After showing off the Eee Pad Transformer at CES, Mobile World Congress, and other shows, ASUS finally announced that it has launched the 10.1-inch tablet and the optional keyboard dock that effectively turns it into an Android-powered notebook.. The unique device features a 1280 x 800 display with 10-finger touch support, a speedy Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of storage, and Android 3.0.
Though the device has Google's Honeycomb OS (Android 3.0), ASUS has added a few neat software elements to enhance the standard Google experience on the Eee Pad Transformer. Among these are the ASUS Launcher which allows you to get to special ASUS apps with just a few taps and the ASUS Waveshare interface which contains the company's MyNet, MyLibrary, and MyCloud apps. MyNet is a DLNA wireless streamer, MyLibrary provides a digital bookstore, and MyCloud allows you to remotely access your PC or Mac. ASUS also throws in a year of free, unlimited web storage with the device.
However, the real star of the show is the optional keyboard dock that makes the Eee Pad Transformer look more like a notebook than a tablet. When attached the keyboard gives the device more of a clamshell look and feel and it even has an attractive physical back button that makes navigating around the app more convenient.
In its global press release, ASUS did not announce pricing or exact ship dates for the Transform, but Netbook News reports that the 16GB slate will cost $14,900NT ($500 USD) in Taiwan with an extra $3000NT ($100 USD) for the keyboard dock. They've also heard that the slate will be priced at $400 in the U.S.
For a closer look at the Eee Pad Transformer and its software, check out Netbook News' hands-on video below and their article.
