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Eee Transformer Prime or iPad 3 or ....?

wangchunggti337

wangchunggti337

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 14, 2007
208
0
I'm looking to get a tablet for class use... I will be able to get a lot of my books on .pdf and thus will not have to lug them all around. I also plan to take notes on it and review powerpoint lectures. My school uses a site that works best with internet explorer, so I have also considered getting an EEE PC for this.

The EEE transformer prime seems to be the best right now, and I like the attachable keyboard... having all that battery life will be great for long sessions cooped up in the library.

Basically I'm looking for something very portable and capable. I was leaning towards the iPad 2, but I know I'd be bummed if the 3 comes out soon... which appears to be so...?
 
wangchunggti337 said:
I'm looking to get a tablet for class use... I will be able to get a lot of my books on .pdf and thus will not have to lug them all around. I also plan to take notes on it and review powerpoint lectures. My school uses a site that works best with internet explorer, so I have also considered getting an EEE PC for this.

The EEE transformer prime seems to be the best right now, and I like the attachable keyboard... having all that battery life will be great for long sessions cooped up in the library.

Basically I'm looking for something very portable and capable. I was leaning towards the iPad 2, but I know I'd be bummed if the 3 comes out soon... which appears to be so...?
Click to expand...

1. aspect ratio
i prefer the ipad for viewing pdfs, especially in portrait mode. try the tablets out in the store to see what you think (just plug in "pdf" into google and you'll find something, usually a tax form comes up first).

2. eee pc vs. transformer prime
two different things. the eee pc is a computer with the windows operating system (and internet explorer). the transformer prime is a tablet with the android operating system (no internet explorer as far as i know).

3. battery life
the ipad has 10 hours + . how long are you going to be in the library? i primarily use the ipad, and usually can get through an entire day on campus without a charge. however, i sometimes bring the little plug along if i know it will be a long day. i rarely have to use it.

4. keyboard
the ipad works great with the apple keyboard + incase origami combination. it ends up being about the same weight and bulk as the asus, but the apple keyboard works with everything.

5. ipad 3
it will probably be out in a few months. that is a long time (in my opinion), but anyhow, there is always something new on the horizon. if you need it now, then get it. if not, then wait :)

6. browser
how much are you planning to use this website? you can bet i sure won't be planning my purchases around some stupid website.
 
Agreed with most of what Palpatine said. However, I'll throw in a few other thoughts.

1. Reviewing PPT files on the iPad was a little awkward for me to use. However, I was running them through iAnnotate and haven't tried Keynote or anything like that. Maybe other people have other thoughts?

2. There are some sites for my school that use flash or just don't display properly on an iPad. If the iPad was my only computer, I'd be in trouble. If you can, I'd go to an Apple store and try browsing those school websites and see how it works on an iPad. I haven't tried any Android tablets so I can't say if they will be any better either....

I also agree 100% with the idea that its useless waiting for an iPad3. Nobody knows really when that will come out. If iPad3 comes in line with the previous iPads (March or April-ish) then you've lost a half-semester of work by the time it is released.
 
Both devices can view PDF files and both have hardware keyboard accessories, so buy the cheapest.

In fact don't get either of them if you only want something for class, get a cheap tablet or notebook.
 
matttye said:
Both devices can view PDF files and both have hardware keyboard accessories, so buy the cheapest.

In fact don't get either of them if you only want something for class, get a cheap tablet or notebook.
Click to expand...

That's like saying all food has calories so just eat at McDonald's.
 
Night Spring said:
Damn, now I'm hungry for a Big Mac and fries!
Click to expand...

The new commercial is always on. I know what you mean, I think Ill be stopping by tomorrow!!



Good example with the calories DocNYz.. Kind of funny too!

To the OP,
My .02cents don't get the Prime. I would say the original Transformer is just as capable. It sounds to me from what you're saying you like to stay up to date though. If this is you (no judgement.. I have a different opinion) then...... Just wait for ipad3 and use a cheap device for now

Or, just get the iPad 2! That's actually my bottom line. Sell it later if you would die without the iPad 3 if it came out in Feb!
 
danahn17 said:
Agreed with most of what Palpatine said. However, I'll throw in a few other thoughts.
Click to expand...
thanks :)

1. Reviewing PPT files on the iPad was a little awkward for me to use. However, I was running them through iAnnotate and haven't tried Keynote or anything like that. Maybe other people have other thoughts?
Click to expand...
Run it through PDF PROvider to turn it into a PDF, and then you can annotate it like any other file. You can also view some in Keynote, but it is not always the same.

2. There are some sites for my school that use flash or just don't display properly on an iPad. If the iPad was my only computer, I'd be in trouble. If you can, I'd go to an Apple store and try browsing those school websites and see how it works on an iPad. I haven't tried any Android tablets so I can't say if they will be any better either....
Click to expand...
flash is not a problem. use photon, iswifter, or any of the other apps that enable you to view flash.

1. tablet as only device?
however, i wouldn't recommend the ipad as your only device. i think i could manage, but i'd still have to use the school computers to ocr pdfs, or even load files onto blackboard (this is not possible in any browser i have tried (icabmobile, opera mini, photon, safari, etc.) because the ipad lacks a conventional file system). currently, my mbp does this work for me, but it is only a tiny fraction of my week.

2. a cheap tablet?
regarding the cheap tablet or notebook idea, i strongly recommend against getting a "cheap" tablet, especially if it comes in a smaller form factor. you really need a well-developed app to handle pdfs well, and even on the ipad, it isn't perfect, with occasional slow page rendering. if you are going to be relying on something to read pdfs (a great idea, by the way), then at this point i would say the ipad is the most viable candidate (fast processor, great apps, and a perfect aspect ratio).

3. notebook?
as for the notebook, i have an older eee pc (actually, i think they call it a netbook) and i love it. this thing is a tough little beast that got me through quite a bit of graduate school. however, if you use something that chews up a lot of ram or processor power (adobe acrobat pro), then it can get pretty slow. just be aware of what you are planning to do with it. if you are unsure, get a macbook air, because it is much more powerful (and unfortunately more expensive).
 
Last edited:
palpatine said:
Run it through PDF PROvider to turn it into a PDF, and then you can annotate it like any other file. You can also view some in Keynote, but it is not always the same.

flash is not a problem. use photon, iswifter, or any of the other apps that enable you to view flash.
Click to expand...

I use iAnnotate in a similar way, converting PPTs into PDFs and then working with the PDFs. It gets the job done, but IMO its a bit of a pain to convert all my PPTs to PDFs. And i don't like the fact that I can no longer edit the PPT slides.

I have iSwifter on my iPad2 and it works well in a pinch.. but i still found it a bit laggy and slow on my end.

But I still agree that of all the tablet choices, iPad2 seems to be the strongest option available right now and if the iPad2 can't offer the OP what he/she needs, he/she probably has to go for the netbook/notebook products.
 
Thanks everyone for your input... you've brought up some good points that I didn't necessarily consider.

I am guessing I could probably get by with a used original iPad... any main features of the iPad 2 that I should consider?

I'm also strongly considering an EEE PC... portable, good battery life, big hard drive, and all the power I need to run websites/flash.

I like the idea of a tablet for it's quickdraw ability and long battery life. I also can see myself using a tablet more often for studying while on the go or while resting before bed.

I'm hoping to spend around $300 to $400 for one of these options.
 
...

aspect ratio of honeycomb tablets sucks. Also Honeycomb itself is a horrible OS in my opinion as a previous galaxy 10.1 owner (and also an iPad 1, iPad 2 and HP Touchpad owner as well)
 
DocNYz said:
That's like saying all food has calories so just eat at McDonald's.
Click to expand...

Not really. He gave us a list of features he wants his tablet to have, and there are a lot of cheaper tablets that can accomplish what he wants.

Why pay £500+ for a tablet just to take notes on?! That's insane.
 
Just get a netbook or save up for a Macbook Air. Seriously, for notetaking I'd happily have some crappy netbook over an iPad. It wouldn't be as enjoyable as an iPad but for the uses you described it'll just be a lot simpler. I imagine the transformer would be running Android? If so, I wouldn't bother. Android tablets are a bad joke at the moment in my opinion.
 
wangchunggti337 said:
I am guessing I could probably get by with a used original iPad... any main features of the iPad 2 that I should consider?
Click to expand...
Assuming you decide to go with an iPad over a laptop:

Unless you're short on cash, I'd say avoid the iPad and go with an iPad 2. The iPad 2 is a bit more powerful and will probably have a longer usefulness over the long term (for example, an iPhone 3GS running iOS5 is not as good as a iPhone4 doing the same).

You can find refurbished iPad 2s on the Apple website... Apple tends to have quality refurbs so I wouldn't worry too much about them being refurbished.
 
danahn17 said:
Unless you're short on cash, I'd say avoid the iPad and go with an iPad 2. The iPad 2 is a bit more powerful and will probably have a longer usefulness over the long term (for example, an iPhone 3GS running iOS5 is not as good as a iPhone4 doing the same).
Click to expand...

As an analogy, that's true enough, but keep in mind that iPad 1 has the same CPU as the iPhone 4. It runs iOS 5 well enough. It's when we get to iOS 6 that it might start falling behind.
 
Night Spring said:
As an analogy, that's true enough, but keep in mind that iPad 1 has the same CPU as the iPhone 4. It runs iOS 5 well enough. It's when we get to iOS 6 that it might start falling behind.
Click to expand...

Yeah i know :) Just wanted to remind OP that paying the extra cash now for an iPad 2 will ensure a longer usefulness life in the long run :D
 
I have an Asus Transformer (the first one) and I now regret not getting an iPad 2 instead. I like the Asus, even loved it initially, but there are some things that chip away at the experience.

For one thing there is a serious lag when typing on the physical keyboard in all browsers I've tried except Opera (but it has other issues). And all browsers crash regularly, especially with 3 or more tabs open.

I'm also pretty certain there are more quality apps available to the iPad.

I got an iPhone recently, my first Apple product, and I have to say I like it better, everything just flows nicely. I think Androids generally have more friction, small annoyances and stuff that's not working properly.

I'm getting an iPad 3 when they arrive.

(For the record I have two Asus netbooks that I'm very happy with, that's part of the reason I went with the Transformer instead of an iPad, the other reason was the keyboard... I didn't know at the time that there are keyboards available to the iPad as well. Third reason was the price, but I now think Apple products are worth it.)
 
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