Asus Eee Pad Transformer Tablet Puts Netbooks on Notice with Android 3.0, Keyboard Dock

Now that the Transformers are back on the air (it's on the Hub network and, yes, I DVR it), it's only fitting that someone release a tablet that's more than meets the eye. The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is a 10.1-inch Android 3.0 slate with two personalities: Pad mode and docking mode. In docking mode the Transformer sits in a keyboard dock that looks as though it can close up just like a netbook.

The tablet has a seemingly standard Honeycomb-ready resolution of 1280 x 800, and it features dual cameras (1.3MP and 5-MP), HDMI output, USB 2.0, and a memory card reader. A dual-core Tegra 2 processor powers the Transformer, which weighs about 1.5 pounds (we're assuming without the dock). The dock sports a chiclet-style keyboard and clickpad, and ups the battery life from 8 hours in slate-only mode to as much as 16 hours. Expect 32GB of storage with 1GB of memory.

Check out some shiny press shots below--including a Windows key on the keyboard that probably shouldn't be there--and stay tuned for hands-on impressions of the Eee Pad Transformer.

Update: Asus shared pricing and availability details during its CES press event today. The Transformer will range from $399 - $699 and will be available in April.

Mark Spoonauer
Editor-in-Chief
Responsible for the editorial vision for Laptopmag.com, Mark Spoonauer has been Editor in Chief of LAPTOP since 2003 and has covered technology for nearly 15 years. Mark speaks at key tech industry events and makes regular media appearances on CNBC, Fox and CNN. Mark was previously reviews editor at Mobile Computing, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc.