Prime vs TF300T - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Prior, I did a search on Google (most results were on forums that are blocked at work) and on here (most results were about benchmarks, which don't matter too much to me).
That said, I'm just curious if anyone has any firsthand experience with both of these tablets. I've been debating getting one for some time and I was on Newegg earlier and saw that the TF300T (32 GB) was on sale for $299. I texted my uncle about it, who is an even bigger tech buff than I, and he told me that he was thinking about selling his lightly used Prime (also 32 GB) for $250.
Some of the search results that I found mentioned something about the WiFi being dodgy in the Prime, so I was wondering if anyone could provide insight on that specifically as well. A video "battle" that I watched basically summed it up that, to the everyday user (IE not a power user) the TF300T is essentially a plastic version of the Prime.
Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!

Jaxp3r said:
Prior, I did a search on Google (most results were on forums that are blocked at work) and on here (most results were about benchmarks, which don't matter too much to me).
That said, I'm just curious if anyone has any firsthand experience with both of these tablets. I've been debating getting one for some time and I was on Newegg earlier and saw that the TF300T (32 GB) was on sale for $299. I texted my uncle about it, who is an even bigger tech buff than I, and he told me that he was thinking about selling his lightly used Prime (also 32 GB) for $250.
Some of the search results that I found mentioned something about the WiFi being dodgy in the Prime, so I was wondering if anyone could provide insight on that specifically as well. A video "battle" that I watched basically summed it up that, to the everyday user (IE not a power user) the TF300T is essentially a plastic version of the Prime.
Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!
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Click to collapse
The ability of the primes screen to go to 600 nits of brightness is one really great thing. I can use it on a very sunny day no problem.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium

Well, I have both.
GPS is much better on TF300 (nearly non-existent on Prime)
Wifi is similar for me (if there is a difference TF300 is a tad better)
Screen is brighter on Prime
Metal finish on Prime looks better than the "golfball-plastic" of TF300. Still the TF300 does not look cheap. I have both in sleeves so that does not matter to me anyways.

Thanks for the responses guys. Can anyone else chime in?

A classmate and I both decided to get Transformers mine is a refurb Prime and his is a new TF300. Wifi his is slightly better but both pick up the same signals his is just a bit stronger. Gps his locks faster than mine when I don't use the dongle with the dongle mines just a bit faster. Apps if it doesn't work on his then it won't on mine or vice-verse. Aesthetically people like the prime better due to the metal back but the metal back does scratch easily and the TF300's plastic back we found that scratches are harder to notice but if both are in a case then neither issue matters. We have swapped devices for a week and neither of us could really tell we weren't using our own as far as OS and APP experience went. This was prior to me be unlocked and rooted I chose to do this as I had a limited warranty he has yet to do this so we can see a difference now but that's a risk he hasn't decided to do yet.
If I was in your situation I would go with the Prime if the Wifi and GPS(with or without dongle) were functional and use the saved $50 dollars on apps/accessories I have personally spent that much on just apps in my 2 months of ownership.

Thanks Dutch, some of the things I had read just had me wary of the Prime.

Related

Prime + Keyboard for $450?

Someone is offering me $450 for my Transformer Prime with the Keyboard dock. I am tempted to accept it, and wait for the prime or another tablet.
My problem with my tablet are the very weak wifi connection (for example, I cannot play HD videos on my TP whereas my EVO 4G plays the same videos with no problem at all, 3mb download while my computer gets 12mb), the lack of GPS connectivity (I have never been able to view a single satellite using GPS test), and I hate that ASUS chose to put only one speaker, which makes listening not really pleasant.
Do you think I should accept it or should I hope that ASUS will find a way to amke things better on the TP?
I don't know what kind of issues you have had, but I guess the question is do they make the tablet unusable for you, or do they just irritate you because you paid a premium for a high end tablet and (quite rightfully) expect it to work as advertised ? I ordered my Prime back in December, Amazon was out of stock and I had to wait, during the wait I read up on all the issues and seriously considered cancelling my order, but decided to give it a chance, Amazon's no hassle return policy helped a lot in this regard. I'm glad I decided to give it a whirl because the Prime meets my needs and is going to allow me to lighten up the gadget load while travelling, by replacing one of my laptops, my Kindle and potentially my iPod.
I have had my Prime for all of 8 days and so far I am pleased. The thing OTA'd itself to Sammich and presumably applied the wi-fi and GPS patches at that time. From what I have seen the wi-fi range isn't stunning, but it's more than adequate. The Wi-Fi King at my house is my little Toshiba NB201, it out ranges every other device we have in the place and it typically runs 3-8 db stronger than the Prime. But the Prime is right there with my iPod Touch, and seems a bit stronger than my wife's Toshiba laptop. GPS is so so, and that's not a real issue for me, but it'll lock up pretty quickly outside, and within 30 seconds in the house. I can't complain much about that. I have seen some of the other issues that people complain about, the browser was pretty dodgy for a couple of days after the Sammich update, I also noticed screen flicker after playing Spirit off the Market, but both those issues appear to have either fixed themselves, or the Prime pulled a fast one and updated without telling me. Either way they are fixed. I'd be hard pressed to take a $250-$350 hit unless the tablet was just unusable for my intended purpose. I hope this helps and good luck with your Prime, if you keep it make sure you hold Asus feet to the fire to get it fixed.
tablet and keyboard for $450 and you still thinking about it. Even if you don't want to keep it you can make profit out of it
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Yep, I'd buy it off of you for that too. Why don't you throw in a SquareTrade warranty in and make this a perfect deal?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
I was considering accepting because I am right now disappointed by the fact that I cannot watch HD videos on the net and, frankly, if a device is wifi only, the wifi connection should not suffer any weakness, and in my case, it makes me feel I have a useless device if I cannot do my favorite things on it. Also the fact that ASUS is releasing a new version of the transformer with a different back plate makes me think they now there is a problem with the current device and they are not able to fix it. But on second thought, I will keep it and hope ASUS does something to improve my experience.
Wendemixda said:
I was considering accepting because I am right now disappointed by the fact that I cannot watch HD videos on the net and, frankly, if a device is wifi only, the wifi connection should not suffer any weakness, and in my case, it makes me feel I have a useless device if I cannot do my favorite things on it. Also the fact that ASUS is releasing a new version of the transformer with a different back plate makes me think they now there is a problem with the current device and they are not able to fix it. But on second thought, I will keep it and hope ASUS does something to improve my experience.
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Lol the TF700 is just hteir "next" product that won't be out until the summer. People have also proved that hte case isn't what caused the issue. It's a bad connection to the antennas.
That said, the tablet plus dock cost $650. Are you saying you'd accept $200 less than what it costs???
nhshah7 said:
Lol the TF700 is just hteir "next" product that won't be out until the summer. People have also proved that hte case isn't what caused the issue. It's a bad connection to the antennas.
That said, the tablet plus dock cost $650. Are you saying you'd accept $200 less than what it costs???
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Someone would have to be a fool to accept that kind of loss....lmfao device still brand new...

Struggling with 201 vs 300

I am trying to decide if I want to wait for the 300 or go ahead with the 201. So it seems the main differences is the Screen (IPS vs IPS+), the clock (1.5? vs 1.3), and the case (metal vs plastic). I do care about wifi performance and I know that forums are terrible for being mostly negative (in that more people come to complain about something not working, than people come to praise something that it working just fine) so I am not sure the the 300 wifi will be that much better than the 201 wifi. So is it worth the price ($50-$100) for the 201 with the higher clock and better screen (how much better)? I know that no one has really seen the 300 but we do have some specs and just wanted to get an opinion.
I don't get you mate, you just highlighted the main differences between both models and still need to ask others? Make yourself the logical question, are the features between models important enough to justify the extra price tag?
In that answer you have your decision, good luck!
You are right, I need to make the decision. I guess since the 300 is like a Transformer/Transformer Prime hybrid (screen, case, possible wifi) is from someone that maybe has owned both the Prime and the OG, would you pay more for the Prime if the OG had a Tegra 3 in it. And really thats what it comes down to even looking at the current OG vs the Prime. Is the Tegra 3 that much better than the Tegra 2.
Also, keep in mind that the form factors are going to be different as the 300 is supposed to be thicker than the 201.
http://www.asuseeepad.net/blog/2012/02/updated-asus-transformer-tf300-rumors-facts-fiction/
Looks like it is rumored to be released this month. That is news to me. But after re-watching the teaser video it definitely looks thicker than the 201. With the plastic shell, thicker profile and the Red, White, and Blue color options it looks more like a toy and not a high tech gadget.
Character Zero said:
You are right, I need to make the decision. I guess since the 300 is like a Transformer/Transformer Prime hybrid (screen, case, possible wifi) is from someone that maybe has owned both the Prime and the OG, would you pay more for the Prime if the OG had a Tegra 3 in it. And really thats what it comes down to even looking at the current OG vs the Prime. Is the Tegra 3 that much better than the Tegra 2.
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You seem to be a very rational and knowledgeable individual, therefore, easy decision for you.
Speaking for myself, I can't even take the 300 series seriously after owning the Prime, that looks like something my 3 year old could carry around the house.
The 700 is the one I want to consider after the Tegra 4 is out and running, for the time being, my Prime is the one.
i'm in the same boat that you are in. but i think i'm going to go with the TF300. I do believe that Asus will fix the wifi and gps issue with this. (actually i don't know if there is gps in tf300..but i would imagine so). I'm not sure about the screen quality but the original transformer screen quality was fine with me so i would imagine that the tf300 would also be okay. Wifi is a big deal for me but i'm sure it will work. the thickness to me is irrelavent since i'm more focused on the functionality.
for $399 vs $499..i can't really complain. the only concern i really have with the tf300 is the battery life. 22WH. Acer's Iconia A510 had a significantly higher battery life for $450 but its also 1.3 gz on tegra 3.
as for the clock speed...i'm sure xda will have roms for the tf300 and you can get higher clock speeds on demand after a few months so that part to me also becomes irrelevant.
---------- Post added at 04:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 PM ----------
jordache16 said:
Also, keep in mind that the form factors are going to be different as the 300 is supposed to be thicker than the 201.
http://www.asuseeepad.net/blog/2012/02/updated-asus-transformer-tf300-rumors-facts-fiction/
Looks like it is rumored to be released this month. That is news to me. But after re-watching the teaser video it definitely looks thicker than the 201. With the plastic shell, thicker profile and the Red, White, and Blue color options it looks more like a toy and not a high tech gadget.
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where did you see the rumor to be released this month? Also the website you gave has conflicting specs for it. one says 16gb another says 8gb. one had 1.2 GHz Tegra 3.
the second page: http://www.asuseeepad.net/blog/2012...er-pad-tf300t-details-pre-order-release-date/ from update 3.
jblah said:
...
where did you see the rumor to be released this month? Also the website you gave has conflicting specs for it. one says 16gb another says 8gb. one had 1.2 GHz Tegra 3.
the second page: http://www.asuseeepad.net/blog/2012...er-pad-tf300t-details-pre-order-release-date/ from update 3.
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Ahh, you are right, my link doesn't cite the rumored release date. I think I first saw the date mentioned here. And it was also under the heading "Official Specifications of the Transformer TF300T:" on the second page from update 3 like you mentioned.
This site seems to be less and less credible the more I search around on it though. Under the "Official Specifications of the Transformer TF300T" it says the thing has a 8GB solid state drive... They also state on another page: "Expect the Transformer Pad TF300 pre orders to start in mid March". That was almost a month ago and still no official word on pre-orders.
you already pointed out most main differences. I see some that might not be correct though.
last time I checked official spec of 300 on Asus page, it has a top speed of only 1.2Ghz. prime top speed is 1.4Ghz. both in stock configuration. 300 will eventually get developer support and roms and be clocked higher. bit never will be as powerful as the prime. they probably using a cheaper tegra3 or one not able to withstand the stresses prime tegra3 can handle. lower power silicon process probably. anyways, 1.2Ghz is still good.
300 is a lower end model. so you should expect it to be lower spec and not as powerful or as many features. for ex. prime Super IPS+ display vs. regular ips. that is a huge difference as far as brightness and clarity of tablet goes. with that said, 300 display should still look good being ips.
300 model won't have as good battery life as prime but will still be good enough for most.
300 is priced tl be more affordable. its mainly for those not able to afford a prime or have that much extra money to spare. which nothing is wrong with thst. its Asus version of economy tablet at the moment.
300 will be alot thicker and heavier than the prime. but its still thinner and lighter than the OG transformer its replacing. plus it'll come in cool assortment of different colors. that white looks so sexy and professional looking. its something about white colored electronics. cars, etc...that give it a more distinguished look to it.
300 does have a good thing going for it. its said to include ddr3 ram. so that will help alot with multitasking although less powerful than prime.
300 will be made out of plastic. This "SHOULD" help out with its wireless capabilities. BUT and I mean BUT we have already seen the FCC report on this device. its already stated wifi/BT on the same chip. the report also "SPECIFICALLY" notes that the wifi/BT working at the same time is really not possible or will interfere with each other. So simultaneous mode is not needed. we have a thread with links to FCC report on the 300 If you want confirmation. it also shows wifi antennae gain is lower than prime. this usually means its wifi is not as powerful and show worse performance. MAIN THING IS DONT EXPECT WIFI/BT PERFORMANCE TO BE BETTER THAN PRIMES. maybe the 300 model doesn't need wifi signal as strong as prime since it has plastic back. who knows. but I'm pretty sure it will still perform just fine on wireless capabilities. Any device with wifi/BT on same chip sharing same antennae is prone to issues when used simultaneously. As we have people who own other devices and experience the same thing on it. the only difference is manufacturers do the best they can to minimize the impact. but the impact is always there. whether large or minute. Manufacturers have been using this single chip design because it cuts down on costs. So Asus not really to blame on that. they can only do the best they can to minimize the interference with each other. they use this to save space also in the device. devices that have separate wifi and BT chips doesn't suffer as much or at all vs. angle chip design. so wifi/BT dropout issues is not a prime exclusive problem or issue. this goes for most electronics now that use single chip design.
also forgot to add the 300 has lesser quality/less MP having cans. I think its rear is only 5mp vs. prime 8mp. plus 300 doesn't have a flash at all. so no nighttime pics or video recording. or low light ones.
What this all boils down to is how much do you want to spend? how much can you afford to use on a ttablet? there is no real comparing to the prime because prime is superior across the board. which is why it commands the higher price tag. So if you trying to decide based on specs comparison of which is better, it'll always be the prime, as its superior. Prime is the premium model. 300 is the lowend/economy one. 300 is a great value in its own. it should still perform great. of you have an extra $100 to spend and want the best, Prime is it.
Don't let anyone influence WHAT YOU WANT. DECIDE FOR YOURSELF BASED ON THE BEST RESEARCH YOU HAVE ON BOTH. ASK YOURSELF DO I WANT THE MOST POWERFUL DEVICE AND BELLS N WHISTLES, OR CAN I BE SATISFIED WITH A LESS SPEC DEVICE WHICH IS GOOD IN ITS OWN RIGHT AND I SAVE $100? EITHER WAY YOU GO, IT'LL BE A GOOD CHOICE.
GOOD LUCK DECIDING.
Thanks for the replies, I am still on the fence and even looking at a cheap TF101 if I happen across one. Just wanted to get some thoughts since the displays were similar (101 vs 201) and just some opinions. Thanks!
Character Zero said:
Thanks for the replies, I am still on the fence and even looking at a cheap TF101 if I happen across one. Just wanted to get some thoughts since the displays were similar (101 vs 201) and just some opinions. Thanks!
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the price point for 101 and the 300 when that comes out will be a difference of $50 unless you are planning on getting one refurbished. if you have the money th3 201 is the way to go if you don't..i would wait for the tf300. nothing wrong with the 101 but why get that one when the new one is coming out with tegra 3 at about the same price point?
Yeah someone listed on on CL for $300 for the Tf101 and dock. So I thought that was a good deal. If I can't get a deal like that, then I think I am going to wait unless I just can't stand it and the impulse buyer in me takes over and I jump from store to store to find a Prime.
Character Zero said:
Yeah someone listed on on CL for $300 for the Tf101 and dock. So I thought that was a good deal. If I can't get a deal like that, then I think I am going to wait unless I just can't stand it and the impulse buyer in me takes over and I jump from store to store to find a Prime.
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that is a good deal for tablet and dock. but it is really outdated. in mobile tech world. its display is not ips and it uses an older tegra2 chip. I'd say at least wait and get the 300 or the prime. that guy selling his to get money for new 300 tablet probably. I think 300 worth the wait if you only trying to spend so much.
good luck fighting off the impulse buying. I did before I got my prime. I wanted the td-101 during blackfriday sale but they were sold out. I got so impatient on wanting a new tablet and Android one that I almost got a Toshiba thrive, Acer-A100, or Kindle fire..lmfao. I'm so glad I didn't and just held out till I found out about the prime.
prime has been a great device for me ever since 12/22/2011.
I thought the 101 had an ips display. I had an iPad then went to a7 inch Android tab now I want to go back to 10 inches.
Character Zero said:
I thought the 101 had an ips display. I had an iPad then went to a7 inch Android tab now I want to go back to 10 inches.
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I forgot what kind it is but do not think its an ips display(I could be wrong). The 300 has an ips. Prime has Super ips +.
Google search the tf-101 display spec. I forgot exactly what kind of display of was but know it wasn't an ips one. It was a lesser quality.
Edit: I tried to find out for you but conflicting specs all over the web. It does have same resolution though.
demandarin said:
I forgot what kind it is but do not think its an ips display(I could be wrong). The 300 has an ips. Prime has Super ips +.
Google search the tf-101 display spec. I forgot exactly what kind of display of was but know it wasn't an ips one. It was a lesser quality.
Edit: I tried to find out for you but conflicting specs all over the web. It does have same resolution though.
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From the Asus Site :
10.1" LED Backlight WXGA (1280x800) Screen*1
*1 : IPS Panel, 178° wide view angle.
http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Transformer_TF101/#specifications
The TF101 has an IPS display panel (- same resolution as the Prime but isn't able to go as bright due to the lack of the 'plus' mode). I gave my wife my old transformer and it's a pretty decent performer apart from video playback of some high bandwidth formats and as long as you get one without quality control issues. I see the Pad 300 model is being a) The eventual replacement for the TF101 as it's pretty similar apart from the use of Tegra 3 and likely priced similarly. b) For those considering a Prime but wanted something with less flash storage (and for that reason not as expensive) or c) alternatively need something other than wi-fi only models (which has been the norm apart from the TF101G which was released in some regions). However, until there's a release date and actual physical availability the Pad 300 model remains unproven. Will it have any issues of its own, for example and what quality control problems if any will there be.
Robert
So I decided to straddle the fence a bit. I put in my order to Amazon for the 201 which ships in 3-4 weeks and that gives me time to see what happens with the 300. Hopefully I can make it that long.
according to this site there should be some announcement for the tf300 on monday the 9th.
http://news.portableone.com/asus-for-business/asus-to-release-transformer-tablet/
says monday march 9th...lol. probably doesn't know what they are talking about.
wifi
I haven't had any problems with my tf201 - you shouldn't be disappointed.
The wifi range isn't as good as my Galaxy S but still always picks up the routers fine.
Enjoy
Well I first had ordered the Grey since it was 3-4 weeks for delivery and that gave me time to think about my options (and probably regret it). But then the Champagne just showed up in stock and I jumped on it and canceled the grey.

[REVIEW] Engadget ASUS TF300

Pretty good review of the Asus TF300...I didn't expect Engadget to give it such praise.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/22/asus-transformer-pad-tf300-review/
I had no idea this was already a finished product
d1ez3 said:
I had no idea this was already a finished product
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Yea, releases today. It seems like everyone has only heard of the 700, but not this, so I posted it.
I'd love to sell my fiances Galaxy Tab to get her this,but she needs a 7". Can't wait to see the 7 incher from ASUS or ASUS/Google...
this was already posted in the 300 thread earlier today
A cheaper version of the Prime. The only difference really is not a sharp looking (cheaper materials) and no Super IPS+ display making it easy.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Aside from the fact that the battery life isn't quite as epic as the Prime's, our most serious complaint has little to do with ASUS, and more with Android: even with a state-of-the-art chip running the latest version of the OS, the tablet occasionally hiccups when launching apps and resizing web pages.
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Love my prime for this
legendary1022 said:
A cheaper version of the Prime. The only difference really is not a sharp looking (cheaper materials) and no Super IPS+ display making it easy.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
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It's also a bit thicker
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
I was hoping they would be more comprehensive about the wi-fi. All they said was "we didn't encounter any problems." I'd really like some comparative analysis between the 300 and the Prime, particularly since the 300 has a plastic back plate.
jkvato said:
I was hoping they would be more comprehensive about the wi-fi. All they said was "we didn't encounter any problems." I'd really like some comparative analysis between the 300 and the Prime, particularly since the 300 has a plastic back plate.
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to be honest, I've seen breakdowns on wifi performance comparisons. the 300, according to those charts, does perform better on wifi across various distances from router. It can also be said alot of prime owners don't have an issue with their wifi. I think it may have been Anandtech review where i saw the comparison charts. I cant remember. Either them or Android Central. If i come across it again ill link you to it.
edit: i found it. it was Anandtech. he has a very thorough review of the 3oo. ill link you to the wifi comparison chart.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5756/asus-transformer-pad-300-review/5
jaycustom said:
Pretty good review of the Asus TF300...I didn't expect Engadget to give it such praise.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/22/asus-transformer-pad-tf300-review/
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You call that praise? I was thinking engadget's just like NO ME GUSTA to this...
Probably sent through one of those little windows in AOKP cornerstone for my tf9001.
demandarin said:
to be honest, I've seen breakdowns on wifi performance comparisons. the 300, according to those charts, does perform better on wifi across various distances from router. It can also be said alot of prime owners don't have an issue with their wifi. I think it may have been Anandtech review where i saw the comparison charts. I cant remember. Either them or Android Central. If i come across it again ill link you to it.
edit: i found it. it was Anandtech. he has a very thorough review of the 3oo. ill link you to the wifi comparison chart.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5756/asus-transformer-pad-300-review/5
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I'm confused... Are you saying that if our Prime performs similar to that chart then we don't have a problem?
Looking at that chart, I see that the Prime is obviously the worst performer and it seems to be a pretty big issue compared to the other tablets.
>http://www.anandtech.com/show/5756/asus-transformer-pad-300-review/5
I wouldn't draw any conclusion from this chart. It's not representative. The numbers are distorted, likely from variations from a single test.
Per the chart, the Prime would have better wifi at 50' + multiple obstructions than at 20' + single obstruction, which obviously is false. Ditto for TF300, which from this would have same wifi performance at 20' as at 80'.
When a single set of numbers is known to be wrong, then the whole work is suspect. I would look askance at the entire review. This is shoddy work. I expect better from Anandtech, especially when Anand dude himself put his own name on the article.
MK17 said:
I'm confused... Are you saying that if our Prime performs similar to that chart then we don't have a problem?
Looking at that chart, I see that the Prime is obviously the worst performer and it seems to be a pretty big issue compared to the other tablets.
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you confusing me..lmao did you see the post i quoted? the original question was asked how does the 300 wifi performance compare to the prime. i gave the Anandtech comparison he did in his in depth review. Anandtech did a prime wifi tests early when prime first came out. his tests didn't fare well with the prime. my prime gets results more similar to the other devices listed. not all primes have wifi that perform bad, especially newer units.
Either way i just linked the person asking the question to a comparison chart showing how well 300 wifi performs. this has nothing to do with the prime by itself. this is just a recorded proof of comparison. that's all really. Since no other tech site has done what the person asked about so far.
what e.mote said is true also.
e.mote said:
>http://www.anandtech.com/show/5756/asus-transformer-pad-300-review/5
I wouldn't draw any conclusion from this chart. It's not representative. The numbers are distorted, likely from variations from a single test.
Per the chart, the Prime would have better wifi at 50' + multiple obstructions than at 20' + single obstruction, which obviously is false. Ditto for TF300, which from this would have same wifi performance at 20' as at 80'.
When a single set of numbers is known to be wrong, then the whole work is suspect. I would look askance at the entire review. This is shoddy work. I expect better from Anandtech, especially when Anand dude himself put his own name on the article.
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That chart tracks with my experience and likely the experience of most other Prime owners. The TF300 has slight dropoff, but consistently strong reception out to a much farther distance. The Prime has significant dropoff quickly, and almost total dropoff at the longer distance.
Both Primes I have owned were exactly the same as the one tested. Within 20 feet of the router, some dropoff. Outside of 20 feet, at least half, and at 60+ feet almost total dropoff. Also, it's reasonable that the 50 foot test was a little stronger than the 20 foot test because of the randomness of the signal dropoff. Sitting 50 feet from my router, I could run the speed test five consecutive times and get five different numbers. That doesn't make the numbers suspect, it makes the Prime's reception suspect because you get such random results.
You can make excuses and call the numbers "suspect" all day long, but I think a lot of Prime owners find those numbers very believable based on actual experience. I just think it's tragic that Asus CONTINUES to pretend that WiFi isn't a real issue, and continues to sell the Prime as the premium product even though it suffers from such a tragic flaw that doesn't seem to plague the "lower" model with the plastic back. Shipping an external GPS antenna to the obvious GPS problem was a nice step, but they still haven't done anything to make WiFi better. IMHO, a new caseback was the only viable solution and they have steadfastly refused to do it.
Asus should offer a trade-in program and see how many people would trade them their current Prime straight-up for a new TF300. That'll be a good indication of which one people think is actually the better product.
>it's reasonable that the 50 foot test was a little stronger than the 20 foot test because of the randomness of the signal dropoff.
OK, removed the "extra-curricular" commentary. Here's the sanitized version:
There are only 4 wifi numbers given for the Prime, one of which (50') is clearly wrong. If you accept that the 50' number is wrong due to "randomness", then the rest of the numbers have no credibility, because they can also be affected by the same "randomness." Hence, the need to minimize testing variability and to publish your testing method.
Wifi tests are highly variable, and you would want to minimize variability by taking some steps, the first of which is to test multiple times, remove the outliers, then normalize the result. The second of which is to publish your methodology so the test can be replicated. The Anandtech piece did neither.
dcAndroidFan said:
That chart tracks with my experience and likely the experience of most other Prime owners. The TF300 has slight dropoff, but consistently strong reception out to a much farther distance. The Prime has significant dropoff quickly, and almost total dropoff at the longer distance.
Both Primes I have owned were exactly the same as the one tested. Within 20 feet of the router, some dropoff. Outside of 20 feet, at least half, and at 60+ feet almost total dropoff. Also, it's reasonable that the 50 foot test was a little stronger than the 20 foot test because of the randomness of the signal dropoff. Sitting 50 feet from my router, I could run the speed test five consecutive times and get five different numbers. That doesn't make the numbers suspect, it makes the Prime's reception suspect because you get such random results.
You can make excuses and call the numbers "suspect" all day long, but I think a lot of Prime owners find those numbers very believable based on actual experience. I just think it's tragic that Asus CONTINUES to pretend that WiFi isn't a real issue, and continues to sell the Prime as the premium product even though it suffers from such a tragic flaw that doesn't seem to plague the "lower" model with the plastic back. Shipping an external GPS antenna to the obvious GPS problem was a nice step, but they still haven't done anything to make WiFi better. IMHO, a new caseback was the only viable solution and they have steadfastly refused to do it.
Asus should offer a trade-in program and see how many people would trade them their current Prime straight-up for a new TF300. That'll be a good indication of which one people think is actually the better product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with you.
Does anyone know the reason why Asus decided not to change the back cover of his Prime?
Because if it's just only for aesthetics, it would be stupidiest reason ever held.
I would like to buy a Prime right now, the best of all Android devices, even with another backcover not-so-cool.
But seeing that problems I prefer buying the TF300 or go to another brand.
What a pity!
daioros said:
Totally agree with you.
Does anyone know the reason why Asus decided not to change the back cover of his Prime?
Because if it's just only for aesthetics, it would be stupidiest reason ever held.
I would like to buy a Prime right now, the best of all Android devices, even with another backcover not-so-cool.
But seeing that problems I prefer buying the TF300 or go to another brand.
What a pity!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had to guess, I'd say it's the obvious answer -- money. If they replace the back cover, then they have to do it to every unit, at a support center, by trained technicians. They're already struggling to keep up with basic repair and support -- a total retrofit would be an insurmountable task for their current infrastructure.
If they ignore the WiFi problem completely and just "fix" the GPS, then they can manufacture an external part, mass-produce and package it, and mail it out to some percentage of their registered owners with no other cost to them.
daioros said:
Totally agree with you.
Does anyone know the reason why Asus decided not to change the back cover of his Prime?
Because if it's just only for aesthetics, it would be stupidiest reason ever held.
I would like to buy a Prime right now, the best of all Android devices, even with another backcover not-so-cool.
But seeing that problems I prefer buying the TF300 or go to another brand.
What a pity!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I continue to find these posts humoring. Have you looked at a dissected Prime, either here on XDA or at Anandtech? Everything but the glass and LCD is attached to the backplate. That means either several hours labor swapping all the parts from one back to another or just trashing the entire back assembly and replacing all internal components.
So, in short and as mentioned, money. Either of those circumstances is no bueno for ASUS's bottom line, and therefore neither one is happening.
buxtahuda said:
I continue to find these posts humoring. Have you looked at a dissected Prime, either here on XDA or at Anandtech? Everything but the glass and LCD is attached to the backplate. That means either several hours labor swapping all the parts from one back to another or just trashing the entire back assembly and replacing all internal components.
So, in short and as mentioned, money. Either of those circumstances is no bueno for ASUS's bottom line, and therefore neither one is happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which also explains why not much availability. The 300 will be their mass production device.
This is SPARTA!!
e.mote said:
>it's reasonable that the 50 foot test was a little stronger than the 20 foot test because of the randomness of the signal dropoff.
OK, removed the "extra-curricular" commentary. Here's the sanitized version:
There are only 4 wifi numbers given for the Prime, one of which (50') is clearly wrong. If you accept that the 50' number is wrong due to "randomness", then the rest of the numbers have no credibility, because they can also be affected by the same "randomness." Hence, the need to minimize testing variability and to publish your testing method.
Wifi tests are highly variable, and you would want to minimize variability by taking some steps, the first of which is to test multiple times, remove the outliers, then normalize the result. The second of which is to publish your methodology so the test can be replicated. The Anandtech piece did neither.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Practical tests are best. Take two devices and compare when each becomes unstable and then stops working with wifi. For me, the Prime was about half as functional for signal compared to the Thrive, View and iPad.
Though good enough for some, not for others. Seems logical to fix the back panel on new production runs and maybe they would have, if the 300 and 700 were not releasing now/soon.

TF201 or TF300

Hello everybody
I am considering buying either TF201 or TF300, obviously TF200 is a higher quality model with all the fancy metal and higher CPU clock rate, but on the other hand i also read that in newer TF300 model they have fixed some of the issues regarding the prime TF201
However i thought to have your opinions about this, in your experience which one do you think is better?
note: money is no problem i have enough budget for either one of them
i also don't care about the GPS,
Thanks
I'd get the tf300, it has no wifi/gps prolems, is also a quad core, and only clocks .2ghz less afaik. Its way cheaper too, and you should be able to overclock it soon.
Obviously the performance of the two models is very similar and maybe one wouldn't really notice it, but probably the TF300 feels cheap , i wouldn't know that for sure until i had touched it with my own hands
Been in the shop today with exactly the same issue...
to be honest I think I will go for TF300. In here it is 100 bucks cheaper and the difference in built quality is hardly visible.
It is a bit thicker (but you know it only next to Prime). I own iPad1 and TF300 felt OK to me.
In regard of the screen (again - in the shop) I could not see any difference... only (a bit, maybe) in brightness.
I do not care to much about GPS either... but WiFi is a whole different story.
My problem is lack of 3G connectivity on both models. If I will find out if they will support USB stick with 3G modem I think I will get blue TF300.
If not... I will wait for something similar with Windows 8 onboard.
BTW: does any one knows how will it be with Win8 on tbalets in regard of installing software like Netflix, Hulu, etc? On Windows Phone (if Live ID is not from USA it is no go)...

New Tablet

I'm thinking about getting a tablet for about 300 bucks, I dont want to really spend much more than that. Do you guys suggest the Prime or the TF300? Is there any other I should look at for this price range that have a quad core w/ microsd and hdmi? I was looking at maybe the refurbs on newegg, does anyone have experience with their refurbs? Thanks for any suggestions.
Don't buy another Asus
Sent from my ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
I honestly wouldn't recommend it, I'd say the least to go for a Nexus 7. This thread doesn't necessarily need to be a other long winded rant about the dreadful i/o speeds that creates lag coupled with the horrible wifi problems that come along with the aluminium back cover which can be solved using a stretch of aluminium foil pasted on your prime. Buttttttt! If typing is your kind of thing the Transformer series as a whole does seem to be the best package although there are other alternatives like a N7 or your phone coupled with a blue tooth keyboard
Honestly the Transformer Prime is a damn good tablet....if you get one of the later versions where Asus 'fixed' a few things. My WiFi isn't terrible. I can get nearly full bars all around my house which is decently sized with an excessive amount of walls. I even get service through the wet-wall (the one with all the pipes for the toilets and such) and 2 other normal walls. I/O isn't truly terrible if you don't use stock kernels. Asus fudged an amazingly powerful tablet. People that use my Prime always say "I can see why you paid $500 for that thing. It's AWESOME!". But it's up to you man. The N7 is great but has it's issues too (maybe Asus fudged another tab? who knows).
Well.. Not to say that everyone is having a bad experience with the Prime but if you're going to make a purchase, no one can say for sure what you're in stall for
McJesus15 said:
Honestly the Transformer Prime is a damn good tablet....if you get one of the later versions where Asus 'fixed' a few things. My WiFi isn't terrible. I can get nearly full bars all around my house which is decently sized with an excessive amount of walls. I even get service through the wet-wall (the one with all the pipes for the toilets and such) and 2 other normal walls. I/O isn't truly terrible if you don't use stock kernels. Asus fudged an amazingly powerful tablet. People that use my Prime always say "I can see why you paid $500 for that thing. It's AWESOME!". But it's up to you man. The N7 is great but has it's issues too (maybe Asus fudged another tab? who knows).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good assessment. I have an early S/N Prime (STOCK - NOT ROOTED or UNLOCKED) and it still WOW's people who play with it. Mine has decent WiFi, I can stream music from my house to my detached garage (about 40 feet from the house) with no problems. Every device will have problems; it's just the nature of the technology right now. My wife's iPad has had some issues connecting and staying connected to our network at home (old Linksys router) so maybe a lot of WiFi problems people reported right after the Primes launch was due to older wireless routers being used. Is the Prime perfect? No but it is still one of the fastest tablets so far. I received the dock this Christmas and it truly "TRANSFORMS" the whole user experience. I'm not a big fan of touchscreen keyboards so the dock was a must when I was considering a device like this. Plus the extra battery, full size USB port and full size SD card port on the keyboard set the Asus Transformer line apart from the competition IMHO. I recommend the Prime all the time.
I have to ask, aren't the nexus 7s made by Asus? I don't quite understand why you'd tell someone not to buy a prime because Asus sucks and then suggest to buy a nexus 7 if they are both manufactured by Asus.
I have had my prime since Christmas. I bought it used on swappa and at first was not impressed as it came with CM10 and on ics firmware. I did the nvflash and updated it to jellybean and loaded hairybean. I absolutely love this thing. It's fast, responsive, and all around not what people complain about on here. Did I just get a good one? Am I not as picky as other people? I don't understand what the problem is. I guess it could be worse, you could have bought a Samsung galaxy tab and not had a sd slot or jellybean. The prime blows it out of the water. I have also done side by side with ipad2 and the prime out performs it as well.
End rant. Just my 2 cents.

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