Known issues with the Transformer Prime - Read this before buying or complaining

Known issues with the Transformer Prime - Read this before buying or complaining - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

this post has been around for a while now, so preamble has been truncated.
here is, in my view, what you should know before posting in this forum, and ideally before buying the product.
(note for noobs, TF201 = the "eee pad transformer prime" model that started shipping december 2011.)
THE ALL-METAL BACKPLATE OF THE TF201 INTERFERES WITH WIRELESS PERFORMANCE. GPS WILL NOT WORK WELL WITHOUT THE FREE GPS DONGLE ATTACHED. WIFI IS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE BUT NOT GREAT.
by now this has been picked apart to death. GPS reception without the free GPS dongle is very poor. without the dongle, you may not be able to get a lock at all without wifi/AGPS, and forget about using it as a nav in a moving car. IF GPS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, DO NOT BUY A TF201 UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO USE THE DONGLE. asus has already acknowledged this by removing GPS from the list of features in their product description (!). dongle-less gps is likely to function better in the transformer pad 300 and upcoming transformer pad infinity models due to plastic RF windows in the backpanels.
for the vanilla TF201, there has been a lot of investigation the GPS issue on xda, and eventually anandtech published an article that summarizes the situation well:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
wifi reception struggles for the same reason as GPS. asus was able to mitigate this somewhat by including two wifi antennas instead of one which gives it antenna diversity. however, in some cases it may not perform as well as the original transformer, or maybe as good as some of your other portable devices. IF STRONG WIFI PERFORMANCE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, DO NOT BUY A TF201. the issue is SUPPOSED be fixed in the upcoming TF700T due to a change in the backpanel design, but we won't know how it performs until it is actually released.
WIFI AND GPS ANTENNA CONNECTIONS INSIDE THE TF201 ARE MADE WITH POGO PINS THAT ARE NOT MAKING CONTACT IN SOME UNITS. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIX THIS BY PINCHING THE BEZEL IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
discussion on this topic has sprawled across a few threads. if you are new to this topic then it may be easiest to get your overview here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1467964
a poll is running to help assess the effectiveness of this "solution" here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1473272
if you have this problem, it should be obvious that pinching your tf201 is at your own risk. if your wifi is clearly defective then you are probably better off RMA'ing your unit.
BLUETOOTH STREAMING MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR WIFI PERFORMANCE.
comments on this forum are a bit mixed. there are numerous reports that streaming of bluetooth data (particularly audio streaming or file transfers) are cutting down wifi performance, sometimes dramatically. it has been noted that this issue affects at least some other devices with combined wifi/bt chipsets.
an official thread has been started by Asus to investigate this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1443868
major discussion threads by users:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1423180
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1440187
SOME TF201 OWNERS ARE REPORTING BACKLIGHT BLEED AROUND THE EDGES.
if you have this problem and it bothers you then you can try and RMA it at place of purchase or contact asus support. there have been a good amount of reports on this so the occurrence is not to be unexpected. that said, the response you get on your RMA request will vary depending on who you contact. some users have noted that IPS bleeding is somewhat common and not unique to the transformer prime. discussion is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1426812
it seems that this is being caused by the screws that secure the panel not being tightened properly. if you are adventurous enough to take your TF201 apart then there are reports that re-seating the screws with proper tension fixes the problem. refer to this thread for details:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1474391
THE INITIAL ANDROID 4.0 UPDATE (BUILD 9.4.2.11) CAUSES FREEZES/REBOOTS FOR SOME. BUILD 9.4.2.13 FIXED THIS, BUT INTRODUCED A NEW BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE FOR SOME OTHERS. THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED IN THE MOST RECENT BUILDS.
bugs in nvidia's tegra3 video drivers were the cause of freezes and reboots that some experienced after making the initial ICS update (build 9.4.2.11). the official Asus thread investigating the random lockups in 9.4.2.11 is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1449992
asus shipped new drivers with build 9.4.2.13 on 2/8/12 that fixed these issues, but a new battery drain issue was introduced that affects some others. this battery drain has been referred to as the "sleep of death" and has been discussed in these threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1487516
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1490240
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1495696
the most current firmware updates have resolved random freezes/reboots and sleep-of-death problems.
SOME EARLY TF201 UNITS DID NOT REGISTER SERIAL NUMBERS CORRECTLY AND WERE UNABLE TO UPDATE TO ICS.
an official thread has been started by Asus to investigate the "Serial Number Not Found" error:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1447760
... and the dev community has produced a potential fix for that problem:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1474356
THE MICROSD CARD SLOT DESIGN IS PRONE TO ACCIDENTALLY EJECTING YOUR CARD. YOU MAY LOSE IT IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
the slot isn't deep enough to cover the whole card. you may want to think twice about planning to use a card as permanent memory expansion. if you place the tablet down on its edge the card can pop out and get lost. discussion about options to secure it are here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436546
SOME POWER CHARGERS OVERHEAT AND STOP WORKING. THIS CAN USUALLY BE FIXED BY LETTING IT COOL DOWN OR PUTTING IT IN THE FREEZER.
the TF201 uses the same charger as the original transformer (TF101), and as a result both products have had significant occurrences of this flaw. you will find many threads on both forums about this. if your charger stops working (but the tablet remains otherwise functional, in particular you should verify it can still communicate with a computer via USB) then let the charger cool down and try again. if it still doesn't work then you may want to try enclosing the charger in a ziploc bag and putting it in a freezer for >15 minutes. a few sample threads on this issue are here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1422312
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1480178
a smaller number of users have reported a variety of other charger problems caused by what appears to be cheap construction. generally speaking, those that were able to recover their chargers did so by wiggling/adjusting the connections to the USB cable or between the two charger halves.
A HIGHER-END VARIANT OF THE TRANSFORMER PRIME (TF700T) WAS ANNOUNCED AT CES IN JANUARY. THIS MODEL DOES NOT REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MODEL (TF201). THE TWO WILL BE SOLD SIDE BY SIDE.
the new TF700T model has a higher resolution screen (1920x1200), a slightly upgraded front camera (2MP vs. 1.3MP) and a redesigned backpanel to address the issues with wifi and GPS. this new model is pissing a lot of people off because they view this as a "fix" for the wireless reception "design flaw" in the TF201. if you bought a TF201 and feel that way, sorry, go try and return your TF201 or buy a TF300. we don't need more posts about how horrendous asus is at launching products.
if you want to speculate on the new model, here is a big thread on the subject:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436127
RUMORS STARTED CIRCULATING AFTER THE TF700T ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE TF201 WOULD BE DISCONTINUED - THESE WERE FALSE. this has already been publicly stated by asus:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21357170&postcount=9
further, common sense confirms that this would be insane, largely due to the next point:
HISTORY INDICATES THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY A TF700T UNTIL Q3.
after the TF700T was announced, a lot of people talked about returning their TF201s or cancelling their pre-orders to wait for the TF700T. this is your choice, but i would highly recommend you consider the storied history that asus has bringing these products to market. talk about the transformer prime (without the name) started circulating in Q2 of 2011, with various industry discussion pointing to a tegra3 version of the transformer that would be thinner to be released in Q3. the TF201 signed on to be the first tegra3 product to launch and the CEO of nvidia started telling everyone that the first tegra3 product would be available in september. as september got closer, asus started to acknowledge a new product coming but suggested it wouldn't hit market until october. the TF201 was finally announced in november but didn't actually ship until the end of december, and those shipments were extremely limited quantities. the TF201 then remained sold out almost everywhere in the US and had minimal distribution in global markets during the first few months.
this is relevant because here we go again with a new asus tablet and they are saying it will be released in "Q2". i can't predict the future, but if their history is worth ANYTHING you should not expect to actually have this product in your hands until Q3. HD tablet screens are NOT ready for mass production yet as yields are too low, this is a very well-circulated fact if you follow industry news. every manufacturer would love to release products with these new screens but they are all waiting for the process issues to be worked out. a bunch of other HD tablets were announced at CES and are all getting vague ship dates in Q2. none of these are going to get released until the yields are high enough to make them profitable. and even then we will have to account for asus' horrible track record of botching every aspect of a tablet release possible.
the bottom line is, if you want to wait for the TF700T, go ahead, but be prepared for the possibility of not having it in your hands until Q3. for those of you that want a new tablet NOW, consensus is still very much that this is the best you'll get.
if you've made it this far then you should know one last thing:
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR TRANSFORMER PRIMES.
it might not seem that way after reading all of the caveats above and scanning this forum, but it's true. if you want to bring some balance to your perspective on this product, take a look at the "positive" tprime thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1409910

First.
A+ post, great job

Thank you, so, so very much for this thread. Please dear god everyone read this.

Sticky icky icky!

Sticky! For sure! Great post, all facts.

Most definitely needs to be stickied, if only to return a sense of balance to the force...erm...forum.

If it's not stickied, I'll be sure to keep posting to keep this post near the top. Common sense rules!

thank you good sir. sticky please and submit to Asus.

+1 Definitely a useful post, you have my thanks! However ....
The fact that the OG Prime was so pushed back was partially because it was a totally redesigned product (Tegra 3, aluminum back-plate..sigh, and consequently Wifi/GPS location) The TF700T was/is designed directly from the OG Prime. I do believe it is a fix and very easily can be released in a quicker manner. (IMO it's a tweaked OG prime)
I for one, am keeping my Prime as my main issue is with the Wifi/BT dilemma but, all you waiting, don't be surprised when Asus releases the TF700T close to when they say they will...

xIC-MACIx said:
I for one, am keeping my Prime as my main issue is with the Wifi/BT dilemma but, all you waiting, don't be surprised when Asus releases the TF700T close to when they say they will...
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ASUS will release the TF700 as soon as the HD screens are shipping in quantity, precisely as the OP said.

Great post OP
Hopefully some of the trolls will go away and we can have a good community
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

jackl8 said:
i've been lurking on xda for a good while. the GS2 forums have been a wealth of information and the advice of people on that forum has helped make my phone a billion times better. now that i'm in the tprime camp i finally created an account and was hoping to help build a forum of similar value, but i have to say, the level of redundant and repetitive whining and griping over this product is astonishing. it's dominating discussion here and (imo) ruining the forum for everyone. i think that most of us would prefer for this forum to develop into a place where satisfied tprime owners can share information that is actually helpful.
so let's all be clear: this product has some weaknesses. these weaknesses are by now well-known and we need to stop beating them to death. at the same time, people don't seem to be READING, because new owners are continuing to act surprised over, say, GPS not working. so i thought i'd put the big things you should know into one place in hopes that it will get some decent viewership and help everyone move on. if people find this useful then i will be happy to keep it up to date as things develop in the future.
here is, in my view, what you should know before posting in this forum, and ideally before buying the product.
(note for noobs, TF201 = the current transformer prime model that started shipping december 2011.)
THE GPS ON THE TF201 DOES NOT WORK WELL AND WILL PROBABLY NEVER WORK WELL.
by now this has been picked apart to death. GPS reception is very poor. without wifi/AGPS you may not be able to get a lock at all. forget about using it as a nav in a moving car. IF GPS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, DO NOT BUY A TF201. fixing the hardware GPS reception is not something that will never be possible via software. asus has already acknowledged this by removing GPS from the list of features in their product description (!). gps MAY function beter in the upcoming TF700T due to a change in the backpanel design, but we won't know until it is actually released.
if you want to know why this is the case, anandtech is the authoritative explanation on the subject, so just read this:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
WIFI PERFORMANCE IS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE BUT NOT GREAT. EXPECT IT TO BE A BIT WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL TRANSFORMER (TF101).
wifi reception struggles for the same reason as GPS. asus was able to mitigate this somewhat by including two wifi antennas instead of one which gives it antenna diversity. however, in some cases it may not perform as well as the original transformer, or maybe as good as some of your other portable devices. IF STRONG WIFI PERFORMANCE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, DO NOT BUY A TF201. the issue IS SUPPSOED be fixed in the upcoming TF700T due to a change in the backpanel design, but we won't know until it is actually released.
BLUETOOTH STREAMING MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR WIFI PERFORMANCE.
comments on this forum are a bit mixed so i wouldn't presume that this affects every unit yet. there are numerous reports that streaming of bluetooth data (particularly audio streaming or file transfers) are cutting down wifi performance or even preventing wifi from working.
an official thread has been started to investigate this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1443868
major discussion threads by users:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1423180
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1440187
THE MICROSD CARD SLOT DESIGN IS PRONE TO POPPING OUT YOUR CARD. YOU MAY LOSE IT IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
the slot isn't deep enough to cover the whole card. you may want to think twice about planning to use a card as permanent memory expansion. if you place the tablet down on its edge the card can pop out and get lost. discussion about options to secure it are here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436546
SOME TF201 OWNERS ARE REPORTING BACKLIGHT BLEED AROUND THE EDGES.
if you have this problem and it bothers you then you can try and RMA it at place of purchase or contact asus support. there have been a good amount of reports on this so the occurrence is not to be unexpected. that said, the response you get on your RMA request will vary depending on who you contact. some users have noted that IPS bleeding is somewhat common and not unique to the transformer prime. discussion is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1426812
THE ANDROID 4.0 (ICS) UPDATE HAS WORKED FOR MOST BUT IS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS FOR SOME, INCLUDING DIAGONAL SCREEN FLICKERING, FREEZES/REBOOTS, AND FAILURE TO UPDATE AT ALL.
these issues are still developing. xvsacme has already done the job of compiling major threads on the issues. please don't create new threads, go here instead:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1440679&highlight=unknown+serial+ics
A HIGHER-END VARIANT OF THE TRANSFORMER PRIME (TF700T) WAS ANNOUNCED AT CES IN JANUARY. THIS MODEL DOES NOT REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MODEL (TF201). THE TWO WILL BE SOLD SIDE BY SIDE.
the new TF700T model has a higher resolution screen (1920x1200), a slightly upgraded front camera (2MP vs. 1.3MP) and a redesigned backpanel to address the issues with wifi and GPS. this new model is pissing a lot of people off because they view this as a "fix" for the wireless reception "design flaw" in the TF201. if you bought a TF201 and feel that way, sorry, go try and return your TF201. we don't need more posts about how horrendous asus is at launching products.
if you want to speculate on the new model, here is a big thread on the subject:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1436127&highlight=tf700t
rumors that the TF201 is being discontinued are false. this has already been publicly stated by asus:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21357170&postcount=9
further, common sense confirms that this would be insane, largely due to the next point:
IF HISTORY IS ANY INDICATION, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY A TF700T UNTIL Q3.
a lot of people are talking about returning their TF201s or cancelling their pre-orders to wait for the TF700T. this is your choice, but i would highly recommend you consider the storied history that asus has bringing these products to market. talk about the transformer prime (without the name) started circulating in Q2 of 2011, with various industry discussion pointing to a tegra3 version of the transformer that would be thinner to be released in Q3. the TF201 signed on to be the first tegra3 product to launch and the CEO of nvidia started telling everyone that the first tegra3 product would be available in september. as september got closer, asus started to acknowledge a new product coming but suggested it wouldn't hit market until october. the TF201 was finally announced in november but didn't actually ship until the end of december, and those shipments were extremely limited quantities. the TF201 is still sold out almost everywhere in the US and has barely reached any of the other global markets.
this is relevant because here we go again with a new asus tablet and they are saying it will be released in "Q2". i can't predict the future, but if their history is worth ANYTHING you should not expect to actually have this product in your hands until Q3. HD tablet screens are NOT ready for mass production yet as yields are too low, this is a very well-circulated fact if you follow industry news. every manufacturer would love to release products with these new screens but they are all waiting for the process issues to be worked out. a bunch of other HD tablets were announced at CES and are all getting vague ship dates in Q2. none of these are going to get released until the yields are high enough to make them profitable. and even then we will have to account for asus' horrible track record of botching every aspect of a tablet release possible.
the bottom line is, if you want to wait for the TF700T, go ahead, but be prepared for the possibility of not having it in your hands for 6-8 months. for those of you that want a new tablet NOW, consensus is still very much that this is the best you'll get.
that's what i have for now. more to come if i don't get flamed to death.
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Best post I've read on this site. Let's hope all the whiners read it as well.

You forgot:
"If you try to update to Ice Cream Sandwich and it says there are no updates, try going to SETTINGS and STATUS. If it says "Serial Number Unknown" you will be unable to download OTA Updates and will be unable to root the problem. This has yet to be addressed by Asus, but is becoming a huge problem. If this happens to you, post in the thread below instead of creating a new one. This has been an issue since the Prime released, but has not been addressed yet by Asus. Primes purchased at the beginning of December even have this problem, and have it has yet to be addressed"
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1426881&highlight=serial+number+unknown

Kudos. I was actually planning the same post for this weekend, but you saved me the trouble.
I had some facts saved from my research that augment your post. You might wanna add it to the original post.
Point 1) The high-resolution TF700T is due to launch at roughly the same product cycle as the original Transformer and Transformer Prime.
The first Asus Transformer was released in the US on April 26, 2011. [ Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_Pad_Transformer ]
The Transformer Prime was (officially) released on December 19, 2011. [ Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_Pad_Transformer_Prime ]
This results in a product cycle of eight (8) months.
The Transformer TF700t is scheduled to launch "Late Q2" at earliest, and is at the moment, predicted to be May/June 2012. [ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5324/...-for-improved-wireless-adds-1920-x-1200-panel ]
This means, at a minimum, the product cycle will be six (6) months, and delays can certainly happen.
Bottom line? This isn't an admission of a design flaw, or a stab in the back or whatever entitled BS folks want to come up with to victimize themselves. This is a natural product evolution, operating on the same half-year product cycle.
If anything, the RF-optimized backing likely signifies that a 3G version is on the way. Which leads me to Point 2...
Point 2) Performance and design are constant engineering tradeoffs, and other manufacturers make them all the time. The Transformer Prime's GPS, Bluetooth, and Wifi performance strike a compromise with design, thinness, and structural integrity -- the same compromise struck by Apple with their iPad and iPad2.
First, the Transformer Prime's wireless performance is not objectively BAD, it's just not as good as the prior Transformer. However, the Prime is much thinner, more premium, and features a very attractive aluminum back. In order to help mitigate this tradeoff, Asus designed the Prime with wifi diversity. Consequently, when within range, "The result is peak WiFi performance that is virtually identical to the original Eee Pad Transformer."
[ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5175/asus-transformer-prime-followup ]
However, yes, the range of the Prime is understood to be less:
There is no RF window on the back of the Prime where the two antennas are located. Aluminum does a fairly good job of attenuating RF signals, which contributes to worse range on WiFi than the original plastic Eee Pad Transformer. WiFi performance at the edge of reception as well as the maximum usable WiFi range are both noticeably lower than its predecessor.
[ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5175/asus-transformer-prime-followup ]
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You know what other major company made this engineering and design tradeoff? Apple.
ASUS built the Eee Pad Transformer Prime out of aluminum, similar to the iPad/iPad 2. This departure from the original plastic Eee Pad Transformer was welcome, but brought with it the same sort of antenna challenges that Apple has had to face.
[ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained ]
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The original iPad and the iPad 2 are both made of aluminum, and both at a minimum have Bluetooth and WiFi antennas to deal with. The original iPad placed the WiFi antenna behind the plastic Apple logo on the rear of the tablet.
[ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5175/asus-transformer-prime-followup ]
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Now, the wifi-only iPad2 got rid of the RF window, and went with an all-aluminum backing for better design aesthetic, thinness, and structural integrity. Guess what happened? Yes, the wireless performance degraded.
Unfortunately, WiFi range on the iPad 2 is noticeably less than its predecessor, and throughput slows down much earlier on the iPad 2 than it does on the iPad 1. I tested with a WiFi - 3G (AT&T) model and found that I’m able to make it further away from the AP by a good 10 meters or so, but throughput even after you drop one WiFi bar on the iPad 1 is continually better than on the iPad 2. WiFi throughput also tells a similar story, it just isn’t quite as good as its predecessor.
[ Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4225/the-ipad-2-review/11 ]
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Were Apple users up in arms threatening lawsuits and the BBB and boycotts? Maybe, but I certainly didn't hear about it. Apple definitely didn't give refunds or rebates or replace backings or fly customers on their private jets, I know that much for sure. The reality is I know dozens of satisfied iPad2 users, and I'm sure many more appreciate the improvement in design than notice the Wifi diminution over the prior model.
However, if wifi performance is more important than you than any other consideration (CPU horsepower, thinness, aesthetic, attachable keyboard, etc.), that's your prerogative and you should make that the key focus of your purchasing and purchase an all-plastic tablet like the Samsung Tab 10.1. Or, just get the original Transformer. All engineering and consumer decisions are about compromise and people have to find it within themselves to determine what compromise they are ok with.
As for GPS -- it's simple. Apple simply did not bother to include a GPS receiver in the non-3G (non-RF window) versions of the iPad/iPad2. People seem to be living with that compromise pretty well too.
The Transformer Prime is, at essence, Asus's and Android's answer to the wifi iPad2. It rivals the iPad2 in terms of design, thinness, and speed. It makes similar tradeoffs and compromises as the iPad2, because frankly, when you look at the iPad2's tremendous sales figures, it's self-evident the vast majority of people don't care about them. Apple has a tremendous talent in focusing on what the vast majority of people care about, and leaving the extra stuff behind, and so you can't blame Asus for wanting to follow the same design objectives as Apple -- it works.

Great information here, OP. I'm not really even tempted by the TF700T. I'm one of the lucky Prime owners that has no problems, plus the back of the TF700T id hideous with that flat finish and plastic strip. The Prime is a thing of beauty.

GREAt thorough post. THANKS FOR taking the time to out all this together. Its funny n ironic some of the people posted in here already are some of the main ones this thread is aimed for... the whinners, the ones who nag, babies, n men that gossip like women. Lol
Great work OP. Tell it like it is!

Nice post, NeoteriX but I have to say that the iPad2's Wi-Fi is still significantly better than that of the Prime (Well mine at least). Don't get me wrong though the Wi-Fi is still VERY usable all around my house, Dropping from 9mb/s DL to 5.5-6.5mb/s DL when I go to the furthest point away from my router and down to two bars but the iPad2's DL speeds only drop 0.5 - 1mb/s and staying at 3 bars in the same test.

If Asus will continue to make the 201, then there is a chance that their next production run will incorporate a modified version of the backplate similar to the 700. So while people are waiting for the HD screen, Asus can continue to sell a fixed Prime with gps, wifi and bt in good working condition. This is the win win solution imo.

tedr44 said:
If Asus will continue to make the 201, then there is a chance that their next production run will incorporate a modified version of the backplate similar to the 700. So while people are waiting for the HD screen, Asus can continue to sell a fixed Prime with gps, wifi and bt in good working condition. This is the win win solution imo.
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This is the primary reason I just canceled my "pending" Amazon order. Why would they continue to manufacture deficient units?

jackl8 said:
i've been lurking on xda for a good while. the GS2 forums have been a wealth of information and the advice of people on that forum has helped make my phone a billion times better. now that i'm in the tprime camp i finally created an account and was hoping to help build a forum of similar value, but i have to say, the level of redundant and repetitive whining and griping over this product is astonishing. it's dominating discussion here and (imo) ruining the forum for everyone. i think that most of us would prefer for this forum to develop into a place where satisfied tprime owners can share information that is actually helpful.
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That was long, but good. I think noobs should read it for sure. But you mention something which I disagree strongly. Anandtech being authoratative on the issue of GPS? First of all, they missed that completely first time around, and second time around. Only when we xda members report did they do a teardown. Even then they fail to test the GPS with the backs off even though I constantly asked them to go back and do it. We pretty much know the back cause the poor signal but to prove beyond the doubt they should have tested the GPS while the back was off, they never did that. I mean the GPS was missed by all major reviewers which is kind of sad. It took us users to figure it out.

Related

Cancelled Pre-orders (PROOF email required)

Just wondered how much of an impact this new device was having on pre order cancellations.
I've been looking forward to this device for over 6 months. We've essentially ended up with a broken/prototype device whilst Asus promote a *fixed* version.
This is disgusting as far as customer relations go. I'm almost certainly cancelling my pre order tomorrow. Hoping to hear a statement from Asus regarding this complete mess!
Please post screens of your cancelled orders. May be if we can get some numbers regarding impact Asus may listen.
Regards,
One pi55ed off potential customer
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Ive owned my prime for 4 days now, the announcement was the last straw though.
GPS dead, wifi crippled, and now asus is pretty much jumping ship to their new prime 2.0..
Im working on returning it for a refund right now.

I wish I had preordered just to be able to go in and cancel, I'd hope that the store would be left with lots on the shelf. That's the only way we could expect our voices to be heard.
There are far too many people willing to ignore this situation that nothing is going to be done about it.

The TF700 announcement made up my mind
Once Asus started pushing the new model, the message came to me loud and clear.
From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Amazon.com - Your Cancellation (104-6829271-3232250)
Date: Mon 01/09/12 10:04 AM
Attachments
Name Type Save View
Message text/plain Save
Dear Tedr44,
Your order has been successfully canceled. For your reference, here's a
summary of your order:
You just canceled order #104-6829271-3232250 placed on December 21,
2011.
Status: CANCELED
_____________________________________________________________________
1 of ASUS Transformer Prime TF201-C1-GR 10.1-Inch 64GB Tablet (Amethyst
Gray)
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC
_____________________________________________________________________
In most cases, you pay for items when we ship them to you, so you won't
be charged for items that you cancel. In some cases (e.g., you use a
gift card or your debit card is processed as a PIN-less transaction),
you may see a charge for a cancelled item. If you are charged for a
cancelled item, we will refund you within 1-2 business days.
Thank you for visiting Amazon.com!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon.com
Earth's Biggest Selection
http://www.amazon.com
-----------------------

Well, I didn't cancel a pre-order but mine was RMA'd for replacement. I switched that to a refund...not too sure if I'm going to bother with ASUS or just wait to see what else is available.
I talked with an agent so I haven't got an email confirmation yet but I'll post when I do.

Here's an announcement for a tab with 1.7 ghz Tegra 3, DDR3 memory and SRS sound.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/lenovo-lepad-k2010-ideatab-k2-hands-on/

I would be very angry if the TF700T was priced closer to TF201. Now that would really make me send it back with a nasty letter to Asus. But the fact that it's $100 more for both 32 and 64GB, that tells me Asus didn't just "jump ship". The learned from their stupid mistakes, made a new one and are selling it right alongside with the current one. That means the best bang for your buck tablet is still a Transformer Prime that's only $600 with a 64GB storage.
What bothers me though is the fact that Asus could barely meet demands with this whole pre-order fiasco and has the ****ing balls to go ahead and actually spent time (time that should have been focused on getting me my goddamned Prime) to come out with another product to sell. That tells me either they have A.D.D. or they have A.D.D. and all they want is money. How can they leave the people who pre-ordered left hanging to dry? That, to me, is a piece of **** company.
At this point though I have no choice but to stick to my Prime (TF201) pre-order because my Xoom has been hijacked by my 2-year old and I need a tablet badly --meaning waiting isn't an option and buying another Tegra 2 would be going backwards at this point. FML.

I deal mostly with media and games, the office work belongs to Windows. The TF700 is ideal for streaming hd video specially now that I've upgraded to 6 mbps on my dsl to watch the Netflix hd movies. The new res standards are out and I will let the dust settle before deciding.

As the trend indicates, one thing is for sure, Asus moves faster than other tablet manufacturers.
The new TF700T feels like a "filler". By Q4 and the 2012 holidays, they will have the true 3rd gen Transformer. So whoever pays the extra $100 for the TF700T model, might be in for some serious buyer's remorse. Think about it.
TF1 -> TF2 -> TF2.5 -> (only a few months from the summer) and you've got TF3. Like I said in another thread. The TF700T are for those who badly need the GPS. The higher resolution at a premium of $100 more is baloney. As for the 2MP front-facing camera? That's a gimmick. From 1.3MP to 2MP means nothing. Take it from a photographer and someone who has an 8MP webcam that's supposedly "HD" and "1080p". Skyping still looks crappy.
I'm not knocking on the TF700T, but if you guys want to drop the TF201 for it, think about it really hard. Like I said before, the best bang for your buck is still the TF201. Line up all the Android tablets and you will see all the specs are similar except for the fact that for the same price in a Galaxy Tab 10.1 or a Xoom/Xoom 2, you can have an Asus with double the storage. That to me is very important as I sync my DSLR wirelessly to my tablet to show clients my shots in real time... and RAW files eat storage space like no one's business.

I understand that Asus is pushing products out the order ahead of the others but in their haste the product design and performance turned out faulty. I'm looking forward to the 700 simply because it appears the problem is fixed and the specs are better although I'd like to see a faster clock to handle the higher res.

I just got shafted, Mediamarkt said no returns on licensed products, whatever the phuck that means.
So I guess the dead GPS and shoddy Wifi are "on me".

Asus issued the warranty so you should contact them next to present your case, good luck!

tedr44 said:
I understand that Asus is pushing products out the order ahead of the others but in their haste the product design and performance turned out faulty. I'm looking forward to the 700 simply because it appears the problem is fixed and the specs are better although I'd like to see a faster clock to handle the higher res.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can rely on devs here to bring that to you in due time, regarding the faster clock speeds. The CPU and GPU will be the same. So it doesn't matter what the clock speeds are set at since you can always change it later on anyway.
I can't blame Asus for designing the aluminum back the way they did. I'm pretty sure their R&D department felt the pressure from higher up to make it so that it pretty much sells as a bundle with the dock. Meaning, they probably said something along the line as "Design the tablet so that people would definitely feel compelled to buy the dock." Hence the designers made it look all aluminum so that when it's shut close with the dock, it looks sexier than a MacBook Air. Remember how Asus was bragging about the swirled brush aluminum design? It was a decision to make a chic looking ultra portable device. I don't think it was in haste, but I do believe the GPS flaw as a result was in hindsight.
As for the TF700T, let's face it. People who will buy that will definitely say "What an ugly netbook this makes!" It looks like two separate devices that clicks into one with the top bit looking really out of place. I have never seen a laptop, in all the years of owning laptops, with a black bar on top like that. That was what Asus wanted to avoid with the TF201 --the matching color, material and texture so that when you buy the dock, you gawk in awe at the handsome "transforming" device.

so whos pissed they cancelled before ICS came out and fixed a majority of the issues?

Sokonomi said:
I just got shafted, Mediamarkt said no returns on licensed products, whatever the phuck that means.
So I guess the dead GPS and shoddy Wifi are "on me".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Asus will and should cover you. No worries. Get their international toll-free number and give them a call.

Also emphasize the fact that the metal case affects not just gps but wifi and bt as well though not as pronounced is still below par.

DroidHam said:
so whos pissed they cancelled before ICS came out and fixed a majority of the issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who has had ICS on my Xoom for about a month now, not to mention waking up to CM9 this morning, I am definitely looking forward to the development on the TF201 Prime. I, for one, am contemplating getting back into devving for the Prime.

Though I like and appreciate the artwork, it is not a prime consideration for me. It can be as rugged and ugly as a military grade laptop as long as the specs are working as advertised. I'm starting to like the 700 because of the new specs that will function without any mods. In that respect, no mod will come up with the 1080p res without slowng it down.

tedr44 said:
Also emphasize the fact that the metal case affects not just gps but wifi and bt as well though not as pronounced is still below par.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The WiFi and BT issue is software, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. The slower WiFi and shoddy BT due to the aluminum backing is a myth started by paranoid early Prime adaptors. Apple has been making aluminum and magnesium unibodies with no WiFi or BT problems. Concrete or whatever your house has are bigger factors. GPS is a different story.

These wireless devices work on rf with differing frequencies and that affects their ability to pass through or penetrate barries. It could be a combination hw/sw, I'm not exactly sure until they put it on a bench and run a battery of tests. That's what really irritates me about Asus, they've done nothing but cover up the problems.

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.

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

Is a TP upgrade/trade-in deal likely?

Is it even likely that Asus will give us an option to trade in (of course not for free) our TP for one of the better redesigned models coming soon?
edit: say, to this one?: http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-infinity/features/
I'm simply asking because I don't know what large companies do in these kinds of situations.

Don't bet on it.

SirGarry said:
Is it even likely that Asus will give us an option to trade in our TP for one of the better redesigned models coming soon?
edit: say, to this one?: http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-infinity/features/
I'm simply asking because I don't know what large companies do in these kinds of situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably most definitely not.
Plus they are not even sure which processor it will use
Whether its the Qualcomm dual core or tegra3

mtotho said:
Probably most definitely not.
Plus they are not even sure which processor it will use
Whether its the Qualcomm dual core or tegra3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do know... the answer is both. On the Infinity tablet if you go wifi only tablet its tegra3 clockspeed 1.6 and if its the 4g LTE its the Qualcomm clock speed 1.5

they way i read it is that the 3g/4g version will use the dualcore, and the wifi only version will use the tegra3.

It really is too bad. The redesigned back on the Infinity looks like it will much improve the signal of both WiFi and GPS...

I highly doubt it. The only reason that they may offer some type of trade-in program would be because of the GPS fiasco with the TF201. However, it has been my understanding that ASUS is going to offer the TF201 along side the Infinity so it wouldn't make much sense to offer a trade-in program if the two models are going to sit on the shelf next to each other. In reality though, I wonder if ASUS is going to quietly push the TF201 to the way-side and slowly kill it off without trying to piss too many of the current owners off, and replace it with the Infinity.
We don't come across "these kinds of situations" very often as it is typically a piss poor business model to release or even announce future versions of tech-toy type gadgets (such as tablets) so close to each other. There is a reason why Apple releases the iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc. the way they do...
1) Announce the new product at some big event (like the one coming up next Wednesday)
2) Release the product within 1-2 months of the announcement
3) Retail pipelines are fully hydrated with the new product within a couple of months after initial release
4) Rinse and repeat a year after the original announcement
By announcing a new product so close to the original product's release date several bad things happen that affect the company's sales. The main issue is that many people will hold off on buying the original product since they know/assume that the release of the new one is near. A second issue is that future sales can be negatively impacted because of lost company loyalty. It can be frustrating for current owners of the product to find out that their shiny new gadget that was just released is going to be 'outdated' before they were expecting it to be.

Magic 8 ball says:
.

There may or may not be, but definitely is, no chance that they will do that.

Yeah, I would definitely not count on it. I am sure they will give some excuse involving our throw away society.

http://www.mobileburn.com/18732/new...nity-tablet-announced-multimedia-minded-users
"At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ASUS announced a new member of its successful Transformer tablet line , the Transformer Pad Infinity."
Apparently, someone didn't get the memo about the Prime !

rdalev said:
http://www.mobileburn.com/18732/new...nity-tablet-announced-multimedia-minded-users
"At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ASUS announced a new member of its successful Transformer tablet line , the Transformer Pad Infinity."
Apparently, someone didn't get the memo about the Prime !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Failure rates of less than 1% are successful by anyone's measure in the field of consumer electronics.

Makes me wonder if there is a space some where on the prime board for a 3g chip/mod and if the HD screen will has the same connections as standard.
But no after the launch of the prime there would likely be no chance they would offer us an upgrade. They don't seem to care about us much.
Btw have they actually changed the back on new primes? Does wifi work on new primes now?
Sent from my 4thTransformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium App, watching the screen come off.

chamberc said:
Failure rates of less than 1% are successful by anyone's measure in the field of consumer electronics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So stores chose to turn down the TP because of less than 1% failure rates? Of course, those stores that eventually received any units. The word from my local store's distributor said they couldn't get a word from Asus when the next shipments would arrive. And it's seemingly random which stores get the shipments.
There are still plenty of stores waiting to receive their shipments.

doddsie said:
Btw have they actually changed the back on new primes? Does wifi work on new primes now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-infinity/features/
If you look there you can see the top of the backpanel has been changed to accommodate better wireless reception as the GPS and WiFi radio are placed in that region.

rdalev said:
http://www.mobileburn.com/18732/new...nity-tablet-announced-multimedia-minded-users
"At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ASUS announced a new member of its successful Transformer tablet line , the Transformer Pad Infinity."
Apparently, someone didn't get the memo about the Prime !
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well according to them, they consider Prime a success with less than 1% failure/return rate. that's what they said. nothing else to be released to contradict that statement. plus with it still being promoted at MWC outlook looks good for prime owners.

jordache16 said:
I highly doubt it. The only reason that they may offer some type of trade-in program would be because of the GPS fiasco with the TF201. However, it has been my understanding that ASUS is going to offer the TF201 along side the Infinity so it wouldn't make much sense to offer a trade-in program if the two models are going to sit on the shelf next to each other. In reality though, I wonder if ASUS is going to quietly push the TF201 to the way-side and slowly kill it off without trying to piss too many of the current owners off, and replace it with the Infinity.
We don't come across "these kinds of situations" very often as it is typically a piss poor business model to release or even announce future versions of tech-toy type gadgets (such as tablets) so close to each other. There is a reason why Apple releases the iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc. the way they do...
1) Announce the new product at some big event (like the one coming up next Wednesday)
2) Release the product within 1-2 months of the announcement
3) Retail pipelines are fully hydrated with the new product within a couple of months after initial release
4) Rinse and repeat a year after the original announcement
By announcing a new product so close to the original product's release date several bad things happen that affect the company's sales. The main issue is that many people will hold off on buying the original product since they know/assume that the release of the new one is near. A second issue is that future sales can be negatively impacted because of lost company loyalty. It can be frustrating for current owners of the product to find out that their shiny new gadget that was just released is going to be 'outdated' before they were expecting it to be.
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This. +1
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

That's what eBay is for.
I had pre-ordered my original Transformer, and then my Prime. When the Prime finally came, I checked it out and then put my original Transformer up for sale on eBay. It sold quickly getting what I consider a good price. The guy who bought it is very pleased, and so am I.
That same week I also sold off my touchscreen netbook to a very pleased customer. I do the same with cameras. That way I get to have new toys and there's no high-tech junk in the closet.
Bye.
SirGarry said:
Is it even likely that Asus will give us an option to trade in (of course not for free) our TP for one of the better redesigned models coming soon?
edit: say, to this one?: http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-infinity/features/
I'm simply asking because I don't know what large companies do in these kinds of situations.
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Personally I like my Prime more than any new redesign models coming out. I've bought 3 primes and none had the BT/WIFI problem(don't care for gps), But one did have a constant rebooting problem.
The redesign models just look cheap.

Less than 1%...really? Where is that number coming from?

[Q] Honest Opinion: Should I wait?

I have an order for a Prime on Amazon, and I'm waiting for it to ship. At this point, would you wait for the TF700T (given all the potential hardware problems with the Prime) or just go for it. I know about the "technology gets better all the time stuff", but what would you do, TODAY, if you knew what you knew now.

wait. I have a prime and the dock I love it..but if you spent time waiting for say the TF700 who's to say that there won't be something better a little bit later down the road..
!!senseless sensation!!

I just got my second prime due to the HDMI out port dying on my first one, most likely because I dropped off the back of my couch. Both primes I have owned have been great no wifi problems or reboots. GPS is hit or miss but I think i read on these forums that a hardware fix is in the works. That being said. No way am I paying 100 bucks more for a plastic back and a slightly better screen. I don't need GPS to work full speed minus wifi on my tablet.....I have a phone for that...and like I said i never had wifi problems.
So my answer is i would not wait for the tf700....plus you never know what kinda problems they are going to have with that one....at least with the prime you know all the POTENTIAL issues and can deal with them.

Personally, I would wait a while. It sounds like ASUS is providing some kind of Hardware fix to Primes that are not working correctly, but parts are not available yet. That combined with the lack of stock almost anywhere leads me to believe that production of new units has been slowed/stopped. My guess is that they are using whatever stock they have remaining to primarily replace units that are being returned by customers.
Whether they are waiting to ramp up production with "the new hardware" or are winding down on the Prime altogether is unclear (at least to me). But it seems definite that "something" is up with the prime production.
I would wait to see what shakes out in the next couple of months unless you are desperate for a new tablet.

I wouldn't wait if I were you. In all honesty, the TF700 is not that much of a step up from the TF201, and in my opinion it is not worth the extra $100. The only reason that I would wait is if GPS a deal breaker for you (which I think most people have a hard time making this argument).

So its 50:50 up until now
i have to say, i wouldnt either. The prime is fantastic. In most cases the wifi issues (if there are any, in my case there are none) arent a problem in reality because youtube HD stuff wont interrupt to buffer, neither do high quality flash streams on the browser. And thats what counts in the end. IMHO.
So the infinity tab will be a great device as well, but there is much uncertainty about it still. No one knows the exact pricing, if there will be issues, if they will be in stock etcetc. With the prime you know what you get - and that is almost perfect. Pretend the prime is a wifi only device without gps btw. And then be happy that they implemented a GPS sensor anyway that works for positioning not for navigation.
Its such an awesome product giving you soo much for the price. And its stunningly beautiful and feels very premium. If manufacturers release plastic only products like samsung, people always cry for aluminum. On the prime its there.
And the incoming games!? We're gonna lol at infinity blade!

There is no good answer. The TF700 may be out next week and it may not be out until holiday season this year. It's also going to be more expensive. Basically is that screen worth an extra $100 and maybe several months of waiting?
Usually in the technology world you buy what you need or want at that time. Don't wait unless you know when something is being released otherwise you will never buy anything. Unless it is an Apple product the delay between the announcement and the time the actual product arrives on store shelves is usually many months. How much do you want to bet when the TF700 is released there will be a new tablet announced by someone that blows the TF700 away? That is the reality in the technology world.
Then there is the question of availability and QC. The Prime was released in mid December or something like that but not available for like a month and you had to either preorder or check websites every day to hopefully get one. And actually it is still like that and it's been a couple months. As for QC, well it is the same company so I am not sure why their QC will change. For all we know there will be QC issues with the TF700 as well. Screens seem to be a big issue with ASUS. I know since I had to return three primes due to screen issues. The original transformer had screen issues and a terrible dock battery issue that plagued early adopters for a long time.
I would say buy the Prime now. Have fun with it for many months. Once the TF700 is readily available and we know there are no QC issues go play with one in a store and see if it is worth selling your Prime. You will not be out much money if you go that route.

Go for it. I was in the same boat, but decided the extra money wasn't worth it.
The primary issues are WiFi and GPS. My GPS seems to grab sats and lock, but haven't really tried it on the road yet....but, not worried, because my Globasat Receiver BT359 works fine...so either way, I got GPS.
Wifi - all I care about is getting it to work about 2 rooms away from the router, and it also seems to work. The biggest issue for me was "ICS not permitting Ad-hoc network connections" with my smartphone (did not know that issue before I bought it) because that is my main source for internet when I travel. However, there is a fix on the board for that, so I can get a wifi connection no matter where I'm at.
So, even if GPS and WiFi turn out to be truly "flaky" when I really need it, I have the alternatives mentioned above and even buying a GPS receiver is cheaper than the $100.
The supposed improvement in screen resolution is not important unless you look at it through a magnifying glass. I doubt that the eye could really discern the difference
Lastly, They announced the prime coming out in October, then got pushed back, and they STILL aren't readily available. So, if they say the 700 is June release, I wouldn't expect to see it in the stores till Sept at the earliest...and ready supply....try Christmas.
Good luck,
Bob
PS....also remember, the people who post are the ones who have issues or "think" they have issues.....Some are real, some are due to lack of knowledge by the user. Remember, very few happy customers post and say "WOW". So, on any board, most operational questions are of the negative variety....and I'd also say again....A lot of that is the user

I'd say wait until the problems on the Prime get fixed or until the TF700T gets released. ASUS says there are only 1% of defective units. I'd say in my case is more like 100%. I bought/returned 4 Primes, they were all defective.

If you can wait for a tablet, I would wait. With the other android and an apple brands, newer asus tablets, and maybe a fix for the current prime coming out you will have more options to choose from. If you cant wait, buy a prime from a company that has a return window no questions asked and test it yourself.

Don't wait. I was in your position about 10 days ago and today I am happy I made the decision to buy.
My unit works fine (minus a bad firmware update that killed battery life), and it's beautiful. It's fast as hell and makes my **** feel huuuugggggeeeee having a quad core tablet.
The tf700 is barely an improvement for waiting and spending a hundred dollars more. The resolution increase will barely be noticeable - except on the hardware, which will likely be taking a beating from the screen. The transformer prime is the last tablet with an ips panel I will buy - waiting on future ips panels seems like a bad idea with the advancement of oled technology.

Looks like the TF300T just cleared the FCC, so maybe it won't take as long as I thought to get the TF700.
My real concern is that they are phasing out the Prime, which is why supplies are basically zero.

wifesabitch said:
There a new thread every day about this. I know it's a real cool thing to be a thread starter but you are pushing down useful threads with this nonsense.
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Every day the situation changes, so it makes sense that people are curious and that old threads won't still be relevant. I also see that every day, like clockwork, you scold or berate the poster like it's your job. What's more annoying, someone coming here advice seeking from other members, or the people that post just to post, without adding any real value. I've been a member since 2007, I know how XDA works.
"Pushing down useful threads" If you tell everyone who comes on here to just search anyway, who cares? 16 people offered thoughtful, relevant answers. You're the only one who had to insult the OP.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1523783
I would read this thread, seems like there is going to be new parts for the prime to improve wifi and GPS end of March. Maybe you should wait when it goes into effect in the production line.

Yeah, I'm usually the last one to wait, in fact I'm finally just now giving up on my viewsonic Gtab that I got right when it came out. It's tegra2, but stuck on froyo and even the best efforts of the devs on xda have resulted in a less than stellar ICS ROM. So, it's time to lay down some more money. I'm keeping my order at Amazon, and we'll just see which comes available first, the Prime or the TF700. Either way I'll be happy.

I think you should not wait.
1º No one knows when the Infinity will be for sale.
2º The improvement of screen is irrelevant for me;
3º The Infinity will not be smaller or lighter;
4º The Infinity will not be cheaper;
5º The Infinity will not be faster;
6º GPS should not be essential in a tablet and my Wifi is normal.
For me, the main improvement in the Infinity is the 3G and 4G option that the Prime do not have.
Anyone who prefer 3G/4G should wait.
For me, I am wait for an official firmware update on Prime that would enable connection with Ad Hoc networks, because I have Joiku software in my Nokia phone.

nunoloule said:
I think you should not wait.
1º No one knows when the Infinity will be for sale.
2º The improvement of screen is irrelevant for me;
3º The Infinity will not be smaller or lighter;
4º The Infinity will not be cheaper;
5º The Infinity will not be faster;
6º GPS should not be essential in a tablet and my Wifi is normal.
For me, the main improvement in the Infinity is the 3G and 4G option that the Prime do not have.
Anyone who prefer 3G/4G should wait.
For me, I am wait for an official firmware update on Prime that would enable connection with Ad Hoc networks, because I have Joiku software in my Nokia phone.
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+1
I on the other hand would not want the 3G. I currently pay for internet 3 times... (home internet and 2 unlimited data smartphone plans) so the last thing I want to do is to pay for another internet connection. I currently use my Thunderbolt to tether to the Prime (I use the Open Garden app) and it works great.
But for those who don't have a smartphone or don't want to tether from their phone to their tablet (which I don't know why you wouldn't) then it may be worth the wait.

Just get the prime! I love mine.. No issues part from gps but who needs that anyway.. And tbh why would u need a retina display on a 10.1" screen? Just don't see the point but that's my opinion

Evo_Shift said:
Usually in the technology world you buy what you need or want at that time. Don't wait unless you know when something is being released otherwise you will never buy anything.
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+1
I wanted a tablet but didn't NEED one.
I went from potentially choosing a TF101, then maybe buying a Thrive until i heard about the Prime and then i pulled the trigger.
Buy what you think is best NOW cause 2 months from now it'll all change again.

I'm in the same boat.. but I heard June now for the Infinity series.. no way I'm waiting 4 months.. I'm sure 6 more new tablets will be out by then anyway..
Besides, the HD screen is about the only real benefit I'd be interested in, and honestly, I've been re-watching Battlestar Galactica in SD on my iPad 2 for the last week and I enjoy it just the same as if it was in HD.. I'd love to have the HD panel, but IMO, 4 months and $100 more just isn't worth it to me.

What Will Be Your Next Tablet? Will You Stick With Asus?

So TFP was supposed to be the best Android tablet when it came out (now it's TFP 700). It was not a terrible product by any means but it did fall short of expectations.
It's broken GPS, sketchy wifi, horrible web browser (if not rooted) and low read/write speeds making everything slower compared to the cheapest android tablet out there. But besides all that it works and works pretty well.
Now that I've experienced the best of Android, I can't spend any money on it again for a similar experience.
I think I'll try MS Surface when it comes out. If nothing else at least the web browsing won't be as terrible as on TFP.

I think I take Google Nexus 7 and if Google provide 10 Inc Tablet I take it. Asus good company, but they support very poor. If Flagship like Prime doesn't work properly (but I very like this Tab, I use Prime every day, and Tablet very good) I think Asus not interesting to support they devices, they only interesting to sell. If they provide very good firmware with all new features, like Android 4,1 ,like kernel 3,1+ and other, and this firmware work grate and long battary live, I change my mind and take next Tablet from Asus and tell my Friend that this good deal and if they have Tablet they need Asus

If I could get my money back for my prime, I'd probably get the Nexus 7. Or just upgrade my phone

When I bought the prime a month ago (c4) I was aware of a lot of it shortcommings.
For me the prime works fine within its limitations. So my clear statement. I will stick with my prime at least
till next summer.
Then I will look may be a sufface pro or an ultrabook with touchscreen or even if Win 8 fails for me a new Win 7 ultrabook.
And I hear a lot of people think same.
The real looser are the current untrabook and notebook producer. Same like me a lot of ppl simple wait.
So again I stuck with the prime and I stuck with my 4 years old Dell notebook.

Absolutely not. The prime took form over function to a degree where it proved to be near useless on my trip- the reason I bought it. ASUS will not get another dime from me.

I have given up on Asus. I was hoping HTC would make the Nexus tablet. I have had great success with HTC Phones. This TFP was junk. From random reboots, sleep of death, horrible gps, and don't get me started on the WiFi! I like Samsung but their GPS is just as bad. I will pass on the Nexus 7.

I already pre-ordered the Nexus 7. Here is to hoping that with the support of Google, that Asus and Nvidia can get this one right!!

Why could we need a new tablet ?
I mean, here we all have a Tegra3 based - Super IPS panel - Aluminium ...
Alright, the GPS isn't so good (however not too bad) and ICS is a bit rough but I don't think that today there is any other tablet able to overcome ou TFP : TF700 simply has a 1080p panel and the nexus 7 has Jellybean (which will come soon at our TFP and probably fix somes issues).
I don't believe that there is any competitor for us, who just bought a 600 €/$ tablet 6 month ago ....

Thanks to one broken mainboard and the still remaining problems with screen flickering and the bootloader unlocker I am pretty sure, that ASUS will never ever get money from me again
A tablet for that much money and the screen is flickering and I cant unlock it? Due to this + bad WIFI and unusable GPS (which I would have accepted) this tablet is the worst investment in hardware I did in the past few years...
I just wanted a great gadget, now I cant even play with it, due to the locked bootloader that is not unlockable for me and many others

Asus is crap. I will never buy one of their products ever again, and will be sure to spread this opinion to all friends and family who ask me for tech advice.

Love my Prime, but will not be buying another ASUS product either.

Jonphinguyen7 said:
Love my Prime, but will not be buying another ASUS product either.
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I am with you on that one.
LOL...a lot of people bought their Primes as a POSSIBLE replacement to a laptop.
My Alienware M18 has replaced my Prime, and I think I will go with a M11 Alienware to replace my Prime.
BUT, even a 4k laptop is not without its problems. AMD has yet to provide a proper driver for dual 7970m GPU's......:crying:
So you know what Asus is probably on par with other manufactures, always caught up in the hardware/specs race and not fully ready to release a product.
Sent from my Alienware M18
Edit:
You know what, yeah i still do love my Prime, I know its flakey, but its great to sit on the couch and struggle trying to browse the internet. Plus its great on the crapper.
Crazy how things work though, my GS3 is now more powerful than my Prime...Geez it's only been 6 months

I run a business from my TFP. It's my baby. I think asus has been very accommodating. I can think of no other company that rolls out this manyupdates.
Regarding the problems, I think people exaggerate. Let's look at each one.
Browser issue. I've never really had any problem with my browser. But if I did, I have dozens of alternatives on the play store.
Dodgy wifi. There are 3 primes within my arms' reach. There's a c3, c4, and c5. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen any problem with the wifi.
Screen flickering. Again, I haven't seen any of that.
GPS. Ok, so only 1 out of the 3 primes I mentioned have working gps. But so what? Honestly, how many people use their prime as a gps device to navigate around? I'm the only person I've ever heard of to use a tablet as a gps navigation device. Also, don't you have a smart phone with a gps? Why not bluetooth it to your prime to navigate if you need to do it that bad?
I'm not saying I don't believe people are having these issues. I just don't believe these issues are that widespread. In my business, I can tell you that people seem to have 2 universal characteristics when it comes to their tech stuff. (1) People almost always blame someone/something else rather than themselves, and (2) people tend to exaggerate the problem.
For example, there was a guy that needed to send his tablet to me to fix. He swore up and down that it just stopped turning on and that it was asus's design flaw. When I received it in the mail, it was VERY VERY obvious to me that he had dropped it and the power button was depressed and out of alignment with the inner button. There was also another guy who crammed TWO micro-sd cards into the micro sdcard slot and ruined both his cards and the slot. He also swore up and down to me that it was asus's design flaw. Then there was the water damage case that, again, the owner swore up and down his prime was never anywhere near water. There was also a guy who totally screwed up his own PC but was too embarrassed to tell me about it. After I drilled him a bit, he finally admitted that he had one of those viruses that told him it was harmless and that all he needed to do was remove certain files from his system folder to get rid of it. The idiot actually went through and deleted his systems files.
The exaggerating cases are just as bad. Look, when you call someone up for tech support or help, you need to be precise. That's how we help you! I've had people give me end-of-the-world scenarios with their computers only to turn out that they accidentally physically switched off their wifi switch.
I am not an asus apologist. I think asus has a lot of improvements to make. That said, if you think another tablet manufacturer can do a better job, please by all means switch. After having owned a multitude of tablet devices and years of testing out various boards from many manufacturers, I'm sticking with asus's tablets. I will try to get myself an infinity when it's available.
It's my experience that online reviews don't paint a real picture of things. People tend to stay quiet when everything is fine and only write a review when they found something wrong. This phenomenon gives the false impression that most of whatever it is are defective.
Then there are the ones who want to screw over a business just because they can. I sent out an item via ups some time ago. It was suppose to arrive on the 19th via tracking but ups had a delay and it was delivered on the 21st. The customer wrote me an email blasting me for ups's delay. Very nasty email, actually. He even hinted that if I gave him a partial refund he wouldn't give me a negative review. Annoyed, I replied thanking him for assuming I had complete control over how ups operates. Well, you guessed it, I got that negative review. In the review, he said he received the item very very very very late and that I was rude and packaged the item very poorly (even though I wrapped it in two layers of bubble wraps). There's that exaggeration with reviews again.
So, yeah, guys, go ahead and switch to a different company if that makes you feel better. Just my 2 cents.

already pre-ordered a nexus 7. I might see what win 8 tablets talking about. but after nexus 7, ill be satisfied until tegra4 tablets release.
p.s. I LOVE THE PRIME!

I have an ASUS TF700t and keyboard on pre-order, and will be selling my good working Prime with its keyboard on eBay as soon as the new one comes in. That's what I did with my original Transformer and my current Prime. I expect that at the end of the year there will be some real Windows 8 tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface RT. I expect to "upgrade" to one of those in a similar manner. Great fun!
Bye.

It will be a Samsung tablet that's for sure, not only do Samsung's Exynos SoCs consistently perform as on of the best SoCs on the market but Samsung's latest Android devices have been nothing but stellar.
The Prime was my first experience of Asus and it's definitely going to be last, in my opinion; Asus have absolutely shocking quality testing. Whilst people can post that they don't have any problems; for every one who doesn't have an issue, 100's do. The fact that Asus did not comprehend the impact of a full metal design on the WiFi and GPS performance speaks volumes about their pre-release testing.
I'm not an unreasonable person, I actually didn't care much for GPS on a tablet and hence why I've not been vocal about it, so I'm not complaining for the sake of it. However, since .21, I've always had pathetic browser performance, screen glitching where the status bar jumps up and down and sleep of deaths whilst docked. .28 comes along and fixes none of those issues but throws screen tearing on the left side of the screen into the mix, you can imagine how much that would annoy a consumer.
I'm happy to use applications off the market to make the experience better, for example I use thumb keyboard because Asus' stock keyboard is nothing but an embarrassment. I mean, why release a 10.1" tablet with a soft keyboard that doesn't have the option to split the keyboard in landscape orientation? You can't reach the keys in the middle of the screen, it's basic ergonomics and something I learnt in school when I was 16 and that's why it's embarrassing. Yet there's certain applications where I'm not willing to compromise as the loss of features are too great.
For example, the stock browser supports flash and direct syncing with my Google account. Nothing else does this as Chrome doesn't support flash. Another great example of how disorganised and unprofessional Asus are, is the whole GPS dongle shipping process. Not only are Asus incompetent to mess up GPS in the first place, they're stupid enough to mess up their attempt to resolve the issue.
For me it comes down to a simple question, am I happy with the £500 I spent on the Prime? The answer is no, as I could have bought a tablet that's £200 cheaper with a Tegra3 chip in that doesn't have the issues the Prime does. Would you put up with a TV unit that had screen tear down the side, with absolutely no acknowledgement from the manufacturer as to when it's going to get fixed?

Will certainly buy the nexus 7 as soon as it will be available around here. Don't know if i'll go for the infinity 700, since i lovethe prime except for its weak wifi speed on long range. I think i'll prefer to see what the windows8 tablets will be worth before going for a replacement for the prime of there ever will be one.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app

No way with ASUS, they are not getting another dime. And for that matter unless it surpasses the iPad in terms of smoothness and UI performance, I ain't getting another Android tablet, they are just not mature enough (phones are a different story, I will stick with Android phones).

Keeping my Transformer Prime TF201, adding a Nexus 7. If you NEVER buy stuff from any maker you get a bad device with in the end you will have nothing to buy.
I mean for a tablet you have who Asus and Samsung as top players, anyone else?

goodintentions said:
So, yeah, guys, go ahead and switch to a different company if that makes you feel better. Just my 2 cents.
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You can bet I will. I own several Moto products, an HTC and a Samsung. The 201 I wanted seeing how good the form factor was and hearing about quad-core power. After what I've been through with mine, the issues with the tablet and the company and trying to get a hold of someone competent enough to get a GPS dongle shipped to me, I'll never spend money on anything Asus again. I haven't had any of these issues with the other companies products, but this is just my personal experience with the devices I have purchased.
While I'm not saying there aren't people satisfied with their 201's you obviously are, for me I definitely didn't get what I spent $500+ on. I would probably have a more positive view of the company had I waited for the N7 and saved myself 400 or so plus the hardware and software problems over my 201 and dock but at least I learned the lesson I'll never spend that much again on an Asus tab.

Better Mobile App

welcome