An irony that I carry is that I am among the first users of technology, remember I even wrote a book on Digital companies in India. But I am not a gadget freak. I use my gadgets for as long as I can. So for a long time, I never understood why should I have a tablet, when I have a laptop and a phone that does almost everything that a tablet can. Yes, the big screen is tempting, but then is it not too big to hold all the time? Just when they were saying that tablets may be on their way out, I received this lovely tablet from Asus India called Asus Zenpad 8.0. I cannot stop playing with it.
Right, at the first go, it is like a phone with a big screen, but then it is so much easier to
Asus ZenPad 8.0 Review
My favorite use of ZenPad 8.0 is my entertainment and education box. While I work on my computer I put it in its chic audio cover and play my favorite music. Be it through YouTube videos, or through music apps, or through live radio stations. I have also been playing videos of many online courses that I am enrolled in – it is good to let the professors talk as I two-time between listening to them and managing my work.
Now if you are wondering what is Audio Cover, let’s shake hands. For a few days, after I received my ZenPad, I thought of it as just another cover that comes with a stand to make the tablet stand for better viewing. Thinking of it as a cosmetic/convenience accessory, I kept it aside. Probably to use it when I travel with the new toy. Then I noticed a small charger to charge this cover and that made me raise an eyebrow. I picked up the cover, it looked like a diary. And when I opened it I saw a half-split portion that looked like a speaker.
It was time to open the manual and discover that this audio cover adds to the experience of using this as a media device. I immediately removed the back cover and plugged in the audio cover. Made the Zenpad stand on it and played some music. And then if you could read the expression on my face – it said Wow. The difference between playing the same music with and without the cover was loud and clear. The speaker in the audio cover gives the effect of surround sound. And that makes video viewing extremely pleasurable.
Camera
The product manual informed me that the camera is well-suited for night photography. So on Christmas Day, I took it out to shoot some Christmas cribs in Panaji. I quite like some of the Panaji Church shots I took with this model.
The next day I took it to the vegetable market. And did some daytime photography, and here is one picture for you.
As you know I read a lot of books. I was wondering if I could carry this tablet for short travels and read books using the Kindle App on it or more importantly PDF files which are a pain to read on Kindle. And yes, while the Kindle app is just the same, reading PDF files on this device is going to be easy. So expect more book reviews on AnuradhaGoyal.com.
Battery
Battery – the biggest parameter on which we judge electronic devices, as of now is excellent. I played videos for one full day. And at the end of the day, there was still some juice left in the batteries. Having said that it is too early to judge the battery. And I should probably update this section after a few months. For those of you interested in detailed technical specs, here they are:
Being an Android device, it is intuitively easy for anyone used to Android to use it.
That’s it for now and as and when I discover something more about Asus ZenPad 8.0, I shall update this post.
The night pics are lovely…must look up the ASUS
Yep, night pics are nice with this – better than most other gadgets I have.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Well written!
Thank you Wilda. How do you compare it to others tablets in the same range?
Loved reading about your experience with the Asus ZenPad 8.0! My first tablet was also exciting, but now I’m considering an upgrade. If anyone knows a reliable Apple distributor in Dubai, I’d appreciate some recommendations for getting an iPad. Thanks!