Asus Eee Pad Transformer vs Lenovo IdeaPad K1: And the Winner is?

So many tablets came out in 2011, it was easy to miss one that was actually pretty solid. Many were overpriced or underperformed, but the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Lenovo IdeaPad K1 are nice tablets that are available for $400 or less. The IdeaPad K1 can be found on Amazon for $350 and the Eee Pad Transformer is $400. There really aren't any other 10-inch tablets available for this price, and while both seem to be discounted, they are actually right in the sweet spot of the Android tablet world. While the Transformer outperforms the IdeaPad K1, that $350 price for a 10-inch tablet is a great buy, though there might not be that many of them available. Nevertheless, the IdeaPad K1 runs the Android system, gets decent battery life, has front and rear-facing cameras, 32 gigabytes of on board storage and 1280x800p resolution. It even comes with both mini-HDMI and microSD card reader slots, a combo not found on all tablets.

Compared to the Eee Pad Transformer, however, it's a bit heavier and thicker, and it might not even get the Android 4.0 update from Google. The Transformer will get the update, although it could take a couple months to get here. Transformer has a faster processor, a bit better of a camera and even becomes a notebook with the addition of the sold separately keyboard dock. That keyboard does cost another $150, but it adds the physical keyboard, track pad, two full-size USB ports and a full sized SD card slot. It's called the Transformer because of this addition, and it makes the whole thing just $50 more than the iPad, another compelling comparison.

A couple of other extras the Transformer comes with; it's DLNA capable, so if your HDTV is compatible, you can beam your tablet screen right to your television without wires. Asus will also let you store your content on their servers in the cloud. Don't worry if you've never heard of either of these devices, the Transformer won Stuff Magazine's gadget of the year award for 2011, and it's even spawned a sequel, the Transformer Prime. Eee Pad wins this tablet shootout, so tell us in the comments if you are still considering the iPad or other 10-inch tablet.