New Asus tablet (P01Z) shows up at FCC

June 4, 2015 Categories: FCC by 0 Comments

Mark the date on your calendar. June 4th we have spotted a second ZenPad at the FCC. If you recall, the ZenPad S 8.0 showed up there around May 13th. So whatever the P01Z is, it will be likely seeing an early July release date in the USA and Canada. We believe that this will be the first of many to show up. There is really no extra information that would indicate which of the other tablets this is. What’s important to note is that this makes 2 ZenPads that are heading to the USA and will be available to buy in July.

fcc-p01z-june-4-2015

[source: FCC]

 

New ZenPad Tablets Photo Gallery – High Resolution Images

June 4, 2015 Categories: Images, Photos by 1 Comment

It has taken a bit of time for product images to roll-out, but look what’s below! Click on an image which will enable the easy viewing gallery mode. When in gallery mode, you can click “enlarge” icon to see the full, high resolution photo. Enjoy!

ZenPad 10 in White

ZenPad 10 in White

zenpad 10 with keyboard in white

The ZenPad 10 in White with keyboard “Audio Dock”. Looking quite thin!

black-zenpad-10-with-keyboard-z300

Asus ZenPad 10 – Z300 – Black with keyboard

ZenPad S8 Series - The Hero Tablet.

ZenPad S8 Series – The Hero Tablet.

Black color ZenPad S 8.0 tablet.

Black color ZenPad S 8.0 tablet.

asus-zenpad-7-z370c-z370cg-white

A white ZenPad 7 looking mighty fine.

zenpad 7 tablet

ZenPad 7 showing off different colors.

zenpad c 7.0

Black ZenPad C 7.0

asus-zenpad-8-z380c-z380kl-high-resolution

Asus ZenPad 8 – Z380C – Z380KL

ZenPad 8 and the various colors available to buy.

ZenPad 8 and the various colors available to buy.

zenpad-8-promotional-image

Promo photo for the ZenPad 8

colors-of-zenpad-7-c-z170-z170c-7c

ZenPad C7 – Z170C – Z170CG

Nexus 9 vs. ZenPad Z580CA (ZenPad S 8.0 aka S8)

June 3, 2015 Categories: Asus Z580CA, comparison, vs, vs. Nexus 9, ZenPad S by 6 Comments

vsTechnology moves fast. After six months, you realize that the hottest products lose their shine as new products arrive. Although the Nexus 9 is a 9-inch tablet and the ZenPad S 8 is a 8-inch tablet, we hope that this comparison will help your tablet shopping endeavors.

Note: The winner of specs vs. specs will be indicated by bold italic lettering.

Thickness is a measurement that matters here. The Nexus 9 is 7.95 mm vs. ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA) at 6.6 mm.

Screen resolution is a tie at 1536 x 2048. However, because of the screen size difference, let’s look at the ppi (pixels per inch). Asus has 324 ppi whereas the Nexus 9 has 288 ppi.

RAM – The 4GB on the ZenPad beats out the 2GB on the Nexus 9. No contest on this one.

Speakers are a draw right now because nobody has been able to do a side-by-side comparison. However, both of these tablets have fantastic front facing stereo speakers and that’s a win.

Weight is another interesting feature. It should be worth double points for a win don’t you think? The Nexus 9 is a bigger tablet so it’s going to be heavier. However, we can dig into this a bit deeper and compare this as a ratio of weight to size. In this case, the Nexus 9 is 425 g for the wifi version. Thus, the Nexus 9 scores a 47g per inch. The ZenPad S8 (Z580CA) is 8 inches and the weight is 298g. Thus, the ZenPad Z580CA scores a 37g per inch. Your winner, but quite a bit, is the Z580CA in terms of being lighter.

ZenPad S8 Series - The Hero Tablet.
Internal storage and storage options in general are important. The winner is the ZenPad S8 (Z580CA) by a long shot. Let’s explain. First, the Nexus 9 has 16GB or 32GB configurations. The Z580CA has the 64GB option. Then we need to talk about microSD slot expandability. The Z580CA can use a SDXC card for an additional 128GB. Yes, it’s true. The Nexus 9 has no microSD card slot. Beyond these specs, there is the additional free for life online Asus cloud storage of 5GB. This is what we call “n/c” or no contest.

The processors in the two tablets is essentially a draw. Both clock in at 2.3GHz. They are both fast, how else can we say it? Verdict: draw.

Next up the camera comparison. The best front camera easily belongs to the Z580CA at 5MP with the Nexus 9 sporting a 1.6MP front camera. The rear cameras are a draw, with both having a 8MP. We can’t say for sure who wins the rear camera vs. just yet because there aren’t any reviews.

Battery wise, the Nexus 9 is packing more, which should give the Nexus 9 a substantial battery life advantage. However in this comparison, it’s not measurable yet. The Nexus 9 has a 6700mAh whereas the ZenPad S Z580CA has just a 4000mAh. On the surface, the battery life could be quite a big win for the Nexus 9, but we will update in the near future.

The miscellaneous category are the “extras” or features that one tablet has over another. In the case of the Nexus 9, it’s running a pure Android and as a result it will get the Android updates much faster than the ZenPad S Z580. That’s important for a lot of consumers. I will add one opinion though and suggest that Android updates are not what they used to be. When Android first came to market, each update carried with it vast improvements. At this point, it’s quite refined. The updates generally don’t offer up game changing improvements like they once did. Give the Nexus 9 the win in terms of running the more current Android OS.

The Asus Z580CA has a substantial and potentially game changing spec/feature that the Nexus 9 does not have. The USB 3.0 aka USB Type-C is the connector of the future and have even more future benefits now that Thunderbolt has joined Type-C. You can be assured that the Z580CA has some future proofing thanks to the inclusion of this port type.

To add another feature to this feature fest, we need to look at the Z Stylus that the Z580CA has. The Nexus 9 has no form of such pen input and as a result, Asus can boast more bang for your buck.

Price comparison? This is where the rubber hits the road. We simply have no clue what Asus will be charging for the ZenPad S8 tablet. We know that Asus has always put their products at a cheaper price point than the competition. With the Nexus 9 aging, can Asus win the price advantage? Hard to say right now. Stay tuned though.

Summary and Conclusion

Well, are you still considering a Nexus 9? When you break down spec by spec, it does give you a sense of awe. Asus really put every ounce of effort into creating a beast of a tablet. Price will be a big factor in a Nexus 9 comparison, but from a specs perspective, the ZenPad Z580CA blows the Nexus 9 out of the water.

(to be continued…)

 

Can the ZenPad S8 Z580CA propel Asus to #2 in tablet market?

June 3, 2015 Categories: Asus Z580C, Asus Z580CA, ZenPad S, ZenPad S 8 by 3 Comments

zenpad s8 tablet reviewThe dust is settling a bit from the big Asus Computex unveil event. When you look through all that has been announced, there is one clear winner. One clear hero as it were. The hero is without question, the ZenPad S series. Ultimately though it’s about the one star of the show, the Z580CA.

We like it. We like it a lot actually! From our polls and from everything that is being said online, it’s clearly creating a buzz. People need to understand that it’s the Z580CA model that is the true stand out. The other ZenPad S, the Z580C is great, but it’s simply not in the same class in terms of what it has to offer.

What first seemed like fairly minor differences, in fact are not minor. We have already gone through the key spec differences and you can read that article here. When you add up the punch that the Z580CA offers, it’s clearly a top tablet contender. We have more vs. comparison articles coming to further demonstrate the hero qualities of the tablet. We do realize that Apple and Samsung a likely have refreshes in the near future which should really be a great vs. battle comparison.

I think the point is that the Z580CA almost deserves it’s own category. Again, it’s not like the Z580C is any slouch, but it’s just that when you look at an entire package, the Z580CA is king of the castle, top of the hill, or the straw that stirs the drink.

white zenpad z580caHowever, let’s be real. Can one tablet model boost Asus in the marketplace so that it can climb up from their current ranking in global tablet sales? Considering that the North American market will go a long way to reaching that goal, then having a hero ZenPad S which can go head-to-head with the iPad mini and the Samsung Tab S2 is a show of bravado. Apple certainly didn’t require more than one or two hero tablet models to reach global domination. So for Asus, if the Z580CA can catch fire in terms of a buzz, then have a chance to make a big dent. Sometimes what other offerings lack in sales, they can be made up with one super star device. I think Asus found such a device.

The only question I have for you is, are you choosing white or black?

Transformer Pad vs. ZenPad 10

June 3, 2015 Categories: comparison, vs, ZenPad 10 by 3 Comments

transformer pad vs zenpad 10What’s this? Asus vs. Asus? Sure why not! We have been quite confident in leading up to the ZenPad unveil that there would indeed be a “new” brand Transformer Pad. So does the ZenPad 10 Series (includes: Z300C, Z300CG, and Z300CL) live up to the Transformer Pad legacy?

We already mentioned that Google and partners are looking at releasing Chromebook 2-in-1’s later this year. Because of that, we don’t feel that the ZenPad 10 is the true “next gen” Transformer Pad. Yes, it’s a 10-inch android tablet and yes, there is a keyboard dock, but in terms of being a convertible tablet/laptop, the ZenPad 10 is not exactly what the Transformer Pad was. You could argue that the Transformer Pad 2-in-1 was a fully functional netbook/laptop.

So with the arrival of the ZenPad 10 what are the differences? Well first off, the keyboard dock is primarily an audio dock with a keyboard. There isn’t a touchpad like the Transformer Pad series. We are still looking for details as to whether the Audio Dock has any USB ports or not. It’s a great accessory for sure, but it doesn’t exactly convert the ZenPad 10 into a workstation like the Transformer Pad docks have done in the past. If you dig a bit deeper into the specs, you will see that the ZenPad 10 Z300 series is not as wide as the Transformer Pad tablets. In addition to the length, the depth isn’t a deep either, further reducing the keyboard real estate for the ZenPad 10 vs. Transformer Pad. Thus, if you notice the keyboard isn’t as large on the ZenPad 10, you know why. There just isn’t the same width available for the more full size “shift” keys. Less bezel on a 10-inch tablet means that luxury of having a fuller size keyboard isn’t possible. Perhaps if it was a ZenPad 11 or ZenPad 12 the keyboard would enjoy that netbook full-size keyboard. We will see how Asus progresses on their next generation ZenPads.

zenpad-10-with-keyboard-in-whiteSpec vs. spec, it really depends of course which Transformer Pad we’re looking at. If we look at the TF103, the ZenPad 10 shares the same 1280 x 800 resolution. However the premium model Transformer Pad TF303CL has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. The ZenPad 10 series matches up with the RAM of the TF303CL, but check the availability in your area because some ZenPad 10 models have 1GB like the TF303. Camera wise, the ZenPad 10 beats out the TF103 and matches the TF303 with a 2MP front and 5MP rear camera.

One big difference between the Transformer Pad vs. ZenPad 10 is the Z Stylus support on the ZenPad 10 series.

In terms of portability, Asus made some big strides in terms of making the ZenPad 10 less bulky than the Transformer Pad tablet were. The ZenPad 10 series, as a tablet will be a lot lighter and less bezel to look at. The weight for the ZenPad 10 is from 500g to 510g, whereas the Transformer Pad TF103 and TF303 are looking at 550g to 595g. Asus as you can see, shaved off a lot of extra weight for the ZenPad 10 and that makes a big difference for comfort.

 

 

Difference between ZenPad S Z580CA vs. Z580C – Specs Comparison

June 1, 2015 Categories: Asus Z580C, Asus Z580CA, comparison, vs, ZenPad S by 12 Comments

Updated: We have more information about Z Stylus support for the ZenPad S 8.0. See below for details.

Update 2: We have a second article, newer, which looks at the Z580CA vs. Z580C and the differences.

With any deluge of information, there are bound to be issues. We’ve seen websites, even official websites, having details incorrect. We believe there is some misinformation regarding the highly regarded ZenPad S 8.0 and the two models, the Z580CA and Z580C.

So you want to know the difference between the Z580CA and Z580C. Here is the information you want, and it’s the information that has been made official. That isn’t to say there are typo’s or mistakes in the official specs, so if needed, we will update this posting as we move forward. Simply trust us on this one. OK?

First, the Z580CA is the premium of the two. Not by much, but there are differences for sure.

Here is what the Z580CA has that the Z580C does not have:

  • Intel Atom Z3580 @ 2.3GHz or Z3560 @ 1.8GHz CPU (the Z580C comes with a Z3530 @ 1.2GHz CPU)
  • 4GB RAM option (the Z580C only comes with 2GB RAM configuration)
  • 64GB storage option (the Z580C only has a 16GB or 32GB configuration)
  • 5MP front facing camera (the Z580C has a 2MP front facing camera)
  • 8MP rear facing camera (the Z580C has a 5MP rear facing camera)
  • 802.11ac (the Z580C in your country may have only a/b/g/n and not the ac wifi standard)
  • USB Type-C (the Z580C has micro USB)

* This is a biggie, but we need to confirm this information which is why we are listing with an asterisk. It appears that the Z580CA has Z Stylus support but the feature is missing from the official Z580C specs sheet. What makes this especially confusing is that on the Z580CA spec sheet, this is what is shown:

Actice Pen Support

Pardon? Is that supposed to say “Active” and not “Actice”? It makes us question out loud what is going on with Z Stylus support.

Further, the official product page on Asus.com for the Z580C does not show the Z Stylus, however the page for the Z580CA does show the Z Stylus. We are seeking clarification.

Update: We are confident in saying now that Z Stylus support (pen computing) is exclusive to the Z580CA model and not the Z580C model. This is a BIG deal and I would suspect a lot of misinformation with other website (no offense to anyone). Please share this page with others.

asus-z580ca-vs-z580c-stylus-edited

asus-zenpad-s-80-z-stylus-support

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »