However, in tablets specifically my personal feeling is that, while Samsung is one of the leaders, the most exciting vendor using Android is ASUS. ASUS doesn’t have the recognition and attention of Samsung, but they’ve been doing some great work in tablets – and it looks like Google took notice as they took ASUS’s planned $249 Eee Pad MeMO 7-inch tablet and reworked it to become the $199 Nexus 7, Google’s first branded tablet. The first quad-core 7-inch tablet and the first device to launch with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

In the first generation of real Android tablets, those launched with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the Galaxy Tab was well known for its sleek design. But the ASUS Transformer, and later Transformer Prime, we nearly as slim and light while keeping functionality like a microSD slot, which the Galaxy Tab did without. And, of course, they had the unique capability of effectively becoming a netbook with a purpose designed keyboard dock. They’re tablets have been competitively priced and have had a series of firsts. The first Android tablets designed with a keyboard dock, the first ‘slider’ tablet with the Eee Pad Slider SL101, the first quad-core Android tablet with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 powered Transformer Prime, the first HD Android tablet with the 1920×1200 10.1″ Transformer Pad Infinity, and more.

The the Transformer Pad Infinity’s display is 224ppi, effectively making it the Android market’s answer to the iPad’s 264ppi retina display. Though I personally feel the 10.1″ 1920×1200 16:10 aspect ratio display on the Infinity is preferable to the iPad’s 9.7″ 2048×1536 4:3 aspect ratio display when it comes to consuming content, especially HD video.

Of course, ASUS also has the Padfone which is a truly revolutionary design that I’ve been waiting for someone to build for years. I hope it finds its way to the US in an LTE model. ASUS also has a good track record for updating their devices to newer Android versions. It hasn’t been painless, but they’ve done a better job that a lot of the bigger names. And we’ve just heard that even the original Transformer and Slider will be receiving Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, along with the newer models.

All of these, IMHO, have been sleek, well designed products. I myself own the Transformer Prime (though I’m starting to feel the lust pangs for the Transformer Pad Infinity since I don’t see Verizon picking up the Padfone soon) and I couldn’t be happier with it. My wife & I gave our nephew the Transformer last xmas and he’s still using it regularly. He hasn’t lost interest or broken it – not bad considering he’s 13. I’ve recommended the ASUS Transformer line to many people, as I think they’re truly the best Android tablets out there.

The keyboard dock, or just the capability of using one, is a major advantage over other tablets for anyone looking to use a tablet for productivity. A keyboard case or Bluetooth keyboard just isn’t the same. The keyboard dock makes an effective case for the tablet in one solid, easy to carry, solid package. And the extra battery life is most welcome. I love the way ASUS designed it to keep the tablet battery charged, charging it from the keyboard battery when connected. That way the tablet is always topped up if you want to use it solo, and the keyboard provides a kind of portable charger if the tablet gets drained.

Performance is top notch and inclusion of memory card slots and ports makes the ASUS tablet more flexible than some of the competition. Personally I think the Galaxy Tab 2 line was something of a disappointment. It is really more of a refresh of the original Galaxy Tab than a next-generation tablet. Similarly the Motorola Xoom 2/Xyboard wasn’t a big jump from the original Xoom. With the ‘flagship’ vendors kind of dropping the ball it really left the market open to ASUS, and other vendors like Acer and Lenovo, to produce some of the best tablet values considering performance and price.

I think there is a strong argument to be made that ASUS is really the leading Android tablet maker when it comes to innovation, value, and functionality. I think they deserve more attention from consumers and the press covering the tablet market. Whether they get it or not, I hope they continue down the same road and continue to provide innovative products. If you’re considering an Android tablet purchase I think you’d be well served to carefully consider ASUS’s offerings. The second generation ‘low-end’ model Transformer Pad TF300T is a close match to my first generation ‘high-end’ Transformer Prime TF201, and the model I think most buyers will be looking at.

ASUS recently released a series of videos which gives us a peak into the design process and philosophy that shaped the Transformer products, especially the new Transformer Pad and Pad Infinity. I think they’re a nice look behind the scenes and not overly full marketing spin.

So what do you think? Do you agree that ASUS is really the flagship Android tablet maker? Do you think someone else is? If so, why do you feel that way? Leave a comment!

The TF300 Transformer Pad is closer to the TF201 Transformer Prime than the original TF101 Transformer. Like the TF201, the TF300 has a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB RAM, 802.11b/g/b WiFi, and a 10.1? 1280×800 display. However, the display is IPS, not Super IPS+, and it is only available in 16GB & 32GB versions – instead of 32GB or 64GB. The TF300 has Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, up from 2.1+EDR. The TF300 loses the flash on the rear camera, though it is still 8MP, with a 1.2MP front camera.

While the TF300 is currently only available with WiFi, it will also eventually come in HSPA+ & LTE versions. Battery life is 10 hours, 15 with the dock – down from 12/18 on the TF201. And it is physically slightly larger. But it also has a $399.99 MSRP for the 32GB model, $100 less than the Transformer Prime. However, with the TF201 available for less than the MSRP, while the TF300, being new, isn’t available at much of a discount, the gap is currently smaller. It isn’t a clear choice – do you get the TF300 with most of the features and save a little, or go for the slicker TF201 with all of the features for just a bit more?

When the forthcoming Transformer Pad Infinity, effectively an HD Transformer Prime, launches it’ll be interesting to see if they keep the original Prime in the lineup or drop it to create more differentiation in the lineup. For now I’m happy with my Transformer Prime.

However, all of that said, some people are understandably upset, or at least annoyed, by the issue. Well, ASUS has decided to make things right, at no cost to owners. Now through July 31, 2012 they are offering a free dongle, properly called the ASUS Transformer Prime GPS Extension kit. If you own an ASUS Transformer Prime simply follow the instructions to file your claim. It is fairly simply – just register your Transformer Prime, if you haven’t already, and then click on the link to claim your dongle. They’ll send you one that matches the finish on your tablet.

The dongle itself is fairly large, as you can see in the image above. It is a bar that clips on the bottom of the tablet, using the same connections as the keyboard dock. That does mean you can’t use the dongle and the keyboard at the same time. And there is no indication that the dongle has a pass through for the 40-pin connector – which would mean no charging while it is in use. But hey – it is free.

Sorry for the radio silence recently, it wasn’t planned but fortunately it isn’t for a bad reason this time. I’ve just been pretty busy with work, the usual holiday hassle, and some of the last minute wedding preparations. (In case you’re new here, I’m getting married in five weeks – 2/4/12.) Fortunately it has also been kind of slow on the tech news front lately, at least as far as the stuff I usually write about goes. So I don’t feel like I’ve really missed anything huge.

That’s probably because CES is just around the corner and all of the big news is being saved up for the associated deluge. Unfortunately I won’t be attending CES this year. I had been thinking about returning this year but after some consideration I realized I’d have to be crazy to do CES so close to my wedding. Even ignoring the cost and the PTO I’d need to burn, when I have plenty of expenses and time off pending for the wedding and honeymoon, there are plenty of last minute things to attend to and I really don’t need the extra stress. So maybe 2013 with mark my return to CES. My fiancee has never been to Las Vegas and would like to see it too, so it’d be easier to justify. While I won’t be at CES this year I’m sure there will be plenty to cover and comment on.

All of that aside, there has been some gizmo activity in my life and I’m hoping to make a few full posts out of it. But for now I’ll share a little.

Just before xmas the Galaxy Nexus finally launched on Verizon and I ordered one immediately to replace my OG Droid. I love it. I was somewhat jealous of the Droid RAZR my fiancee picked up a few weeks earlier, but that evaporated when I got the G-Nex. I’ve decided to leave it completely unmodded for now – no unlocked bootloader, no root, and no custom ROM. I’d been running Cyanogenmod on my OG Droid for a long time, but I want some time with the ‘raw’ Ice Cream Sandwich experience to really see how it has improved. I have to say that, overall, I’m really impressed and pleased with it. I may end up sticking with the stock experience, we’ll see. So far there have only been minor things I’ve missed and I may be able to find apps for the functionality.

I will share one word of warning; the official Verizon car mount is a completely worthless piece of plastic crap. I purchased one and returned it an hour later. You may have seen posts on other blogs about it not having the built-in three pin connector for charging and audio output as we’d seen in some pre-release reviews, and that’s part of it. But for me even if it had the three pins I’d still think it sucked. It has a fixed neck, several inches tall. The only adjustment is the ball joint at the end where the phone goes. When I used it in my car the bottom of the G-Nex was as high as the top of my Droid in it’s mount. The OG Droid car mount was quite nice – plenty of adjustment. The G-Nex was way too high, and it blocked a good chunk of my view of the road, so it had to go back. Trying to mount it on my windshield was worse – even more visibility lost. Maybe it’ll work better in your vehicle, but that wasn’t the only issue.

The part that holds the phone is a very tight plastic ‘cup’ that you have to snap the phone in and out of. It took way too much force to both insert and remove the phone from the mount. Enough that I felt like I was risking damage to the phone. It was just too much of a pain in the ass. With my OG Droid I could snap the phone in and out of the mount with one hand instantly. I think the G-Nex mount sucks in every way and I really hope some decent third party options hit soon. I’m also waiting for the desktop dock to release; that at least looks like it is decently designed.

But the phone is just fantastic. Get one.

I also got another new gadget that I’ve been loving. My fiancee gave me a Kindle Touch for xmas. It is my first Kindle. I’ve been kind of eyeing them since the first Kindle, and e-readers in general since they hit the scene. Since I’m almost as addicted to Amazon as I am to Google, I knew I’d pretty much have to get a Kindle when I finally got an e-reader. (And it was definitely a when, not an if.) But the models with a keyboards always seemed a bit too clunky to me, and the Touch was the first model that really looked like what I was waiting for. It is nice and compact, about the size of a paperback (my preferred format), but lighter and even easier to hold than a real book.

I like it as much as I hoped I would. I plowed through the first novel in a couple of days, Scratch Monkey by Charles Stross. Now I’m working on Rule 34, also by Stross. I have a few other books already purchased and loaded, and I expect to be buying Kindle Editions going forward.

It doesn’t stop there. My nephew-to-be got an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and keyboard dock from us; which I’d snagged at 04:00 on Black Friday from Best Buy with a little social engineering. (It was a ticketed item. I didn’t have a ticket. I’ll tell more if I get a full post up.) He’s 12 – yeah, we kind of spoil him. I set it up for him on xmas and loved it. I’d decided to pick one up for myself months ago, but held off based on early reports of the ‘Transformer 2′. That’s of course, officially the Transformer Prime now.

After my experience using his tablet on xmas I decided that I definitely needed one for myself. My birthday is 12/26 (yes, the day after xmas) so I now have a Transformer Prime and keyboard on order as a gift to myself. I’m really hoping it arrives before I leave for the wedding and honeymoon, as I’d like to take it instead of my laptop. (We’re getting married in Epcot, a destination wedding.) Either way I’m looking forward to it, and I’m sure I’ll have something to say once I have my hands on it.

And last, but most certainly not least, I’ve had a TiVo Premiere Elite review unit in my hands for a little over a month now. I’ve been using it as my main unit and I’ve had enough experience with it now to write up my review. I’ll get that out soon, but the short version is that TiVo is going to have trouble getting this unit back from me. I love it. I’ve had a couple of minor hiccups, but nothing of real note. I had a Premiere for a while around the time it released, though I never did review it (it was during ‘the hiatus’), but the Elite with the 14.9 software is definitely an improvement on my experience with the Premiere at release. And it is a notable improvement over the Series3 that is still my main personal unit. There are a few changes in the HD UI (which is what I’ve been using) that I’m not completely happy with, but on balance I’d recommend the Elite without hesitation. And if I’m allowed to purchase this unit at the end of the review loaner period, I will. The only thing that is really missing as a retail TiVo Preview. If I could pair one of those with the Elite it’d be perfect for my bedroom.

It hasn’t all been good experiences with tech though. My Slingbox PRO-HD seems to have died at some point in November, as I discovered just before a week-long trip to Seattle for work in early December. That’s unfortunate. And a couple of days ago my Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver started exhibiting an issue where it takes several minutes to ‘warm up’ and start passing the HDMI signal from any input to the TV. Checking online I see this is a long-standing known issue with capacitors on the HDMI daughterboard.

My unit is out of warranty by now since I bought it way back in June, 2008 and it only carries two years parts & labor. I haven’t had much time yet to look into repair options, but it has been a long, long time since I did any soldering myself. I’d probably have to find someone to do the work for me instead of risking it on my rusty skills. Not to mention the fact I no longer have the tools for the job. I’ll probably start with Onkyo and see what an authorized repair would cost.

All in all I’ve been having some fun with my new gizmos and I hope to get some full posts up with my take soon. Of course, I owe TiVo a review on the Premiere Elite for kindly sending me a loaner to try out, so I really need to get that out in any case.

I hope everyone had good holidays. Did anyone get any new tech toys worth mentioning? Leave a comment!

And now it seems that it is finally going to land. It looks like the official launch date for the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is 12/12. Well, that’s the online launch date. It won’t hit retail shelves until 12/19. The full Transformer Prime website is now up and running with features, tech specs, photos, etc. And ASUS released the following video to help promote the new Android tablet:

Furthermore, Liliputing has compiled a roundup of the Transformer Prime reviews popping up around the net from those blogs lucky enough to get their hands on one early.

It is just over a week away now.

Be sure to check out the original post on Ritchie’s Room.

Now blog Ritchie’s Room has gotten their hands on one for review, including a video. This is what they mean by gadget pr0n, I think:

There’s also an earlier video from NVIDIA showing Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running on the Prime, but it is just a quick tease:

Soon… my precious…

Via Engadget.

Of course, the key piece of info that is missing is the release date. Still no word on that. But it is supposed to be this year.

Via Liliputing.

The tablet comes in 32GB and 64GB versions with a microSD slot for up to an additional 32GB, and it has 1GB of DDR2 RAM. It also has a microHDMI port, 3.5mm combo (headphones & mic) audio jack, a built-in mic, stereo speakers with SonicMaster technology and a built-in subwoofer, 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash, 1.3MP front camera, and a 25Wh battery that yields 12 hours of use. It supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The screen is a 10.1″ 1280×800 Super IPS+ display with an 178° viewing angle and Corning Gorilla Glass. It has a ‘metallic swirl’ finish available in two colors, Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold. It will ship with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, but it will be one of the first tablets to receive Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

It is 263mm x 180.8mm x 8.3mm (10.4″ x 7.1″ x 0.33″) and weighs in at a svelte 586g (1.29 pounds). The original Transformer was 271mm x 175mm x 12.95mm and 675g. The Prime is even thinner and lighter than the iPad 2 – 241.2mm x 185.7mm x 8.8mm and 601g. It is in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which is 256.6 x 172.9 x 8.6mm and 565g. It is thinner and narrower than the iPad 2, and only slightly longer, with a larger, higher resolution display based on better tech, more storage for a given price point, twice the RAM, and a far, far more powerful CPU.

Of course, what makes the Transformer lineup so unique is the keyboard dock which effectively turns it into an Android netbook. The dock is 263mm x 180.8mm x 10.4mm (10.4″ x 7.1″ x 0.41″) and weighs 537g (1.18 pounds). Aside from the keyboard and touchpad, it includes a 22Wh battery that extends run time to 18 hours. It also includes a full-size USB 2.0 port and a full-size SD card slot.

The MSRP on the 32GB model is $499, while the 64GB unit is $599. The keyboard dock is $149. The Transformer Prime will be positioned as a premium tablet, while the original Transformer will remain for the mainstream market at a lower price point. The 16GB will be $399 and he 32GB $449, with the dock remaining $149. Personally I don’t know why anyone would go for the 32GB Transformer when the 32GB Transformer Prime is only another $50. The performance difference, not to mention the design of the tablet itself, is well worth it.

Several months ago I was trying to decide which Android tablet to purchase. I decided on the Transformer, but before I pulled the trigger rumors of the ‘Transformer 2′ were out with talk of the Kal-El processor (code name for the Tegra 3) and improvements all around. Since I don’t really have a pressing need for a tablet, so much as technolust, I decided to wait to see how it shaped up. I’m glad I did, this is the tablet I want. Now I just have to decide if I want 32GB or 64GB. Given how much is based in the cloud now, I’m not sure I’d need the larger capacity.

NVIDIA is really touting the Tegra 3 that lives at the heart of the Prime. And with good reason, it is arguably the latest chip to claim the title of most powerful in the mobile market. While it is generally touted as a quad-core chip, the Tegra 3 actually has five cores. Four cores are ‘full-power’ cores which can clock up for 1.4GHz individually, or all four can clock up to 1.3GHz simultaneously. But these cores are only needed when launching apps, running compute intensive tasks, gaming, etc. Most of the time the work is handled by the fifth core, which clocks up to 500MHz. Running a single, lower speed (and thus lower power) core and only utilizing the higher powered cores when needed prolongs batter life. They’ve released a number of videos showing off the chip’s capabilities and/or describing it’s features.

ASUS press release announcing the Transformer Prime below:

ASUS Announces the Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Featuring the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 Quad-Core Processor the Transformer Prime is designed to greatly enhance the mobile computing experience

Fremont, CA (November 8, 2011) — ASUS officially announces the world’s first tablet with the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor – the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime. The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is ultra-thin at 8.3mm (0.33″) and lightweight at 586g (1.29lbs) while featuring a stylish metallic swirl design with class leading enhancements including ASUS SonicMaster audio technology, an HD 8MP rear auto-focus camera with LED flash and battery life rated for up to 18 hours* when combined with the optional mobile dock. Pricing will range from $499** (32GB) to $599** (64GB), with the optional mobile dock accessory priced at $149**.

Incredibly Slim yet Incredibly Powerful

Featuring an ultra-slim form factor, the Transformer Prime is only 8.3mm (0.33″) thin and weighs in at a mere 586g (1.29lbs without dock). This makes watching movies, surfing the web, playing games, taking photos, finishing up homework or video chatting with friends or family so easy and natural that you’ll wonder if the Transformer Prime was designed specifically with you in mind. Its innovative metallic swirl design is made of aluminum for a secure yet extremely comfortable grip that comes in two gorgeous colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold.

The Transformer Prime is the world’s first tablet to feature NVIDIA’s next-generation quad-core Tegra® 3 processor. With the quad-core CPU, 12-core GeForce® GPU and vSMP technology, the Transformer Prime delivers an optimum user experience featuring smooth multitasking capabilities, lightning fast app loading, a rich and fluid web experience, full 1080P HD video for realistic media playback or recording and of course, incredible gaming performance that allows you to experience games in an entirely new way.

Fantastic Battery Life

While the Transformer Prime is extremely slim and light, ASUS did not forget about battery life. Thanks to the advanced power management features of the Tegra® 3 processor and ASUS optimizations the Transformer Prime has a battery life of up to 12 hours*, but when combined with the mobile dock, it lasts up to an incredible 18 hours*, the longest battery life of any current tablet. That’s enough battery life for a trans-ocean flight, all-night game session, viewing several movies on a long road trip or even video recording, editing, and then playing back your child’s school play all in 1080P HD clarity.

Unrivaled Visuals

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display, protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass, which features new ASUS technology to enhance the brightness of the screen for a better outdoor reading experience while still offering a remarkably vivid and brilliant viewing experience of photos, books, videos, movies and web pages indoors. Thanks to Multi-Touch technology, you can use your fingers to do everything from swiping through photos, surfing the web, playing the latest games, typing emails, instant messaging, reading books or magazines, and starting your favorite movie.

A 1.2MP front camera allows for instant photos or high-quality video conferencing with friends, family or coworkers while an 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash takes brilliant photos or video thanks to a large F2.4 aperture, back illuminated CMOS sensor, touch-to-focus depth of field and low-light noise reduction to provide the clearest and sharpest photos or even 1080P HD videos.

Advanced Audio

The Transformer Prime offers impressive audio capabilities in a tablet, powered by ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology, renowned for crisp and acoustically accurate audio. It produces crystal clear sound with a wide sound stage, increased audio fidelity, and distinct vocal enhancements for an immersive audio experience with your favorite music track, video, or movie.

Unlimited Productivity

The Transformer Prime is offered with either 32GB or 64B flash storage options for quick, efficient and reliable access to your applications. Both models feature a micro SD card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack and micro HDMI port so sharing both what’s inside and on-screen is quick and easy. However, the function that gives the Transformer Prime its namesake is the mobile dock, which gives new meaning to the term versatility. This innovative and convenient design seamlessly provides the user with a keyboard and touchpad, along with limitless expandability options via the USB port and SD card slot.

ASUS will include several innovative applications like SuperNote that is fantastic for its ability to take, draw or record notes and Polaris® Office which is great for staying productive with the ability to read, edit or create Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MS Office 97-2007) compatible files. Thousands of top rated applications and games are also available at Android Market that fully takes advantage of the Transformer Prime’s amazing features and power.

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*Battery life will vary based on usage patterns and options.

**Pricing will vary by country and SKU. North American MSRP pricing listed.

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About ASUS

ASUS, the world’s top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world’s best-selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,398 awards in 2010, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than 10,000 and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company’s revenue for 2010 was around US$10.1 billion.

Via Liliputing, Droid Life, and AnandTech.

The Tegra 3 has its own teaser, which reveals even less. The original posting was pulled, but, unsurprisingly, someone has already reposted a copy:

I’m looking forward to the official announcement on November 9th, especially pricing and a release date. As you may recall from earlier posts, a few months ago I was trying to decide between which Android tablet to pick up. In the end I decided the Transformer was the one for me. But I had some other things to deal with and I put off buying it, and then the Osborne Effect kicked in as rumors of the Transformer 2 launching before the end of the year with Kal-El and Ice Cream Sandwich appeared. And now we know it will have Kal-El, and reports are it will ship with ICS. I haven’t seen any other tablet that swayed me from the Transformer form factor, and the Transformer Prime looks like more of the same – only better. I might be tempted to hold out for the Padphone, since I love the concept, but it looks like it won’t happen until at least the first quarter of 2012, and that’s tentative. It isn’t enough to make me wait, so I’ll probably be picking up a Galaxy Nexus when it hits Verizon and then most likely a Transformer Prime.

Via Liliputing. Also here. And AllThingsD.