Asus Unveils Quad-Core Transformer Prime Tablet

MojoKid writes with an article in Hot Hardware about the fancy new Asus tablet/laptop hybrid. Quoting the article: "Asus and nVidia have collectively taken the wraps off the next-generation version of Asus's well-received Transformer tablet line. The new system aims to carve out a slice of the premium tablet market that Apple's iPad has dominated for so long. On paper and in pictures, the Prime impresses. The Transformer Prime incorporates NVIDIA's new Kal-El (Tegra 3) processor and is one of NVIDIA Tegra 3's upper-end launch systems. The new ARM-based CPU contains a fifth 'companion core' to reduce and manage idle power consumption and contains 12 GPU cores, up from the eight GPUs in Tegra 2. NVIDIA claims that Tegra 3's GPU is up to 3x faster than Tegra 2, thanks to additional architectural enhancements. Asus is also rolling out a new LCD they're calling 'Super IPS+.' The display's normal brightness tops out at ~500 nits, but the Prime offers an alternate Super IPS mode that pushes display brightness up to 600 nits for use in bright outdoor environments."

Intruiged

[esocid]

When the first one came out, it was the only tablet that piqued my interest. I like the idea of a dual use, "dockable," tablet since I don't imagine I'd use a tablet much longer after the novelty wore off. Asus has really done something great with this incarnation too, it looks like.

As an Asus laptop owner

[Dunbal]

I hope they make their tablets of a higher quality than their laptops.

Re:As an Asus laptop owner

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually the First Asus Transformer is pretty amazing. It is by far the best tablet out there for the price (lower in cost than the Ipad2, but with the same screen (only bigger 10.1) and has the same hardware as the Xoom but is faster). I spent several months researching different tablets until I found the Transformer. If the new one is anything like the first, it will be fantastic. It also has a really good battery life w/o the dock (which gives you an extra 7+ hours). It charges very quickly. You can also get the dock for about 100-115 from Amazon if you want it. I do not have it and do not use it, but the tablet I use all the time and love it. Asus also has had very good customer service for those that had issues with the Transformer and needed to RMA them.

Re:Doubt it will cut into Apple

[HappyHead]

Asus sold 1.5 million of the first Transformer in 2011.

Added on to this point is that Asus was sold out of the first Transformer for the first six months after it was released - stores that got them in stock ran out within days, and online retailers were severely into back-order. (My own order was placed as back-order number 3754 for that product, with that reseller. Had I been willing to do without the keyboard, I would have only been back-order number 2000 or so in a different list.) If Asus had been able to produce more than 1.5 million units, they would have sold them.

All in all, I would say the product was worthwhile and profitable for them to produce, and their corporate shareholders were well served. From market interest and past example, they will likely spend the first few months of the new Transformer also sold out and back-ordered.

Great line at the end of TFA

[sootman]

"Somehow, in all the excitement over the iPad 2, OEMs have apparently forgotten that netbooks became popular precisely because they didn't cost as much as full size noteboooks."

Technology-wise, it looks like a great little device, but I just don't see it selling in worthwhile numbers. $499 for the tablet itself puts it squarely in "Why should I buy this instead of an iPad?" territory, and $650 for the tablet and keyboard puts it into "Why should I buy this and not a regular laptop?" land.