Android 3.1 on the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
by Anand Lal Shimpi on May 28, 2011 8:15 PM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- Eee Pad
- Asus
- Smartphones
- Android 3.1
- Mobile
More Enhancements & Final Words
Android 3.1 brings even more than what I've been able to go over here. The recent apps menu now shows more items and is a scrollable list, making multitasking far more capable on the platform.
Tapping the home button will take you back to the last home screen you were on, not the center home screen. Widgets are resizable, another nice addition:
The OS now supports one click importing from digital cameras over USB, making a system like the Eee Pad Transformer even more PC like. What's most impressive about this update is how quickly Google was able to get it out. The Android team is relatively small and to see these sorts of improvements in a couple of months is a very big deal. Adding support for USB keyboards, mice and gamepads is also a hint at the usage models Google wants to enable in the future. The line between tablet and PC is going to get very blurry in the next 3 years.
My only complaint is that despite having a relatively unified launch platform, there's still a staggered rollout for the update. Xoom users got it first, then the Eee Pad owners. The Galaxy Tab and Iconia folks are obviously next on the list. At least this time around we're talking a matter of weeks and not months/years.
For those of you who purchased Eee Pads, keep an eye out for the 3.1 update this Monday. If you're still shopping for a tablet, the 3.1 update does make the Eee Pad more attractive. There are fewer rough edges to worry about and a better overall experience, albeit one that's still imperfect. Recording video seems better than it was last time but it's still not that great. While I'm impressed by the Eee Pad, I'm wondering what a thinner version running Kal-El later this year might be like.
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uncola - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - link
3.1 running great on my asus transformer. youtube app plays 720p smooth as heck now. also it's just generally faster and the scroll bar in the browser is awesome, no lag at all scrolling top to bottom on engadget.com is worth the tearing to meZingam - Monday, May 30, 2011 - link
How about scrolling complex PDF documents. Zooming-in and out.And how about PDF documents of scanned pages as large images (non OCRed)?
jalexoid - Monday, May 30, 2011 - link
"THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR SHIPPING"What company pays for shipping of items under warranty?
khimera2000 - Monday, May 30, 2011 - link
Dont know... but dell makes free house calls on my warrenty, and didnt do a shaby job to :) plus i got to see the inside of my notebook without voiding the warenty this time around :Drobinthakur - Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - link
The Acer is built even worse than the Asus! I think you were just unlucky unfortunately, but Asus quality control has annoyed me too in the past with DOA motherboards and graphic cards and naturally, the support is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.softdrinkviking - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - link
Anand, I am seriously hoping that there is some details on the upcoming Asus Slider at computex. I read some rumours about Asus changing the Tegra 2 for the new Atom, which would make sense, especially if they put a Win 7 device out.I wonder 1. how that will effect battery life VS the transformer device, and 2. how the GPU will work out in an atom based slider VS the Tegra 2 in the transformer.
Mishera - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - link
I'm looking forward to the Slider too. I cant help but to wonder if this form factor is what intel needs to jump into the tablet market, but It doesn't seem like android is the os solution. Maybe we'll see some iteration of mameo on these devices in the future.unidentifiedbones - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - link
I think this says it all
'....but it's amazingly competent for an OS with its roots in smartphones'
Still an overgrown smartphone with very limited capabilities.
Still waiting for a tablet that doesn't break the bank, with good battery life that can run a real operating system at acceptable speeds.
Until that day all tablets remain very limited media consumption devices with little more than toy value.
Until that day, my wallet stays closed.
ishbuggy - Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - link
Exactly what I've been thinking. I need more than a device built for consumption.Skott - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - link
I been wanting a tablet for a year now but so far haven't bothered. I don't want an Apple product. The iPad2 is nice but I'm so tired of Apple this and Apple that. I want something different. The Xoom was the first thing that had me tempted to buy but I have held off to see what else was out there. I'm glad now I did.The ASUS Transformer has me very tempted. The new enhancements makes it even more enticing. Debating to whether hold off more and see what the Summer/Fall brings. I'm hoping by late Fall there will be better Android tablets. The ASUS Transformer is very tempting though.