Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in

Product reviews on kiwireviews.nz : Monday 9th December 2024 - 16:27:35

QuickSearch for:    What is QuickSearch?
QuickJump to:    What is QuickJump?
logon name: p/w:  

I want to:

You Are Here...

Home > Categories > Computer Hardware > Portable Computers > ASUS Transformer Pad - TF103C review

« [Prototype 2] review[Prototype 2]Avalanche Coconut Sugar reviewAvalanche Coconut Sugar »

Score: 8.5/10  [1 review]
3 out of 5
ProdID: 5607 - ASUS Transformer Pad - TF103C
Brand / Manufactured by: Asus

ASUS Transformer Pad - TF103C
Price:
$499 (16gb with keyboard dock)
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by ASUS

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by ASUS or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
August 2014

ASUS Transformer Pad - TF103C product reviews

The new ASUS Transformer Pad TF103 features a new mobile keyboard dock with a hidden hinge design, and is powered by the latest 64-bit Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor (up to 1.86GHz). The tablet measures just 257.4 x 178.4 x 9.9mm, and is slightly thicker at 19.8mm when docked. The new keyboard dock has ergonomic chiclet keys with 1.9mm of key travel, and includes intuitive one-touch function keys for common tasks like delete or screen grab.

The Transformer Pad TF103C has an HD 1280 x 800 display with IPS technology for 170-degree wide viewing angles. This improves on colour accuracy for more vibrant hues, with minimal colour shift even when viewed from extreme angles.

It also has dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi giving fast, reliable connections for a smoother online experience, while integrated GPS and GLONASS receivers provide fast, location services with pinpoint accuracy.

Features:
    •  10.1-inch HD 1280 x 800 IPS display
    •  64-bit Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor (up to 1.86GHz)
    •  Mobile keyboard dock
    •  Miracast and aptX CSR Bluetooth technologies
    •  Stereo speakers with SonicMaster technology
    •  16GB storage
    •  802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
    •  550g (Pad) /1.1kg (Pad+Dock)

Check out ASUS onlineClick here to see all the listings for ASUS Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account They do not have a Facebook page They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
android   asus   bluetooth   glonass   gps   hd   hidef   ips   keyboard   miracast   tablet   wifi
Other listings you may be interested in:
Kingston 512mb Ultimate SD-cardKingston 512mb Ultimate SD-card
Rating: 9.8
USB VoIP Headset with Mic and Volume ControlUSB VoIP Headset with Mic and Volume Control
Rating: 9.8
OneTouch 4 MiniOneTouch 4 Mini
Rating: 9.5
SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSD 2GB Card with MobileMate Micro ReaderSanDisk Mobile Ultra microSD 2GB Card with MobileMate Micro Reader
Rating: 9.8
ThinkPad T400s laptop notebookThinkPad T400s laptop notebook
Rating: 9.8
Clickfree Transformer SEClickfree Transformer SE
Rating: 9.5
In-Win GRoneIn-Win GRone
Rating: 9.8
HP Officejet Pro X576dw Multifunction PrinterHP Officejet Pro X576dw Multifunction Printer
Rating: 9.5
Backup Plus Slim Portable DriveBackup Plus Slim Portable Drive
Rating: 9.9
Lexar JumpDrive M20i USB 3.0 flash driveLexar JumpDrive M20i USB 3.0 flash drive
Rating: 9.8
Jabra Speak 510 - PH8002W Jabra Speak 510 - PH8002W 
Rating: 10.0
Crucial P1 M.2 SSD DriveCrucial P1 M.2 SSD Drive
Rating: 7.3
Logitech LIFT MouseLogitech LIFT Mouse
Rating: 9.8

Product reviews...

Everyone is welcome to post a review. You will need to Join up or log in to post yours.

Click here to read the profile of tucker

Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 14th of July, 2014

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 8.5/10
Value for Money:
Score 8 out of 10
Features:
Score 9 out of 10
Functionality:
Score 9 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 8 out of 10

Comparing the TF103c against it's peers, this holds it own. While not the most spacious - with only 16gb onboard - it does still give you two expansion options: microUSB-B and MicroSD. Plus of course, when docked to it's keyboard, you pick up another expansion port - a standard USB 2.0 socket. Not too shabby for $499 when you factor in the high-midrange CPU, and the support of one of the largest App storehouses around. Packed with all the usual Google Stalwarts, such a Google+, Chrome, Maps, GMail, Google Drive, Newsstand, YouTube, Voice Search and Zinio, and on top of the default run of Android OS 4.42 (KitKat) it also comes with a few Asus-specifics that are mostly tucked away in the Settings tab and GUI profiles, but are worth exploring if you really want to squeeze the best performance out of the hardware.

One of the biggest things to note is power usage. This baby is frugal with her electrons, making the very best of them. Powered by a compact 3.9v LiIon battery pack, it takes between 50-90 minutes to fully charge up, and can still hold out for 105 minutes on full-power GPS, one of the most power-hungry features of any portable device. You can play games for anywhere between 2-3.5 hours on a full charge, use it as an eReader for up to 12 hours between charges, and even use it as an emergy flashlight for a full 3 hours before the spark dies. That is a very impressive range of features that put this unit solidly in the running as "a damned good investment" and way past "geek toy" status. This is significantly enabled by the addition of some ASUS custom power profiles you can select that are added on top of the OS's own defaults.

Branching away from it's traditional brushed aluminium finish, the Transformer line now sports a sleek, easy-grip plastic case with aluminium trim, while the keyboard retains a brushed-aluminium look in the plastic case. The trackpad is tidy, and no smaller than you would find on any netbook or small laptop, proportionally speaking. While it is responsive and easy to use, I am too used to mice, and snapped one into the USB port, foregoing extra storage. The keys themselves look a little old-school iMac with their basically-square format with only slightly-rounded corners and dark-grey print. With a full 3mm of travel, the keys are far from soft-touch, but it doesn't slow down typing much and with no appreciable -click- they are safe to use in libraries and other "quiet-only" spaces without sending the custodians into fits. Some of the little details are strange at first, but make a lot of sense if you consider low-light usage scenarios - the 1 and 6 keys, as well as the up and down cursor keys, are accented to give you clear positional reference markers in even the dimmest rooms, considering the light coming off the screen. The font-face is easy on the eye but clear and legible. There are no "function" keys per se, but there is a command bar up top that carries media player and quicklaunch keys, so you have the functionality... but beware the instinct to tap F1 for help - on this baby, that's the SLEEP key. Warning: Probability of Extreme Frustration: 80%

With Bluetooth 4.0 you have access to the full gamut of BT-enabled devices at a decent range. Also carrying GPS Radio and full 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi on 2.4GHz and 5GHz means you can maximise whatever WiFi options are available. The only band missing that would have topped the charts for me would be 802.11ac for that turbo-charged bandwidth I enjoy in my office. When it comes to being a media device the TF103c does a pretty good job for a portable device, even when streaming media from networked storage over WiFi. You can make it through an average movie easily, and possibly even a second one with time to spare before your battery runs dry, and while the speakers are a smidge weak in the bass, they are still very well balanced and give you a repectable sound, albeit nothing the neighbours would complain about volume-wise. Unless you live in a hostel of flat with paper-thin walls. (Is there any other kind?) Of course, with the lack of the usual "extra battery pack" that used to come standard in the older Transformer series units, this does mean that you won't get much extra boost when it's in "work" mode - slightly less in fact because of the need to power the keyboard from the tablet's power reserves.

One of the main uses of tablets these days, beyond playing some form of fruit abuse or pork abuse by upset avians, is that of "Digital Camera" and that is, I regret, the one area this unit should hide it's CPU in shame. With a rather underpowered 2MP camera on the outer face, and a stunningly old-school 0.3MP camera on the users' side, this can be used for grainy, jerky video chats in bright light... but under low-light conditions all you will get is coloured snow, and even in optimum conditions the colour is washy, the shadows grainy, and the white balance is so far out of whack it would have been easier to use a black-&-white camera and just saved the embarassment.

On a more up-beat note, apps open very quickly, faster than any device I have encountered to date. This makes up for the apparently drawn-out boot time this device suffers from. The only issue I found that I couldn't counter was after logging in to my Google account, and wanting to remove some apps from the "My Apps" tab - while this is a simple process on every other device I have, on this one it seemed reluctant to allow it, cancelling the operation and closing the confirmation dialogue before I could get my finger to the OK button. A tiny issue, to be sure, but I wonder what other quirks it may have that I didn't find in the time I had it on the testbench.

Overall, fine for the target middle-range market for sure. Anmyone under 25 who wants this as a recreational tool will find it very acceptable outsice of most social situations. It's no status symbol for sure, but it's hardly a toy either. This unit, fitted with 32gb of memory and a decent pair of cameras would be hardly more expensive, but far more practical and worthy of what is still a moderately high price tag. While I wouldn't buy it myself in it's current format, I would be happy to snap one up if I saw it on sale for around $350 and consider myself the lucky dog indeed.

Random listing from 'Computer Hardware'...

Score: 8.5
Product reviews for listing 1370: Mobile Video Kit
Manufactured by Swann Communications

Product image for Mobile Video KitLIVE streaming to your mobile phone
Capture-cam provides you with the software solution that enables you to view your remote webcam through your mobile phone or PDA.

Capture-cam software can also send sms, mms, emails and voice alerts to your handset for an example if your camera detects any motion or ... more...

Go to the listing

General Disclaimer...

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - Do not copy content from this page. Creative Commons Licence All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.

"What do you do when you discover an endangered animal that only eats endangered plants?"
anonymous