"New ASUS VivoTab Smart ME400 ME400C-C1-WH 10.1-Inch 64GB Tablet (White)"Product Features New ASUS VivoTab Smart
Color: White
- Windows 8, 10.1 inches Display
- Intel Atom Z2760 (1.8GHz) Saltwell Dual-core
- 64 GB Flash Memory, 2 GB RAM Memory
- 802_11_BGN wireless
ASUS VivoTab Smart tablet review
By Y. Z.
Color Name:Black
As potent as the iPad and its App store are, and as fabulous as Android Tablets have become, I still could not pull the trigger on either one.
I really, really, wanted a Windows 7/8 environment on a Tablet.
Thankfully the wait is over, but are we getting everything we wanted with this one?
Bottom line first:
This Asus is by far the best value 10" Windows Tablet in the market now and for sometime to come judging from the price tags of similarly equipped Win8 Tablets by Acer, Samsung, HP, DELL, Lenovo, MS and others.
To find the Asus' page with details about this model, Google eee asus vivotab-smart features
Or better yet: search 'ASUS Vivotab Smart Review Tablet-News' on YouTube for a true-to-life 28:07 minute video.
Hardware:
The 10.1" feels surprisingly light in your hands at 1.16lbs/580gr. By comparison, the iPad retina is ~3oz heavier at 652gr. The Plastic back is sturdy with no flex and feels good to the touch.
The screen is bright and sharp. I found that I keep the brightness level at the very low end of the scale which also benefits battery life.
When using it for plain Windows 7 tasks, plus Windows 8 games, browsing, Skype, emails etc. the battery was good for over 11 hours(!) at which time it was at 10%.
Charging it back to 100% - while continuing to use it - took 4 hours.
Asus provides a 3 foot long cable that charges the Tablet via the micro-USB port and plugs either into the provided wall adapter or other power sources (laptops/Desktops/Car USB chargers).
Under the hood:
Out of the 64GB it comes with, the recovery partition occupies about 8. Additional 20GB are taken by the OS + Asus but no bloatware which is really appreciated, thus leaving you with around 33G free. The micro-SD slot will support up to additional 64GB.
The Tablet comes with 2GB RAM and that is the limit this architecture can support.
The CPU/Graphics provide for a snappy and incredibly fluid experience and the screen is very accurate to the touch. It's a true joy to use. The tablet is also silent because the CPU does not require active cooling (i.e. a fan or ventilation slots). The combination of total silence and a lively usage experience is quite addictive.
Note that the Atom Z2760 was developed with power conservation a priority, and the inevitable trade off is that it might not be able to play quickly or at high frame rate very demanding games, sophisticated graphics or video editing tasks. For those, you may need to stick with much more power hungry machines.
'ASUS Live update' - When updating the BIOS refrain from disturbing the process. It may take 5 min to complete including a reboot. Drivers update worked quickly and without a hitch.
Stability:
After extensive daily use of the tablet for 3+ weeks, it has not crashed, nor hung even once!
This is quite commendable considering this is a new OS on a newly designed architecture.
Suggested Accessories:
1. The box does not come with a micro-USB to USB, or micro-HDMI to HDMI adapters. Those will run you about 2 bucks. Make sure the USB adapter is of the OTG type. With that type of adapter, the Tablet recognized instantly a corded Keyboard, corded Mouse, wifi dongle for a Wireless Keyboard/Mouse, and a 32G flash drive. It did not manage to play music or video off of an external Samsung DVD however. Maybe due to a limit on how much Amps the Tablet can output(?). That same external DVD plays fine with just one USB port when connected to my Acer HTPC. I did not try an external HD yet, but as long as it is powered separately from an outlet, there is a good chance it too will work. New ASUS Tablet 2013
2. The charging USB cable that comes in the box is quite short at 3' and I purchased a much more practical 6' one on Amazon.
3. I took my chances with a case-only folio of the Asus Vivotab RT and the 'Smart' fit it very nicely after flexing the side clamps outward a bit.
rooCASE Slim-Fit (Black) Folio Case Cover for ASUS VivoTab RT TF600T Windows Tablet (Support Auto Sleep / Wake Feature)
But, you can now already find tailor-made ones for the 'Smart' too.
4. The 'Smart' unfortunately does not come with a docking keyboard (the RT does, but the 'Smart' cannot dock into it). So, instead of getting the Asus' Transleeve Keyboard, I ordered a corded mini-Keyboard/Touchpad that also incorporates 2 full size USB ports.
The good news is that both USB ports of this Keyboard were recognized by the Tablet!
In spite of being a little smaller than the tablet - it is surprisingly convenient to type on (except maybe for people with large hands). The keyboard is extremely light at 10oz and provides ample feedback with both typing and the Touchpad which is very accurate. The fact that it is corded means that it does not draw battery power as in the case of BlueTooth or WiFi. Another benefit is being able to plug more than one USB device via the keyboard and also not messing around with the more delicate micro-USB port of the Tablet itself (a micro-USB to USB adapter is needed to connect the Keyboard of course.)
Perixx PERIBOARD-510H PLUS, Wired Keyboard with Touchpad & USB Port - USB - Super Mini 9.05"x6.30"x0.90" Dimension - Built-in 2 x USB2.0 Hubs - Silent X Type Scissor Keys - 5.90 Feet Cable
A similar Perixx Keyboard with 2 USB ports and a trackball, only larger in size, might be worth considering too:
Perixx PERIBOARD-505H PLUS, Wired Trackball Keyboard With USB Port - Mini 12.40x5.79x0.83" Dimension - 0.55" Optical Trackball - 5.90 Feet Cable - Fit with Professional or Industrial Use - Built-in 2x USB2.0 Hubs - USB Interface
Or your preference may be to go with cordless KBRD/TCHPD and there are obviously many options to chose from.
Windows 8:
Briefly put, it does take getting used to, but once you are up to speed you forget all that critics had to say ever since Win8 was introduced. Win8 really shines in Touch environments, and before long you will find yourself swiping right and left, splitting the screen to share apps on your real estate, run Skype and Pandora in the background, open files and browse the Internet the perfect way that only true Browsers can, flip effortlessly between the desktop and Win8 Apps, update drivers on the fly, plug in USB devices, attach, send, share and manage any kind of digitally captured file, and what not.. You will have just one thing to say then: Hallelujah.
I did miss the Start button on the Desktop application, but it was very easy to add. Win8 provides very generous customization options far beyond what I have already implemented. That's very nice to know.
MS App Store:
The App store is still a learning experience and 'under construction' but I found some of my favorite games, News Apps, Utilities etc. to get a reasonable starting point.
Curiously, when you Search the Store using the Charms 'search', the Free version of some games would not show up, like 'Fruit Ninja Lite'. But they are very much there.
For MUCH better search, recommendations, categorization and presentation of what you can find in the App store, check out the appup dot com web site. Download their application to your desktop and the MS App store is all of a sudden a much improved experience. And yes, searching 'Fruit Ninja' will bring up the desired result. NOW we are getting somewhere. New ASUS Tablet 2013 Lastly, some aspects of the Tablet could have been better..
-- I wish Asus offered a docking Keyboard/Touchpad and I think that Asus fell short with their TranSleeve contraption, which is the thin keyboard + origami-style cloth cover. The Cloth cover can be folded to support the Tablet from the back, but is useless should you want to hold the Tablet on your lap for example. Also, the Magnets that attach it to the Tablet are not sufficiently strong and both the keyboard and cloth cover can separate from the Tablet too easily, potentially causing it to slip.
-- Although the sound quality is acceptable, with only one speaker on the back, stereo effects are, well.. non-existent. New ASUS Tablet 2013 While charging the Tablet via the micro-USB port, it cannot be used for anything else. At least the 10+ hours of battery life gives you ample opportunities to charge when the port is not in use. -- The GPS is not of the kind you have on your Cell. It's only usable when you have WiFi.
The shortcomings however pale in comparison to what you are getting. This fantastic Productivity & Entertainment companion is a keeper for me. New ASUS Tablet 2013
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