Transforming Tablets

Fun with 8.1 - Pic courtesy of ASUS

by blogSpotter

Today’s blog entry will be for gadget nuts and technophiles. I just purchased an ASUS T100TA Transformer tablet running Windows 8.1. My overall impression is very favorable, I haven’t put it down since Friday. I have lots of comments I will share. I know that I dissed Windows 8 in my October 2012 blog … will see if I can reconcile that as well.

LESSONS FROM STEVE JOBS

The new ASUS is sized about like an ultrabook – very portable. It was packaged very nicely with carefully placed plastic sheathing on all the components. Was almost expecting to see “made in Cupertino by Apple”. When I plugged it in and turned it on, it stepped me though a very colorful, friendly welcome sequence where it asked for my wi-fi info and language of choice. It also requested a Live mail ID – this gives you the keys to the Microsoft kingdom. It gives access to Live email, SkyDrive and other functions as well.

The first exposure to the product created a great impression – Steve Jobs got that right at Apple. Apple’s competitors (like ASUS) have learned from the master. Jobs put as much effort into packaging and presentation as he did in the product itself.

THE VIRTUAL ZOO OF TABLETS AND PHABLETS

There are now so many products running around that they cross over everywhere and sometimes defy a proper category. This device is 3 parts laptop PC, 5 parts Chromebook and 2 parts tablet. It has a Rich Little impersonation capacity in that it can feign any of those three things as you desire. This particular unit has a nice, completely detachable keyboard thus the name “Transformer”. It has full-blown Windows 8.1, not Windows RT which previous reviewers have described as a glass half empty.

WINDOWS 8 – NOT SO BAD

The color tile screen is really just a new implementation of the Start button. I have to say that it is engaging and nice to look at. The tiles accommodate mobile interface – our fat fingers are not challenged by the large, bold rectangles. This brings me to Desktop mode..

DESKTOP CHALLENGE

You need only press “Desktop” to get a Windows-7 looking desktop. It functions as we’d expect, but the screen resolution is way too high for touch interface. Your clumsy finger will not do you any favors here. Attach a mouse, keyboard and grab your reading glasses!

SPEED

The unit is lightning fast on most things but slows to a crawl on others (iTunes, some multimedia web sites). Not sure what to make of that.

SPARSITY OF APPS

The topic of apps brings us to definitional issues. Windows 8 on a mobile device is running head-to-head against Android and IOS7. Some apps (MapQuest, various social media apps) are completely missing from the Windows 8 App Store. Other apps (IMDB movies, Dropbox) are hobbled and essentially not useable unless you download the desktop version from a web site.

DESKTOP ROOTS

There are some little gotchas which betray the fact that your Windows 8 tablet has a desktop past. The on-screen keyboard doesn’t necessarily pop up on a text box as it does with iPad. You might have to invoke it from the task bar. There doesn’t appear to be an active accelerometer -- you have to use a Control Key to switch from landscape to portrait display.

MANY THINGS TO LIKE

The list price for this unit is only $349 – ASUS is probably aiming at the Chromebook market. It comes with Microsoft Office Student Edition pre-installed. It has instant on-off and boots quickly from shutdown status. The Start screen interface is very fast, engaging and pretty – it works great for the apps that have been fully implemented as mobile apps (and not just shortcuts to a desktop app). I think this and similar Windows 8 cross-overs have tremendous potential -- am very impressed. Will it replace your Android phone or iPad right away? No – the apps are too sparse. It may take a bite out of Chromebook but not the Android/IOS7 phones and tablets. The other conundrum is that Windows 8 may never penetrate the 9-to-5 office arena. Like IOS7 and Android, it may very well stay in the satellite world of gizmos and gadgets. What’s good for the smartphone isn’t necessarily good for the Enterprise – at least not yet. The ASUS Transformer is nonetheless a fun gizmo that I’d recommend just for its range, flexibility and potential.

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