Should I buy the transformer Prime TF201? - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

I am looking to buy the Prime as it was offered as a birthday present, and on the 12th we were set to pick it up but I was warned that there were serious WiFi and Bluetooth problems as well as the original GPS issues. I want it for general use such as browsing, playing games, a bit of word processing and mainly because I just want a tablet. I was offered an iPad 2 as a second option but much prefer everythif about the Prime. I have read Amazon.com reviews and they haven't mentioned Bluetooth issues just the wifi and said it was better than some people say it supposedly is? I was just looking for general pointers including positives and negatives on the Prime Tablet (TF201) and wondering how bad the actual wifi is and if a wifi signal booster on the router at home would solve the issue?
Any help would be much appreciated

Yes you should buy it there is zero problems with any of the Primes ignore any threads that might say otherwise people are just complaining to see themselves type.

I say it is a good buy. My wifi works fine at home and work which are the only places I have tried it. I have only tested Bluetooth and wifi concurrently with a Bluetooth controller and had no issues with either. The wifi on my prime is better than my Droid charge's wifi in fact.
As far as GPS is concerned, I can get locks without wifi though the accuracy is poor compared to my phone, Garmin handheld, and Garmin navigation devices. I have not tested the GPS at any higher rated of speed or over more distance than walking in my front yard so also can't comment on its use for navigational purposes.
I am happy with my prime and have no remorse about the purchase.

Yes, unlike all the people complaining here.... I have found it to be very nice haven't had any issues yet!

Be warned that a good percent of the tablets are defected by some sort of issue. In my case, the WiFi wouldn't work at all but Best Buy is now doing a swapping program for the tablet. I am so happy Best Buy is doing this for me

Be aware that Asus removed the gps from the specs, the metal backplate also affects wifi and bluetooth to a lesser extent. If possible ask for a demo of the features before you buy it.

Buy it! The progress with root and overclocking without even the unlocked bootloader has been amazing. I think we're in for a really awesome, dev-friendly tablet. Don't miss it!

If you don't need reliable GPS and can stay reasonably close to your AP then yes, it is a good choice. But if you want those things then wait and get the 700 which appears to be what we thought we were getting in the first place.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Yes. Absolutely. Just get one that works. I'm ROCKING Out quad core 1600mhz!!!!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

jdbaker82 said:
Yes you should buy it there is zero problems with any of the Primes ignore any threads that might say otherwise people are just complaining to see themselves type.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that's not true is it?

I say go ahead and get it, unless the GPS is a big thing to you
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk while sitting downstairs across the house from the router and streaming music through Pandora

jdbaker82 said:
Yes you should buy it there is zero problems with any of the Primes ignore any threads that might say otherwise people are just complaining to see themselves type.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You forgot the /sarcasm tag at the end.
Reality check: The problems are not as widespread as one might think after looking at the forums here but there is a substantial percentage of chance that you might run into one of several problems. This, ignoring the Wi-Fi and GPS ones, which may or may not be a problem for you depending on your hardware setup around the house and need for a navigation enabled tablet.

It is truly a great product, but there are times when the software does hickup. That is nothing to worry about, because ICS is brand new and is only like 4 devices (officially). Plus we are getting unlocked bootloaders and then will be able to do some pretty amazing things. Ironically, we still can do amazing things, due to having root and being able to overclock. With time software issues will be fixed, as ICS only became available over the air updating 2 days ago. It will be perfect within a month or so.

The magic 8 ball says : too early to tell
Its personal preference, do you ride gnarly wave that's the cutting edge tech of android and have these sort of growing pains or do you play it safe and go with a solid proven device that won't play with any of your files without hacking it , not to mention you selling your soul to a single manufacturer if you go Apple..
That said I'm happy with mine and have little issues and feel my tablet will be future proof for a bit longer then what else is on the market, if you go with the prime prepare yourself for an exchange it seems to be 50/50 on getting a good one and from what i can see here is the people who managed to get good ones love em,myself included , take it FWIW...
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

Related

Mixed Feelings about my Tranformer Prime

This is the first tablet I have purchased but not the first one I have used and I bought it to accompany my Samsung Galaxy S2 and my iPhone but I must confess I am not a big Apple fan.
Why am I happy?
I have a Quad Core tablet
It's shiny and new
It isn't an iPad
loving the keyboard
generally works quite well
Why am I unhappy?
GPS - I wanted fully functional GPS
Exporting video in Movie STudio it causes the TFP to reboot.
Many applicaton crashes including google apps
in hindsight i should of waited for a 3g model
Im hoping ics will be the answer to my prayers and asus provide a 3g add on module but time will tell.
conner said:
This is the first tablet I have purchased but not the first one I have used and I bought it to accompany my Samsung Galaxy S2 and my iPhone but I must confess I am not a big Apple fan.
Why am I happy?
I have a Quad Core tablet
It's shiny and new
It isn't an iPad
loving the keyboard
generally works quite well
Why am I unhappy?
GPS - I wanted fully functional GPS
Exporting video in Movie STudio it causes the TFP to reboot.
Many applicaton crashes including google apps
in hindsight i should of waited for a 3g model
Im hoping ics will be the answer to my prayers and asus provide a 3g add on module but time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there are 10's of threads you could have added your opinion to. But, that said, I think if you're hoping for ICS to magically make the Prime a better option for you, you're going to be disappointed. And I'd not hold out for a "3g add on module"--the 3G version of the Prime will be a completely new, redesigned device.
Sounds like you should return your Prime and wait for something that better meets your needs. And just for the record, I only have one app that routinely crashes on my Prime, and it's problematic on other Honeycomb tablets as well. Otherwise, I've found the Prime to be remarkably stable.
conner said:
This is the first tablet I have purchased but not the first one I have used and I bought it to accompany my Samsung Galaxy S2 and my iPhone but I must confess I am not a big Apple fan.
Why am I happy?
I have a Quad Core tablet
It's shiny and new
It isn't an iPad
loving the keyboard
generally works quite well
Why am I unhappy?
GPS - I wanted fully functional GPS
Exporting video in Movie STudio it causes the TFP to reboot.
Many applicaton crashes including google apps
in hindsight i should of waited for a 3g model
Im hoping ics will be the answer to my prayers and asus provide a 3g add on module but time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ASUS seriously should have waited for ICS until they sold the Prime. The above post is the perfect example of what happens if you rush a generally super nice device with totally crappy software on it...
@OP: Iam sure you will be less sad with ICS
I'm still hoping that Asus will come up with a plastic window solution like the Ipad for its gps problem, they can easily retool the case and fab the plastic insert.
As far as apps go, its not Prime fault. those apps need updating from developers that made them. Google earth works perfectly now as it was just updated the other day. as far as that movie studio goes, I had the same thing happen. I don't like it really. So you can't fault the device from a software standpoint. because that always can be improved. Plus you can expect alot of apps not to be working in ICS because not all apps updated yet to support it. The apps are getting there but alot still out there that needs ICS support.
The GPS issue I can understand. You can bet though that 3g version will be at a minimum $100 more plus you will be tied into a massive data plan which requires a premium extra fee because its a tablet. Prime is still a Good choice. even without GPS working.
I've had my for three days now. I'm deciding if I'm going to return mine or not.
Pros:
Screen and brightness is second to none. Super IPS actually hurts my eyes. Marvelous.
Wifi works fine for me. Mostly like my OG ipad
Camera quality is great. Video and pictures great.
Games like Riptide and Madden play super.
Flash websites like HBO go.com work great compare to OG Transformer that I owned.
I like the when you correct a word it zooms in on the area without a circle.
Kind of fun to hold. So very thin.
Having 64gb thanks to my SD card
With volume+ app. Speakers very nice.
Charges fast
Battery life continues to get better
No screen lag for me when transitioning.
ICS coming soon.
Cons:
GPS is brutally awful. Not sure if its a deal breaker.
Bluetooth and wifi don't work together like they should.
Lack of accessories.
Do I feel this is better than the first TF (owned for 6 months)? Yes.
Is it better than the current tablets now out (including I pad 2 wifi to wifi)? Yes.
Will this be the Blackberry Playbook of 2012 (considering major flaws for some)? Decisions. The last thing I want to see in a couple months is TF Prime for 299.00 at BB.
This thing is going for a premium on EBay right now as well.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
I know it might be a matter of, "It's a functionality that should work, end of story..."
But can I ask you what your personal use for GPS is in your particular case? I had a Samsung GT10.1 for 8 months and I used the gps maybe three times. And even then it was locked onto a signal fairly quickly because the used the auto assist wifi signal, and I cannot fathom a usage instance that requires gps without wifi.
Diamondback2010 said:
ASUS seriously should have waited for ICS until they sold the Prime. The above post is the perfect example of what happens if you rush a generally super nice device with totally crappy software on it...
@OP: Iam sure you will be less sad with ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure there are voices on both sides
release first then ice, or wait for pics then release.
for all Ive heard before the release were come on, just release it already, pics, hc I don't care.
and not everyone start saying they should wait till pics to release it. tough crowd
It's the current battle of selling points with iCS, gps and 3/4g being the main contenders. Any new tablet that does not feature these will suffer from lackluster sales, imo.
irishtexmex said:
I know it might be a matter of, "It's a functionality that should work, end of story..."
But can I ask you what your personal use for GPS is in your particular case? I had a Samsung GT10.1 for 8 months and I used the gps maybe three times. And even then it was locked onto a signal fairly quickly because the used the auto assist wifi signal, and I cannot fathom a usage instance that requires gps without wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought this as a work device/toy. At the moment I don't know what I want to use GPS for but I just want my tablet to do what it says it should do on the tin. I don't like Apple but they seem to have set the bar really high and the iPad pretty much does what it says it will do.
I understand what you are saying and it may turn out that I never need it but I paid for it and would at least like the choice to not use it rather than not use it because of an Asus major design flaw.
To add to the list of cons it reboots every morning whether it has been charged or not.
Why wasn't this added to the rest of the gripe threads? Nothing stated here that hadn't already been a rebeating of the dust that used to be the skeleton of the dead horse.
I think we all get it. People always strive to get somethng, then when they get it, they want more.. some more than others.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Course charting in a boat using Navionics software for one. Saved me thousands on a marine gps unit and I'm using a very old Ipad for it now.
I don't expect everyone would do this, but Come'on these statements like, "I never used gps so I don't know why anyone else would", just expose your lack of imagination.
my 2 cents:
Of the 3 tablets I now own...the tf101, ipad 1, and the prime...the prime easily wins the day. Its the best tablet I have ever used.
There are a few niggles.
1. The tf101 has the best wifi of the three. The prime and the ipad 1 score exactly the same in my testing for wifi performance....which is good enough for me. Not sure why people are griping about wifi so much while mine is par or better than the ipad 1...at 50+ feet and 4 walls from my router I still get 3-4 Mbps. Netflix, etc streams beautifully from the farthest corners in my house.
I don't often bother with bluetooth on my android tablets so I have yet to test this.
2. I rarely use my tablets for GPS so this is not a deal breaker for me. I have an offline GPS system anyway that does not require live data connection which I prefer on the road. I have yet to test the prime GPS...right now GMAPS snaps up my location using IP address I imagine.
After that this tablet plays high profile 1080p mkv files both from my network and from the sdcard without a hitch, has a GORGEOUS display, slim, light, has great battery life and runs honeycomb better than any tablet out there (I've fiddled with just about all of them). ICS will be the icing on the cake.
Sometimes these forums can turn us into quibblers. I never would have noticed the issues raised here on my typical usage of the prime or any of my tablets. For example, I never knew the TF101 has such great wifi performance compared to the Ipad 1 until I tested it because of this forum. The ipad always seemed just fine to me and so does the prime....and really thats all that matters.
conner said:
I bought this as a work device/toy. At the moment I don't know what I want to use GPS for but I just want my tablet to do what it says it should do on the tin. I don't like Apple but they seem to have set the bar really high and the iPad pretty much does what it says it will do.
I understand what you are saying and it may turn out that I never need it but I paid for it and would at least like the choice to not use it rather than not use it because of an Asus major design flaw.
To add to the list of cons it reboots every morning whether it has been charged or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In all likelihood it sounds as if the assisted GPS will serve your purposes just fine then. I really do not understand why anyone thought this tablet was going to be a Garmin. I also thought (and suppose I am or could be worng), that this was always advertised as aGPS. GPS does work when it is assisted by wifi, and it works pretty well when it's not. I wouldn't rely on it to drive, but I don't know why anyone would rely on anything other than a dedicated GPS to navigate - I certainly never take off on my bicycle to place unknown with just my phone, I always have my Garmin. If someone needs to navigate then they need to buy a dangerous Garmin and not think they "Got lucky" and scored a $500 tablet that allows included a real GPS that costs at least $100+ app on it's own.
Anyway.....the rebooting thing sounds like a real pain.. Mine has never reboot randomly. You say it happens in the morning, and I wonder what the culprit could Be? Are you powering it up and then it reboots or waking it Up? I wonder if it's an app.
slugbug2010 said:
Anyway.....the rebooting thing sounds like a real pain.. Mine has never reboot randomly. You say it happens in the morning, and I wonder what the culprit could Be? Are you powering it up and then it reboots or waking it Up? I wonder if it's an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It reboots after waking up. I have no plans to give up on the TFP at the moment and I' will persist to iron out as much as I can. I will post any findings.
tdp252 said:
Course charting in a boat using Navionics software for one. Saved me thousands on a marine gps unit and I'm using a very old Ipad for it now.
I don't expect everyone would do this, but Come'on these statements like, "I never used gps so I don't know why anyone else would", just expose your lack of imagination.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am going to use marine apps as well. Do you guys think if you have a GPS lock the Prime will keep it because the speed of a sailboat is not too fast?
Accuracy doesn`t really matter.
My phone with google navigation is perfect as a GPS, I don't need something four times bigger that won't ever fit anywhere on my car and won't charge on the car adaptator.
aGPS is more than enough for me.
conner said:
It reboots after waking up. I have no plans to give up on the TFP at the moment and I' will persist to iron out as much as I can. I will post any findings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like an app issue, did you notice it happening after installing anything in particular?
gabsi55 said:
I am going to use marine apps as well. Do you guys think if you have a GPS lock the Prime will keep it because the speed of a sailboat is not too fast?
Accuracy doesn`t really matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you will have better luck than me. But, my Prime couldn't keep a lock, motionless, in the same orientation and location. The GPS just seemed to lose everything and started searching again, for no reason. That was a deal killer for me. If Asus had offered to fix this one problem, it would have been a real keeper! Instead the way they handled it just made me lose all confidence in their ability to support a quality product.
Be prepared to hear that you shouldn't expect GPS to work but that's no problem, and why would you want to use it on a tablet anyway? It would appear that most happy Prime users don't get out much or realize that an automobile is not the only use for GPS!
adiliyo said:
sounds like an app issue, did you notice it happening after installing anything in particular?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the time I got round to editing and exporting a movie I had already installed all my fav appz. I'll start first with removing the MXvideo player

Do you think ASUS knew about the GPS WiFi issues prior to release

Is it just me or does anyone else think that ASUS knew about the GPS WiFi issues prior to release and just thought
You know what lets take a chance and release it anyway
My thoughts round this are more believable now the TF700 has been announced and physically shown.
How long does it take ASUS to build a fully finished and working TF700 ?
a week ?
a month ?
This has been on display at CES
Now the Prime has only been on sale worldwide for a few weeks
So why would they totally redesign the back of the TF700 if they weren't aware of any issues with the GPS / WiFi etc. with the Prime
Sounds fishy to me
If it aint broke why all of a sudden fix it !!
Does anyone else agree here or is it me just thinking about the whole fiasco too much.
Dean
(ex-Prime owner, returned due to pretty pointless feature of GPS on prime that I paid for but didn't receive)
Again, not everyone has a wifi problem. For instance, my wifi works great.
Again, the TF700 is a different product aimed at people who want the best. It's their high-end model. The TF201 is the middle of the road and cheaper for it.
_Gir_ said:
Again, not everyone has a wi fi problem. For instance, my wifi works great.
Again, the TF700 is a different product aimed at people who want the best. It's their high-end model. The TF201 is the middle of the road and cheaper for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can appreciate your comment on Just Wifi, but the GPS is pretty much an issue on all Primes (i.e No GPS without Wifi - pointless GPS solution)
But Why redesign the Beautiful Spun Aluminium Back from the Prime with a Plastic window on the new TF700 if they didn't think there was a problem with the Primes Design.
jester27 said:
I can appreciate your comment on Just Wifi, but the GPS is pretty much an issue on all Primes (i.e No GPS without Wifi - pointless GPS solution)
But Why redesign the Beautiful Spun Aluminium Back from the Prime with a Plastic window on the new TF700 if they didn't think there was a problem with the Primes Design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OG prime was highlighted for wifi problems back in November which would allow more than enough time to make one prototype.
Agreed
So don't you think ASUS would have held off releasing the prime being as they probably knew what they were letting themselves in for
Sent from my LG-P920 using xda premium
Everyone has the same issue, not everyone notices or or has the same wifi situation. We're talking about physics. Your prime doesn't alter the physical properties of aluminum.
Did they know? Absolutely. Did they gamble on early adopters? You bet.
The proof should be either in the driver configs on our primes or in the fcc certification application.
You'll find it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
jptech said:
Everyone has the same issue, not everyone notices or or has the same wifi situation. We're talking about physics. Your prime doesn't alter the physical properties of aluminum.
Did they know? Absolutely. Did they gamble on early adopters? You bet.
The proof should be either in the driver configs on our primes or in the fcc certification application.
You'll find it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
I just think we have been cheated by asus
Removing the spec from the website mid ship
To stop new buyers from having the right to complain
And to rub salt in bringing a new fixed prime out so soon
I could accept that after a few months
But hell they haven't even fulfilled this order yet!
Sent from my LG-P920 using xda premium
Do you think ASUS knew about the GPS WiFi issues prior to release?
100% for sure
jester27 said:
Is it just me or does anyone else think that ASUS knew about the GPS WiFi issues prior to release and just thought
You know what lets take a chance and release it anyway
My thoughts round this are more believable now the TF700 has been announced and physically shown.
How long does it take ASUS to build a fully finished and working TF700 ?
a week ?
a month ?
This has been on display at CES
Now the Prime has only been on sale worldwide for a few weeks
So why would they totally redesign the back of the TF700 if they weren't aware of any issues with the GPS / WiFi etc. with the Prime
Sounds fishy to me
If it aint broke why all of a sudden fix it !!
Does anyone else agree here or is it me just thinking about the whole fiasco too much.
Dean
(ex-Prime owner, returned due to pretty pointless feature of GPS on prime that I paid for but didn't receive)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they knew about it and yes they shipped them out anyway just like any business they just want to make money and took their chances I don't know how well it's paying off for them.
Non-conspiracy theory reason for different backplate: 3G version planned, which requires an RF window.
My HTC Desire HD is pure Aluminum back and inside a case mate tough case never had any problems with GPS that Fasterfix from the market didn't fix. I am rooted on my Prime now on ICS with Prime Time just got my Prime today as well so haven't properly tested GPS. If any issues I will be trying out Fasterfix and setting it on UK pool as that's my location and seeing if it improves in any way.
Might be worth others giving Fasterfix a go too if your rooted.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
The DHD doesent hade å solid aluminium back in got three plastic pieces for the antennas the GPS antenna is located under the led flash
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
ASUS certainly knew about the problem and went ahead anyway. Many posters here explain why; "my $500+ plus tablet does not function the way I expected it to but it's still awesome and I didn't need those features I paid handsomely for anyway...and so on and so forth". Too many rationlizations for a subpar device.
It's even more scary to think ASUS DIDN'T know about the problem. If that's the case they need to get out of the business.
Maybe not before release but for sure before they told us about it. It is clear from the new uglier, more functional design of the 1080p tablet they announced and apparently have built.
I still want to see a gps test with the back removed before making a final judgement on Asus statement about it.
Im getting an instant GPS fix with Fasterfix.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
ToneyEricsson said:
Im getting an instant GPS fix with Fasterfix.
That's an AGPS application that uses wifi to help isn't it? Won't help you without wifi I think.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That uses AGPS does it not?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
The prime.behaves pretty normal GPS wise. IMHO. I don't have one yet but every device with agps has some problems when not connected to wifi/3g. Its the same with my dhd when i don't have a signal. But phones usually have a signal to assist GPS.
Most wifi only devices don't have GPS at all because of that. I think its cool asus put it in anyway. If you didn't knew that before the purchase and are unhappy because of that return in it. What's the big deal?
They knew but GPS was not their primary design goal! If you want that functionality use your phone or buy a standalone GPS! The ipad 2 wifi model doesn't have GPS either!
There goal was to give you a slim light tablet and be the first to the market with a quad core! With an exceptional battery life! (GPS slaughters battery life BTW!)
Remember you get to chose 2 good cheap or fast!
Asus seems to have chosen cheap+ fast!
Apple on all their products chooses good twice as their products come out almost 6-12 months after other. Equvilant products but they do not have issues at all! But you pay up the butt for them!
But remember its better to buy something that does one task perfectly (a garmin) then buy something that does multiple tasks well (the prime!) stop *****ing!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Wordlywisewiz said:
They knew but GPS was not their primary design goal! If you want that functionality use your phone or buy a standalone GPS! The ipad 2 wifi model doesn't have GPS either!
There goal was to give you a slim light tablet and be the first to the market with a quad core! With an exceptional battery life! (GPS slaughters battery life BTW!)
Remember you get to chose 2 good cheap or fast!
Asus seems to have chosen cheap+ fast!
Apple on all their products chooses good twice as their products come out almost 6-12 months after other. Equvilant products but they do not have issues at all! But you pay up the butt for them!
But remember its better to buy something that does one task perfectly (a garmin) then buy something that does multiple tasks well (the prime!) stop *****ing!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what do you have to say about the poor WiFi performance? Was that also not a "primary design goal" for their WiFi only tablet?
The original transformer, which I owned, did quite well with GPS. I don't know why we take a mistake from ASUS, giving us less functionality than the earlier model, so lightly. The idea that a manufacturer can toy with the spec's of a product AFTER they start selling it and not get called out for it is a dangerous precedent.

Getting either a transformer or a transformer prime soon? Not really! :(

So I've been patiently waiting for income tax money to get a new tablet, been reading a lot between the tf101 and the tf201 and I want a tablet that will have good development, I know the prime is too new and it has his fair share of issues including wifi and GPS, I can care less about GPS but I need wifi so as long as I can get a decent wifi signal so I can seat in my couch or my bed and pickup my wifi I'll be good, now the light bleeding from what the videos I've seen on YouTube wouldn't be a big problem but I don't know if I would be able to deal with dead pixels, now to my question , is there anyone that upgraded to the prime from the transformer and do you feel like it was a mayor upgrade or do you think the original is still a mayor contender? Is a $100 difference so is not that much of a difference in price, but from reading how Asus might have released it prematurely makes me wonder if I should go for the older more stable with more development transformer tf101.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
The Tegra 2 in the original is ancient. Considering how fast the mobile market moves, it is like buying a Pentium 4 for a new desktop. The Tegra 3 is three times as fast between the CPU/GPU- ready for 2012.
With that said, with a Prime you go in expecting to deal with a dead GPS and weak wifi range. It is the trade-off for a modern amount of power.
My only personal issue was slower wifi in my bedroom (the edge of my network), but I love my Prime so much my solution was just to upgrade my router (Cisco e4200, best 2.4GHz consumer router on the market). Now it works great.
poofyhairguy said:
The Tegra 2 in the original is ancient. Considering how fast the mobile market moves, it is like buying a Pentium 4 for a new desktop. The Tegra 3 is three times as fast between the CPU/GPU- ready for 2012.
With that said, with a Prime you go in expecting to deal with a dead GPS and weak wifi range. It is the trade-off for a modern amount of power.
My only personal issue was slower wifi in my bedroom (the edge of my network), but I love my Prime so much my solution was just to upgrade my router (Cisco e4200, best 2.4GHz consumer router on the market). Now it works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I'm probably getting it and if those are my only issues(wifi/GPS) then everything will be great, just hope the development here will grow soon and increase the choices of roms and stuff.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
i understand your concern. i bought mine less than two weeks ago from best buy with my income tax. trust me spend the money. its worth it. maybe even spring for an extended warranty.
1SiK1500 said:
i understand your concern. i bought mine less than two weeks ago from best buy with my income tax. trust me spend the money. its worth it. maybe even spring for an extended warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the extended warranty sounds like a good idea, thanks.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
I'd say the OG TF101 has much faster WiFi speed as range from the access point increases, the Prime is thinner and lighter, and can be purchased with higher storage capacity.
If WiFi speed is the most important get a OG. If GPS is the most important get neither IMHO but def' not the Prime.
I would personally say getting a Tegra 2 now, would be like getting a Core 2 Duo instead of an Core i[357]. Now the Wayne and Grey based Tegra chips expected later this year....those will make a Tegra 2 look like a Pentium 4 versus an i7, if wikipedia is to be believed.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Spidey01 said:
I'd say the OG TF101 has much faster WiFi speed as range from the access point increases, the Prime is thinner and lighter, and can be purchased with higher storage capacity.
If WiFi speed is the most important get a OG. If GPS is the most important get neither IMHO but def' not the Prime.
I would personally say getting a Tegra 2 now, would be like getting a Core 2 Duo instead of an Core i[357]. Now the Wayne and Grey based Tegra chips expected later this year....those will make a Tegra 2 look like a Pentium 4 versus an i7, if wikipedia is to be believed.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what your saying, and I don't care about GPS, I just want to make sure I get a somewhat solid tablet, as long as I can get wifi from like 5 feet from my router in my living room I won't complain, and I guess the other issues with light bleed and dead pixels is all luck, and there's rooting and recovery here for it, wish there was some custom honeycomb roms to play with like the revolver or krakd roms for the tf101, hopefully we'll see some development picking up for the prime soon, gonna see about swinging by best buy and testing one out while I wait for my tax money so I can just go buy the one I decide to go for when the money comes.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
While some say GPS is no big deal, look at the amount of whining about it. I want it for alot of reasons. It automatically updates weather to the location, etc.
I purchased mine Less than two weeks ago from Best Buy. I have NO GPS at all. mine is a BCOKAS134452 serial number. My wifi isnt that bad actualy but i feel it is lacking when compared to my rooted nook color. I will try to open mine tonight and make one mod to see if it improves, if not, it goes back tomorrow.
Im not going to exchange it. Im going to return it receive my FULL refund. Then Re-purchase another unit so i have ANOTHER 2 weeks, incase there are issues.
While some may not find this right. I have noticed some people have major issues 3 or 4 weeks after purchase. That is what worries me. Just my .02$
Now you know about some of the issues affecting some users. Now check out the link in my signature. The positive transformer thread. That'll put things into perspective. GPS is a widespread issue although some peoples do work. As far as wifi, this a very limited issue. Just check out the link n the vast number of different users posted in there n you will see a flipside. Which is what I'm on..lol wifi works great on mines
demandarin said:
Now you know about some of the issues affecting some users. Now check out the link in my signature. The positive transformer thread. That'll put things into perspective. GPS is a widespread issue although some peoples do work. As far as wifi, this a very limited issue. Just check out the link n the vast number of different users posted in there n you will see a flipside. Which is what I'm on..lol wifi works great on mines
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks it looks like there's a lot of people very happy with theirs in that thread, definitely looking forward to having one.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
roloracer said:
I see what your saying, and I don't care about GPS, I just want to make sure I get a somewhat solid tablet, as long as I can get wifi from like 5 feet from my router in my living room I won't complain, and I guess the other issues with light bleed and dead pixels is all luck, and there's rooting and recovery here for it, wish there was some custom honeycomb roms to play with like the revolver or krakd roms for the tf101, hopefully we'll see some development picking up for the prime soon, gonna see about swinging by best buy and testing one out while I wait for my tax money so I can just go buy the one I decide to go for when the money comes.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMHO light bleed and dead pixels are a quality control and shipping issue. It's also the most common ground for trouble between both tablets.
One thing that alarmed me... while my TF101 fresh out of Microcenter was great: my Prime off eBay had a batch of wtfixels on the far left side and I was afraid that I may have to RMA. By the time I completed the initial setup stuff with my Google Account it went away and the pixels are fine in use.
I do consider the TF101 a better quality tablet but really, unless you do have hair pulling issues with wifi/gps, Prime is fine. I also think the sites more or less calling the Prime like the top or the most powerful tablet of the year are also correct enough. It just doesn't have a deluded cult preaching it's perfection.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Spidey01 said:
IMHO light bleed and dead pixels are a quality control and shipping issue. It's also the most common ground for trouble between both tablets.
One thing that alarmed me... while my TF101 fresh out of Microcenter was great: my Prime off eBay had a batch of wtfixels on the far left side and I was afraid that I may have to RMA. By the time I completed the initial setup stuff with my Google Account it went away and the pixels are fine in use.
I do consider the TF101 a better quality tablet but really, unless you do have hair pulling issues with wifi/gps, Prime is fine. I also think the sites more or less calling the Prime like the top or the most powerful tablet of the year are also correct enough. It just doesn't have a deluded cult preaching it's perfection.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input, I had originally thought about the tf101 because of how good is said to be for the price, but I changed my mind thanks to all of you guys and also from browsing thru the positive thread, I'm definitely getting the prime, can't wait for the income tax money to get here, it should be about another week.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
Transformer prime is way better than the original transformer
Go for tf-201
So I'm still waiting for my tax money that should be here by the end of this week, by now I'm disappointed to say no prime for me, I've spend lots of time in the background here just reading negative posts and searching online and reading about rumors of discontinuation of the prime, whether is true or not, I think I'm gonna be patient and wait a bit to see what happens in the next couple of months, Acer is said to be the next one to have a tegra3 tablet, who knows who else throws one out next, and hopefully the tf700 doesn't take too long, oh well as much as is killing me to buy a tablet, I don't want to go backwards to the tf101 to feel I got a solid tablet, I want to feel about a tablet like I feel about my HTC hd2 , that is a solid device. I guess well see.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
jassari said:
Transformer prime is way better than the original transformer
Go for tf-201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1....ATP RULES...see decline prices on ipad 2, no match for ATP.
roloracer said:
So I'm still waiting for my tax money that should be here by the end of this week, by now I'm disappointed to say no prime for me, I've spend lots of time in the background here just reading negative posts and searching online and reading about rumors of discontinuation of the prime, whether is true or not, I think I'm gonna be patient and wait a bit to see what happens in the next couple of months, Acer is said to be the next one to have a tegra3 tablet, who knows who else throws one out next, and hopefully the tf700 doesn't take too long, oh well as much as is killing me to buy a tablet, I don't want to go backwards to the tf101 to feel I got a solid tablet, I want to feel about a tablet like I feel about my HTC hd2 , that is a solid device. I guess well see.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's the thing bro....while you're waiting, buy a prime to play with. Most likely you will love it and keep it but guess what if you don't like it you can just return it like so many people have or are at least threatening to. At least you have something to do while you wait. That's my opinion but instead of the buzz kill threads just man up and go buy one see how great it is.
ryanbmw51 said:
Here's the thing bro....while you're waiting, buy a prime to play with. Most likely you will love it and keep it but guess what if you don't like it you can just return it like so many people have or are at least threatening to. At least you have something to do while you wait. That's my opinion but instead of the buzz kill threads just man up and go buy one see how great it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree. You can doo eeet!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
roloracer said:
the extended warranty sounds like a good idea, thanks.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read an article stating that less than 5% of extended warranties are ever used. Something to think about.
GPS is NOT a feature of the Transformer Prime. Anyone who brings it up anymore are doing so because it was a feature, but they bring it up because it was then removed. You don't buy a tablet for gps, you buy a gps. The GPS module and antenna are crap in the Prime. You would crap get signal and accuracy even if it did work properly.
For example, you don't buy a PS3 anymore for the ability to install Linux or PS2 backwards compatibility. Why? They removed those features.
Thee major problem of the weak wifi is the fact that one of the antennas is not actually connected properly in some of the old and new Primes. This is a reason to not buy the Prime.
slayvus said:
GPS is NOT a feature of the Transformer Prime. Anyone who brings it up anymore are doing so because it was a feature, but they bring it up because it was then removed. You don't buy a tablet for gps, you buy a gps. The GPS module and antenna are crap in the Prime. You would crap get signal and accuracy even if it did work properly.
For example, you don't buy a PS3 anymore for the ability to install Linux or PS2 backwards compatibility. Why? They removed those features.
Thee major problem of the weak wifi is the fact that one of the antennas is not actually connected properly in some of the old and new Primes. This is a reason to not buy the Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I said in OP that I could care less about GPS working, but wifi is a big thing for me.
My money came into my account yesterday, not sure but I might pick one up from best buy, play with it and decide what to do before the 14 day return period ends.
Sent from my CM9 NexusHD2

Its all about the numbers

This is my theory...
Kindle Fire sold one million units every week since December. Lets assume that Asus has ONLY sold one million TFP's.
Everyone, even fan-boys, will agree Asus has issues with TFP.
To do a total recall of the TFP's, at $30 a pop, would cost Asus $30 Million.
Based on the XDA polls, somewhere around 70% of the customer base is willing to live with whatever issues the TFP has.
Out of the remaining 30%, a certain portion will never be completely happy and have a bad taste in their mouth regardless of what happens. Not worth trying to satisfy everyone.
Dropping GPS from the specs is a beginning. WTF does "not a professional GPS device" mean anyway? I doubt anyone was planning on using the TFP to climb Mt Everest. Reality is you can't find a local pizza place or geo-code your photos/videos.
For the screen bleed issues, they can clamp down on QC. Which they have apparently done. There are still QC issues, but not like the early adopters had.
After dropping GPS, there remains BT/Wifi hardware issues. At least 70% of their customers will accept weak WiFi and BT issues. For the balance, offer lip-service and OTA firmware updates. Dedicate a person to do damage control, which is a pitance compared to a recall.
For the diehards, who didn't return the TFP and are very vocal, offer exchanges. Even if nothing is fixed. Its still far cheaper than doing a total recall.
Stop selling the defective tablet after supplier contracts run out, and sell the improved tablet.
Just a theory.
Nothing wrong with that. A good theory. Things are going to change for better with prime. Have a good feeling about it. Be ready for .14 update.
The percentage of owners that doesn't accept the FACT that Asus came out with a sub-standard product with little or no QC
This is because many people that didnt like it, just didn't keep it.
Fanboys need to understand that GPS is a promised feature, regardless of what it does. Hell , if they list a snow blower on the box, I should expect to a blow some snow.
Many people, myself included, use tablet navigation for road trips, where their "copilot" plans the route.
*Downplaying the issues just puts all TFP owners at a disadvantage.*
What would you do if the power company cut off power during the day, saying that daylight is enough for your needs, and telling you that it doesn't think you live in a mine?
Bad production and a response that is even worse, IS what keeps my tablet of choice, out of my hands. I'll remain with the iSheep for now
wirelessFREAK said:
I take issue with 2 of your points:
1st- The percentage of owners that doesn't accept the FACT that Asus came out with a sub-standard product with little or no QC
This is because many people that didnt like it, just didn't keep it.
2nd- GPS is a promised feature, regardless of what it does. Hell , if they list a snow blower on the box, I should expect to a blow some snow.
Many people, myself included, use tablet navigation for road trips, where their "copilot" planes the route.
*Downplaying the issues just puts you and other TFP owners at a disadvantage.*
What would you do if the power company cut off power during the day, saying that daylight is enough for your needs, and telling you that it doesn't think you live in a mine?
<points to your mountain climbing comment>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's one problem with your argument, the purpose of snow blower is to blow slow, but tablets aren't typically used for GPS. I understand that some people do it, but its a relatively small number of people. And let s say the GPS is completely dysfunctional, Asus still managed to stuff a quad core, 1gb ram, gorgeous display into a very thin case, to selling it for 100 dollars cheaper than the competition, including 35 million ipads wifi out there which doesn't even have the GPS chip.
You can say that they are too ambitious trying to integrate the GPS into a metal case device, a task even apple had to give up, but I doubt its ever their intention to include a questionable gps in the prime. So all I'm trying to say is, give they some credit. Obviously if GPS is very important for you, return the prime, and wait for something else.
Asus may have rushed the release of prime, but just think about what would've happened if they didn't : no second generation android tablets before the release the ipad3!!
And GPS is only working in special circumstances. Inhouse is not functional. I use the Quadcore + NinjaCore much more than i would ever use GPS. I watch much more Videos indoor than i'm using my prime outside of my apartment. I read more comics than ever since i have my Prime.
I really doubt that "many people" use their Prime for navigation. Even for this you can use your phone or a external gps device for the signal...
My Prime is RMA atm. Don't believe they will fix GPS but one can hope.
Pic of TF201 in my vehicle. Haven't figured out how to get Velcro to swivel so the passenger can see
i emailed asus saying that if they did not withdraw there threat to end my warenty for trying to fix the issues that can be fixed with custom roms then i would just return it over and over untill they sent me one without problems i suggest every person who own a tfp to do the same IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WANT ASUS TO DO THE RIGHT THING THEN EMAIL THEM AND THREATEN TO START SENDING UR TRANSFORMER PRIME BACK OVER AND OVER UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT
For all of you non believers i got a replacement one without GPS listed on the box with the blue cleaning cloth.. It's c1okas161xxx the GPS even works indoors of course it is weak but it gets a lock indoors with slightly less signal then my evo 3d they appear to have fixed something!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
foxtrot16m said:
i emailed asus saying that if they did not withdraw there threat to end my warenty for trying to fix the issues that can be fixed with custom roms then i would just return it over and over untill they sent me one without problems i suggest every person who own a tfp to do the same IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WANT ASUS TO DO THE RIGHT THING THEN EMAIL THEM AND THREATEN TO START SENDING UR TRANSFORMER PRIME BACK OVER AND OVER UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Threatening them won't do anything. If you want to exchange just do it. Adding threats along with it does nothing.
Wordlywisewiz said:
For all of you non believers i got a replacement one without GPS listed on the box with the blue cleaning cloth.. It's c1okas161xxx the GPS even works indoors of course it is weak but it gets a lock indoors with slightly less signal then my evo 3d they appear to have fixed something!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you learned your lesson now on messing around with system/root files...lmfao. now you got a good one. Don't mess it up
I have never seen Amazon say how many Fire's they have sold.
Evo_Shift said:
I have never seen Amazon say how many Fire's they have sold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its an estimate.
http://www.isuppli.com/Display-Mate...e-Fourth-Quarter-Tablet-Market-Was-Apple.aspx
wirelessFREAK said:
The percentage of owners that doesn't accept the FACT that Asus came out with a sub-standard product with little or no QC
This is because many people that didnt like it, just didn't keep it.
Fanboys need to understand that GPS is a promised feature, regardless of what it does. Hell , if they list a snow blower on the box, I should expect to a blow some snow.
Many people, myself included, use tablet navigation for road trips, where their "copilot" plans the route.
*Downplaying the issues just puts all TFP owners at a disadvantage.*
What would you do if the power company cut off power during the day, saying that daylight is enough for your needs, and telling you that it doesn't think you live in a mine?
Bad production and a response that is even worse, IS what keeps my tablet of choice, out of my hands. I'll remain with the iSheep for now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device works fine, same for my brother, so I'm not sure about the substandard, as our TF prime met and exceeded some of our expecation.
demandarin said:
Threatening them won't do anything. If you want to exchange just do it. Adding threats along with it does nothing.
I know you learned your lesson now on messing around with system/root files...lmfao. now you got a good one. Don't mess it up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately its not a good one... Their is dust under the screen... And quite a few dead pixels... They should have taken it out of the plastic screen protector when they examined it... But anyways new one should be around the the week of the 27th
I am hoping it will be later so I can decide if I like something better at wmc
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Blue cloth, huh?
Wordlywisewiz said:
For all of you non believers i got a replacement one without GPS listed on the box with the blue cleaning cloth.. It's c1okas161xxx the GPS even works indoors of course it is weak but it gets a lock indoors with slightly less signal then my evo 3d they appear to have fixed something!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange, all the early reviewer units and video unboxings had that blue cloth. Must have run out of black, LOL! Results are still mixed though, where GPS is concerned. I will be super happy if they ever get it to work, and I have really only that one deficiency/complaint. Mine is a replacement C1OKAS11x, so earlier than yours, but had no GPS at all at first, and still can only get views/occasional locks when outdoors only. Sigh.
What's with the revival of the BLUE CLOTH??? Does it mean BLUE CLOTH=GOOD GPS???
My only question is, is it double the size of the black; we had a post a week ago with the huge, oversized cleaning cloth of goodness, but he never said what the color was.
Let's all return our Primes and demand new ones with Blue Cloths... Start the Petitions, Gt the Facebook BLACK CLOTH HATE CAMPAIGN started! Okay. stopping now.
Same size as the black one...
I know for a fact the prime is made at different places as they have one company box and package the primes they are okas-tech.com they basically handle the whole manufacturing process which means they hire other people to assemble the prime... So maybe they are from different lines
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
I figure I have only a few legitimate choices if I'm in the market for a new tablet today:
1. Buy an iPad 2, which has no GPS chip at all.
2. Buy one of the other popular Android-based (but limited) tablets, the Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet, neither of which have GPS chips.
3. Buy a Tegra 2 or other last-gen Android tablet with likely fully functional GPS.
4. Buy the Prime.
#1 isn't an option for me because I simply don't want to buy an Apple product. #2 isn't an option for me because I don't want such a generally limited device. I already have a TF101, so if I were satisfied with #3 I wouldn't have to do a thing. That leaves #4.
Note that my decision here is NOT influenced by the quality (or existence) of a device's GPS functionality. If I were looking to use a tablet as a navigation device, I'd just stick with my TF101. Thing is, I never used GPS on my TF101--not a single time. It was turned off pretty much from day 1.
This is why I think the GPS thing has been way overblown. It's hard to argue that GPS on a 10" tablet is important to the market when the two dominant products--the iPad 2 and the Kindle Fire--don't have GPS chips at all. Clearly, most people don't care about it. I don't see why anyone should assume that the majority of Android tablet purchasers would be different.
As far as wifi and wifi/BT goes, either wifi works for a person or it doesn't. Worrying about how strong wifi is and what range it has is entirely theoretical UNTIL one runs into a situation where it doesn't work. I have a feeling that the vast majority of people who buy a Prime will never run into that theoretical limit and will be perfectly happy with theirs. And when I say "perfectly happy," I mean exactly that--as long as a person doesn't run into that situation where wifi isn't strong enough to function, then they'll be oblivious to any wifi limitations.
Finally, I'm pretty convinced that the wifi/BT thing isn't at all unique to the Prime. I can't surf the Web while streaming music to my Bluetooth headphones on my Epic 4G Touch any better than I can on the Prime. My TF101 is only marginally better at it. So, that doesn't matter to me either.
I suppose this entire post is aimed at people who insist on telling those who are happy with their Primes that they're either lying to themselves, ignorant, or pure fanboys. The other explanation is that they find the positives of the Prime--excellent performance, great size/weight, super-bright screen--to outweigh the negatives that for many people are only theoretical anyways.
All I know is that I can use my Prime outside under the SoCal sun. My TF101 sure can't do that, and I believe no other tablet currently on the market can. So, for me, the GPS that I never used on my TF101 and the under-performing wifi that works perfectly for my needs just don't outweigh what is the most important use-case for me.
wynand32 said:
I figure I have only a few legitimate choices if I'm in the market for a new tablet today:
1. Buy an iPad 2, which has no GPS chip at all.
2. Buy one of the other popular Android-based (but limited) tablets, the Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet, neither of which have GPS chips.
3. Buy a Tegra 2 or other last-gen Android tablet with likely fully functional GPS.
4. Buy the Prime.
#1 isn't an option for me because I simply don't want to buy an Apple product. #2 isn't an option for me because I don't want such a generally limited device. I already have a TF101, so if I were satisfied with #3 I wouldn't have to do a thing. That leaves #4.
Note that my decision here is NOT influenced by the quality (or existence) of a device's GPS functionality. If I were looking to use a tablet as a navigation device, I'd just stick with my TF101. Thing is, I never used GPS on my TF101--not a single time. It was turned off pretty much from day 1.
This is why I think the GPS thing has been way overblown. It's hard to argue that GPS on a 10" tablet is important to the market when the two dominant products--the iPad 2 and the Kindle Fire--don't have GPS chips at all. Clearly, most people don't care about it. I don't see why anyone should assume that the majority of Android tablet purchasers would be different.
As far as wifi and wifi/BT goes, either wifi works for a person or it doesn't. Worrying about how strong wifi is and what range it has is entirely theoretical UNTIL one runs into a situation where it doesn't work. I have a feeling that the vast majority of people who buy a Prime will never run into that theoretical limit and will be perfectly happy with theirs. And when I say "perfectly happy," I mean exactly that--as long as a person doesn't run into that situation where wifi isn't strong enough to function, then they'll be oblivious to any wifi limitations.
Finally, I'm pretty convinced that the wifi/BT thing isn't at all unique to the Prime. I can't surf the Web while streaming music to my Bluetooth headphones on my Epic 4G Touch any better than I can on the Prime. My TF101 is only marginally better at it. So, that doesn't matter to me either.
I suppose this entire post is aimed at people who insist on telling those who are happy with their Primes that they're either lying to themselves, ignorant, or pure fanboys. The other explanation is that they find the positives of the Prime--excellent performance, great size/weight, super-bright screen--to outweigh the negatives that for many people are only theoretical anyways.
All I know is that I can use my Prime outside under the SoCal sun. My TF101 sure can't do that, and I believe no other tablet currently on the market can. So, for me, the GPS that I never used on my TF101 and the under-performing wifi that works perfectly for my needs just don't outweigh what is the most important use-case for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
acidus. said:
Kindle Fire sold one million units every week since December. Lets assume that Asus has ONLY sold one million TFP's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asus' exposure is far less than "1MM." They sold next to none is December as their tablet sales were down 24% in Q4. In an interview, Jonney Shih said he hopes to "sell 1MM Prime's." So with initial demand of any new device being high, at most I'd guess they've sold (not built) about 200-250K.
wynand32 said:
I figure I have only a few legitimate choices if I'm in the market for a new tablet today:
1. Buy an iPad 2, which has no GPS chip at all.
2. Buy one of the other popular Android-based (but limited) tablets, the Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet, neither of which have GPS chips.
3. Buy a Tegra 2 or other last-gen Android tablet with likely fully functional GPS.
4. Buy the Prime.
#1 isn't an option for me because I simply don't want to buy an Apple product. #2 isn't an option for me because I don't want such a generally limited device. I already have a TF101, so if I were satisfied with #3 I wouldn't have to do a thing. That leaves #4.
Note that my decision here is NOT influenced by the quality (or existence) of a device's GPS functionality. If I were looking to use a tablet as a navigation device, I'd just stick with my TF101. Thing is, I never used GPS on my TF101--not a single time. It was turned off pretty much from day 1.
This is why I think the GPS thing has been way overblown. It's hard to argue that GPS on a 10" tablet is important to the market when the two dominant products--the iPad 2 and the Kindle Fire--don't have GPS chips at all. Clearly, most people don't care about it. I don't see why anyone should assume that the majority of Android tablet purchasers would be different.
As far as wifi and wifi/BT goes, either wifi works for a person or it doesn't. Worrying about how strong wifi is and what range it has is entirely theoretical UNTIL one runs into a situation where it doesn't work. I have a feeling that the vast majority of people who buy a Prime will never run into that theoretical limit and will be perfectly happy with theirs. And when I say "perfectly happy," I mean exactly that--as long as a person doesn't run into that situation where wifi isn't strong enough to function, then they'll be oblivious to any wifi limitations.
Finally, I'm pretty convinced that the wifi/BT thing isn't at all unique to the Prime. I can't surf the Web while streaming music to my Bluetooth headphones on my Epic 4G Touch any better than I can on the Prime. My TF101 is only marginally better at it. So, that doesn't matter to me either.
I suppose this entire post is aimed at people who insist on telling those who are happy with their Primes that they're either lying to themselves, ignorant, or pure fanboys. The other explanation is that they find the positives of the Prime--excellent performance, great size/weight, super-bright screen--to outweigh the negatives that for many people are only theoretical anyways.
All I know is that I can use my Prime outside under the SoCal sun. My TF101 sure can't do that, and I believe no other tablet currently on the market can. So, for me, the GPS that I never used on my TF101 and the under-performing wifi that works perfectly for my needs just don't outweigh what is the most important use-case for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very well put.
I have to say, i really dont mind if the TFP doesnt get all too popular^^ All the people I know and showed the prime to are totally blown away by it. I also heard one that said its very similar to the ipad but looks just a bit more "noble".
So i really dont mind if this sexy thing is staying something special. I usually dont care about what the masses think "what's best because i have some very distinct demands to an IT device and the prime is just doing all i need. For example a retina display with insanly high resolution? I dont need that at all. Without glasses on i probably dont even see the difference But the ability to write this post with an full keyboard? The ability to play psx emulator with a real gamepad? And so on and on
So i'm gonna have the perfect device for my needs, and its even gonna stay something very special. I mean everyone has mobile apple devices now, they're as mainstream as it gets...
All i hope for now is some custom development going on when the bootloader gets unlocked and i will be in IT heaven
cheers mates. Hope this wasnt completely off topic

[Q] Have the Prime..Why all the complaints?

I have had my prime for less than a month. My two things that I dont care for on it.
1. I am not a fan of the wireless range. I ordered a Wifi extender that I shall install later this week. Hopefully will fix the range. My older TF101 connected and worked well. My Prime. Not so much.
2. I have light bleed. Especially when I have a pure black screen to look at...I don't really see it otherwise.
So why are so many people *****ing about the Prime? I am missing something about it? I just cant find a reason to hate it and not buy an ASUS product again..
acdcking12345 said:
I have had my prime for less than a month.
So why are so many people *****ing about the Prime? I am missing something about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, first off, let's hope you feel the same way a year from now.
However, I've had my Prime for about two months, and still love it!
I have excellent range with wifi (I have an Apple Airport wireless router, at my home) both at home and away.
I don't notice any particular excessive light bleed, and frankly don't use my GPS, other then wanting it to notify certain programs about my current location, which seems to work fine (I haven't noticed it NOT working, if, say, I open Fandango and want to find movies in my area. It seems to always show the area I'm in)
That said, I do realize that other people HAVE had major issues with their WiFi, with rebooting, poor GPS, etc.
It's a pity, because when the Transformer Prime is working properly, it's simply an amazing device!
I'd love to see Asus have major success with the T300 and TF700. I'm sure Asus didn't sit down and decide to develop a fantastic Android tablet, but hey... let's make sure it has several issues with it's wifi and GPS...
The Prime, T300 and soon the TF700's ability to dock to a nice keyboard, it's quad core processor, thin and elegant designs (all of 'em) show that Asus has put a LOT of work to put out a fantastic Android device! I, for one, am grateful, in spite of the issues they've faced! I hope they don't give up on Android Tablets!
This thread really should be merged with the Positive Prime Thread, but I agree.
The Prime is an excellent device. Every piece of technology has it's downfalls and the ones that I experience aren't all that bad for me.
If you check out posts by Gary Key, he explains that a lot of people are lying/exaggerating after following up with support tickets.
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Have you tried bluetooth and wifi together?
Do you ever want a functioning gps?
Wifi by itself works but it's a lousy signal. My wife uses it and likes it but when you pat top dollar for a device it should work like a top dollar device. Also what do you expect Gary to say, it's a pos?
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