Asus EEE Pad Slider SL101 Android tablet computer

Asus seems to be carving out a niche for itself by making tablet computer products that nobody else has thought of.

First there was the EEE Pad Transformer which was a standard tablet computer that came with a clip-on keyboard that transformed it into almost a full laptop.

Now there's the EEE Pad Slider (model SL101) which is similar in that it includes a keyboard, though here the keyboard is built into the main product – it's a single device rather than two separate pieces.

It appears at first sight to be a fairly standard if thick Android tablet computer with a 10in screen, but find the tiny notch at the back of the screen and you can lift it away from the main section which reveals a keyboard.

In addition to making it thick, the Slider's keyboard makes it heavy – at 960g it's 50 per cent heavier than the Apple iPad 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. That means it's not comfortable to hold for long periods (or even a short amount of time; we found our arms starting to ache relatively quickly after picking it up).

However, the advantage of the design is that when the keyboard is exposed, the screen is raised at an angle on a metal arm at the back of the device. This means you can leave it on a desk and use it for watching videos or typing without having to use an additional stand. It can't be tilted, though – you're stuck with a fixed angle.

The tiny cable connecting the two sections is exposed when the keyboard is out, which we found worrying – even though it's tucked away almost out of sight it's not hard to see it getting damaged somehow.

The keyboard was fine for general typing, although the keys were a bit close together for our liking.

The specifications are impressive: it runs the Android 3.2 (‘Honeycomb') operating system and has a dual-core processor and 32GB of internal storage. This can be expanded by plugging in a micro-SD memory card into the slot on the side, and it has a USB socket for plugging in external storage and an HDMI socket for attaching a monitor or flat-panel TV.

We found the screen very good; it was bright and sharp, providing for clear images and text in use. It was able to play high-definition video without a problem, and this looked great.

Like other Android devices, this one can view web content made that uses Flash technology so online games and video also looked fine.

It connects to wireless networks and Bluetooth devices, and the battery will last for over five hours' continuous use, and a couple of days in standby.

The Slider has access to the full range of apps available for the Honeycomb operating system, the number of which is increasing by the day. We still prefer the iPad for the selection of apps, but Android is getting better quickly.

With its built-in keyboard, the Asus EEE Pad Slider is, for some people, a replacement for a netbook PC – it's small, relatively light, and can be used for typing documents and emails.

But for us, the extra bulk and weight isn't worth it – we'd rather go for the svelte Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, or the EEE Pad Transformer whose keyboard can be detached.