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[Merged] Asus Transformer Prime

Transformer Prime making we want to sell my MBA and iPad 1.

Been reading up on the new Asus Transformer Prime. Damn is that thing slick. Any one think it would be a good replacement for an aging iPad 1 and my 2010 base 11-inch MBA?

Seems like the killer combo to have the best of both worlds. Minus of course Apple ecosystem and iOS.
 
Are you serious?

Your go to sell two amazing devices for a $499 tablet that nobody has used or reviewed.

I know that specs are impressive but without good software it is just a browsing brick. A gorgeous brink for sure but I don't see developers rushing to make the Prime apps.

If you do this I only ask you give us a full review because I may sound cinical but I am very curious as well.
 
Something confuses me.

One of the biggest reasons people here gave that Apple could only fit that cheap and nasty 1mp camera into the iPad2 was that it was too thin to fit a better camera, such as the model in the iPhone 4.

So how come the Transformer Prime is thinner than the iPad2 and yet fits a 8mp camera unit?

:confused:

Quick look here:

http://youtu.be/p0D-mXIzlKc




!
 
I wouldn't sell your laptop and tablet for a tablet. Why do you even want one? (don't believe you mentioned this in the OP).

The only reason I wanted an Android tablet was because of flash, but it looks like Adobe has given up on that too.
 
Piggie said:
Something confuses me.

One of the biggest reasons people here gave that Apple could only fit that cheap and nasty 1mp camera into the iPad2 was that it was too thin to fit a better camera, such as the model in the iPhone 4.

So how come the Transformer Prime is thinner than the iPad2 and yet fits a 8mp camera unit?

:confused:

Quick look here:

http://youtu.be/p0D-mXIzlKc




!
Click to expand...

The iPad 2 and the Transformer Prime doesn't have the same things inside, and technology has moved forward since the iPad 2 was designed. Two facts that should fix your confusion :)
 
MrXiro said:
Been reading up on the new Asus Transformer Prime. Damn is that thing slick. Any one think it would be a good replacement for an aging iPad 1 and my 2010 base 11-inch MBA?

Seems like the killer combo to have the best of both worlds. Minus of course Apple ecosystem and iOS.
Click to expand...

go for it, you will be back.

:apple:
 
MrXiro said:
Been reading up on the new Asus Transformer Prime. Damn is that thing slick. Any one think it would be a good replacement for an aging iPad 1 and my 2010 base 11-inch MBA?

Seems like the killer combo to have the best of both worlds. Minus of course Apple ecosystem and iOS.
Click to expand...

Yeah, your current setup is so 2010.
 
MrXiro said:
Been reading up on the new Asus Transformer Prime. Damn is that thing slick. Any one think it would be a good replacement for an aging iPad 1 and my 2010 base 11-inch MBA?

Seems like the killer combo to have the best of both worlds. Minus of course Apple ecosystem and iOS.
Click to expand...

after I gave my iPad 1 to my GF I went down the android road. I got myself top of the line acer. the major issues besides the quality of the hardware was the google android store. in general it lacks QUALITY apps and whatever apps exist they are only tablet COMPATIBLE, that means they were designed for a cell phone and wont utilize bigger screen. at the time I got my droid there was no netflix and no Skype support, very few quality games, gameloft and EA are nonexistent on this platform. I wanted to use my droid for school but it lacked professional PDF annotating apps. in total i wasted on this $400. if you want to have something similar to a transformer I would suggest getting iPad2 and one of the cases with a keyboard. otherwise I strongly advice you to stay away from android.
 
MrXiro said:
Been reading up on the new Asus Transformer Prime. Damn is that thing slick. Any one think it would be a good replacement for an aging iPad 1 and my 2010 base 11-inch MBA?

Seems like the killer combo to have the best of both worlds. Minus of course Apple ecosystem and iOS.
Click to expand...

I'd say its an adequate replacement for your MBA 11 if you are only using the MBA for basic text editing and browsing the web, plus a movie or song player. I know many people who bought the little MBA Netbook model who really didn't need a full computer in the first place.

Like anything else...make your hardware purchasing decisions based on your software needs. If the Asus thing can provide software to meet your needs, the hardware form factor is entirely of secondary importance.
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
I'd say its an adequate replacement for your MBA 11 if you are only using the MBA for basic text editing and browsing the web, plus a movie or song player. I know many people who bought the little MBA Netbook model who really didn't need a full computer in the first place.

Like anything else...make your hardware purchasing decisions based on your software needs. If the Asus thing can provide software to meet your needs, the hardware form factor is entirely of secondary importance.
Click to expand...

Well said. I was thinking along the same lines - couldn't have said better.

The Transformer Prime does look like a solid product indeed. However a Tablet-PC hybrid(?) mentioned by attaching a keyboard will never replace a full-fledged computer (MBA). If it were up to me, I'd wait couple more months for the iPad3 and the newly refreshed MBA to come out :)
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
I'd say its an adequate replacement for your MBA 11 if you are only using the MBA for basic text editing and browsing the web, plus a movie or song player. I know many people who bought the little MBA Netbook model who really didn't need a full computer in the first place.

Like anything else...make your hardware purchasing decisions based on your software needs. If the Asus thing can provide software to meet your needs, the hardware form factor is entirely of secondary importance.
Click to expand...

If he only needs it for basic text editing, browsing movies and songs then his "aging" iPad is already there. The whole exercise seems pointless to me but people are free to spend their money however they please.
 
Well being that I have a 2011 27 inch iMac, all my heavy computing needs have been done on that for the last 4 months. My MBA is pretty much relegated to the 4th email and web checking device behind the iPhone, then the iPad and my iMac. Those of you who rated me down and bitched that I am leaving ios for an inferior OS are downright silly. That's like telling me I can't have vanilla because I wanted to have chocolate today. The iPad is a great product. But it still has its faults.

I plan on replacing my iPad at some point, could be an iPad 3 could be a transformer prime. It definitely IS aging at this point and for now it serves it's purpose but like the uber geek that I am I will always want the next one and want to drop the iPad before its resale value drops further.

My MBA is great. But it's really not doing much. If apple would come up with an elegant solution like the prime with keyboard dock I would say next iPad all the way. But it doesnt look that way at this point.
 
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I'll try be as brief as possible.

1. If you don't have advanced computing needs you can get by with a tablet instead of a computer.

2. Both the ipad and Android Tablets have various separate keyboard accessories and combined keyboard cases.

3. You won't see a huge benefit from quad-core unless you are running heavy apps which are written specifically to take advantage of the extra cores. For example, djay on the iPad had to be rewritten to take advantage of the iPad 2's dual core processor.

4. Android is more resource intensive than iOS. So it really needs more ram and a faster processor to feel similar to an ipad with less ram and a slower processor.

5. Both the TP and iPad2 will feel a lot faster than your iPad 1.

6. All you can do is try them out. Buy one and use it for a while, then try the other one.
 
allmIne said:
Not if he doesn't place too much value on the Apple ecosystem. I'm just thinking out loud here, but perhaps OP has different priorities to yourself.

It's possible, you know.
Click to expand...

Well I actually am in the apple ecosystem... But I enjoy futzing around with Android too... The only thing I would truly miss is streaming video from my websites on my iPad to my AppleTV. Well and wireless sync. But the killer hardware and my curiosity for Ice Cream Sandwich just has me wondering is all... No decision has been or will be made soon.

Just wanted to start a discussion about the TP... It's the most promising of the Android Tablets I have seen so far.

To the previous post about keyboards for iPad... Have you seen any of them? They are horrible... None have the sleek sexiness of a MBA like form factor plus a tablet... That is a feature that is needed on the iPad I think... No more of these sloppy Bluetooth keyboard solutions with f-ugly sloppy cases. For a company that has some of the best designs in tech, Apple loses a little bit to this ASUS product.

For me I would love if Apple did something similar to its smart covers but with a slim keyboard and maybe have some sort of inductive data transfer system that registers keystrokes and holds some extra battery life. Kind of a cross between a MagSafe and a iPod dock connector.
 
I think after reading your second comment you should sell your MBA regardless. You said it is just a 4th email redundancy machine and should get the money while the value is still there.

I would try the Transformer Prime keyboard before rewarding it. It will most likely look nicer than it preforms. Tablets will never replace a laptop with a keyboard because the weight is not balanced. It will tip over easily and the hinge will suffer from ware.

I can vouch you will get a similar experience from using a Zagg keyboard (which I do not like) case. Just be mindful there is a reason you bought Apple Hardware instead of a PC. So thinking that all of a sudden Asus or other PC makers have changed they're spots overnight may leave you regretful.

Best of luck and if you get the Transformer Prime let us know what you think.
 
MrXiro said:
To the previous post about keyboards for iPad... Have you seen any of them? They are horrible... None have the sleek sexiness of a MBA like form factor plus a tablet... That is a feature that is needed on the iPad I think... No more of these sloppy Bluetooth keyboard solutions with f-ugly sloppy cases. For a company that has some of the best designs in tech, Apple loses a little bit to this ASUS product.

For me I would love if Apple did something similar to its smart covers but with a slim keyboard and maybe have some sort of inductive data transfer system that registers keystrokes and holds some extra battery life. Kind of a cross between a MagSafe and a iPod dock connector.
Click to expand...

The thing about keyboards for tablets is that, whether or not it's a dock like the transformer, or a separate unit like the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, or a keyboard case like the one by Zagg, it's another piece of equipment to carry. I have a Bluetooth keyboard that came with my iMac, and for a while, I was using it with my iPad, but every day, it was like, "Will I need my keyboard today? Should I take it with me or not?" And then inevitably, I'd either tote it around and find that I didn't use it, or the one time I wanted the keyboard, I wouldn't have it. All in all, it was more of a hassle than it was worth it. Then the MacBook Air came out, and it was like, **** it, when I need the keyboard, I'd take the Air. When I don't, I'll just take the iPad.

I mean, I'm not sure how much the Transformer dock weighs, but the model I saw in a store, the combined dock + tablet was quite a bit thicker than the Air. So I suspect that many Transformer owners will go through the same thought process I did with the Bluetooth keyboard, and most docks will end up collecting dust. I expect Apple will eventually come up with an elegant and usable solution to this problem, but by that time i think tablets will be as powerful as current-day notebooks, and the tablet / notebook distinction will be moot.
 
Apple Ecosystem user or not, there is little denying that the Transformer Prime is _NOT_ your standard Android tablet. Its metal-backed design and size rival the look and feel (can't comment on quality) of the iPad 2. It looks like a great device and so far, the reviews have been very favorable towards it.

And I agree...that keyboard is likely as close a match to the MBA as you are likely to find on the market today. If Apple weren't so "anti-stylus" about the iPad, they likely would have developed a similar keyboard accessory for their own tablet device. It is really a nice design and once attached...you can barely tell its not a ultraportable laptop.

Here's a current review that is highly recommended thanks to the abundance of pictures.
 
Giving up just the MBA alone for an inferior product is a big step down since it is a very functional notebook computer, IMHO.
I've yet to see an Android Tablet that doesn't get that mysterious lag, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as all the other offerings. It's a problem when quality hardware does not match the inferior OS software.
 
Night Spring said:
The thing about keyboards for tablets is that, whether or not it's a dock like the transformer, or a separate unit like the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, or a keyboard case like the one by Zagg, it's another piece of equipment to carry.
Click to expand...

The only difference is... you can carry this one like a laptop when you need one and not when you don't...

ASUS-Tranformer-Prime-11.jpg
 
MrXiro said:
The only difference is... you can carry this one like a laptop when you need one and not when you don't...

Image
Click to expand...

Yes, but currently, for that same form factor, a laptop does more. So personally, if I'm carrying something in that form factor, I'd carry a laptop. YMMV

In a few years, when tablet OS and tablet apps are closer in capability to laptops, I'll rethink this, of course.
 
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