Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've had this keyboard for 2 days now. The build quality on the keyboard itself is great and really makes your transformer look like a netbook. There is no flex in the keyboard which I have seen on my expensive laptops. It is only 8% smaller than a standard keyboard so it's been pretty easy for me to type on. In fact I'm typing this review from my keyboard now. The chicklet keys are great and make it much easier to figure out which key your finger is on. The usb ports recognize my ntfs formatted usb hard drive. I don't have an SDXC card to test it out but from what I'm seeing it should be able to read those cards to giving you a big boost in memory in case you could only pick up the 16gb Transformer like most people so far. The trackpad is nice and responsive but a bit too sensitive. I have found my thumbs inadvertantly hitting the trackpad, but you can disable the trackpad and use a usb mouse or bluetooth mouse with your transformer, pluss the touchscreen still works great. There are plenty of dedicated android buttons. Including a screenshot button brightness, volume, media player wifi, bluetooth, home screen, internet, and menu buttons. Having the ctrl buttons are great when I'm using splashtop to control my PC from my Transformer. Too bad it's missing a recent apps key, but that's always on your screen to click anyway.
Now to the software glitches that keep me from giving this five stars. There are times I've had the keybaord stop responding and have had to remove the transformer and put it back in to get it back on. Also it inadvertantly disables wifi even though my finger was nowhere near that key. Others are having this issue to, and disabling the trackpad seems to reduce the frequency by which it happens, and we're hearing Asus has already heard of the issue and is looking into it. This should be able to be fixed with software considering the keyboard itself even has it's own firmware.
Also another thing to note is that since the Transformer is heavier than the dock it is a bit screen heavy but Asus seems to have alleviated most of this issue with the way that the whole part that connects to the transformer itself also protudes out the bottom to act as a stand to angle the keyboard and help shift some of the weight.
Overall it's a great accessory. Adds 7 hours of battery life, holds your screen up for you, has 2 usb ports and a full size SD card slot. It's obvious Asus really thought about the design of this dock, and it wasn't simply designed to be an added keyboard, but to give your Transformer that netbook feel with a screen that is better than any I've seen on a netbook.
Update 5-9-2011
I've been using the keyboard for 5 days now and wanted to post an update to the software issues I mentioned. For some reason mine have seen to gone away. I can leave the trackpad enabled and have no issues with it losing keyboard or trackpad connectivity, and it's stopped randomly disabling the wifi, so I upped my rating to 5 stars.
Update: 6-11-2011
Been over a month with the keyboard. Asus has an update to the keyboard firmware that fixed a few issues the keyboard was having. I wish there was a battery meter built in on the dock, but there are some widgets out over at XDA that handle this. Keyboard still types very solidly. The battery on the keyboard is great. Sometimes I'll charge just the dock so I can use the tablet away from the wall, then when the dock is done charging plug the transformer into the dock and charge while typing away with buddies on google chat. I probably dock and undock my keyboard over 3-6 times a day and the mechanism is still solid and works very well. This is a great sign since Asus has said this keyboard dock will work with future transformer tablets. That's great knowing I can use my most expensive and favorite accessory going forward.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Keyboard/Docking StationSome things are meant to go together Easily switch between tablet and PC mode with the docking station designed especially for the Eee Pad Transformer. The station not only extends the tablet's battery life up to 16 hours1 but also features added functionalities which include a near full-sized QWERTY keyboard, a multi-touch touchpad, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and a 4-in-1 SD card reader.
Key Features
Enhance productivity with the docking station's 92% sized QWERTY keyboard that adds additional 6.5 hours of battery life, to instantly turn the Transformer into PC mode with up to 16 hours of battery life. 1
4-in-1 SD card reader lets users transfer files between their devices and the tablet quickly, easily and safely.
Large sized multi-touch touchpad is not only comfortable to use but supports intuitive gesture inputs.
Connect mice, keyboards, USB memory sticks and USB HDDs to the tablet with the docking station's 2 USB 2.0 portsfor enhanced computing experience.
Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources2, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. We tirelessly strive to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC.
We also back our commitment with the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
1year North America warranty
Free one-way standard shipping
24/7 tech support
What's in the Box
TF101 Tablet Docking Station
User manual
Specifications
Input/Output: 2 x USB 2.0
Card Reader: 1 x 4-in-1 Card Reader / MMC / SD (SDHC/SDXC)
Battery: 24.4 W/h Li-polymer battery (up to 6.5 hours)1
Dimensions: 10.67" x7.28" x 1.1" inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 1.41 lbs (with battery)
Color: Espresso
© 2011 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. All trademarks are registered to their respective companies. ASUS shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. 1Actual battery life varies with usage. Operation lifetime subject to product model, normal usage conditions and configurations. 2Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com's Service & Reliability Report 2010. Rated number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Q2 2010's RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/2010-2nd-Quarter-Computer-Reliability-Report.html
Click here for more information about ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Keyboard/Docking Station
