Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've had the Asus Slate for about a week now, and I've put it through its paces. Overall, I'm really impressed.
Summary:
Pros
+ It's like it was was made for OneNote - stylus input and handwriting recognition are incredible
+ Screen is very bright and crisp, great viewing angles
+ Touch input experience is good as well, supports pinch zoom, etc
+ Fast, responsive, boots quick, runs Win7 apps well, good experience with office suite
+ Email and Web browsing is surprisingly easy with either touch or stylus input
+ Can handle some higher end games, though not a gaming machine
Neutral
= Was expecting it to be too heavy but was pleasantly surprised that is was not
= Was expecting the Win7 touch experience to be terrible, but it wasn't bad
= Is expensive but not bad if you compare it to a laptop with a core i5 and active digitizer
Cons
- Battery life is dismal
- Password entry is not fun, wish it had a fingerprint reader Important tip - make sure to install the optional firmware update to the digitizer from Windows Update.Details:
I've been keeping an eye out for a machine like this for years to use at work. I don't like using laptops to take notes. The flipped up screen and noise of typing is distracting to a conversation. This machine offers an experience like using pen and paper with all the advantages of electronic notes.
The combination of a good digitizer, the great handwriting recognition and palm reject of OneNote, and the general design of the tablet itself help make it the best machine I've seen for taking notes. The tablet is relatively heavy but still quite comfortable to hold in the palm of my hand or crook of my arm. It also rests well on a table. The stylus pops out of the tablet itself so you aren't forced to use a case (I don't). The tablet is quite thin and there is a solid border for gripping that keeps you from inadvertently touching the screen.
The screen itself looks really good - very bright and crisp. It will likely be the first thing you notice when you pick it up. Touch interface is also snappier than I expected, though the pinch zoom is not quite as smooth as the iPhone/iPad.
I was surprised with the email and browsing experience (use Outlook, Gmail, and Firefox). Clicking on links and small icons really isn't as hard as I was expecting, the touch keyboard works ok, and windows picks up handwriting pretty well. You aren't going to write a page long email easily, but there is always the ability to use a bluetooth or usb keyboard and mouse if needed.
Windows apps work fine, similar experience to a core i5 laptop. Gaming isn't too bad. Civ5 works well enough, and I would expect most puzzle and strategy games to work. Will not do as well on games where you worry about fps. Videos look great, again much like a core i5 laptop.
Wish the battery life were better. On the highest brightness setting, I get about 3hrs. I can squeeze 4-5hrs if I lower it a bit. This means I have to charge it half way through the day, which is a pain.
Password entry is also not great. You have to use the touch keyboard, and for security reasons it doesn't light up the keys. Makes it easy to screw up. Wish the tablet had a fingerprint reader or some other support for easier password entry.Overall, I am very happy with this tablet. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a machine to use at work or school (or at home if you use windows apps or the office suite a lot).Observation:
I've been following the marketing from ASUS for this tablet, and I think they have it wrong. They've been comparing it to an iPad. That'd be like Toyota comparing the Prius to a sports car. It doesn't make sense. Both the Asus Slate and iPad are fun in their own way, but serve very different purposes. Use the right tool for the task.
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ASUS Eee Slate EP121-1A010M 12.1-Inch Tablet PCEntertaining meets enterprising with most powerful tablet The ASUS Eee Slate EP121 keeps you entertained, productive, and connected—anywhere. Experience crisp, clear high definition entertainment and navigate seamlessly on the 12.1-inch pressure-sensing capacitive LED-backlit HD display with multi-touch. Plus, it has Flash 10.1 support to bring you the full beauty of the Web. And what's more, the Eee Slate has a wide 175-degree viewing angle—making photo, video, and content sharing enjoyable from all sides. Made for your demanding schedule, the display is built with ultra-tough yet ultra-thin Gorilla Glass for robust protection from drops and damage. Along with your touch, it comes with a digitizer pen that works with the pressure-sensing display and Windows 7 pen support for incredibly accurate drawing and note taking. Featuring the powerful Intel Core i5-470UM processor with Intel HD graphics and a 64GB solid state drive, experience snappy and smooth multitasking performance for all your tasks. With familiar Windows 7 Home Premium, it flawlessly works with your favorite applications, PCs, and mobile devices to easily share documents, files, and media content. Using latest Bluetooth v3.0, the Eee Slate completes its premium package with a complimentary Bluetooth keyboard and folio case that lets you stand it up like a monitor for a desktop-ready setup wherever you go. At less than one inch, the Eee Slate is an instrument of productivity—bringing you closer than ever to your mobile world.
Key Features
12.1-inch capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch LED-backlit HD display for brilliant HD entertainment and intuitive navigation (Learn more)
Less than one inch thin and made with gorilla glass for easy portability and robust durability (Learn more)
Digitizer pen with Windows 7 pen support for accurate writing and drawing accuracy (Learn more)
Intel Core i5-470UM processor with Intel HD graphics for energy efficient multitasking performance and 1080p HD playback (Learn more)
64GB solid state drive for quickly storing and accessing you treasured data (Learn more)
Flash 10.1 support for video playback support from your favorite Web sites (Learn more)
Wireless N and Bluetooth v3.0 for high-speed connectivity to the Internet and Bluetooth-enabled devices (Learn more)
Windows 7 Home Premium for a familiar and user-friendly interface that's compatible with all your devices (Learn more)
Learn More
Warranty
1 Year Warranty
1 year North America warranty2
24/7 tech support
What's in the Box
ASUS Eee Slate EP121
User manual
Recovery DVDs
Power adaptor with USB port charging function
Warranty card
Bluetooth keyboard (batteries included)
Folio
Wiping cloth
Refill nibs (for digitizer)
Nib remover
Digitizer pen
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 12.1-inch multi-touch pressure-sensing capacitive LED-backlit HD display (1280 x 800)
Processor:Intel Core i5-470UM processor (1.33 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 1.86 GHz)
Graphics: Intel HD graphics
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz), Bluetooth v3.0
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (expandable to 4GB)
Storage: 64GB solid state drive
Camera: 2.0 megapixel
Speakers: Internal speaker
Microphone: Internal microphone
Card Reader: 2-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC)
Input / Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x 2-in-1 audio jack, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x mini-HDMI port
Battery Pack: 4 cell polymer battery (up to 3 hours)3
Dimensions: 12.28 x 8.15 x .66 –inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 2.53 lbs
Color: White
© 2010 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. All trademarks are registered to their respective companies. ASUS shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. 1 Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Spring 2009's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/RESCUECOM269.html. Rated number 1 Windows-based PC brand in PCWorld.com survey http://www.pcworld.com/article/211074/the_tech_brands_you_can_trust.html. 2 For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers "ASUS" brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: "Built on ASUS", "ASMobile", "Powered by ASUS", the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by Circuit City in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. Check your retailer for specific warranty information. One incident covered per notebook. 3 Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations.
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