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| Transformer Prime and dock, flash drive inserted in dock's USB port. |
In Part One of this review, we explored the concept of the media tablet. Or perhaps, more accurately, we explored the difficulty in defining the role of the tablet. In this second part, we'll see that it's even more of an enigma than we might have expected, especially given the rapid evolution the category is undergoing.
At the conclusion of this review, we'll come back to this point and hopefully make some sense of the ever-morphing beast, but as a starting point it's helpful to recognise that there's the iPad - and there's the tablet - and they're not the same thing at all.
Benchmarking the beast
As is usual with reviews, we deliver the performance info that our readers demand and the following benchmarks will certainly offer material for comparison. But as we caution, the figures themselves don't necessarily translate to real world performance, nor will they offer the insight into how smooth, how responsive, how pleasurable the experience is, so take the numbers with the pinch of salt they most certainly deserve.
If there's a specific test not included here that you'd like to see, please feel free to add it to the comments at the end of this review. If it's within our power to comply, rest assured that we will. Now, onto the urinating contest...
VELLAMO:
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| Vellamo: 1,154 |
QUADRANT:
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| Quadrant: 2,615 |
ANTUTU:
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| Antutu: 10,033 |
CF BENCHMARK:
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| CF Benchmark: 20,991 - 6,057 - 12,030 |
LINPACK:
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| Linpack:69,325 |
SMARTBENCH:
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| SmartBench: 3967 |
NENAMARK 2:
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| NenaMark: 47.7 FPS |
WIFI ANALYZER:
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| WiFi Analyzer: -66dBm - exactly the same as the HTC Sensation |
...and hopefully that answers some questions or at the very least, is a point of comparison to help you make a decision as to the Prime's worth compared to its competitors.
I knew she was gonna meet... her con-nec-tion…
If you have a burning need or an insatiable desire to connect to the outside world via cellular data, then out of the box the Transformer Prime is not for you.
Sure, you could set your phone up as a WiFi hotspot and data merrily away to the limit of your plan, or you might choose to buy a cellular dongle and connect that way, but would you? Honestly, it'd be easier to buy a tablet that supports 3G or 4G instead. As shipped, this tablet doesn't do cellular data. And according to Asus themselves, it won't.
If GPS location service or navigation are high on your list of priorities, you don't want the Transformer Prime. End of story. You can probably stop reading now, because unless you're one of a tiny minority of blessed owners, this device's GPS just doesn't deliver. And in case you're wondering, all the OTA updates available for the Prime have been applied.
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| Cellular data is decreasing in importance for tablet buyers |
In Part One, we published the tablet's specs, so if you've read that piece, you'll be familiar with the options available and NZtechfreak's connectivity video similarly explored additional possibilities. But just in case you missed it, here's a brief recap on how the Prime's connectivity looks.
The tablet as shipped
RADIOS:
WiFi… The Prime supports the complete spectrum and despite reports of sub-standard WiFi performance, my testing shows more than adequate reception, backed up with benchmarking that you saw in this review's performance testing section. Skip on back if you missed it, but in summary, the WiFi capability is entirely in line with class standards.
3G/4G… Nope. Ain't gonna happen, sorry.
BLUETOOTH… The Prime supports the normal BT protocols, so you should be good with pairing with your phone, laptop, another tablet, headsets, mice, keyboards and games controllers should those things be important. All the devices I tested worked as expected so enjoy.
USB INPUT:
There's no USB port on the Prime, so you're out of luck. Pity.
Oh, wait… I should point out that if you have an Asus Docking Connector to USB adapter, then you're in business, but sadly the Prime isn't shipped with such a beast. So, again, out of the box, you're out of luck.
USB STORAGE:
Same deal here, I'm afraid. Without an adapter, you can't connect your external USB flash drives or portable HDDs. Boo. Given the price of the Prime, it seems to be needlessly parsimonious for Asus not to include a Docking Connector to USB adapter in the box.
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| Android file transfer app for the Mac |
As you'd hope, this the Transformer Prime will do as shipped with its included USB to Dock Connector cable. Testing on both the PC and the Mac showed that the Android file sharing app works intuitively and faultlessly. Phew! The cable is also the primary charging interface, either with the mains adapter or from a suitably powered PC USB port.
MICRO SD-CARD:
Again, kudos to Asus for providing this feature. On top of the built-in storage capability, the Prime can handle an additional 64GB of data. Very useful if you're a heavy media user.
HDMI OUTPUT:
This is a really awesome inclusion. Thanks to the micro HDMI port on the Prime, mirroring the tablet's output onto your HDTV does wonders for your snaps, videos, downloaded movies and streaming video. Not that they will look bad on the Prime's own screen. Far from it - the Prime's panel is one of the best. It's just the sense of involvement with a 46" TV is just… just so much more real. And stutter free. And bloody nice, actually. Even the sound becomes so totally immersive. Love it, in case you'd missed that.
That's about it for the out of the box connectivity options. However, if you can get your mitts on the USB to Dock Connector adapter, your options are much more extensive. Let's take a quick look at those additional possibilities.
The tablet extended
USB INPUT:
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| Asus Dock Connector to USB adapter - pity it's not standard |
I couldn't get my MadKatz steering wheel recognized, neither would my AOpen mouse or my Apple keyboard function, so it's not a given that all your bluetooth or wired USB devices will work with the Prime. Try before you buy if these things are important to you.
USB STORAGE:
Reads and writes to USB flash drives in FAT32 and NTFS file systems but not Apple's Mac OS Extended. Not unexpectedly, the Prime doesn't recognize CD/DVD file systems either, but then what mobile device does? My USB external HDDs were recognized, although as noted, the Mac OS wasn't readable.
Thus, with the addition of an adapter that probably costs Asus a buck fifty, many more useful options are available to the Prime owner. Sad that the company hasn't seen fit to supply that adapter in the box especially as the adapter isn't easy to find, it seems. Luckily AndroidNZ Ed-in-Chief NZtechfreak has his 'ways'…
The tablet and dock
USB INPUT:
The dock possesses a USB 2 port which takes most any device previously mentioned. So it effectively adds another input accessory should you wish it, like a mouse if you're not happy using the built in track pad, or a full size external keyboard or whatever. Interestingly, and perhaps disappointingly, the Dock Connector style power port on the left of the dock isn't a USB port. Plugging the adapter in and a USB input device into the adapter in turn doesn't allow the Prime to see the device. It seems that Asus have made the decision to keep that port as 'power in' only.
Somewhat puzzlingly, Asus have only given the Prime that single USB port while the previous model sported two ports. Not a plus, I'd say.
USB STORAGE:
The previously mentioned USB port on the dock will allow the wide range of USB storage devices as discussed in the "The tablet extended" section above, so no point in repeating that. Suffice to say that you can never have enough storage options and the Prime won't disappoint on that score.
SD-CARD:
Full size SD slot to expand your storage even more. Huuuuuge benefit for media junkies.
The chiclet style keyboard gracing the dock is a definite improvement over the onscreen one that is the Prime's default. Even compared to my EeePC netbook, the key action is decent, better in fact than the netbook's somewhat flimsy offering. Besides the usual selection of keys, the dock's keyboard also sports a 'Back' key, 'Home', 'WiFi' toggle, 'Bluetooth' toggle, 'Trackpad' toggle, 'Brightness' up and down, 'Auto brightness', 'Screen Capture', 'Browser', 'Settings', 'Media Player' keys, 'Mute', 'Audio' up and down, 'Search' key and a screen 'Lock and unlock' button. So you'll never have to de-smudge your screen again. Ever.
TRACKPAD:
It's worth noting that the trackpad is multi-touch enabled so it certainly isn't a budget jobbie. In summary, it's a nice trackpad and a pleasure to use, sensitive but not frustratingly so. Legend.
All in all, the Prime's connectivity must surely be the class leader when its companion dock is factored in, and maybe even without. Stellar.
The whole is greater…
The dock makes this device capable in ways that push it from handy media tablet to accomplished notebook PC. It's not cheap, especially once the dock has been included, but it makes up for that in its many abilities. In some ways, it's unfortunate that my first tablet review happens to be the Transformer Prime. Had it been a Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom, it wouldn't have been half as difficult as it turned out to be. It's the dock that creates that uncertainty, and without it, judging the Prime is a much easier task. But it does have a dock and that dock makes it a whole different ball game.
Parking the Prime's dock for the moment, it's also tempting to think of this tablet as the the closest thing to mobile nirvana. Battery endurance, portability, connectivity, performance, form factor, gorgeous screen, build quality… it seems to have it all. And at the conclusion of Part One of this review, I gave it a four star rating overall.
But I intimated that the rating was seriously flawed, and as the testing has progressed, the disquiet about any kind of rating system has only deepened. How can a device without a dock be rated against one with? It can't, is the short answer. All else being equal, the device sans dock will be less functional so surely cannot score as well as its competitor with one.
So stars and points out of 10 become meaningless unless you're comparing only the common denominator attributes, which effectively makes a mockery of any such outcome. So basically, the Part One rating should be dumped and I'm doing just that. Not that there's no value in the individual ratings given - they can still offer a guide to fitness relative to expectations - but the idea of delivering an overall score for a media tablet just seems irrelevant.
So there won't be a final overall rating from me. But I will give a "Good, bad and ugly" summary as that's the least you'd expect from me I think. So here goes…
THE GOOD:
• Screen is beautiful and IPS+ feature aids outside use
• Light weight, stylish yet sturdy form factor
• Excellent fit and finish
• Fast and fluid
• Huge range of connectivity options
• Utterly massive storage expandability
• Ice Cream Sandwich (yum)
• Superb matching dock available
THE BAD:
• Doesn't come with Dock Connector to USB adapter (available at extra cost from online sources)
• Dock Connector 'power in' port not compatible with USB use, unlike the one on the tablet
• One USB port fewer on the dock than the previous version
• Notification area on lock screen inactive
THE UGLY:
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| Where my HTC Sensation was getting 8 satellites and lock on 4 at least, the Prime got exactly zero. Sad... |
• The still images from the Prime's camera are barely acceptable in my opinion (See Part One)
Conclusions and prognostications
The only thing that remains is for me to try to give a sense of just how difficult this process has been, not to elicit some sympathy for my efforts you understand, but to own up about how much out of my depth I've been in the process. For all those of you who understand exactly what a media tablet is and how it fits into your universe, I envy you. To review the Prime meant understanding what it means to me and that has been a conundrum. I still don't "get it".
I began this post with the claim "there's the iPad - and there's the tablet - and they're not the same thing at all". Tablets were around long before the iPad launched, but they were a niche product - for many reasons, none of them flattering to their makers, I'd add. Apple reinvented the tablet category with a single-minded adherence to their formula of style and simplicity. There was no ready market for the iPad to move into, yet people lined up around the block to pay huge money for something they neither understood or needed, but just wanted. They didn't want a tablet - they wanted an iPad. And they still do. Most of them. The rest of us though are in the main looking to make sense of the tablet. Working out where it fits into our digital lives. Which returns me to this review.
Sure, while reviewing I watched videos, played games, surfed the web, tweeted and got tweeted at, read a book, took stills and video, checked the news feeds, Facebooked and interfaced with the big TV. But I can do most everything I just wrote about on my netbook, ancient as it is. Yet it can also do things that the Prime cannot. Like running MS Office, Adobe's CS4, my software development apps, I can burn CDs and DVDs, read and write to Mac media and a bunch of other stuff that will bore you to bits.
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| If your favourite app isn't Android native, a remote desktop app can work |
Naturally, that entails a certain amount of hit on the performance of your interface, and depending on the bandwidth you're connecting on, that can be either trivial or ponderous. As a regular Adobe graphics user, you can probably guess which camp I fall into. Nevertheless, there are apps such as SplashTop that make the process as painless as one might expect considering what's being asked of the connection and your CPU.
Despite the drawbacks I experience, and the fact that remote desktop capability can't really be considered a benefit of the device per sé, it's definitely a workable solution for many who are inclined toward a tablet like the Prime, but don't have native access to their apps through Android. For those prospective Prime users, it's surely worth checking out.
So, what's my point?
Well, I have a feeling that despite the enjoyment I experienced while reviewing the Prime, it would likely only do it for me if the dock is included. Not quite "do it" mind you, but close. Without the dock? Not really. I have a suspicion that the iPad-style "media tablet" is a bit of a fad. It's popular, to be sure, and there's a lot of people out there who don't need a laptop or desktop and for whom this is more than enough for what they want or need. But how many buyers will end up with a tablet and a notebook, ultrabook or a desktop? The Prime's dock hints to me that the tablet is still trying to find out what it is, and the Transformer form factor looks increasingly to me to be the answer to that question. Tablet when needed, notebook when needed.
Just like the tablet concept was before the iPad?
For those of us not drinking of the Apple coolaid, ie the vast majority, this is a fine response to the Ipad, GPS issue aside. Those of an Apple inclination will likely never accept this as an alternative.
ReplyDeleteApple is a self contained eco system with a shopfront pre-installed. Once committed to it, people find it ever more difficult to extract themselves. One product leads to another and before you know it everything is Apple flavoured. It's a good thing for Apple, but it's incredibly bad for a user and their future options.
R2, your Apple bias is visible here and the majority of your complaints are a lack of Apple access. This kind of makes my point that once in the Apple grip it is hard to get out. Next time however trying blaming the fruit for the lack of compatiblity its not a one way street here.
Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteI must take issue with your characterisation of my supposed Apple bias. If that were so, I'd have an iPhone and my post makes it clear that I don't. I do use Apple products in my business as that's the industry standard and it's practically impossible to avoid their use. However that doesn't make me biased toward Apple either.
May I respectfully suggest that you read the review again. My comments about the iPad and tablet markets being separate simply acknowledges the reality, as you confirm yourself when you write "Those of an Apple inclination will likely never accept this as an alternative".
For the record, I don't get the iPad either.
R2
If you have taken offense, I'm sorry. I didn't even mean to comment, I got here via the G-note icecream link.
DeleteI don't get the faux tablet market either, from Apple or Android. I can see the point of the incoming Win 8 since it will be a real tablet, the problem is though that it's been tried and wasn't widely accepted first time around.
For the record, I'm Htc hero, LG Ox2 and currently Samsung G-Note. The other half has been Ipod, Itouch, Sony X10 and now my old LG (rooted with kang) along with the original Transformer. My sister on the other hand has drunk the coolaid long and deep, infected the family, and will not for one moment look elsewhere.
I could easily have gone the Prime root. I like it a great deal, along with the original, but I still need a phone, so the G-note is the compromise I came to.
I'm not offended and welcome the comments, but wanted to clear the air about perceived bias. We try to avoid parochialism here at AndroidNZ, which is why our editors are the eclectic bunch they are.
DeleteMy household is very Apple-friendly but I'm seen as the weird exception even though my experience with the brand goes back decades and the rest are latecomers to the picnic.
Funny how that works.
Tried every iPhone so far but cannot embrace the concept. maybe some day in the future, but a lot would have to change before that happened.
Cheers,
R2
@Anon: Interesting comments, interesting interpretation of the piece too - I don't get an Apple bias at all reading that.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, I have an idea for benchmarking. For a while I've noticed that when I play games via MHL/HDMI using my HTC Sensation, they just don't feel as fluid. Today I stumbled upon Electopia (used to play it on WinMo 6.x). What I like is that at startup you can choose to run it at WVGA or the device's native screen resolution. I tried benchmarking both ways and got about 40 fps under WVGA and 33 fps under 960x540. I then tried both modes again connected to my tv and got 29 and 25 fps respectively. I guess it's fairly obvious that the framerates would be lower, but being able to quantify it. Could you guys do something like this in future? It would be nice to see a control at WVGA, then at the device's native resolution, then see how well the chipset copes when outputting to a tv. Electopia is free and you can 'play' a level as well as run the benchmark which allows you to 'feel' responsiveness as well as quantify it : )
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion. Ed in Chief NZtechfreak will no doubt take a close look at it - standardising as a comparison certainly makes sense as well as determining the ultimate capability of the device.
DeleteCheers,
R2
Enjoyed your perspective on the Prime. I have taken the plunge and purchased a Prime with keyboard dock and could not be happier! Tablets are a niche device for sure but if you have a need for such a device they are wonderful. I myself have/had such a need. A brief explanation of that here, I work in the transportation industry and so I am required to travel extensively. I must take what ever I can during my travels within no more than 2 small bags so space/weight is critical. Hence, I needed a device that could do multimedia, light office app duty, internet, and provide an online connection to an IBM mainframe server pool via emulation. The Prime fills these requirements perfectly. My only caveat which I have overcome was that of mainframe emulation which is accomplished using java script. Since Android does not support the JRE that is required to do the emulation I use the Virtual Office app for Android to get the functionality of a PC and that works.
ReplyDeleteSo in all I now have a light weight fully capable multimedia device that can when need be interface with a PC that is not a pain to carry around and performs admirably at whatever I ask of it. I did a lot of research on tablets of all makes before I settled on the Prime and I am not disappointed at all with the Prime. Since I do not have the need for full PC power on the road this device just cannot be beat! Now, if I can just get the Android Skype app to work with a headset for video calls back home to the Mrs. I will be in hog heaven!!
Keep up the great reviews! :)