ASUS Eee Pad Slider SL101 Pro Reviews

Here’s the deal. If you yearn to minimize what you carry along on a daily basis, the Asus Eee Pad Slider is the perfect solution as it already incorporates a physical keyboard – even if it’s on the cramped side. Not to mention, it’s also the only Android tablet on the market to sport this form factor. Initially, its $479.99 cost seems mightily appealing considering there’s no additional spending required for a keyboard, but eventually its compromises are blatantly sticking out like a sore thumb to justify things. However, we simply ache in knowing that an extra $200 will nab you the killer spec’d Asus Transformer Prime – with its add-on keyboard dock. A slightly more affordable option (than the Prime) is also found with the original Transformer. If purchased with the keyboard dock, it will be just a tad pricier than the Slider.

Asus take a shot at a tablet all-rounder and almost hits a home run. Apart from the high weight and the mediocre quality of the keyboard, we would consider the main tablet criteria as met. The workmanship is very good and the sliding mechanism works perfectly. Although the screen only has a low maximum brightness (for tablet standards), the viewing angles and colors are on a high level. The battery life of 9:30 hours in the WLAN test shows the competition how the job is done properly. The charge time of two to three hours is reasonable. We liked the quality of the 5 MP webcam a lot. It supplies noise-free, focused pictures in daylight. The optical zoom shouldn't be used though. Asus doesn't make any mistakes in terms of interfaces. Hardly another tablet can present a mini HDMI and, a total of two USB ports with the charging cable (via 40 pin connector). Those who count every Euro when buying a tablet won't end up with the Asus Slider. €500 is a lot of money, especially among the low-cost competition of 10 inch devices that start at €200. However, the Slider doesn't have to compare itself with these, but sooner with the high-end devices, such as Motorola Xoom (starts at €500), Apple iPad 2 (starts at €440) or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (starts at €450). In this comparison, and in view of the very good overall rating as well as the unique keyboard feature, we deem €500 as reasonable (market price).

We're impressed with the specifications of the Asus Eee Pad Slider SL101 and found it good to use in Tablet mode. The keyboard is welcome too, but we think Asus should have put a bit more thought into the physical design.

Though thicker and heavier than the fondleslab-norm the Slider makes a lot of sense if you intend to do any serious typing or are always looking for a way to prop your tablet up while watching a video, making a Skype video call or reading a book. It’s a bit of shame it has taken so long to make it to the UK market and that it’s rather expensive but it still makes sense for anyone who wants an Android tablet for productivity as much as fun. ®

Overall, the Eee Pad Slider is a strong tablet for a specific subset of the market. Those who won't routinely use the keyboard are certainly better off with a normal slate, or perhaps even the Transformer, which allows you to bring along the keyboard only when you're planning to take advantage of it. If there were a built-in trackpad or trackpoint-type device here, we would have no hesitation in recommending the Slider as a netbook alternative with outstanding battery life (well over eight hours with the display on). Finally, while the mini-HDMI port and full-size USB ports are welcome inclusions, this tablet is targeted at users that have more demanding requirements and specifically want a more convertible, keyboard-equipped device, rather than a traditional slate. It's beautiful, bold and very well equipped, but it isn't for everyone.

The Asus Eee Pad Slider's keyboard sets it apart from the handful of Android Honeycomb tablets that can only clearly be separated by a few minor aesthetic differences and connectivity tweaks. It's one of the most interesting Android tablets of the year and is not a design gimmick. The added size and weight of the keyboard will severely limit the audience for this device, unlike the more versatile Eee Pad Transformer. But if this kind of home-bound tablet is what you're after, the great screen, smooth performance and good execution of the unusual design makes it worth a round of applause. However, we can't help but wish it had arrived a few months earlier, now the Transformer 2 is nearing release.

With its built-in keyboard, the Asus EEE Pad Slider is, for some people, a replacement for a netbook PC – it's small, relatively light, and can be used for typing documents and emails. But for us, the extra bulk and weight isn't worth it – we'd rather go for the svelte Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, or the EEE Pad Transformer whose keyboard can be detached.

When it came to writing the conclusion of the Eee Pad Transformer review, I could confidently say that those looking for a tablet with a keyboard didn’t have to look any further. But that’s simply not the case for the Slider. While it may have a more clever and innovative form factor, the fact that the keyboard is always present causes it to be the chunkiest tablet on the market. And even then, the keyboard isn’t as nice as the Transformer’s or other third-party docks for the iPad. Yes, the $469 Slider is certainly a head-turning solution and one that may be more convenient for those that constantly require a physical keyboard to accompany their tablet. However, when you can get a Transformer with a better keyboard, a screen that can be angled to your liking, and more than two times the battery life for just $71 more, it seems like a no-brainer. It’s for those reasons that I doubt Asus will sell as many Sliders as it has Transformers — but, of course, something tells me we haven’t seen the last of Asus’ crazy tablet form factor and price one-two-punch.

As a tablet, this is a slightly flawed gem with a gimmick that not only makes it stand out, but makes it genuinely useful. But as a laptop replacement, this is nippy, light, versatle and hugely desirable. As tablets increasingly become work tools, we fully expect the Eee Pad Slider to be right at the forefront of the revolution, thanks to its smooth performance, stunning screen, handy software and more-than-adequate keyboard.

On paper, the ASUS Eee Pad Slider makes sense. All the instant-on flexibility of a tablet, with the convenience of a keyboard. Problem is, the biggest competition comes from under ASUS’ own roof, in the shape of the Eee Pad Transformer. That has a better keyboard, the choice over whether or not to use it, and considerably more battery life.

An inventive tablet in a world of me-too devices, but a touch too bulky and expensive for our tastes.

A decent screen and clever hidden keyboard make this an attractive proposition, but there are better pure tablets.

As cool and innovative as the Asus Eee Pad Slider SL101 is, this tablet probably isn't for you if your tastes run to svelte and stylish, or if you want to use it your tablet as an e-reader (960g is way too heavy for that). But if you value portability and productivity in an Android tablet, the Eee Pad Slider could be a great companion.

Though it prevents a "pure" tablet experience, the Asus Eee Pad Slider's built-in keyboard is a welcome feature for those who break into cold sweats whenever typing on a tablet is mentioned.

If you plan to do a lot of text entry on your tablet, you have two choices: buy and carry a separate keyboard dock or get the Eee Pad Slider and keep the QWERTY with you at all times. If you don't mind carrying a bulkier set of gear, the Eee Pad Transformer's ($399 plus $120 for dock) detachable keyboard dock has much larger keys and a built-in touchpad. But if you want a powerful Android tablet with a hardware and software focus on content creation and document editing, the $479 Eee Pad Slider SL101 is a unique and compelling choice.

The Slider is the quirky one in the family. It’s a convertible tablet of sorts, with the screen sliding and tilting to reveal a netbook-sized keyboard. The specs are identical to the Transformer (the slides indicate there is optional 3G here), though the 64GB option is sadly missing. What this means is you get Tegra 2, Honeycomb, 512MB/1GB RAM, 16/32GB flash storage, a 10.1” IPS WXGA panel with capacitive touch, and two cameras (1.2MP front, 5MP back, no flash).