For university: ASUS Zenbook or Transformer Prime?

[Klosteral]

Hey there forum!

I have been relatively inactive for a few months as my end of year exams last year came up, but I have recieved a letter saying that I will need to provide myself a laptop for this coming year. After a great deal of research, I have narrowed myself down to these two options:

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime (TF201)
10.1" Tablet
Tegra 3, 1.0GHz Quad-core
64GB SSD
Android 3.2.1/4.0 Upgradeable
18 Hours battery life
Approx. $900AUD

ASUS Zenbook UX31E
13" Notebook
Intel i5 1.7GHz Dual Core (with hyperthreading)
128GB SSD
4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
8 Hours battery life
Approx. $1400AUD

If I get the tablet, it will be my first tablet (I have three of my own desktops and my brother's Macbook) so the tablet will provide me with extra functionality in that sense, as well as being more portable and it may be easier to use. It might also go well with my current phone, the Samsung Nexus S.

The ASUS Ultrabook will give me the same advanced functionality of Windows 7 that I am used to on my desktops which means I should be able to run all of my programs, however I don't really see how I would require them whilst on-campus and I am sure that the Android market will have suitable apps anyway.

Having played around with both of them in a retail store, I am quite happy with the keyboards and touchpads on each device and the screens are appealing to look at, as is the brushed aluminium feel. Problem is, the devices are so "good" in their own respective categories and so different between each other that I cannot make a decision of myself.

Opinions?
Thanks,
- Klosteral

 

[Pyree]

What course are you doing?

 

[WR2]

How soon do you need to make a decision?

 

[Pyree]

Pretty soon WR2. University in Australia starts mid Feb.

 

[JustAnotherNoob]

Do you need to run specific software on it?
When you turn in a paper, does it have to be in a specific format?

If all you need to do is research on the internet and write some texts then a tablet can work. If you need to produce the texts in a very specific format (i.e. word97-type .doc file) it can still work, as long as you manage to find an app that can save your work in that format (which might get difficult for many closed-source formats).
If you don't mind doing your research and drafts on one device (the tablet) and then put out the finished product/paper on another device (your desktop or macbook) then get the tablet.

The tablet is easier to take along even if you are not sure if you will need it that day because it is lighter and you don't need to bring your charger.

If you want to keep your university work on one device and don't want to switch devices as needed then get the Win7 laptop.

 

[WR2]

Going with an Android OS is probably going to lock you into Google Docs and cloud computing.
Does your Uni support that pretty well? Or do they have other requirements?
Course handouts? What 'flavor' do they use? PowerPoint? Adobe Reader .PDF?

 

[Pyree]

Klosteral, if you are a bloke over 160cm, you will be able to hull a full size 15-16 inch laptop no problem. Don't underestimate your muscle strength.

 

[WR2]

How much does a Vostro V131 13" notebook run down there?

 

[Pyree]

@WR2

Start at $899 AUD

 

[WR2]

Another AUD shocker
Too much $900AUD Vostro V131 Laptop

US$400 option.
http/www.priceusa.com.au/

 

[WR2]

What's the 16GB & 32GB SSD versions of Transformers going for there?

 

[Pyree]

16GB starts at $399AUD
32GB starts at $589AUD

 

[WR2]

You do have a desktop/desktop replacement laptop to work with too?
Since you're working with Android I'm thinking 16GB SSD is going to be plenty.

 

[WR2]

This might not apply to you.
So it's just FYI:
Asus Talks Refunds for UK Transformer Prime Users
http/www.tomshardware.com/news/Asus-UK-Transformer-Prime-Refund-New-Model-TF700,14516.html

 

[Klosteral]

Hey, thanks for the rapid responses!

Alright, I am going to answer your queries from top to bottom:
Technically, I am not going straight into university but I am finishing my secondary school courses, it's just that I am planning to hold onto my computer for a couple years yet so I figured plan ahead instead of thinking about the 'now'. That said, I am doing top level physics, maths specialist (aka applied) and chemistry however none of these courses need specialised programs.

Most of the time when I turn in a paper it is in "Microsoft Word 2004 *.doc" or I physically hand in the paper as a printed copy so the pre-loaded Polaris Office should be able to do that fine; it has presets to save in .doc, .xls and .ppt (I forget what the third one is so I am just writing .ppt).

The reason I am looking at the tablet and the ultrabook is not because I am concerned about the weight - no, I considered laptops in the 3kg area - the reason is the battery life. I can see myself using this system all day not plugged in, then add on top of that the places I would go such as a coffee shop or a mate's place where I really don't have the option to "plug in".

According to ASUS, the Prime will last for 18 hours and the UX31E will keep running for almost 8 hours. According to reviews which are more "reliable" sources for this kind of thing, the Prime will keep kicking for over 14 hours whilst the ultrabook caves in at 5h:40m which is still brilliant compared to most laptops, though will it suit my needs I am not sure.

Previously, the Australian government supplied all secondary students with MacBooks - now all us PC users were very disappointed but hey, it was free - so I was very used to switching my files between computers; not only that but actually changing program formats just for the sake of it.

Also, bear in mind that I am looking at the 64GB Transformer Prime TF201 (and not the Transformer TF101) becasue the Prime outperforms the original in almost every way. As for processor *edit, by processor I mean disk space* I am willing to part with an extra few hundred if it gives me the peace of mind that I won't run out of space in years to come but if I do, I can buy a 32GB or even 64GB MicroSD expansion card.

At home, I have two desktop computers - an LGA775 at 3.0GHz and this LGA1155 at 4.5GHz (both OC'd) - and the latter of these will be my tether. Most of the data going onto the tablet would be streamed from the desktop over WiFi or via USB cable if I went with the tablet, however the UX31E would effectively be another entire computer and I don't see the necessity in having three decent-spec PC's around my home, even if one is "portable".

If I don't get the computer before I start back, I might keep doing my work on good ol' paper while I sus out my courses and see exactly what I need to do and what I will need to do it as well as comparing other students' computers.

Thanks guys,
-Klosteral

 

[Pyree]

You will find time and place to recharge your laptop in the study area or library or at the cafe or even during lecture at the lecture theatre or at tutorial room or at the lab. Battery is not a problem.

 

[WR2]

The reason I am looking ..... is the battery life.
... I am willing to part with an extra few hundred if it gives me the peace of mind that I won't run out of space in years to come but if I do, I can buy a 32GB or even 64GB MicroSD expansion card.

What do students without extra long battery life do? You could do the same
Piece of mind at $500 extra? Maybe not so much. That's $500GB for 48GB's worth of storage?
Buy a 16GB version now, upgrade to a new 16GB follow-on replacement in 3 years and still come out $100 to the good.
The only reason you'd need 64GB was if was the ONLY computer you'd be using. And got lazy.

 

[Klosteral]

Okay, if I went for anything less than the 64GB Prime, it would be the 32GB Prime. Besides, as well as my work and documents I do like to keep a bit of music and a few entertaining apps and movies on the computer also. I have my iPod classic but it's not quite the same, you know?

I am not really discussing the different models of Transformer tablet, merely trying to decide whether I want a high-spec tablet or an ultrabook...

 

[Pyree]

I think you will find a Window OS PC more useful in science/engineering, and it is not necessary an ultrabook.

 

[WR2]

Okay, if I went for anything less than the 64GB Prime, it would be the 32GB Prime.

And that would be better than the 16GB model with a 16GB/32GB MicroSD card in what way?