ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer

* 10.1″ WSVGA (1280×800) IPS Capacitive LED Touchscreen; Android 3.2 Operating System
* NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU; 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM, 1 slot, 1GB Max; 16GB Internal Flash Memory; Wireless 802.11bgn; Bluetooth 2.1
* Mini HDMI Port; Micro SD Card Slot; 1.2MP (front) and 5.0MP (rear) Webcam
* GPS; Gravity Sensor; E-Compass; Light Sensor; Gyroscope; 24.4Wh Lithium Polymer Battery (Up to 9.5 Hours Battery Life)
* 40-Pin Docking Port for Optional Keyboard (Keyboard Not included)/Docking Station (Model Name: TF101 DOCKING)

I was one of the lucky view at the stroke of midnight on April 26th, was able to get my order in on Amazon. I just received my tablet tonight via Amazon Prime.

I’ve been on Android since the original T-Mobile G1 released, and have owned an iPad since September of last year, so quite awhile on both. This is my first ownership experience of a Honeycomb 3.0 tablet.

Software wise, there’s not that much I can add in terms of what others haven’t already said. It’s VERY refreshing coming from iOS, to actually not be staring at pages and pages of useless icons. The notifications are ABSOLUTELY sweet (i.e. useful!). The app quick access with screenshots adds to a very desktop-esque experience, but with the navigability of a tablet UI.

Most things run very smooth, typical of all the standard Tegra 2 devices. Speakers are surprisingly loud, and there are actually 2 of them (stereo). Screen is absolutely gorgeous (IPS).

If you’re deep in Google services, such as Gmail, Picasa, Youtube, Docs, etc. Honeycomb is a godsend. I have almost 20gb’s of photos in Picasa, and after one account setup, EVERY SINGLE PICTURE synced. Pretty much all my cloud files and settings synced. From Chrome bookmarks to docs to pictures…. it seriously is a breath of fresh air to have things “just work”, without the use of something like iTunes.

Granted, if you’re not a Googler like me, it won’t be AS beneficial, but that’s not to say it’s still not a great device.

It also charges FAST as hell. My iPad takes on average 6 hours to go from 0% to 100%. I haven’t done a full discharge on the Asus, but it went from 7% to 100% in a little under 2 hrs. That’s insane.

The not so great, both the front and rear camera seem slightly sub-par as far as clarity goes. Very usable, but not great. My only real complaint is the “tightness” of the construction. I absolutely don’t mind the plastic. It’s light, grippy, sturdy, and looks great. However, along the bezel where the plastic seems to meet the glass, the Transformer tends to creak. Nothing worth concern, but it would be nice for a device that’s basically a slab of glass to “sound” solid in your hand.Then I think to myself, this thing cost 399… It’s 100 bucks less then the cheapest iPad.

So, the question really isn’t “Is this thing awesome” or “is it better then an iPad”. I believe either of those answers are really up for interpretation. However, when you throw in the equation of PRICE…”Is this thing awesome for 399″ , i have to give a resounding “YES!”.