yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
good points. now if they the same price, like in Europe, the Acer gets the favored edge. its specs beat out the 300. there's no denying that fact. its all about if people want the extra dock feature or not. which alot do actually. the dock does add a whole other dimension to the tablet experience.

android tablet scene is heating up and the best tablets coming out now are from Asus and Acer. its funny how the Sammy ones got canned and wont be released till much later in the year in favor of the quad core s4 set up. seems like more manufacturers are now wanting the quad core setup. Nvidia is leading this trend. when people hear quad core, when it comes to android tablets, it sounds better. almost like an apple affect. regardless of how powerful it is, hearing that its quad core gets people excited. normal android consumer doesn't care all that much about specs but when you mention quad core vs. dual core, people will go with quad core. I did say that this Acer tablet is their best to date. its good they finally making a good tablet. competition is good for everyone.

The competition will really heat up when Toshiba releases their 3 tegra3 tablets in a month or so. Nvidia tegra3 for the win.
[Transformer TF300T General] e.mote:
>Any tablet having a tegra3 chip in it is the way to go. no matter who its from. if it has a tegra3 in it, chances are it'll be a good tablet.

Tegra 3 is not a panacea for a "good" tablet. It depends on what the user wants. A dual-core can be just as "good" with many use-cases, and it's cheaper. An OMAP 4430 is a good and capable SoC for ICS. Android for now thrives best at the lower ($300 and under) price points.

Teg3 may be the most powerful--for now at least--but most Android apps aren't CPU-bottlenecked. As mentioned in many places, Teg3 w/ ICS still has micro-lags in the UI, so it's an OS issue to be addressed, not a CPU issue.

>The dock should be a must have accessory for transformer tablets. it completely transforms the experience.

It is for a certain segment of the user population. But Android up to now is still very much a content-consumption OS, and productivity apps are wanting. The hybrid laptop-like setup is much more amenable to a full-productivity OS, eg Win8. I expect the config will be more popular by year-end. Android right now can't command the price premium of the TF series w/ dock at $550/650/750, speaking for the mainstream.

For those who don't care for the "integrated" aesthetics, a $30 BT keyboard is more versatile. You don't need to pay for a new dock for each new tablet.

>you hook up a usb to the tablet itself and see how awkward that is holding the tablet with a usb cord hanging from it.

Ohmegosh, I actually agreed with Dem the Man on something! Somebody get me an exorcist quick!

Yes, it's an ergonomic reality that current tablets aren't designed for attached peripherals while being held. Tablets are an outgrowth from smartphones, and the micro-ports are a carryover from smartphone designs. They're delicate and unsuitable for on-the-go use. My hope is that with Win8 coming from the PC camp, then tablet design will take its cues from laptops, ie with full-sized ports and low-profile adapters.

The sticking point will be whether the buying public is willing to sacrifice the svelte silhouette aesthetic for additional functionality. I can well visualize having pop-out ports on the back of the tablet (rather than the edge), and having periphs parallel to the tab, as opposed to orthogonal. My wish is that the vapid "thinness" marketing pitch would go away, now that Apple iPad 3 is getting chubbier.

But realistically, I see near-future tabs to hold the same type of micro-ports as present, with full-sized ports being limited to docks. For techies who want the functionality, there are workarounds: right-angle cable adapter, and velcro on the back.
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
your last point or quote on me made me laugh. I do have to say after watching that very long Mobiletech review on acer510 , I'm very impressed. That Acer actually looks to be a very good tablet. Add in the fact that it has Dolby Stereo speakers and its looking very good. i can see why its becoming a hard decision for some. it will boil down to initial price point and if people want the dock or not. Regardless both seem to be good devices. Good luck to those having to choose. I'm glad i don't have to worry since i already own prime and dock now.

im actually more curious to see what windows will bring. still hoping we can eventually dual boot the new windows on prime once developers get a hold of it.

p.s. does anyone know the name or brand of that portable hard drive mobiletechreview used? and the price. i want to get one of those for my prime so i can store movies and such on it. i love how small it was. like a little portable brick that's very easy to carry around if needed. I love USB host capabilities on tablets.
[Transformer TF300T General] jblah:
i believe it was a western digital 500GB.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236191
[Transformer TF300T General] e.mote:
Dude, sorry to get on your case earlier, but sometimes you heap it on a bit too thick, you know?

Anyway, I'm waiting for the same thing you are, the rumored Goog tab. Hoping Google will bowl me over with JB, but if not, I can wait till year-end for a "high-end" (read: $500+) Win8 tablet.

Most USB HDD should work. Looks like prices still haven't come down since Thai flood last year. Used to be able to pick these up at $60'ish per. BTW MTR review one uses a WD 500GB HDD.

http://google.com/products?q=1tb+usb+hard+drive
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
thanks, appreciate it.

here's another thorough review of the 300 tablet. It performed very well for them.

http://www.androidcentral.com/asus-transformer-pad-tf300-review
[Transformer TF300T General] pdagal:
It's a Western Digital MyPassport 500 gig drive. I've had it for a few years now. There are quite a few brands on the market now in that size and general shape.

- Lisa from MTR
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
yeah, i know, its cool. ;)

thanks for info and link. i have a feeling that if the rumored goog tablet turns out to be true and come out with a low price point and tegra3 , it will flip android upside down on current price points. other than it being 7in. it will be hard to beat for the price its shooting for. i would leave prime in the home and carry the 7in. around with me.

before the prime, i was so impatient on wanting a new android tablet, after my ipad 2yr exp., that i almost bought an Acer a100. luckily for me they were sold out. i originally wanted an og transformer from best buy black friday sale but those were sold out also. Toshiba thrive was even sold out too. i was very close to buying the thrive with its full size usb port on the tablet itself. but its horrible battery life and non existent xda support turned me off from it. Then i discovered the prime, put money down on pre order and the rest is history. No regrets.

---------- Post added at 07:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------

thanks. i really liked your review on the new acer tablet. do you plan on doing a 300 review also? overall, I'm very impressed with that acer tablet, especially since it has stereo speakers. Acer seems to be trying to come up out of the bargain category to actually making good devices that can hang with the high end ones. it will be interesting to see how the three toshiba tablets, especially the 13.3in one, compare.
[Transformer TF300T General] tnimk:
Bump. Hoping someone knows the answer to this :)
[Transformer TF300T General] ultramerican:
This changed my mind about my purchase. I was up early, probably one of the first to order the TF300. I realized for productivity I need a physical keyboard and a stand to hold the device, and this can be accomplished more economically with a slim USB keyboard and a case that folds into a stand for the A510 rather than the TF300 plus keyboard dock. The larger battery, stereo speakers, and office software will all be more useful to me than the superior camera and possibly display of the TF300.

This was one of the more difficult purchase decisions I've made as a consumer in a while. Thanks for the informative back and forth, guys. You and that MobileTechReview (thanks, Lisa!) helped a lot.

Both look great. I'm sure everyone will be happy with whatever they buy.

Edit: rlanza1054 reminds me of the USB dongle. A case folding into a stand won't allow enough clearance. I ordered a Casseguard stand instead. The Transformer dock accomplishes what a case and keyboard will, but more elegantly. Like I said, this is a tough choice between the two!
[Transformer TF300T General] rlanza1054:
I'm one of those that is getting all crazy over the choice between the two.

I had placed a pre-Order for the Acer A510 in Silver, which is not yet available. That gave me time to back out. Which I just did!

I canceled because of the Asus TF300.

But the 2 negatives on the 300 are stopping me from placing the order. The speaker volume and sound issue. And the dark screen.

I like the keyboard dock option which I probably would get, even though I have a bluetooth keyboard with touchpad I just got from IOGear, for my Samsung Galaxy S II.

If there weren't the negatives on the 510, I would but back my pre-order.

The 510 is being said to have a heat issue and this grid screen? Now add to that, the placement of the USB dongle (even though I pretty much do everything via WIFI).

And don't laugh too hard at me, but I like the ring software on the 510!

So which one, can I live without the dock?

Which screen will be better to watch movies on?

Or do I just give up and see what Samsung is offering May 8th?

I like that the Asus is cheaper but add the keyboard dock and it's more expensive.

I really hate all these choices.

And I don't want to spend $699 on the iPad, heck I don't want to give Apple my money.

Rob
[Transformer TF300T General] jblah:
ipad3 is actually $499. ipad2 is selling for $360 - $399.

the dark screen on the tf300t is the same as the dark screen for the acer if i'm not mistaken. neither of them have the display of the prime. but i haven't seen the tablets..i'm only coming to this conclusion from the reviews that i've seen.

right now i'm leaning towards the tf300t only because of asus's support and that the price is cheaper. asus's support makes a huge deal to me (because of the lack of support of my lg g2x).

the MAIN thing holding me back about a510 is the support...both xda (look at the a500 forum..not much there) and from the company. but function wise i think i like the a510's capabilities better and the fact that it has the same cpu as the prime makes it more attractive.

very tough choice. personally if i am to get the tf300t i want to get the white model so i definitely have to wait for that AND i don't NEED a tablet at the moment...i WANT one...so i have to suppress my "want"..which is easier said than done.
[Transformer TF300T General] bakihanna:
Here is a prime vs Acer a510 from Lisa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yD5_dGFyzY&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
[Transformer TF300T General] ultramerican:
By the way, Lisa, I think your review page has the resolution for the front-facing camera wrong. I believe it's just 1 MP rather than 2. Thanks again for the informative review.
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
That video was the first time i saw the acer ring. i like it also. seems pretty cool and useful and can see why some people asked if it could be ported to the prime.

your best bet is to wait for more tech and consumer reviews of both devices. i seriously doubt Samsung will bring anything new or exciting. they just recently announced canning both of their 10 in. tabs set to come out in favor of releasing them much later in the year with quad core s4. i guess the prime, 300, acer, and new ipad made them rethink their strategy. then you have 3 tegra3 toshiba tablets dropping in a month or so. One of them being a gargantuan 13.3in display having tablet. so if you think its hard to decide now, just imagine once the other tegra3 devices release. lol you really gonna go crazy then. oh and don't forget the acer a700 also.
[Transformer TF300T General] e.mote:
>but this acer ad is awesome!

It was funny toward the end when the dude stuffed the pad into his cargo pants, before jumping off the skateboarding ramp. Would've loved to see how well that works just for walking, let alone for doing mid-air 360s. Oh, for the magic of advertising!

[YOUTUBE]lsfVn8eJTa4[/YOUTUBE]

>But the 2 negatives on the 300 are stopping me from placing the order. The speaker volume and sound issue. And the dark screen.

I think the "dark" screen is with respect to the Prime's Super IPS+ screen. It's a regular IPS screen. The speaker setup isn't a big deal. Yes, both speakers are in one location, as opposed to Acer's being at opposite corners, but you aren't going to have good stereo separation from dual piezo's being 8" apart regardless. Headphones, or some external hookup, would be mandatory for hi-fi mavens.

>The 510 is being said to have a heat issue and this grid screen?

That's from one report out of 16 Amazon reviews (by yesterday's count). Prelim takeaway from the small sample size of reviews to date is that usability and build quality is good, but that one should buy from vendor with liberal return policy to account for the sporadic reports of QC issues. This last should be perforce for all expensive tech toys.

>Which screen will be better to watch movies on?

This will be best judged by you, from visiting a local BestBuy, etc before purchase. Color/image quality is highly subjective, and isn't something that can be adequately conveyed through reviews.

>I really hate all these choices.

Yes, it's a paradox. More choices is both a good and bad thing. I've done a fair bit of consulting, which as a core function is to simplify choices for the client. I would breakdown the choice as this: If you want the integrated dock, get the TF300 at $550. If not, get the A510 at $450. Both are similar enough. Don't get too caught up in the minutiae.

>A case folding into a stand won't allow enough clearance [for USB dongle]

Using a right-angle micro-USB adapter, you'd need 0.5" clearance. The one pictured below is has a thicker adapter block. You can find more low-profile ones by looking around.
[Transformer TF300T General] pdagal:
Glad you liked our video review. We'll have a full written review in a few days too.

And yes, we'll review the TF300 as well. That Toshiba 13" tablet is certainly unique, and may remain unique (it's kinda big in a world where even Windows tablets stop at 12.1").
[Transformer TF300T General] BethyM:
Just watched this and boy does the Acer give the prime a run. The protected ports are a good note too. I'm afraid to leave my sdcard in my prime because it sticks out and the charging port makes me nervous. Tough choices, best with your decision.

Lisa: Enjoyed your review. I can tell you love your prime. I wonder, having used both now, if you had neither which would you opt for?
[Transformer TF300T General] pdagal:
I really didn't expect this, but I prefer the Acer A510. I do get tired of wrestling with my Prime's bugs (5 months of love-hate affair). I don't use the dock that much since I have a Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook that's instant-on (I'm spoiled in my line of work), so just looking at it tablet to tablet, the A510 feels great in the hand, plays nicely with my HDMI equipment, has excellent WiFi throughput, behaves well and a nice screen.
[Transformer TF300T General] rushless:
I ordered the Acer from Best Buy today to try out. I will also get the 300 when it releases there. I did the same thing with the iPad 3 and was so impressed with the display I ended up keeping it.

Depending how things pan out, I will sell my Thrive and keep the Acer or Asus. If the Prime had a plastic back, I would have kept it and not bother with these.
[Transformer TF300T General] demandarin:
Noooooooo....lol :( fair enough. i feel what you saying. For the first time ever, ive now had doubts about my purchase. but i bought mines when it first came out to be on the cutting edge and i lucked up by having a great & defect free unit. I still have no regrets but i do admit that Acer does give the Prime a nice run. Its aimed for different people like you said in your smackdown comparison. I chose to be on cutting edge and have the dock option. If i would've never bought the prime and waited till now, I'd seriously consider the Acer also.

With that said, these past months with my prime has been the best ever. I truly use it on a daily basis and has never failed me. Its the only tech device that I ever felt proud of owning and showing off to others. If i could do it all over again, i would still get the Prime. I love using it too much. Prime will hold me down until Tegra4 releases. then ill hop back on that cutting edge again..lol

i forgot to add i just got the keyboard dock on Friday. So its like a whole new experience with my prime now. Im really likiing this keyboard dock and adds a whole new dimension to the Prime. I now see what the big deal was over owning a dock. Truly amazing to use. Extra Battery life, full size usb port, full size sd card slot, and a great keyboard. Cant beat that versatility. I Cant wait for people to think i have a new laptop/ultrabook then pulling the tablet out of it & seeing the look on their faces.
[Transformer TF300T General] pdagal:
demandarin, I hear you. I've enjoyed the Prime for nearly 5 months now, and there was nothing that could compete until now. That's a really strong lead for a tech product, and it still stands out (along with other Transformers) for those who want the convertible dock option.

rlanza1054: My A510 gets warm when playing 3D games for 30 minutes but not near 106F. It's certainly not warmer than the new iPad ;) I cannot see a grid on the A510, and I know what the person is talking about because my Kindle Fire has a grid. The included USB host adapter is a standard microUSB to USB host cable. My USB host cable for the Xoom fits and works just the same. The port isn't weird in that respect, it just has some extra notches to also accommodate the Acer charger. Printing works over WiFi too with Acer Print, but I think you have to use a PCL or postscript printer (our network printer supports neither but Acer Print finds it just fine and says it's unsupported).
[Transformer TF300T General] e.mote:
>So it can't be charged by a weak 5v standard usb charger.

@Lisa G. of MTR: Can you plug A510 into iPad (5V@2A) charger via standard micro-USB cable and see if it would charge? There may not be a charge indicator, but leave it for an hour and see if battery level would increase any. If it does work, would further request to fully drain the batt, then charging it back up at 5V,2A and see how long it takes. Thanks in advance if you would do this.

>It fits that non-standard usb port.

It takes standard micro-USB connector, along with the fatter charge connector.
[Transformer TF300T General] pdagal:
I'll give it a try, but I wouldn't hold great hopes that it will work.
[Transformer TF300T General] junrider:
Wow. the Acer A510 is definately a contender with the prime. Its cheaper, it has a better battery, dont have to worry about sd card sticking out, edges arent beveled so is has better support (the prime 40pin connector edges bends so easily), apparently more stable with reboots, wifi reception much better, gps doesnt need a dongle, unlockable, charging cable is not specific and is easily available, etc...

The prime's advantage is the camera, super IPS, and keyboard dock. I think thats all ??

Definately, going to keep an eye on the Acer. Was there mention if the Acer had any bluetooth/wifi interference like the Prime?
[Transformer TF300T General] aznmode:
Lisa you mentioned gameloft supports acer better. How many more are you seeing on acer compared to prime? By the way i love all your reviews. Very thorough. Thank you.

Also if i heard you correctly the acer doesnt lag when youre downloading from the web or market?
[Transformer TF300T General] e.mote:
>[A510] charging cable is not specific and is easily available, etc...

A510 charging connector is proprietary, and the quasi-micro-USB tip is easily bent, especially given its position at bottom of unit. It won't last long. From my experience with the LCD Nooks, you'd want to stock up with a few spares.
[Transformer TF300T General] BarryH_GEG:
Oh, my dear demandarin. Based on what? To me, the measure of quality is the sum of the parts. Asus delivers incredible value but makes sacrifices to do so. Like the AzureWave vs. Broadcom radio and HannsSpree display. You remember the comments from the tear down saying everything’s held in place with yellow tape and screws were missing. I'd bet Acer makes some of the same sacrifices so their devices will be physically comparable. Asus’ repair depot in TX certainly won't win them any six sigma awards either. And more than enough has been said about the Prime's build quality on this forum without me needing to add anything. I’m not saying Acer’s is better, but I wouldn’t consider build quality an Asus advantage. To most of the world Asus and Acer are both similar second tier players, in mobile and PCs. To a consumer a name like Toshiba, Samsung, and even Lenovo because of their ThinkPad heritage holds more cache.

P.S. - The One X is having all the early Teg3 drivers and code issues the Prime went through. Its battery life is also dismal compared to the S4 One X. Joy. ;)
[Transformer TF300T General] safarigirl:
I've wanted to comment on this before but didn't; decided to step in this time. Regarding the SD sticking out, I think this has to do with a certain batch of defective units (or part) because the first unit I received was a C2OKAS and the SD card fit perfectly flush inside the slot. The second unit C1OKAS did not, the card protruded about 1MM outside the slot. This was one of the main reasons after receiving two units with not only bad wifi but added questionable defects I decided not to contiue with the prime.

Anyway, just my experience. If you get a broken sd slot immediately swap out for a new unit as it is a defect. I know this is true because I contacted Asus about it and they set up an RMA. I decided to just return it to the seller for a full refund. So glad i did.
[Transformer TF300T General] mark.m.moran:
The Prime I had and then returned had the slot flush with the Tablet so the MicroSD card never stuck out....

Cheers,

M
[Transformer TF300T General] rcatron:
I don't think anyone has posted this link yet..... CNET review from yesterday

http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/asus-transformer-pad-tf300/4505-3126_7-35230242.html?tag=mncol;lst;1

Actually, very positive.
[Transformer TF300T General] BethyM:
I examined mine more closely. It appears flush with the front of the unit, but protrudes because of the bevel. I compared my sandisk SD with the blank and its clearly longer than the blank. My case doesn't protect that spot so it'd be prone to an inadvertant bump. This makes "fiddly door" seem appealing :)

Im not sure how easy it is to see but the SD is bigger than the blank. I'm a C3.
[Transformer TF300T General] Bøbo:
Both tablet obviously have their pros and cons.

In europe, it's the price for me. 399€ against 550€ for the full Asus experience.

However, if retailers don't replenish their stock soon, maybe I will cancel my A510 order to swap it for a TF300.
[Transformer TF300T General] safarigirl:
That is a unit I would send back. Devices should not have cards sticking out. If asus decided to continue use of this part, shame on them. Since I received one that did not, I know they are using different hardware. Have you ever seen any other device have a memory slot that made the card protrude? As others have commented very easy to lose or damage your card.
[Transformer TF300T General] rushless:
I can not help but notice the actual image definition looks better on the A510 than the Prime. Look at the image details on each display. Mine will be here tomorrow, so will compare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yD5_dGFyzY