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.

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.

Second is a look at the accessories Samsung is releasing for the tablet. To make the Galaxy Tab 10.1 thin and light Samsung had to sacrifice some things – like ports and expansion capabilities. So now they’re releasing a slew of accessories to compensate, not unlike the iPad. There are accessories to add a USB host port, an HDMI output, or SD card reader, docks, keyboards, cases, etc. Liliputing has a full run down.

Netflix relies on Microsoft Silverlight for the Windows and MacOS clients. While there are Netflix clients for a number of Linux-based devices, such as TiVo, Android, and ChromeOS, as well as other platforms, like iOS, the PS3, and Blu-ray players, that isn’t the same as running on a Linux PC. Netflix relies on DRM to secure the streams, which they must do to satisfy the content owners who grant them the licenses to stream. Silverlight provides the DRM on Windows and MacOS, but on other platforms the DRM is generally provided by the hardware itself. That’s not an option on a generic PC, so the client would have to provide it.

Via Liliputing.

The Slider was originally shown at CES in January, but the release date for the US has been pushed back a few times, and it is currently slated for fall. It did recently get the thumbs up from the FCC, so the launch is probably fairly close now. I think Asus has been a bit overwhelmed by their success in the Android tablet market. We know they’ve had supply issues with the Transformer, which appear to be ironed out now, perhaps this contributed to the delays with the Slider. They may have decided to work out the issues before launching another model.

US pricing on the Slider is unknown at this time, but the Transformer’s MSRP is $399.99 for the 16GB model, and the keyboard’s MSRP is $149.99. I’d hope the 16GB slider comes in under the $550 mark – maybe $499.99? It’d be a $100 premium over the Transformer to have a built-in keyboard, and a $50 savings over the Transformer + keyboard. Obviously the lower the price the more competitive it will be.

Via Liliputing.

Liliputing uncovered some info that indicates note everyone may be getting it at the same time. It seems that German users may not receive 3.2 until August 2nd, but that’s not a long wait.

In addition to the standard enhancements brought by Android 3.2, Asus is also adding support for multitouch gestures on the touchpad of the optional keyboard dock.

Via Liliputing.

The review is perhaps the most thorough I’ve seen to date, and well documented in photos and video as well. If you’ve been thinking about the Thrive, Brad’s review really covers all of the high, and low, points of the tablet. It is generally favorable, but as we’ve seen with other reviews, whether or not the Thrive is right for you really comes down to size & weight vs. expansion. If the full size ports are useful to you – easy connection to external displays via full size HDMI, the ability to use full size SD cards up to 128GB, connecting USB drives, and USB HID devices (keyboards & mice). With a USB hub you can connect a keyboard, mouse, and external drive, and practically turn it into a PC. The trade off is, of course, a tablet that is physically larger and heavier than its peers. So you have to weigh the options – maybe literally.

Read his full review.

Edit: He’s posted a blog entry related to the video now too.

But call your local store before heading over to make sure they have the tablet(s) you want. I called the three stores closest to me, and none of them stock the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. One store said they thought their shipment of Toshiba Thrive tablets was on the truck that came in today, but they hadn’t been unpacked yet. They have other tablets – the Samsung Galaxy Tab, one by Acer, the excluded HP TouchPad, etc. So check before you waste gas.

Tip of the hat to Liliputing.