| uwestolt | | Administrateur | | 4 messages postés |
|  Posté le 14-05-2013 à 07:54:35   
| Review Asus VivoTab TF810C Convertible
IFA 2012 was the revival of convertibles. To this point subnotebooks with a classic swivel joint were niche products. For the most part these devices, like the convertible Lifebooks (e.g. Fujitsu T580, T900), Latitudes (Dell XT2) or ThinkPads (X220T) were attractive for the business user. ASUS F55U Charger There have been some Windows 7 consumer convertibles over the last couple of years, but the sales figures were never really high.
The most important consumer convertibles: Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t (N450), HP TouchSmart tm2 (Core 2 Duo), Dell Inspiron duo (N550), Gigabyte Booktop T1125N (Intel Core) and Asus Eee PC T91 MT (Z520). Reason for the small demand was the bad touch optimization of Windows 7 and a market that was heavily focused on notebooks. ASUS F55V Charger
The massive growth of Android and iOS based tablets and their big performance jumps in a very short period got the attention of Intel and Microsoft. The big players did not want to lose against Android in the long term but sell their own processors for tablets and smartphones. Windows 8 was also optimized to become a touch-OS and Intel made ultra-mobile X86-Atom CPUs (Clover Trail) for tablets and smartphones (Windows Phone). ASUS F55VD Charger
The VivoTab TF810C belongs to this "new" category. Atom Z2760 combined with real Windows 8 (no RT-version) and an attachable keyboard. Can the 11.6-inch device connect the typical Windows world and its proven applications with the mobile tablet world? Asus talks about transformed productivity and not only attaches a convenient keyboard but also a second battery. ASUS F55VDR Charger Do mobility and Windows productivity meet the requirements of the 900 Euros (~$1201) price tag?
Similar to HP and Acer, Asus decided to use the docking concept. But this is only one way to transform a tablet into a subnotebook. Flipping frame (Review Dell XPS 12 ConvertibleDell XPS 12), slider-mechanism (Sony Vaio Duo 11, Toshiba Satellite U920t), double-sided displays (Asus Taichi 21) and 360-degree hinges (Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga) are other solutions. ASUS F75 Charger
Advantage of the docking system: If you do not need the keyboard - or in this case the longer runtime - you do not have to carry a bulky and heavy case. The first look is reserved for the massive metallic joint of the 11.6-inch device. Two bars inside keep the tablet in place and a velvet insert avoids unpleasant abrasions. Moving the joint is very difficult without the cover as lever-arm, it is exceptionally firm. ASUS F75A Charger Accordingly opening the cover with one hand is not possible.
The slider on the left tablet side releases the locking mechanism mechanically. The connection has a very good tensile strength, without unlocking the tablet cannot be released. The joint cannot avoid teetering of the cover; it is too loose in the socket.
The opening angle of the cover is limited to around 130 degrees and the heavy base unit (weight of the second battery) avoids tipping backwards. ASUS F75A1 Charger Touch inputs encounter a usable fixated surface but the wobbling within the joint is disturbing. The Samsung ATIV Smart PC and HP Envy X2 have the same problem. Especially problematic for Samsung users: The opening angle is smaller, the device can tip due to the unfavorable center of gravity (no battery weight underneath the keyboard) and the display falls back onto the keyboard by itself (no fixation point). ASUS F75V adapter
We really like the stability and build quality of both components. The glass has good pressure resistance, only at the border surfaces pressure creates small pressure marks. The brushed aluminum finish of the back side of the tablet is pleasantly cool and avoids slipping of the hands. The ripped plastic stripes at the same place have the same purpose. ASUS F75VD Charger
The keyboard-dock leaves the same sturdy impression of the tablet body. It is made of brushed aluminum at the cover and rubberized plastic underneath. The base can only be slightly bent but not dented anywhere.
Communication
The WLAN module supports the draft-n standard and Bluetooth 4.0, which is pretty much standard repertoire for most Windows devices by now. ASUS F75VD1 Charger Based on our rough evaluation the transmitting power is convenient: With a distance of three meters the reception is excellent (Windows: 5 bars), upstairs (10 m) and outside the house (15 m, 3 bars) still good to low (40 m, 1 bar). The transmitting power of the router (Fritz!Box 7270) is always reduced to 50%. 
4G/UMTS is no option for the TF810C, Asus offers no according model. In return you get a GPS module for location. ASUS K45 Charger When you are on the road and use the internet connection of your smartphone via tethering certain applications can display your current position (Google Maps). Common navigation applications, even without internet connection, are also working. The sibling VivoTab Smart ME400C is also available with GPS but still lacks 4G capability. From the Atom competitors only the ATIV Smart PC XE500T1C is equipped with a UMTS. Acer should provide the Iconia W511 with 3G soon. ASUS K45A Charger
NFC (Near Field Communication) is a technology to connect external devices in a contactless way with the VivoTab. One example: Hold NFC capable headphones next to the tablet and they immediately start playing. A hardware installation is not necessary. A second contact results in a disconnect. Iconia W510 and Envy x2 11 also have NFC on board. ASUS K45D Charger
Accessories
The VivoTab is also available without the keyboard dock, the price is 800 Euros (~$1068) in this case. As accessory you get a stylus pen (Wacom, passive, without battery) with five replacement tips in a small box. In addition there is a USB 2.0 dongle for the docking port of the tablet and a cover that can also be used as a tablet stand. The keyboard dock does not fit into this cover. ASUS K45DE Charger
Invisible are compass, position sensor and gyroscope (gyrostabilizer, detects the position of the tablet) and an ambient light sensor. The latter acts too exaggerated in our opinion and often reduces the brightness too much. Via function key it can be deactivated very quickly, at least at the dock. The listed sensors are standard for modern tablets. ASUS K45DR Charger
Software
Here Asus restrains itself and does not waste much space of the very limited storage. Asus Web Storage, Asus@Vibe fun Center and a trial version of MS Office, which is all. From the 64 GB MMC storage 50 GB remains for Windows 8 and software after deduction of the recovery partition and the formatting loss. Windows needs 13 GB so around 37 GB remains for the user. ASUS K45N Charger
Performance
The System-on-Chip (SoC) Atom Z2760 (Clover Trail) is Intel's first X86 chip with integrated graphics (GMA 3650) for tablets as well as smartphones (e. g. ZTE Grand X). Due to the 32nm process the chip is more efficient than Atom CPUs in netbooks (e.g. N2600) and can keep up with the Nvidia Tegra (ARM) when it comes to runtime and efficiency. ASUS K45V Charger See our efficiency comparison ARM against x86 for more information.
The Clover Trail is available for smartphones as Atom Z2000 and Z2580. For tablets or convertibles the Z2760 is the only processor currently available. As an alternative you can get the VivoTab with a Tegra 3 in the VivoTab RT Convertible (Windows 8 RT). Like all Atom convertibles our review unit is equipped with 64 GB eMMC flash storage and 2 GB LPDDR2 RAM (onboard). ASUS K45VD Charger
The computing power of the Atom is not on the same level as ultrabooks or cheap notebooks. Even weak Celeron/Pentium processors are 80 to 113% faster at multi core tests. For the comparison we use ultrabook convertibles. With an i5-3317U & Co these subnotebooks are up to 390% faster.
The computing power is similar to the 2012 Atom generation but with reduced energy consumption. ASUS K45VG Charger The 2008 N270 (Diamond Ville; Eee PC 1002HA) is 50%, the 2012 N2600 (Cedarview; Aspire One D270) is 9% slower. The consumption under load (see stress test) was almost cut in half compared to netbooks from 2012. The tablet Atom can keep up with the currently fastest ARM chips, which is shown by the multi-platform benchmark Geekbench 2. The competitors from HP, Samsung and Acer are on the same level. ASUS K45VJ Charger
The system performance of the VivoTab, displayed by PCMark 7, leaves a better impression. Now the Atom device is only 10 - 17% behind weaker Pentium or Celeron notebooks (low voltage): The reason for this is the flash storage, which outclasses all mechanical hard drives of compared devices by around 40%. The picture below shows the PCMark 7 System Storage Score. ASUS K45VM Charger Systems with conventional hard drives cannot keep up and lose points. However, ultrabooks with real solid state drives are clearly ahead (+ 177 - 127%). The currently available netbook generation (Atom N2600, Aspire One D270 or also AMD C-60, Aspire One 725) is 35 to 46% behind the VivoTab.
Compared to latest SSD drives the performance of the eMMC chip is very low (see Vaio Duo 11 in the following diagram). HD-Tune and Crystal Disk Mark determine only 50 and 79 MB/sec for sequential reading, which is even less than the latest hard drives. The results for the 4K tests are better, here the eMMC is almost 100% faster compared to a typical hard drive with 5400 rpm. ASUS K45VS Charger
Graphics
The PowerVR SGX545 (IGP) is at the bottom end when compared against integrated solutions from AMD and Intel. It can surpass the old GMA 950 and 3150 (Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit), but cannot deliver the performance of the already slow Intel GMA (Sandy Bridge). The more we look at ultrabooks and HD 4000 the bigger the difference. The HD4000 in the Toshiba U920t Convertible is almost three times faster and delivers ten times the fps in FIFA 13. Compatible ASUS K55 Charger
The PowerVR does not support DirectX-10, only version 9. If older test games start at all, there were often graphic errors, for example with FIFA 13 and World in Conflict. In the end the GPU is used for video acceleration when the necessary player and codec are provided.
Temperature
The VivoTab TF810C does not need a fan, it has the same passive silent cooling solution as similar equipped tablets. This is the case for all Atom based competitors. Ultrabook convertibles (e. g. Vaio Duo 11) need active cooling. The 2012 Atom generation (Cedarview) also needed active cooling (at least the manufacturers always used it). The energy consumption and the created heat of Cedarview were considerably higher. ASUS K55A Charger
The produced heat has to be dissipated by the case surfaces. Here, the aluminum cover is an advantage. The VivoTab remains cool, especially if you use little computing performance. During idle we measure a maximum surface temperature of only 25 °C at the front and back. The keyboard dock remains at ambient temperature, it only contains the battery. ASUS K55D adapter
During load (stress test Furmark + Prime95) the VivoTab TF810C has a steady CPU clock of 1.8 GHz. Turbo boost is not available. The GPU clocks could not be determined with any tool. We suspect unfinished drivers. The result of the mandatory 3DMark 05 run after the stress test was identical to the plugged in test. By the way, the computing performance remains identical when the battery is used, the CB R11.5 test results (32 bit) were the same.ASUS K55DE Battery Replacement
The integrated speakers (back of the tablet, at the edge) deliver reasonable sound at adjusted or maximum volume. The volume is pretty high (no distortions). When you carry the tablet around both hands are exactly above the speakers, but the sound does not suffer in these situations because the fingers cannot cover 100% of them.
Low tones and bass are not very inspiring, they are just not present. The sound is more mid tone focused. We did not like the automatic volume adjustment of the sound driver, we could clearly determine adjustments. ASUS K55DR Charger For headphones there is a standard 3.5 mm audio jack that was combined with the microphone. The tablet also has an integrated microphone, for example, voice commands can be used for web URLs or search words.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The energy consumption is between 1.6 - 4.2 Watts at idle and 5.8 Watts under medium workloads (3DMark2006). The very low consumption is comparable to ARM tablets (Vivo Tab RT TF600) or the X86-competition (Iconia W510 1.7-6.9 Watts at idle). ASUS K55N Charger The Samsung ATIV Smart PC (1.6-4.0) is more frugal although its display brightness is nearly identical.
Under high load the voltmeter only indicates 8.4 Watts. The W510 (9.7 Watts) is more power hungry; the rest of the competition is on the same level. Interesting: The TF600 with Tegra 3 and Windows RT needs even more power, 9.1 and 11 Watts respectively (medium, high; similar brightness). Intel Core devices like the Vaio Duo 11 with i5-3317U need 5 - 11 Watts at idle and 34 Watts under load. In return the performance is significantly higher compared to our Intel-Atom system. ASUS K55V Charger
The 10 Watts power supply unit is sufficient for the consumption. During continuous load and utilization of the PSU the following charging times could be longer.
Battery Runtime
Just recently the Envy X2 11 with its dual batteries delivered massive runtimes of 7:07 and 11:55 up to 20:34 hours (load/WLAN/idle). These runtimes can be beaten by our review unit. 33 hours (tablet+dock) is the result for the Reader-test, the consumption was minimized by turning off all wireless connections and the lowest brightness. ASUS K55VD Charger The runtime measurements became an ordeal because the limited energy settings of Windows 8 (there is just one energy profile!) caused the tablet to go into unintentional standby quite often. When we only used the tablet this could be avoided with the "Don't Sleep" tool, but it did not always work when the keyboard dock was attached. Due to these problems we did not get a correct result for the WLAN test even after several days of testing. ASUS K55VJ Charger
Based on our evaluation the most realistic runtime is determined by the "Movie 150 cd/m²" scenario. The tablet shows a low resolution AVI movie for almost 14 hours (830 minutes). With the docking station this value is increased to 18:20 hours (1,100 minutes). The worst scenario under load (only tablet, maximum brightness) is seven hours (425 minutes). ASUS K55VM Charger The Reader-test (idle) without docking battery stops after 10:41 hours (641 minutes). The docking station is no charging station; the tablet cannot be recharged with the second battery.
There is one disadvantage with two batteries: the pretty weak 10 Watts PSU needs 6:10 hours (both batteries) and 4:07 hours (only tablet battery) for a complete charge (device is turned on). The 2-cell tablet battery has a capacity of 30 Wh (lithium-polymer, 3,950 mAH). The battery beneath the keyboard provides 25 Wh (two cells). ASUS K55VS Charger 
The competition, also with dual batteries, cannot keep up with these runtimes: Asus VivoTab RT TF600 (16:10 hours/10:18; idle/WLAN), Iconia W510 (19:09/13:35), Samsung XE500T1C (single battery, 14:43/7:14).
Asus complements its Windows RT VivoTab TF600 (Tegra 3) with a device for traditional Windows fans, the VivoTab TF810C-1B026W including keyboard dock. ASUS K75 Charger But you really have to be a big fan; the extra charge of 350 Euros (~$467) is immense. For this price you get the X86-platform with real Windows 8. It is only 32 bit but it can run all familiar applications (no limitation to Windows RT apps).
At least in theory, similar to the HP Envy x2 11-g000eg, Acer Iconia W510 and Samsung ATIV Smart PC XE500T1C, the performance suffers from the weak Atom processor. ASUS K75A ChargerIf you want to use the TF810C as a desktop replacement on the go (multi-tasking, run apps simultaneously, save lots of data, casual games) you will reach the performance limits very quickly. This is the reason for the title "unbalanced": The TF810C is more expensive than some Intel-Core ultrabooks but computing speed and overall performance are almost similar to netbooks (Atom N2600 early 2012). ASUS K75D Charger
But the VivoTab TF810C has its advantages too. 33 hours idle runtime is unrivaled compared to other Cedarview-Atom devices. We can only estimate the WLAN runtime with an additional test: around 17 hours. These runtimes can be achieved with the additional battery in the keyboard dock. Other benefits are the keyboard, which is convenient for frequent writers and the robust, high quality aluminum finish of the base unit and tablet. ASUS K75DE Charger
The potential buyer might be surprised by the low HD resolution (1366x768 pixels), but Atom convertibles from the competition do not offer something better (Envy x2 11, Acer Iconia W510 and ATIV Smart PC XE500T1C). If you want a higher resolution in the same or at least similar form factor (Windows 8) you have to choose an Intel Core based convertible, for example the Sony Vaio Duo 11 or Dell XPS 12. ASUS K75V Charger The S-IPS+ panel does not need to hide from the competition, it is very bright during battery use, has a very high contrast and wide viewing angles (best in class). The three listed competitors also have good displays but are not that perfect.
Similar (low) performance, identically good panels with the same resolution: Which Atom convertible is the best? With prices of around 900 Euros (~$1201) the Envy x2 11 and our VivoTab TF810C are the most expensive, yet they offer the best runtimes with the additional battery inside the keyboard docks. ASUS K75VD adapter Acer Iconia W510 (500 - 600 Euros, ~$667 - $801) and ATIV Smart PC XE500T1C (under 800 Euros, ~$1068, without UMTS) are considerably less expensive. However, Samsung waives the second battery and with Acer the customer has to live with worse build quality and inconvenient input devices. In return, Acer integrated an additional battery and offers long runtimes. ASUS K75VJ Charger Asus does not want to scare off the customers and sells a technically identical VivoTab Smart ME400C for around 500 Euros (~$667, without dock).
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