ASUS Eee Pad Slider Review

[Michael Knutson]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tablets/asus-eee-pad-slider-sl101.aspx?page=3' target='_blank'>http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tab...101.aspx?page=3</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"While most Android tablets make due with a touch keyboard, for many typists a set of virtual keys just doesn't cut it. It's for these users that ASUS has designed the Eee Pad Slider SL101, the first 10-inch Android tablet with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The $479 Eee Pad Slider also features a bright IPS screen, a full-size USB port (for attaching a storage drive or mouse), and a sleek soft-touch chassis. But do these goodies justify the 2.1-pound weight? And just how good is the typing experience?"</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1316810677.usr17748.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>For those that prefer physical keyboards, ASUS has heard you! The Eee Pad Slider is larger and heavier than both the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (without the keyboard), but add a keyboard and the Slider is lighter.&nbsp; The wide bezel around the glossy IPS screen allows for a larger (but still smaller than a netbook) keyboard, and includes dedicated numeric keys. It is also possible to attach a mouse to better approximate a laptop. One point to note is that there is no palmrest, so support for the wrists is lacking, and no built-in pointing device.</p><p>If you do a lot of text entry, this is a good tablet choice, but if not, there are better (lighter, and less expensive) options.</p>

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I don't really mind the weight, but lack of a pointing device is a bigger problem. Going back and forth between the screen and the keyboard is going to be stupid.

[alese]

I don't really mind the weight, but lack of a pointing device is a bigger problem. Going back and forth between the screen and the keyboard is going to be stupid.

Well the keyboard is quite close to the screen, so you don't have to move your hand too far between the screen and keyboard, also since it has USB(Bluetooth, you can connect pretty much any mouse.
I guess track pad or something like that would be nice, but it would be a problem finding space on the keyboard.

[Sven Johannsen]

For those that prefer physical keyboards, ASUS has heard you! The Eee Pad Slider is larger and heavier than both the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (without the keyboard), but add a keyboard and the Slider is lighter.

But doesn't the keyboard for the Transformer also add some significant battery? With the Slider you always carry the weight. If I'm going to be doing stuff that calls for a keyboard, the additional life would likely be welcome. Just a thought.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Well the keyboard is quite close to the screen, so you don't have to move your hand too far between the screen and keyboard, also since it has USB(Bluetooth, you can connect pretty much any mouse.
I guess track pad or something like that would be nice, but it would be a problem finding space on the keyboard.

It's the action of having to move the arm up that annoys me. It gets tiring (both physically and mentally) after a while. It's not so bad on the Slider, but enough to irk me after a while.

And trackpad? No, Trackpoint. It'd be a great fit on a machine like this.

[Michael Knutson]

But doesn't the keyboard for the Transformer also add some significant battery? With the Slider you always carry the weight. If I'm going to be doing stuff that calls for a keyboard, the additional life would likely be welcome. Just a thought.

Yes indeed, the transformer's keyboard/dock adds significantly to the battery life, but also adds additional weight. If I need a physical keyboard on a lightweight computer, I'll pack a laptop. My MacBook Air is getting much more use, as is my Samsung netbook. And the Slider is wifi only, so I may as well bring a laptop. If the Slider had 3G/4G, it'd be more interesting for me - but it really does need a track point (a la the thinkpad), although a mouse can be easily connected.

[Sven Johannsen]

Yes indeed, the transformer's keyboard/dock adds significantly to the battery life, but also adds additional weight. If I need a physical keyboard on a lightweight computer, I'll pack a laptop. My MacBook Air is getting much more use, as is my Samsung netbook. And the Slider is wifi only, so I may as well bring a laptop. If the Slider had 3G/4G, it'd be more interesting for me - but it really does need a track point (a la the thinkpad), although a mouse can be easily connected.
Just shows that everyone has their own idea of how to do things. If you have a MacBook Air, and the slider is WiFi only (the Air has 3G?) why would you even bother with a slate of any OS? Can't think of anyone who actually likes the trackpoint, and adding a touch pad would add size, and presumably weight to what should be a lightweight portable device. You've made an Android laptop. Is there a need for such a device? I understand Android 3.1 and up supports a BT mouse, but do apps support it that well. Haven't tried it myself, but that would seem more natural and doesn't take up much room.

I personally have tablets to be tablets. If I think I'm going to be needing to do more entry, but don't want to take a notebook, I can grab about any BT keyboard for my windows, iOS, or Android slate. The integration and extra battery of the Transformer system, makes more sense to me than an Android notebook. Absolutely granted, that's just me .

As far as integrated 3G, that's another just me thing. I'd much rather tether such a device, either via Android phone or iPhone, or even a MiFi in those instances where I need connectivity and am not around some WiFi. Not sure how to decide what carrier I want to be locked into for something like a Tablet.

It is fascinating though, how many options there are to turn these touch based devices, Android and iOS, into laptops. Maybe what the world really wants is a lightweigt laptop with reasonable computing power to get some work done, and battery life sufficient last more than a third of a day, along with a mode for casual touch based enjoyment. Can that be made at a reasonable price point, under $1200 IMHO?