ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T review: Full throttle

Connectivity

As the top dog in the Asus' tablet lineup, the Transformer Pad features a wide array of connectivity options. In fact, the only thing it's missing is GSM network connectivity. Some of its rivals, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) have a SIM card slot for extra versatility.

The Wi-Fi support covers a/b/g/n, with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz band compatibility. We would have liked to see the latest ac standard be present, as it would've fitted the slate rather well. Still, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA are part of the package. Wi-Fi Direct is a technology, which enables devices to connect to each other without the need for a Wi-Fi hotspot. The beauty of it is that only one device has to be Wi-Fi Direct-ready for the magic to happen.

Using this technology, two (or up to eight) devices can share files in a more advanced, fast and secure way, paving the road to an eventual Bluetooth demise.

For some reason, ASUS has opted out of packing the Transformer Pad with NFC capabilities. However, the Transformer Pad also comes with a built-in A-GPS receiver that can rely on a digital compass and a barometer too (this helps get faster GPS locks).

For wired connections, the Transformer Pad utilizes its special, 32-pin USB port. Sadly, it doesn't come with support for mass storage, but it does support MTP, which is second best. Thankfully, the slate comes with USB on-the-go too, so You can hook up a USB flash drive and browse its contents. Pairing with a keyboard and a mouse isn't a problem, either.

There's a microHDMI connector on the side, allowing you to hook it up to an HDTV and is perfect for playing movies on the big screen.

Then, there's Mobile Dock, which features a full-sized USB 3.0 port that you can hook up to external storage.

Web browser

The stock ICS browser has a streamlined interface, incognito browsing and other cool features. Since the Transformer Pad runs Jelly Bean, you can't sideload Flash support onto it. We weren't able to get YouTube videos to play in-page, and Flash games were a no-go as well.

Unfortunately, there's no Flash support

The browser UI is quite minimalistic; all you get is the URL bar with a tabs shortcut. Hitting the Menu key you get more options - Refresh, Forward, Save to bookmarks, Share page, Find on page, full settings and a couple of more - Request desktop site (no more hunting for that "Desktop" option buried at the bottom of the site) and Save for offline reading. There's also a scrollbar on the right, which makes for going up and down easy, as well as quickly zooming to the top or bottom of the page.

The stock web browser is alright

The full settings menu includes some really interesting options. For example, you can set your search engine to Yahoo or Bing, you can adjust text size and the level of which double tap will zoom in.

The browser borrows several features from its desktop counterpart. For example, when searching for something, if the browser is confident you'll click on a certain search result, it will start preloading that page right away so that it opens faster if you do click it. You can set this feature to work over Wi-Fi only to preserve data.

Browsing in Incognito mode • Bookmarks • Settings

Speaking of tabs, the tab switching interface looks exactly like the Recent apps list. You can even close tabs by swiping them off the screen.

Quick controls Lab feature isn't as good as it's on a phone

Quick controls (available from the Labs settings) reveal five controls (New tab, Tabs, URL, Bookmarks, More) when you slide your finger in from the left or right. Another cool feature from Labs is Full screen, which squeezes in a little more screen real estate by hiding the status bar.