latest
At an afternoon press conference across the street from MWC 2013's enormous venue, ASUS has just wrapped a (hilarious) press conference that saw the introduction of two new devices (or three?) – the Padfone Infinity and the Fonepad. Before we dive in for hands-on, let's take a quick look at the specs and pricing for the devices.
ASUS, in a bid to sell to "several emerging markets," has just announced the MeMO Pad – a seven-inch tablet sporting ASUS' nearly-stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience, a 1GHz VIA CPU (with Mali-400 GPU), a 1024x600 display, 1GB RAM, and up to 16GB internal storage with a refreshing microSD slot available for expansion.
One of the nicest options of ASUS' line of tablets is the keyboard dock with a built-in extra battery that can make your device run forever and much easier to type on. The downside? Those docks tend to cost over $100. In the case of the Transformer Pad 300 (TF300), exactly $127, to be precise. Right now, though, Newegg is offering it for free if you buy it with the tablet. The deal is available in both blue and white options.Be sure to check the "2 Item Combo" check box. If you attempt to add the two accessories separately, you won't get the discount. All in all, these are some pretty nice savings. The TF300 still sells for nearly $400 by itself from other retailers. Getting a free dock is a fantastic option. So, why not?Source: Neweg (blue), (white)
ASUS Announces Its Jelly Bean Plans For Transformer Pad, Prime, And Infinity - Others Are Uncertain
You might remember ASUS as the company that manufactured the overwhelmingly popular Nexus 7 tablet. Did you know that ASUS makes other tablets as well?
You might remember ASUS as the company that manufactured the overwhelmingly popular Nexus 7 tablet. Did you know that ASUS makes other tablets as well? It's true! Among them are the Transformer Pad, Transformer Pad Prime, and Transformer Pad Infinity. If you happen to own one of these tablets, then ASUS would like you to know that your slate is "scheduled to receive Android 4.1 updates in the coming months." Nice, huh?
A Buyers' Guide Look At The Asus Transformer Pad (TF300), Prime (TF201), And Infinity (TF700)
With the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700) release right around the corner and the release of the budget-oriented Transformer Pad (TF300) a few
With the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700) release right around the corner and the release of the budget-oriented Transformer Pad (TF300) a few months ago, Asus has filled out it's line-up of 10" quad-core Android tablets. Obviously, most people would opt for the highest of the high-end (that'd be the TF700) if they were just looking to blow money. Unfortunately, most people aren't just looking for ways to spend as much money as possible, so instead, they spend enough to cover their needs.First, I've provided a handy-dandy chart to let you compare the major (and some of the minor) talking points of each tablet. Next, I'll run through a list of the big pros and cons for each, then copy and paste in the conclusion from my review. I've also provided links to the full-length review of each tablet, in case you need more details or want to get a (hopefully) clearer impression.
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700 Wi-Fi) Review: At The Crossroads Of Pixels And Power
Fun fact: a 1080p display packs 2,073,600 pixels. The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (or TF700)? 2,304,000 - or 230,400 more. Most 1080p HDTVs are somewhere
Fun fact: a 1080p display packs 2,073,600 pixels. The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity (or TF700)? 2,304,000 - or 230,400 more. Most 1080p HDTVs are somewhere around 40-60 inches. The TF700 checks in at just 10. Compared to a 40" HDTV, that's 111% of the pixels in a package that's 6.25% of the size.
UDS, the company that brought us Capta (which we loved) and now working on Vavo, has a limited quantity of pads made of what I called "magic alien goo" - a key ingredient used in its products. It's sort of a weird material made in part with polyurethane (PU), which is both sticky and not sticky at the same time - but in exactly the right ways.
Ask and you shall receive (apparently) - ASUS has just published the bootloader unlock utility for the Transformer Pad 300. You can download it here.
Happy Star Wars day, everyone! ASUS got you a present: it's firmware updates with a side of source code! You can head to ASUS' site right now and download firmware version V9.4.3.17 for a few countries including the US, as well as version V9.2.3.23 if you're in Japan. Kernel source code for the TF300T is also available, in both x.17 and x.23 flavors for your downloading pleasure.
Meet the TF300T, the newest addition to Asus's ever-expanding line of Android tablets. While the model number may suggest that it's the successor to the TF201 - the Transformer Prime - that's not exactly the case. Pick one up and it's immediately clear that this is really the successor to the TF101 (the original Transformer, or TF); it's wrapped in plastic like the 101 (the 201 is aluminum), and the dimensions are a bit more portly, as with the 101.
Early last month, it was revealed to much outcry that the Transformer Prime had a locked bootloader. Angry customers took to the forums to vent and started a petition to get Asus to change its stance. And just 24 hours later, that's what happened, with Asus promising an unlock tool down the road.
Just 9 days ago, Asus rolled out an update for the quad-core Transfomer Prime that brought things to build 9.4.2.13. Today, a new (apparently incremental) was released that brings things up to 9.4.2.14. The only official word we have on the update is from Gary Key, Technical Marketing Manager at Asus, in an XDA thread:
Although we heard rumblings that the Prime would be delayed, some lucky customers have already received their Asus Transformer Primes, and it was briefly available (again) on Amazon before quickly selling out (again). Based on the universally glowing reviews (including my own), you're probably well aware by now that the Prime is a truly excellent piece of tech. But how does it compare to its older brother, the Transformer (TF101)? Is it worthwhile for TF owners to upgrade to the TP?
The Asus Transformer Prime: the first Android device to ship with a quad-core chip, courtesy of NVIDIA's brand new Tegra 3 (Kal-El) CPU. But there's more of a hook here than power alone - Asus has gone back to the drawing board for the Prime (model number TF201) and revamped the device from nearly head to toe compared to its predecessor, the TF101. It's substantially thinner, lighter, and more attractive than the rather portly 101, while packing a much more powerful CPU, better display, and reportedly better battery life. But can they really improve upon all those aspects without cutting any corners? I've spent a few more days with the TP since posting my initial impressions on Wednesday - enough time to get a solid feel for the ups and downs of the new tablet.
Around midday yesterday, I received my review kit for the Transformer Prime, complete with dock, wireless gamepad, and HDMI cable - meaning I'm well equipped to take a deep dive into the hottest new tablet to hit stores. But to be completely honest, an in-depth review on a product this brand-spanking-new requires more hands-on time than can be had in two days. The full review will be up on Friday, but in the interim, enjoy the initial impressions and gadget porn below.
Just six days after The CyanogenMod (CM) team released the first alpha build for the TouchPad, they're back with alpha 2. Despite being bumped up a version, it's still an alpha, meaning there are many things that can (and likely will) go wrong. Still, it looks like they've made quite a few improvements with the update:
The ASUS Transformer is a nifty piece of tablet kit, particularly because of its super-awesome keyboard dock that comes with its own extended battery. But Transformer owners have complained that they're essentially left in the dark about the status of the dock's battery - because by default the only battery status displayed is that of the tablet itself. This means that you'll just see a nice, full battery for hours on end until suddenly your little green bar starts to drop precipitously, indicating the dock has finally run out of juice.
Well-known budget electronics manufacturer ASUS has a big splash-page promo up on Best Buy's website right now for the upcoming Eee Pad Transformer, the manufacturer's first Honeycomb (Android 3.0) tablet, and it's not exactly subtle: