Asus Eee Pad Slider review

In testing, the Slider loaded the BBC homepage in an average of three seconds, completed the SunSpider benchmark in 2,227ms (a tad quicker than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, web ID: 369229), and attained a 1,578 in Quadrant.

That’s as expected from the combination of CPU, RAM and Android 3.2 on board, and it means the Slider is as responsive, smooth and snappy in general use as any other Android tablet. We like the physical design, too: with its silver and bronze rear panel, and smart chrome highlights, the Slider is a much more handsome-looking thing than the Transformer.

A set of rubber feet ensures it sits securely on a desk.
Battery life is good. Playing a low-resolution video on continuous loop with the screen set to just below mid-brightness, the Slider lasted a minute shy of nine hours.

And the screen is drop-dead gorgeous. Thanks to the same IPS technology as the Transformer, colours look sumptuous and images have a real solidity.

At maximum brightness, however, it’s outlasted by the Galaxy Tab 10.1 – and elsewhere there are more serious issues. The main problem is the extra bulk and weight added by the sliding keyboard.

With the keyboard tucked away the Slider is 18.5mm thick, and it tips the scales at 964g. To make matters worse, the bezel surrounding the screen is very wide indeed, adding a huge 44mm to the total width of the screen.

The rear 5-megapixel camera (which has no flash) isn’t great either, struggling to focus in low light, and producing over-compressed, smeary stills and video. Finally, the Slider is only offered with 16GB storage and there’s no 3G option.

Given those shortcomings, then, and a price higher than most other 10.1in Android tablets, we wouldn’t recommend it as an everyday tablet. But there’s no denying the Eee Pad Slider offers something unique. The keyboard adds a whole new dimension, and its slick sliding mechanism is a wondrous piece of engineering.