Asus Eee Slate EP121 review

Incorrect Specs Listed

This machine does include an SD/XC card reader. The specs incorrectly list it as absent.

By pelleg10 on 8 Apr 2011

"ultimately it’s held back by Windows’ lacklustre touch experience"

I think this depends on what you think touch is there for. The quote rather seems to me like telling the Phoenicians - this writing business will never catch on - it's nothing like as satisfying as smearing your thumbs in the mud.

Unless and until we get screen that cope with both accurate screen based writing (presumably stylus based) and rough gestures, we'll be left with 2 radically different GUIs

By AdrianB on 8 Apr 2011

How an artist work

"...the other question is whether graphics professionals wouldn’t be better served by pairing an Apple Macbook Pro 13 with a Wacom graphics tablet..."

This is a common misunderstanding. Using a pen/stylus is only really good when you can draw on the same surface as your actual drawing. Using a wacom tablet (unless its a Cintiq) is better than a mouse but can never compare to pen and paper. The Eee Slate can.

By dasse on 11 Apr 2011

I like......

.......but does anyone know if you can bosh Ubuntu on this? I don't mind a bit of effort being required *goes off to research the net*

By Waderider on 11 Apr 2011

No

I was hoping that this review would be a good review, but, right at the end it all fell apart with that one comment, "held back by Windows’ lacklustre touch experience."

here is a guide to ensure the fans stay nice and quiet:
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/ep121-slate/39778-
ep121-out-box-tweak-clean-services-applications.ht
ml

P.s. I managed to clean install, setup drivers and applications, get onto the domain and do the usual browsing with... my little pinky. As far as I see it, if you can browse on the web and play Plants vs Zombies/Angry birds via touch, it's a valid touch device.

Oh well.

By rhythm on 11 Apr 2011

There are many tweaks you can make to Windows 7 to make it more touch friendly. You can also do much to improve startup time and battery life by removing unnecessary software, disabling some services and turning off the power hungry Aero UI effects.

However, Pen Input is far more useful than you seem to give it credit. It is lack of pen input that marks the iPad out as a toy rather than a useful tool.

Windows 7's handwriting recognition is excellent and the ability to handwrite notes and drawings in Office applications is a real boon for many people. Busy managers love being able to scribble on Word documents and email them direct from a tablet PC. It is so much easier for them than having to type.

Try running OneNote on a slate PC and taking it to a meeting. You get to handwrite your notes, just like on paper, but later you can click a couple of buttons and your handwritten notes are transformed into typewritten text to be transferred to emails or formal minutes.

Handwriting is also searchable so your quick scribbles can be found easily later.

Touch is good but we don't write with our fingers. We write with pens.

Simon Jones

By Simon_Jones_RWC on 19 Apr 2011

Simon, I agree with you. We've had many an argument over this in the office, and I seem to be in the minority in thinking the pen really does make it a viable tablet - albeit in a totally different category to the current crop. My conclusion was originally more positive but the group consensus won out. That's democracy for you!

David

By DavidBayon on 19 Apr 2011