Transformers! and they aren’t Decepticons or Autobots

Photo courtesy of Asus.com.

In a market dominated by iDevices, consumers often forget one important thing--there is choice.

Over the past two years, the market for tablet computers has continued to expand and grow month over month. And what started this trend? Apple’s iPad.

Apple’s iPad was the first tablet computer to land in the hands of consumers. This, coupled with Apple’s genius marketing campaign, has led to Apple posting better fiscal earnings than any other tech company ever.

Now, as an iPhone user, I will be the first to admit the iPad is a great device. The simplicity of the operating system and sleek design make the iPad an attractive and easy device to use.

But, the iPad may not suit everyone’s needs. Thus, I give you the Asus Transformer Prime.

For those unfamiliar with the name, Asus is a Taiwanese company with roots in manufacturing computer parts. Beginning with the the first Eee netbook in 2007 (remember those?), Asus entered the computer manufacturing market. Asus continued to innovate and entered the tablet market after Apple in March 2011 with the first Asus Transformer.

This operating system has features similar to the iPad’s operating system. Everything is application based. Unlike the iPad, Android tablets give more freedom to the user. This leads to more customization and control over the device.

The Transformer Prime, the current model, is a 10.1” tablet running Google’s most recent version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet is only 8.3 mm thick and is the first tablet with a quad core processor. Basically: this guy is fast.

Along with featuring cutting edge design and software, the Asus Transformer Prime has one very unique trait. For an additional $150, you can purchase a keyboard docking station. This keyboard has a battery so when you dock your tablet you get over 18 hours of battery life. Then, you have a full size keyboard for taking notes, keeping up with email and tweeting until your heart’s full. There are USB ports on the keyboard dock for flash drives or external hard drives. In addition, this clamshell design makes transportation and use very simple.

Check out cnet.com’s review of the Asus Transformer Prime.