ASUS Transformer Prime

jvna

New member
So are we really going to have to wait until Jan (or later) to get our hands on the Transformer Prime?  The latest availability date is Dec 19th, right?  I've been reading about the Expansys pre-orders and how those people are being told that the new date for them is Jan 20th.  Maybe they're just bottom tier sellers and will get them later.  Wonder if the Amazon, Newegg, etc. pre-orders will be getting them this upcoming week?
 
JVNA...

thanks for creating the Transformer Prime thread...!  Looks like you gonna have to take the ball & update us on any TF-P news...



Did you already pre-order...?  This is what I read this morning...

Amazon Shipping ASUS Transformer Prime Pre-Orders
http://phandroid.com/2011/12/19/amazon-shipping-asus-transformer-prime-pre-orders/

Should be shipping this week... Be sure to tell us if you spring for one & a review would be much appreciated...


I'm also linking this thread to the Mobile Nations Home Thread... if you don't mind...




Below is an re-post but a goodie about the Prime:


Today we got full detail of the Asus Transformer Prime
http://phandroid.com/2011/11/09/a-closer-look-asus-transformer-prime-hardware-details/
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Can anyone say QUAD-Core NVIDA Tegra 3!!! in the Prime...!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2U2r3yKg0Ng[/youtube]


wait... 5 cores...! sweeeet...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qKdBX4-jc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]


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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C30ShWQm5pI[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gl-UGVhmAA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
 
this is how the G-Nex stacks up against the TF-Prime...

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Glow Ball videos on the Prime:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGF2ifM7kQ4&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3yy5VhO9Go[/youtube]
 
Not good... heard that BB and Amazon are sending out notices that they are back-ordered.

Christmas is moving to January for some Prime hopefuls.
 
I've been wanting a tablet for months.  I just couldn't justify the cost of it.  So for my bday/Xmas combo gift, my wife was going to surprise me with a TF Prime.  She listened to me talk about tablets and had my brother pretend to ask me about tablets.  She looked around and got on the pre-order for the TF Prime with Expansys last week.  So as I'm reading about that pre-order, it's turning out that they're pushing out the ship date to Jan 20, 2012.  I read around about other pre-orders and it seems that the early Amazon are being filled this week.  Some have said that they've gotten tracking numbers and are en route.  So early pre-orders will get their TF Primes this week.

I'm ok with waiting until next month to receive mine as that'll give me time to think about if I want to wait until the slew of other Tegra 3 tablets come out to compare.  This will also let me read owner reviews as they get their TF Primes.

I've gotten much more into Android since the wife and I got new phones about a month ago.  She's been needing a new phone badly for months since her original MyTouch 3G was losing it.  It had major lag.  It didn't help that the kids played games on it with their sticky hands.  As I was looking for a new phone for her, I suggested that she wait for the Galaxy Nexus.  As I thought about it more, I figured the Galaxy SII would be more than plenty for her.  I figured I'd get a new phone for myself with the contract extension and got myself the Samsung Exhibit 2 4G. It's a mid tier Android phone (my first).  I have a company BlackBerry Torch that I've been fine with.  As I used my new phone more, I've really gotten to like Android and what's available for it.  So now I'm a new Android geek.

I'll keep an eye on the TF Prime availability and the owners reviews as they show up this week.  I figure I have a month to decide if I'll get the TF Prime that's on pre-order with Expansys.  The wife also got $20 off and some Ebates for going through Ebay.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Not good... heard that BB and Amazon are sending out notices that they are back-ordered.

Christmas is moving to January for some Prime hopefuls.

Where did you read that?  There's a huge 56 page thread going on at Slickdeals where people are saying their pre-orders have shipped.  Some are saying that they should be receiving it today or tomorrow.
 
@jvna: I think I read it on Engadget. Not all pre-orders (that's why I said "some hopefuls"), but for the later ones I believe that's who is getting the notices.

As like the original TF, the TF Prime is a hot product.

Even when other Tegra 3 products come out, no one will match the flexibility of that keyboard dock... you would think others would copy it by now since the first TF was considered successful compared to other tablets.

As for me... I think the 10" tablet form factor is too large for me. I prefer something more portable so I'm focusing on the 7-8" ones. Ultrabooks will fill out my netbook need (which the TF was doing)... although battery life on Windows is still an issue (so I may eventually get a TF Prime).
 
roundcorners said:
apparently, IHO has unlimited Gadget Credits with the wife...  :D
Not really... I have to sell some of the old ones to buy the new ones.

At least you can do that with gadgets... not so much with women's clothing (ahem).
 
The guy in the second unboxing video is the least excited monotone person ever.

After reading a bit more about the TF Prime and latest owner reviews, I'm inclined to wait until next year to get an Android tablet.  With CES around the corner, I'd like to see what's going to be announced.  Acer and Lenovo should be coming out with their Tegra3 tablets with more memory and possibly higher res screens.  Don't think Lenovo will have good support for Android though.  Sammy's updated dual core SoC tablet sounds interesting too with it's supposed better screen, but you'll have to wait til the second half of the year (not gonna wait that long).  I also want to see the GPS, wifi and possible screen bleed issues resolved with the shipping TF Primes before I'd get it.
 
So weak wifi, no GPS/weak GPS and slow browser issues seem to persist, I stay reluctant about the ASUS Transformer Prime.  However, that's what comes with being the first out of the gate with a new gen of technology.  TFP is the first with the Nvidia Tegra 3.  I'm fairly sure that when Ice Cream Sandwich gets released for this tablet, things will get much improved.  I do wonder how much better GPS and wifi will get with just firmware/software updates as the all metal body/chasis affects reception.

Jan/Feb 2012 should be interesting in terms of new tablets (or the announcements of new tablets), but I'm really itching to get my hands on my first tablet.  The funny thing is that a friend of mine who is a major anti-Apple person is suggesting to go with the iPad.  Very telling coming from him (he's a tech nerd).  Another friend, who's a gadget freak, is also telling me to look towards the iPad also.
 
So the ASUS Transformer Prime is still plagued by basically non-existant GPS (can somewhat locate by wifi).  Wifi is still very moderate and not great.  The stock browser can be tweaked a bit by settings to have it run smoother, but Opera Mobile seems to be best browser for this tablet with Honeycomb OS.  The metal spun aluminum back seems to scratch easy.  It seems an update was sent to users today.  For some reason, it seems to have bricked a bunch of users.  All is definitely not well for the ASUS TFP.  I eagerly await CES this month and hope that an Android tablet is announced and released in the next month that will be great.

Forgot to add that Ice Cream Sandwich still hasn't been released for this tablet.  I thought it was going to be the first tablet with ICS.
 
I won't be too concerned about GPS on the tab... I know U pay $500-$600 U want everything working right, but I guess that is what phones are for...

where are you getting your information...?  I read certain message boards for early adopters, maybe some users already have a fix for it, maybe not...  Android users are very resourceful...

But, a whole slew of CES news are coming out... and this should be very interesting...
http://phandroid.com/2012/01/03/asu...id-to-bring-performance-and-gps-enhancements/
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ICS coming to TF-Prime 1/12 - I see no reason to wait... if you got the $, need the device and wife is ok... Got it..!http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/03/ice-cream-sandwich-coming-to-the-transformer-prime-january-12th
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I've been keeping up with news about the TFP mainly on XDA.  It was them that started the huge backlash to make ASUS give an official statement (On Facebook) saying that they will have available a tool to unlocked the bootloader, but that it would also void your warranty if you did.  It took some 2 days of social media bashing from learning of the encrypted bootloader to having ASUS say they'll have an unlock tool.

GPS - there's no fix for it.  In fact, part of ASUS's statement admitted to the TFP having GPS issues and it not being a "professional" GPS device.  They admitted to removing the GPS specification from their site and marketing.  They said the all metal back plate is the cause of the issue.  There was a firmware over the air (OTA) update that was just sent out.  It helped with some people's GPS by automatically enabling wifi whenever someone used the GPS.  I believe it did help some people get satellite locks where before they could not get any locks.  It's still shaky in that it doesn't stay locked for any definite amount of time.

The news of ICS being released for the TFP on 1/12/12 is great news.  I'll be keeping up to see what it does for the Prime.
 
Asus' UX21/UX31 Ultrabooks (similar external materials) were also plagued with a myriad of issues with their WiFi. I'm wondering if these all-metal bodies are more of an issue with interference (notice that for the iPad 2's with 3G, they have a plastic area that covers where the antenna is).

I've decided that the Prime may not be for me. I will probably go with a 7" tablet and just use my ultrabook for keyboardy things.

I barely use my original TF anymore and that has more to do with the form factor because I use the ubook when needing a keyboard and the tablet alone is too big.
 
IHO - so is the form factor of the TF too big because you carry it around and use it at various places and a 7" would be easier to put in a man purse?

Aluminum backs are sleek, cool, sexy, etc.. but if they are going to affect RF for wifi and/or GPS, what's the point?  As you mention, at least Apple had a work around in the plastic logo.  Also, that metal back will scratch easily affecting it's beauty.  And who doesn't have some type of case on their tablet that covers most/all of it anyhow?
 
jvna said:
IHO - so is the form factor of the TF too big because you carry it around and use it at various places and a 7" would be easier to put in a man purse?
I do NOT have a murse! (anymore... I did use to have a fanny pack back in the day... but I actually carried over my shoulder like a messenger back... TMI!!!)

But yes, I like the smaller form factor for portability... I'm big enough where I can fit a 7-8" in my back pocket (<-- waiting for inevitable double entendre).

And really... just for carrying around the house. Anything with a 11" body (not just the screen), you might as well tote around an ultrabook that weighs just as much but has the added benefit of Windows and keyboard.

The 7-8" form factor is reminiscent of a book and I do read a lot on the tablet whether it's an ebook or one of the million websites I visit each day.
 
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