaken settings.

Quick settings

Unfortunately there’s thumbs down way to disable the immature icons with the intention of hang comatose not quite the top, so if you don’t in fact expend the camera, calculator, quick memo, otherwise audio wizard apps frequently… tough.

Asus furthermore includes a not many of its own apps as well as a camera app with the intention of lets you take “auto-selfies” with the foremost camera thankfulness to a face-detection element with the intention of won’t snap a photo until a specified add up to of live in are all the rage the shot, an audio wizard with the intention of lets you switch involving tune, film, speech, otherwise other modes, and a “What’s Next” app and at home screen otherwise lock screen widget in lieu of keeping track of appointments.

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There’s furthermore an eMusic app and Zinio magazines app which come up to preloaded… reminding me sadly of the bloatware with the intention of you see to it that on many Windows PCs. The difference is with the intention of there’s thumbs down at ease way to uninstall bloatware from an machine device if you ransack your phone otherwise tablet.

I’m not trustworthy the ZenUI otherwise pre-loaded apps add a set of treasure, but in lieu of the a large amount part they don’t detract from the user experience. The tablet has rounded access to the Google play a part pile up and had thumbs down conundrum running some of the machine apps I installed.

Performance

If you doubled the amount of RAM and luggage compartment all the rage the Asus Transformer report TF103C and replaced machine with Windows, you’d allow a Transformer report T100: A 2-in-1 laptop with a to a certain extent cramped the ivories, but which otherwise offers lengthy battery life and the gift to run a large amount desktop apps.

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But not each person wants Windows on their portable diplomacy. While Windows 8.1 has particular tablet-friendly apps, its biggest strength is its gift to run full-blown desktop software like Microsoft personnel (or LibreOffice), desktop jungle browsers, partnership software like Quickbooks, otherwise even PC games with the intention of don’t require bleeding-edge hardware.

The Transformer Pad TF103C may perhaps allow a reduced amount of remembrance and luggage compartment than its Windows counterpart. But come again? It has is an operating organism with the intention of was designed from the ground up in lieu of touchscreen devices… and an app pile up with larger than a million apps and games. There’s a far better venture with the intention of you’ll discover the touch-friendly, full-screen apps you’re looking in lieu of all the rage the Google play a part pile up than the Windows pile up.

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