Transformer Infinity

Hey there!

 I just got my new +ASUS  Transformer Infinity (also known as TF700). This is my official opinion of it, from a basic user perspective. Bear in mind, I have no reason for you to buy this so I'm going to be honest as I can. Also bear in mind (in a bit of pure disclosure here), I'm a Googleite. I use it for everything, Google is interwoven throughout my online identity. That being said, I don't care to throw them under the bus if they 'eff something up.

 I have owned a Transformer tablet for quite some time (over 2 years...I think). It was known as the TF101, obviously the first generation of this series. It was a fabulous tablet, but in the end the launcher started crashing almost every time I turned on the screen. I'm not sure why...but things break down naturally and I assume I had a bug or glitch. Either way, when Jelly Bean was announced and subsequently released, there was no evidence that Jelly Bean was going to be released to the TF101. In the tech world (at least mine) this is indicative that your piece of hardware is on that first line of being outdated. This in no way means your tablet, should you own one of these series, is suddenly garbage ready. It just means certain functionality such as "Google Now" will not be available. Also, this doesn't mean that the TF101 will not be updated, it just is left behind because Asus has three other tablets (TF201, 301 and 700, not sure what happened to 400-600..) that it is messing with. They of course want you to buy the newer ones, they have to make money somehow, so that means they're going to prefer newer updates.
I digress.
 The TF101 was an excellent piece of hardware. I used it for school heavily: taking notes, writing papers, and playing games. It isn't a complete replacement for a laptop. It is an excellent sit in though. The tablet is lighter, more focused and generally better performing than laptops in terms of completing tasks. As I said, laptops are definitely more robust and better able to complete higher level applications (graphic intensive video games, heavy media presentations, full functionality clients such as Microsoft Word), the tablet computing industry offers a lighter alternative to working on a laptop.
 The Infinity is indeed an upgrade in terms of hardware. That being said, the true indicator of whether or not an upgrade is or is not necessary is whether you can tell a difference with that hardware in comparison to the TF101. Keep in mind, it's Android and Asus. Same manufacturer and same operating system. In other words, there will be no software difference in most applications.

 First, the screen. It is one of the major advertising points for Asus. It is indeed full HD resolution, and movies (my first being The Avengers) look crisp and clear. This is important for me, but I will say that while I can see a difference in some places (such as HD Avengers), other places like YouTube I can't tell a big difference. The screen is indeed nice overall, but unless you are a heavy media person and your eyes have become accustomed to slight differences (my parents still can't tell a difference between 480 and 720 on a TV...), you probably will not take full advantage of the screen. On a side note, games are excellent to see and watch/play, but that is also due to the upgraded processor.

 Second, functionality. I didn't have a keyboard for the first transformer, so I felt that I needed to do so here, to get the full experience. This is why I feel that the Infinity can replace a laptop for day to day stuff. It provides a mouse, touchpad and usb/microSD. All of this allows you to do what you need to do, and should the need arise for a more robust option, go to your desktop at home. Of course, using Google's services everything will be synced anyway, so it will be a matter of just opening up whatever you had open. In the end, while the keyboard is technically a moot point because it's available to both series, it has enriched my experience with the Infinity greatly. I haven't run into any programs that don't like the keyboard, save one. Wolfram Alpha seem to not work with it. However, I didn't try any troubleshooting...so it was probably an easy fix. Asus also had the genius idea of making the keyboard a fully functioning battery charger. So if your keyboard has full juice and your tablet is sucking fumes, dock it up and you'll be charged for another few hours. Good stuff, considering this is not the case for the iPad.

 Third: media. Pictures do indeed take well. I highly enjoy the now standard 8 MP camera. The TF101 has a 5 MP, but the Infinity is moving to replace my smartphone completely. Which means my Samsung Galaxy S2 has a 8 MP camera, I'd like the same on my tablet. It was another reason to upgrade, aside from the fact that I don't have to worry about charges anymore. Yipee! As it stands, my phone mysteriously disappeared...so this provides another reason to upgrade. I don't have to worry about getting a new phone. The idea is I combine the elements of the smartphone with the size of the tablet. Et Viola! Infinity.

A few small problems I have had so far:
1. Some programs don't like the keyboard. YouTube, for example, if you click on too many videos on the side bar will suddenly cause your keyboard not to work...strange bug really. I press the "b" key and it just goes down. Thought it turned into a WASD deal...but nope. Just "B". Huh.
2. Screen protector and keyboard. This is minor, and a tad insignificant with coupled with the keyboard. Basically, the keyboard is fitted to the tablet right? So if you do what I do, that is get a screen protector...it can cause your screen protector to bubble. Like I said, it's small and rather insignificant. It's there though, for you to judge. Keep in mind that I still use it with a keyboard and screen protector. The bubbling is just what happens and I'm not bothered by it, but others might be.

 This last issue is in testing at the moment: When I gave my girlfriend my old TF101 to use, she tried using the native Google Talk app to do a video conference with me. I'm on my work wireless and she's on her apartment wireless...and for some reason the sound was garbled. She's done video chat with me before on that tablet back when I owned it from her laptop and nothing was wrong. I'm curious as to what caused the garbling...Any help from what random person reads this would be appreciated. No big deal, as it's most definitely a bug and I'll figure it out eventually.

 So there you have it. The Asus Transformer Infinity. Overall a better tablet than my old TF101, but I can't speak for the rest of the tablet industry, since I haven't had a chance to test them. I'm particularly interested in the Nexus 7 and the New iPad (not the iPad 3 mind you -_-)...It would be nice to get a comparison of Apple's leading tablet (not including the 7 in. model that is supposed to be announced soon) vs. Google's tablet. Anything with the Android Operating system is pretty much the same, so a 7 inch Android device such as a Nexus would allow me to experience a smaller version of the Android for reading and movies on the go. The Apple iPad I'm interested in for scholastic purposes as well. iTunes U, since I'm in college now, would be of particular interest to me. I mention these two only because it will give you a good idea of what else is out there. There are a myriad of tablets really on the Android side that I haven't mentioned, and there are tech blogs out there that are much better organized and better funded to provide you a hands on comparison of them. I hope this helped!

PS-Sorry for the wall of text. I'm not a pro blogger you know.