It’s cheap, it’s fast, Transformer’s a good performer on the go

ASUS’s new Transformer Pad reflects how tablets prices are dropping.

The ASUS Transformer Pad TF103 costs only $429.

ASUS’s new Transformer Pad reflects how tablets prices are dropping.

Three years ago, you’d pay up to $799 for the then EeePad Transformer, while the highly-specced Transformer Pad Infinity with a full HD display released the following year cost $999.

While this new model is entry level by today’s standard, the 10.1-inch display Transformer Pad (model TF103C) we reviewed costs only $429.

Back in 2012, we raved about the costly Pad Infinity’s screen resolution, 224 pixels per inch. Sure, the new Transformer’s screen is only a 1280x800 IPS display, but at 216ppi, it’s not far behind what was top-of-range then.

The Transformers all include an attachable keyboard, so there’s no need to muck around with buying an accessory keyboard and going through Bluetooth pairing at start-up.

The ability to offer a fast and snappy tablet that doesn’t churn through battery juice quickly, at such a reasonable price is largely due to the 64-bit Atom Z3745 1.86 Gigahertz quad-core processor, one of Intel’s Bay Trail processors that is helping turn the tablet market on its head.

In the old days, Asus increased the battery life on Transformers by adding a second battery in the attached keyboard. These days, that’s not necessary, with Asus claiming up to 9 hours life from the tablet battery alone.

The Transformer Pad has a basic 16 gigabytes of storage, but there’s a micro SD slot for additional storage. There’s a microUSB port on the tablet and a full USB port on the keyboard.

Despite its entry-level tag, I found the tablet fast to use and enjoyed the responsiveness of the keyboard. I downloaded Google Docs and easily performed word processing and other office functions through Google Drive. It would be fine as an on-the-go work device.

The new tablet sports Asus’s ZenUI user interface running on top of Android Kitkat 4.4. It is a mild departure from vanilla Android, and has extra features such as “Do It Later”. You can flag text messages and emails and the app will add them to a to-do list for later action.

“What’s Next” is Asus’s adaptation of Google Now where it gleans information such as calendar entries and weather forecasts and creates a schedule.

The cameras on the Transformer Pad are basic: just 2 megapixels for front and back.

But Asus has worked on its camera modes. One is a timer which makes it easy to take selfies using the back-facing camera.

This is a WiFi only model. Asus says a cellular version with LTE, a full HD display and Near Field Communication will follow later this year.

Price: $429

Rating: 8/10

Pros
Well priced for entry level tablet
Fast Intel Bay Trail processor
Good quality keyboard

Cons
Cameras only basic resolution
Thick by top-of-range tablet standards
Only 1 GB internal memory