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hiya all
got a tf101 and its a great tablet but i was thinking about going for a prime and selling the 101. Honest opinions about this please. Is it worth it or am i better waiting.
thanks
ian
Unless you are planning on using it as your primary navigation device, I would skip it.
Otherwise, it is totally worth it.
The Prime is an excellent upgrade from the TF101. It is faster, has a better screen and a more "quality" feel despite some of the issues people have reported on these forums. The only negative to the Prime is that the GPS is useless for navigation. However you can use aGPS to get rough position for location based services like Search.
Just like the others said. I'm sure you've read the issue threads. Not get a flipside view. Check out the Positive transformer thread in my signature. IMO, prime is totally worth it
Well...
Since you already have a tablet and are looking to upgrade, I would actually wait for the TF700. HD screen, tegra 3, and new back design (which supposedly is going to fix GPS, Wifi+bluetooth issues). If you don't want to wait, get the Prime. It's a beautiful beast!
I upgraded from the TF101...no regrets at all. My TF101 gathered dust until i swapped it for a Microwave/combi oven
The only reason that I sold my TF101 and got the TP was to get decent HW video decoding. With Tegra3 NVidia finally did that.
Additionally you get a lighter and thinner design, brighter screen, better battery life at the cost of weaker GPS reception and almost unusable compass. Oh, and the USB cable is longer :]
You guys need to learn how to sell........
IT WILL GET YOU MORE SEX.....
enough said.
Jonphinguyen7 said:
Since you already have a tablet and are looking to upgrade, I would actually wait for the TF700. HD screen, tegra 3, and new back design (which supposedly is going to fix GPS, Wifi+bluetooth issues). If you don't want to wait, get the Prime. It's a beautiful beast!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just one caveat here: the TF700 will have 2.25X the pixels with its 1920X1200 screen, but its Tegra 3 processor will only be about 10% faster. So, it's inevitable that the TF700 will have lower performance for anything involving writing to the screen. It'll probably perform just fine, but there will have to be a penalty. I think this is why ASUS is marketing it as a "home theater" kind of device--good for watching 1080P video right on the device--and not as the hottest gaming device.
So, if you're primarily concerned about performance, then the TF201 is a great choice. It has a great screen that, to my eyes, is definitely good enough. If you want the highest res screen available, then I'd consider waiting for the TF700.
wynand32 said:
Just one caveat here: the TF700 will have 2.25X the pixels with its 1920X1200 screen, but its Tegra 3 processor will only be about 10% faster. So, it's inevitable that the TF700 will have lower performance for anything involving writing to the screen. It'll probably perform just fine, but there will have to be a penalty. I think this is why ASUS is marketing it as a "home theater" kind of device--good for watching 1080P video right on the device--and not as the hottest gaming device.
So, if you're primarily concerned about performance, then the TF201 is a great choice. It has a great screen that, to my eyes, is definitely good enough. If you want the highest res screen available, then I'd consider waiting for the TF700.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And don't forget to mention the hit to the battery life due to the higher resolution.
micaman said:
And don't forget to mention the hit to the battery life due to the higher resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. Apple had to almost double the size of the iPad's battery to accomodate the high-res screen and faster GPU. With even a 10% increase in the Tegra 2's speed and the screen, the TF700 will definitely have weaker battery life. ASUS has said it'll be, what, an hour less? In real life, this is probably conservative.
If they put a significantly bigger battery in the dock that would probably help. On the Prime the dock's battery is quite a bit lower-capacity than the tablet's. It'd probably help the dock be a bit heavier too so the thing wouldn't "fall over" quite so often.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Get the prime. Be sure you purchase at a place where you can exchange in case WIFI / Lightbleed is not up to your satisfaction. Its the luck of the draw.
Prime is well worth it. UNLESS you want to wait a few months for TF700.
Of course about all you are going to get different is a higher resolution display.
Plus better odds on getting a good working WIFI & Light bleed free tab.
Waiting for prime to hit my local BB here for I can get another. BECAUSE I want to be able to exchange it *IF it has WIFI/ Lightbleed issues.
thanks all. i've just ordered one
thanks
ian
Congrats. I'm sure you wont have any regrets. Well maybe once the t700 comes along. But when that will be....who knows.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
We know, we know. Better wifi/gps. But what else?
On my list would be:
Battery/energy performance improvements - When I watched the tegra 3 videos for months before it came out I expected a steep increase in battery life performance over my tf101. Although the processor is faster - the battery life is about the same as my tf101, if not slightly worse. 28nm tegra 4 SoC's may improve this - but when I say improvements I want real improvements, not just what apple did with the ipad 3, improve the tablet but not the battery, just put a bigger battery in instead.
GPU improvements over display improvements - This is sort of related to the first improvement. I still fail to see the need for a 1080p+ screen on such a small device. It's a battery killer and 720p is sufficient, maybe a little more would be nice, but what's more important is the gpu. I see the need for a faster gpu, gaming is still in the ps2 / xbox phase - we need to jump up to current day graphics. I can live happily with a 720p display with more battery life and better graphics capabilities.
Less bezel. Self explanatory.
Ability to add folder shortcuts to the homescreen in the stock file manager. This is an essential feature.
More RAM. Even the crappiest netbooks on the market are upgradeable to 4gb, a little more wouldn't hurt.
USB on tablet. An edge the tfp has over the ipad is memory expansion. There is cloud software available - but weening mobile users off of usb isn't going to happen any time soon.
And most importantly...
Production. Asus won't let themselves succeed, they always second guess their products and then on release they are impossible to obtain. Preorders on both the tf101 and prime were backed up for weeks if not months. Asus, manufacturer more than enough to meet the demands of consumers because it's embarrassing when apple can move 3m ipads in 3 days but you can't make a hundred thousand in 3 months. If you can't meet demand - your sales won't increase.
I'm hoping next generation of Asus tablets after infinity pad will have Tegra4 in it. that will be even greater battery life and a dramatic boost in CPU and GPU performance. ill be holding on to my prime till then. nothing I've seen out from the competition makes me want to get rid of the Prime or seem more powerful than it. but honestly I get great battery life on my prime considering how much I use it and the kind of games and emulators I'm running on it. I easily get 10hrs. + battery life. Some may think this battery life not good enough but its the best Android has right now. Prime has the longest lasting battery of any tablet out now. according to Asus own specs, prime will still have better battery life than the Infinity pad or the new 300. the 300 actually has the shortest battery life, I believe. I could be wrong. but I know prime has the longest lasting battery life of all Asus tablets out now or coming out! that's been announced
Quality test the mess out of their next device, if any problem is spotted via web browsing, opening apps, connecting it to a larger TV monitor. Then they need to hold off until releasing it until they get it resolved.
The Transformer Prime should have shipped with all issues ironed out. So the consumer don't have to deal with these issues. Apple does this for it's iphone and iPad, ASUS should have done this or the Transformer Prime.
Default file manager is not perfect. Would love to see improvements aka incorporate what ES and Astro have been doing for a long time.
Better Inputs. The microSD card sticking out is stupid. Just make it more recessed. Same for the Audio jack, only half of it is in, the rest is exposed. Some times I drop audio in one ear, not sure, but I bet its due to this.
Better default features for lockscreen.
Speaker placement, maybe we need two speakers? The location is not great.
Keyboard keys on dock feel cheap. they are light, but when the battery already weighs what it weighs, just give me nicer keys.
WTF. How could ASUS let those chargers out of the factory. If they are plugged in one way, and you hold your tablet, it gives you a fuzzy jolt!
The tilting mechanism of the tablet on the dock kinda makes the tablet fall backwards when open. all the weight of the device is right at the back... it falls backwards all the time for me.
The build quality of the dock. If you pick it up from the side where the tablet docks, the underside metal bows & will make a clicking sound for me. The four rubber circles on the bottom of the dock aren't even! If i set my docked tablet on the table, it will still slide around cuz only 2 rubbers are on the counter.
I would always be happier with more RAM
I would like a better ASUS manager, which CRASHES all the time.
The screen bulging is annoying.
Its bad, the list can go on and on.
demandarin said:
I'm hoping next generation of Asus tablets after infinity pad will have Tegra4 in it. that will be even greater battery life and a dramatic boost in CPU and GPU performance. ill be holding on to my prime till then. nothing I've seen out from the competition makes me want to get rid of the Prime or seem more powerful than it. but honestly I get great battery life on my prime considering how much I use it and the kind of games and emulators I'm running on it. I easily get 10hrs. + battery life. Some may think this battery life not good enough but its the best Android has right now. Prime has the longest lasting battery of any tablet out now. according to Asus own specs, prime will still have better battery life than the Infinity pad or the new 300. the 300 actually has the shortest battery life, I believe. I could be wrong. but I know prime has the longest lasting battery life of all Asus tablets out now or coming out! that's been announced
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap, the tf300/infinity have less battery life from the slide I saw a while back. I don't know why it's that way for the tf300, it should be on par with the tf101 and prime. The tf700 is more obvious, and is one of the reasons I think the 1080p+ screens are a step backwards for mobile devices. But the 4g is also to blame, for shorter battery life. I can't blame asus for that - carriers won't touch the wifi only prime, so with mobile data plans available to the tf700 it will help revenue. At least they won't have to market crappy galaxy tabs or xooms anymore.
The best option in my opinion is a 4g hotspot from clearwire, unlimited data for $45 a month, doesn't drain your tablet battery, you can charge it off the dock in your bag while you use your tablet separately, and it works for more than one device.
Tegra 4 isn't going to impact tablets as much as it will impact netbooks. The 8 core batman version of wayne will be for ultrabooks/netbooks and the robin version will be for tablets & phones. If you've paid any attention to netbooks lately - they're still lacking in the cpu and graphics department, and amd/intel are the big contenders in that department - which is why nvidia has alot to gain by offering an energy efficient 8 core ARM SoC for windows 8 netbooks.
Nvidia is moving forward from taking AMD on in the graphics department and hitting them where it will hurt in the cpu market. And everyone knows intel atom processors are complete ****, so x86/x32 on ultrabooks/netbooks may become a thing of the past if Nvidia can pull this off.
Billyvnilly said:
Default file manager is not perfect. Would love to see improvements aka incorporate what ES and Astro have been doing for a long time.
Better Inputs. The microSD card sticking out is stupid. Just make it more recessed. Same for the Audio jack, only half of it is in, the rest is exposed. Some times I drop audio in one ear, not sure, but I bet its due to this.
Better default features for lockscreen.
Speaker placement, maybe we need two speakers? The location is not great.
Keyboard keys on dock feel cheap. they are light, but when the battery already weighs what it weighs, just give me nicer keys.
WTF. How could ASUS let those chargers out of the factory. If they are plugged in one way, and you hold your tablet, it gives you a fuzzy jolt!
The tilting mechanism of the tablet on the dock kinda makes the tablet fall backwards when open. all the weight of the device is right at the back... it falls backwards all the time for me.
The build quality of the dock. If you pick it up from the side where the tablet docks, the underside metal bows & will make a clicking sound for me. The four rubber circles on the bottom of the dock aren't even! If i set my docked tablet on the table, it will still slide around cuz only 2 rubbers are on the counter.
I would always be happier with more RAM
I would like a better ASUS manager, which CRASHES all the time.
The screen bulging is annoying.
Its bad, the list can go on and on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot to mention the microsd card in OP, glad you posted that.
Completely agree on the headphone jack, when I plug my headphones in and put my tablet in my bookbag the headphone connector shimmys it's way out and the audio cuts. It's only been doing this recently though. My fix was to just put the tablet in my bag with the jack facing down so the weight of the tablet keeps it in, not worried about my cables because they are Kevlar reinforced with a slanted jack.
I think speakers on mobile devices are a lost cause to be honest. Laptop speakers have sucked for years and they've had far more room to work with than tablets do. I won't ever be pleased with the speakers on a phone/tablet/laptop until I can hear the subbass frequencies that only my 12 inch sub or pricey beyerdynamic headphones can provide. Which is why my inner audiophile will say it's better just to go out and buy a nice set of headphones if audio quality is a concern.
Chiclet keys are a bit on the annoying side, but they're still usable. I just wish the tablet wasn't so much thicker than the dock, I wish they were even, perhaps cram some extra batteries or speakers in there.
Two words above all else;
Quality Control
Do not release buggy products, test the features you plan to advertise well in advance of the actual product release.
After that?
More RAM. 2 GB minimum. 4 would be better. And worth paying for.
Next up, 16/32 is a fine size to choose from for ROM (on board storage). I bought a 64 GB Prime and have used 8GB. I download apps extensively and never uninstall or delete anything. Maybe I'm missing something here, I don't do much video or take a lot of pics, or have a lot of audio files on my tablet. OTOH, I have a 32gb micro SD card in the dock (with adapter), and would be perfectly content putting pics, movies, short vids, etc, on there.
To the OP, the current bezel is fine. If you never take it out of the dock I could see wanting a smaller bezel, but part of the appeal of the Transformer series is that you CAN take it out of the dock. And when you do remove it, the current size of bezel means you can handle it easily (even with my large hands) without pressing the screen and opening/closing all sorts of apps.
The one physical layout of the Prime that I would change is that there is a button or control or cable plugin on each of the 4 sides.
This means that you have no where to rest if it is charging and you have an audio cable plugged in while you hold it to do something like play a game. I would put the audio plug, volume controls, HDMI plug, and power button all on one side. Leave the USB/Charging port where it is for convenience of keyboard docking. This means you have a short side and a long side that you can choose to rest on the table while playing a game, and you don't have to fight the cables or be concerned about setting the tablet on the power or volume buttons (and either messing up your volume or, worse yet, turning the power off) while doing so.
Edit:
I also forgot about the MicroSD slot. Leaving the (expensive) card half way out to be pressed by random objects and fired across the room by the ejection spring is a very, very poor design decision. If you insist on keeping the curve of the tablet shell put a "half moon" indentation in the shell to allow pressing the fully recessed MicroSD card in for release.
the_game_master said:
Quality test the mess out of their next device, if any problem is spotted via web browsing, opening apps, connecting it to a larger TV monitor. Then they need to hold off until releasing it until they get it resolved.
The Transformer Prime should have shipped with all issues ironed out. So the consumer don't have to deal with these issues. Apple does this for it's iphone and iPad, ASUS should have done this or the Transformer Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You think iPhone's and iPad's don't have issues of there own? Nothing is perfect. iPhone 4s even with the new antennae design it still has the death grip issue. The new iPad, Yellow-ish tinted screens, overheating, poor wifi.
Lots of things could be added i mean instead of a spring loaded microsd why not a microsim like tray for the microsd?
Some Quality control would be nice, wouldn't scared off some potential customers and retailers.
The Bezel is fine to be honest how else would you hold and rest your thumbs on the screen? While yes they could develop more into the software and have it reject the thumb, Its just not reasonable.
Also a full sized usb you said? How else can they make the device so thin? Maybe a micro usb, but i don't think it can transfer enough data/power while docked.
Display? Well Asus TFP Infinity self-explanatory for the media junkies such as I.
2Gb Ram, better for the multi-tasking android supports and features.
Speakers on the side, eg Galaxy Tab 10.1 first gen.
Metal or more high quality Chiclets keys on the keyboard.
I just hope somehow someway they will get to use a better GPU on the infinity because tegra 3 is great cpu wise, while it does lack a lot in the gpu department. I mean it has to power a 1080p display and it already lags abit on the prime in some games.
reNeglect said:
You think iPhone's and iPad's don't have issues of there own? Nothing is perfect. iPhone 4s even with the new antennae design it still has the death grip issue. The new iPad, Yellow-ish tinted screens, overheating, poor wifi.
Lots of things could be added i mean instead of a spring loaded microsd why not a microsim like tray for the microsd?
Some Quality control would be nice, wouldn't scared off some potential customers and retailers.
The Bezel is fine to be honest how else would you hold and rest your thumbs on the screen? While yes they could develop more into the software and have it reject the thumb, Its just not reasonable.
Also a full sized usb you said? How else can they make the device so thin? Maybe a micro usb, but i don't think it can transfer enough data/power while docked.
Display? Well Asus TFP Infinity self-explanatory for the media junkies such as I.
2Gb Ram, better for the multi-tasking android supports and features.
Speakers on the side, eg Galaxy Tab 10.1 first gen.
Metal or more high quality Chiclets keys on the keyboard.
I just hope somehow someway they will get to use a better GPU on the infinity because tegra 3 is great cpu wise, while it does lack a lot in the gpu department. I mean it has to power a 1080p display and it already lags abit on the prime in some games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe usb port would add to the thickness of a device, the dock is thinner than the tablet and can fit a usb port with room to spare.
There is a need for a bezel, just a smaller one would be nice. I have average sized hands and the bezel is still rather wide for my thumbs, about 70% of the current size would be acceptable.
reNeglect said:
You think iPhone's and iPad's don't have issues of there own? Nothing is perfect. iPhone 4s even with the new antennae design it still has the death grip issue. The new iPad, Yellow-ish tinted screens, overheating, poor wifi.
Lots of things could be added i mean instead of a spring loaded microsd why not a microsim like tray for the microsd?
Some Quality control would be nice, wouldn't scared off some potential customers and retailers.
The Bezel is fine to be honest how else would you hold and rest your thumbs on the screen? While yes they could develop more into the software and have it reject the thumb, Its just not reasonable.
Also a full sized usb you said? How else can they make the device so thin? Maybe a micro usb, but i don't think it can transfer enough data/power while docked.
Display? Well Asus TFP Infinity self-explanatory for the media junkies such as I.
2Gb Ram, better for the multi-tasking android supports and features.
Speakers on the side, eg Galaxy Tab 10.1 first gen.
Metal or more high quality Chiclets keys on the keyboard.
I just hope somehow someway they will get to use a better GPU on the infinity because tegra 3 is great cpu wise, while it does lack a lot in the gpu department. I mean it has to power a 1080p display and it already lags abit on the prime in some games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't say Apple products don't have issues. You're missing the point and that's that ASUS did very little quality testing on the TFP with ICS to the point that most of us can't even do basic things like utilizing the web browser, or launching and switching between native apps without the system going bugard with problems.
If one can pick up a competitor product and start surfing the web without experiencing the load stall, wait close response, or abrupt-reboot when switching or launching other default installed apps then that points to a serious problem with the quality control at ASUS and Google.
As I said in another thread, Android 4.0 is a major let down in user experience. To me it makes the most ridiculed Microsoft operating systems of the past (Windows Vista, Windows Millennium) look good.
>You're missing the point and that's that ASUS did very little quality testing on the TFP
There is QC. You're it.
>The best option in my opinion is a 4g hotspot from clearwire, unlimited data for $45 a month
lolwut.. I don't think that's good at all...only paying me $45 to use unlimited data. $90 sounds much better.
>The 8 core batman version of wayne will be for ultrabooks/netbooks and the robin version will be for tablets & phones
Pee-wee version for $199 tablet.
>micro-SD slot
Asus should do the same as GPS...take it out! MicroSD? We don't need no stinkin' micro sd..
What's the one thing that all best-selling tablets have in common?
Ya got it! No micro-SD!
Conclusion: MicroSD slot is holding Prime back from greatness!
Allow unlock with out voiding hardware defect aspect of warranty. I can put a cold air intake on my car and if the power windows stop working I still have a warranty, just saying.
Also,
Now this is a HUGE one.
PUT ANOTHER SOC IN THE DOCK!! With Nvidias SLI technology that would be awesome! Even if it is just the GPU aspect of the tablet. With these SOCs costing about $20, have a "premium" dock priced at $200.
I would buy one in a heartbeat!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Fire their whole QC and Testing Departments and actually hire Quality QCs and Quality Test Engineers..
benefit14snake said:
Allow unlock with out voiding hardware defect aspect of warranty. I can put a cold air intake on my car and if the power windows stop working I still have a warranty, just saying.
Also,
Now this is a HUGE one.
PUT ANOTHER SOC IN THE DOCK!! With Nvidias SLI technology that would be awesome! Even if it is just the GPU aspect of the tablet. With these SOCs costing about $20, have a "premium" dock priced at $200.
I would buy one in a heartbeat!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's different, look at all those Smarties posting in general and q & a asking really smart questions if Asus didn't void the warranty, they would just RMA because they screwed up their own tablet. As a business that's not very smart idea.
Better? Well, jam in an extra processor or ten, a few(10) gigs of ram, up the battery and up the display to qhd(quad hd).
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Ehi Hello all... Amazon send me my tfp just yesterday, and boss i'm playing with my new toy.
Very pleased but now a little idea hit me..
Anyone have a link/know a site where i can find guide/suggestion about modding keyboard and put a backlitted one on my prime?
Thank you all.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
Evil_Sephiroth said:
Ehi Hello all... Amazon send me my tfp just yesterday, and boss i'm playing with my new toy.
Very pleased but now a little idea hit me..
Anyone have a link/know a site where i can find guide/suggestion about modding keyboard and put a backlitted one on my prime?
Thank you all.
Sent from my LT26i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, no. It could be done, but you'd be physically modifying each key yourself and adding your own LED's and everything, I don't think another keypad would fit right. And then your battery consumption would go through the roof, you'd likely want to increase the size of the battery in the keyboard.
There's not going to be a simple way to do it, and I'm afraid none of these ASUS devices are going to get popular enough to warrant a ton of third-party support and products, not for ones like that anyway.
i actually thought of this a while ago and took my keyboard apart. It does not connect like your laptop keyboard for easy removal (that i remember) and there is VERY little space in there to work with. Overall i think it would be more work than its worth.
You would have to find a keyboard with transparent keys, or find a way to make your keys transparent if you want the letters to glow. This is hard because the keyboard is like, 80% or something of a regular keyboard.
If you just want a glow between the keys this might be a little easier, you would still have to find a way to route power to LED's and find room to place them under the leys which, honestly, do not travel very far meaning you need very small LED's
There ARE small enough LEDs (the size of like, a large grain of sand? not sure how to explain it) and you technically COULD solder those to the ribbon wires (like what connects the screen to the mobo in the prime), supplying power, then route the ribbon around where the keys are, connect to a switch which you route to the outside of the dock and connect to power and BAM you have a backlight keyboard!
But honestly, thats a lot of work and you would have to fabricate everything yourself.
Good luck and dont forget to let us know how it works (with pictures along the way)
glow in the dark keyboard stickers!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Mmmmh by the way probably with "edge led" lighting and semi-trasparent keyboard I can at least turn my prime keyboard to a littler visible in the dark....
In a LOT easy way i can put on all key a reflective or luminescent paint, and probably light form the screen is enough to make keyboard visible....
I need to try all this...
rorytmeadows said:
glow in the dark keyboard stickers!
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn you beat my brain XD
Smart idea with the stickers!
But btw I suggested an idea to mod the keyboard and put bigger batteries or larger capacity, and maybe mod the backplate of the keyboard aswell in order to fit the possible larger batteries.
It shouldn't be a difficult operation I believe and imagine the battery life increase if its a success
Johnny0906 said:
Smart idea with the stickers!
But btw I suggested an idea to mod the keyboard and put bigger batteries or larger capacity, and maybe mod the backplate of the keyboard aswell in order to fit the possible larger batteries.
It shouldn't be a difficult operation I believe and imagine the battery life increase if its a success
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
X2 on this. The prime is beautiful and super thin, but I would have no problem if it was thicker with even more battery.
One of the biggest advantages (other than the ridiculous battery life) would be that it would make the dock and all much more bottom heavy.
Edit: Does anyone know if it would be possible to buy the Transformer Prime or Original Transformer dock batteries. IIRC the OG Transformer had a 3300mAh battery. I wonder if it could be wired into the original battery and then a spacer installed.
MK17 said:
X2 on this. The prime is beautiful and super thin, but I would have no problem if it was thicker with even more battery.
One of the biggest advantages (other than the ridiculous battery life) would be that it would make the dock and all much more bottom heavy.
Edit: Does anyone know if it would be possible to buy the Transformer Prime or Original Transformer dock batteries. IIRC the OG Transformer had a 3300mAh battery. I wonder if it could be wired into the original battery and then a spacer installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im planning on opening mine at some point not right now because I am still testing ths unit and may have to return it.
But it doesnt 'feel' like its a difficult operation. Just find bigger batteries, change them, modifiy the plate beneath to fit the new space which should need to be too big but what the hey the bigger the better, more battery life (ALOT MORE) and finally some weight to the bottom to have it easier in your lap or wherever.
We have to keep discussing about it and finding out what sort batteries are used right now in the dock, dimensions and so on.
I believe its an awesome idea!
Johnny0906 said:
Im planning on opening mine at some point not right now because I am still testing ths unit and may have to return it.
But it doesnt 'feel' like its a difficult operation. Just find bigger batteries, change them, modifiy the plate beneath to fit the new space which should need to be too big but what the hey the bigger the better, more battery life (ALOT MORE) and finally some weight to the bottom to have it easier in your lap or wherever.
We have to keep discussing about it and finding out what sort batteries are used right now in the dock, dimensions and so on.
I believe its an awesome idea!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you open it be VERY, and i do mean VERY carefull, the tabs on the side of the dock break very easially and, as a result, will cause it not to hold closed as well.
Also, under the latching mech there are a few screws, hidden by the stickers that act as padding. again, carefull as you remove this because you dont want to deform the sticky padding nor do you want to lose screws.
Also make sure to take lots of pictures!
Oh, and +1 for the glow in the dark keyboard stickers! pwnt!
This would be an awesome mod. If you go through with it and succeed, would love to see pictures, and a guide on how to do it, if possible. Not sure I'd be willing to try it on mine if it's too complex. If it's the glow in the dark paint though, as opposed to the leds, it might not be that bad.
Personally, if it were an issue for me (which it isn't!), I'd buy a USB keyboard light such as this:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/mr-brightside-usb-keyboard-light-illuminates-your-keys-taste-i/
Regards,
Dave
pileot said:
When you open it be VERY, and i do mean VERY carefull, the tabs on the side of the dock break very easially and, as a result, will cause it not to hold closed as well.
Also, under the latching mech there are a few screws, hidden by the stickers that act as padding. again, carefull as you remove this because you dont want to deform the sticky padding nor do you want to lose screws.
Also make sure to take lots of pictures!
Oh, and +1 for the glow in the dark keyboard stickers! pwnt!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice, I will most likely start doing this next month as I may change to the T700 but the keyboard is just the same I believe right?
The only major differences between the Prime and the Infinity is the 1080p screen and that the CPU will be 1.6 Ghz
My Prime is defect and I the shop from which I purchased it are not taking in any more of them and so I came to an agreement that I will get the T700 instead and just pay the difference.
But im thinking about maybe buying a second keyboard just for experimental purposes.
I think if we all could put our heads together we could create a very cool mod
I would have 'dissected' my Dock right now if I wasn't going to return it.
We'll discuss more about this, I dont see why it should be hard, and yes I shall take a ton of pictures.
Cheers.
---------- Post added at 11:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------
foxmeister said:
Personally, if it were an issue for me (which it isn't!), I'd buy a USB keyboard light such as this:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/mr-brightside-usb-keyboard-light-illuminates-your-keys-taste-i/
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe that's cool but I think it enough with some high quality stickers, maybe even just the material that you cut into the the shape of the keyboard strokes and place them, tha would be even easier but also the battery thing would be the truly cool thing to do if its a success of course.
foxmeister said:
Personally, if it were an issue for me (which it isn't!), I'd buy a USB keyboard light such as this:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/30/mr-brightside-usb-keyboard-light-illuminates-your-keys-taste-i/
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have something similar for my laptop and I hate it. It casts shadows across the keys and doesn't illuminate everything uniformly. Not to mention, it's an eye sore.
I'd love for some to come out with a very thin line of lights that would sit at the top of the keyboard beaming directed light towards the keys (in your direction), but so directed that it doesn't go straight into your eye. It would be low profile and sit just behind the keyboard, under the monitor.
I still think stickers are the better option, but I personally wouldn't invest until there was a cool font in the right color (blue!).
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201
Johnny0906 said:
Thanks for the advice, I will most likely start doing this next month as I may change to the T700 but the keyboard is just the same I believe right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this confirmed that the keyboard will be the same? I've heard contradicting info on that. I'd make certain that this keyboard will be compatible with the 700 before you start tinkering with it.
Rogue100 said:
Is this confirmed that the keyboard will be the same? I've heard contradicting info on that. I'd make certain that this keyboard will be compatible with the 700 before you start tinkering with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nobody knows for sure, there is some speculation that the dock will be slightly different, the 700 may be slightly thicker, but nobody knows for sure.
Hi Guys,
I think this is a great idea, I have been looking for ways to do this myself, have you made any progress at all before I start?
Solution?
Do you think we could use EL wire and just weave it through the keyboard keys?
dbaler said:
Do you think we could use EL wire and just weave it through the keyboard keys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wire is too thick / not enough space.
I have a 700, the prime is SLIGHTLY different (curved edges, 700 is more angular) tho they both fit in the same dock, you just gotta work it a little to get the 700 in properly.
Internally the dock is the same for the infinity and the prime.
Would love to see a mod with an extra battery. Here's a video on a tear down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwAypkC26Cc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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)...