Download the
Tom's Guide App from the AppsStore
News and trends on internet
/ mobile / "sound & picture" / IT
Yes No

Asus Transformer Prime Coming December 8th?

- By - Source : Digital Trends

A Newegg pre-order listing shows a release date of December 8 for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet.

A pre-order listing on Newegg shows that the upcoming Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet is slated to launch on December 8. The device will come packed with Nvidia's new Tegra 3 SoC clocked at 1.30 GHz, and sport 1 GB of DDR2 memory, 32 GB of storage and a typical pricetag of $499.99 USD.

"Paired for perfection," states Asus on its tablet-oriented website. "The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is the perfect example of what a tablet should be. The innovative design not only seamlessly provides the user with a keyboard, touchpad and expandability options, but also battery life up to 18 hours for all day computing and productivity."

Strangely enough, the Asus website doesn't list Newegg as an official pre-order site, but instead lists Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, TigerDirect and even GameStop. That said, Newegg is the only online retailer that's actually listing a ship date, leading us to wonder if the release date is even valid.

When launched next month, the Transformer Prime tablet will sport Google's Android 3.2 "Honeycomb" OS backed by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, 1 MB of L2 cache, DirectX 11-capable GPU cores and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 600 resolution screen made out of Gorilla Glass. It will also feature an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 1.2MP front-facing camera, a microSD slot, a mini-HDMI port and 802.11 b/g/n connectivity.

The Transformer Prime will be the first tablet to use Nvidia's new Tegra chip, but it will also reportedly be the first tablet capable of running Google's next edition of Android, v4.0 aka "Ice Cream Sandwich." A separate 64 GB version priced at the typical $599.99 USD will launch sometime soon, but neither model will sport 3G connectivity.

Share:
30
Comments
X

Comments

burnley14 11/29/2011 3:08 PM
Hide
-8+

Wanted to get the original Transformer but never did, maybe I'll jump on board for this one . . .

Anonymous 11/29/2011 3:09 PM
Hide
--1+

Gamestop say the 9th of Dec so I'm thinking it could be possible.

Anonymous 11/29/2011 3:14 PM
Show
donovands 11/29/2011 3:31 PM
Hide
-4+

Transformer Prime? Isn't someone going to sue? Will the next version be the ASUS Megatron? (In which case I will be forced to buy it on the awesomeness of its name alone)

blueeyesm 11/29/2011 3:48 PM
Hide
-12+

It certainly needs a red and blue custom paint job with the Autobots emblem...

Marco925 11/29/2011 4:49 PM
Hide
-0+

donovands :
Transformer Prime? Isn't someone going to sue? Will the next version be the ASUS Megatron? (In which case I will be forced to buy it on the awesomeness of its name alone)


While your statement made me laugh, it isnt quite as close as Optimus Prime.

tanjo 11/29/2011 4:49 PM
Hide
-0+

Next, make one that will compete with Gigabyte's Booktop. I don't like this weak stuff.

marcush 11/29/2011 5:04 PM
Hide
-2+

"10.1-inch 1280 x 600 resolution screen"

I am hoping that is a typo?
I was even hoping that the new tablets would have an even higher DPI.

aaron88_7 11/29/2011 5:18 PM
Hide
-0+

Quote :The device will come packed with Nvidia's new Tegra 3 SoC clocked at 1.30 GHz

Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be clocked at 1.6Ghz? I've also recently heard it was 1.4Ghz, and Best Buy has it listed as 1.0Ghz.

Maybe this is why Asus has been so tight lipped about the specifications/release date. Problems behind the scenes?

igot1forya 11/29/2011 6:32 PM
Hide
-3+

"DirectX 11-capable GPU" - really it's only a valid spec on a Windows system - so what are the GL spec'ed at?

hannibal 11/29/2011 6:45 PM
Hide
-0+

Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 is still manufactured with older technology, it is quad core, so temps and power usage can be problematic...

28 nm upgrade will do good to these multicore GPU's and CPU's!

doive1231 11/29/2011 7:07 PM
Show
sturgeob 11/29/2011 7:45 PM
Hide
-0+

doive1231, This is the newset Transformer, not the original one. It has not been released yet.

deltatux 11/29/2011 7:54 PM
Hide
-1+

Amazon says 16th, Best Buy says 5th, NewEgg says 8th, my local retailer where I preordered it says between December 1 - 15th.

Conclusion: no one except ASUS seems to know.

plc383 11/29/2011 8:28 PM
Hide
-0+

Don't know if anyone has touched on this but, the dock has touch sensitive areas to simulate, left and right mouse clicks.. Finally a combo with gamers in mind.

Anonymous 11/29/2011 8:33 PM
Hide
-0+

Gamestop says 9th

Parsian 11/29/2011 8:44 PM
Hide
-0+

oh man, i wish they could release a version with WACOM. I can totally throw away my ion netbook and stick with this for school and install win 8 on it. I am hearing Matlab is coming out with ARM version as well :P

Anonymous 11/29/2011 8:58 PM
Hide
-0+

The article says that Newegg is not listed on Asus's website as a preorder retailer, but it most certainly is there on the US side when you click 'preorder'

coldmast 11/29/2011 9:06 PM
Hide
-1+

"DirectX 11-capable GPU" for when Windows 8 comes out for ARM, and developers flock en masse. #sarcasm
In order for this statement to have merit:
1. Microsoft has Direct X (and windows 8) available for this device and games that used Direct X 11 on ARM existed.
2. Some way existed to leverage an x86 processor w/ said DirectX 11-capable GPU. (Atom powered dock)
3. ARM magically emulates x86.

DaddyW123 11/29/2011 9:37 PM
Hide
-0+

I'm wondering what would happen if I put an unbuntu live install on an SD card and popped it into tablet... would it come up? That would be freaken fantastic. Chip out? Android Tablet. Chip in? Ubuntu!

Dark Comet 11/29/2011 9:58 PM
Hide
-0+

I would say its the first tablet "capable" of running ICS as acer announced its going to be for the Transformer 1 as well.

Dark Comet 11/29/2011 9:58 PM
Hide
-0+

Asus*

erinc 11/29/2011 10:08 PM
Hide
-0+

Quote :it will also reportedly be the first tablet capable of running Google's next edition of Android, v4.0 aka "Ice Cream Sandwich."


er no, Google have said that any tablet that can run Honeycomb (Android 3.x) is actually "capable" of running version 4.0 ICS too (without going into the myriad of issues with kernel and driver support).

I think you'll find that the Transformer Prime "may" be the first tablet to get an official vendor-released update to ICS (since it will be shipped with HC 3.2)

hiryu 11/29/2011 10:18 PM
Hide
-0+

__-_-_-__ :
gps? bluetooth? win7 dual boot? usb3.0? sounds like a fail to me.


It has bluetooth and GPS

Anonymous 11/29/2011 10:53 PM
Hide
-0+

I won't miss not having 3G - I can alwsays wirelessly tether to my cell phone and avoid another monthly bill!

kkcombs 11/30/2011 1:55 AM
Hide
-0+

gamerRO25 :
how can they sell a mobile internet device that has no 3g? there is no wifi everywere !!! bbuuuoo i will not buy it.



Ever hear of tethering?

hiryu 11/30/2011 3:12 AM
Hide
-0+

donovands :
Transformer Prime? Isn't someone going to sue? Will the next version be the ASUS Megatron? (In which case I will be forced to buy it on the awesomeness of its name alone)


Megatron should be reserved for Asus' next Transfromer device running Win8

rb420 11/30/2011 4:46 AM
Hide
-0+

Marco925 :
While your statement made me laugh, it isnt quite as close as Optimus Prime.



No but there is a cartoon currently airing called "transformers: prime" Maybe the "s:" is enough of a difference to not be sued haha

Anonymous 11/30/2011 5:47 AM
Hide
-0+

I just preordered the 32gb at BestBuy.com.

My receipt says: "Pre-order release date is 12/18/2011."

eddieroolz 12/01/2011 7:33 AM
Hide
-0+

Very tempting, but too bad it's Android...