Apple's new iPad is turning heads, but it's not the only compelling choice. Four months after its introduction, Asus' Transformer Prime TF201 shows us that tablets aren't exclusively content consumption devices. Some make it easier to get work done!
We weren't able to review Asus' Eee Pad Transformer Prime when it first launched. But in light of Apple's new flagship tablet, the third-generation iPad, we thought it important to follow up and question whether the Asus effort still measures up. After all, Apple has a knack for generating headlines that suggest its competition cannot compare.
Certainly, the iPad's market performance continues to be a powerful force. However, the fact that other manufacturers are building and selling their own Android-based devices means that there has to be room to grow outside of Apple's walled garden.

As a case in point, on the morning of the iPad 3’s release, a few of us headed out to take pictures of the lines forming for Apple’s latest gadget. While we were out there, we noticed that several people had forgone the queue and were walking out of Best Buy with Android-based tablets in their bags.

Interestingly, every tablet customer we saw without an iPad instead had the Transformer Prime TF201. And, after reviewing Asus's tablet, we can see why. Even if benchmark numbers give Apple the advantage (and they do), Nvidia's innovative Tegra 3-based design is enjoyable to use on a day-to-day basis.
We truly appreciate the Transformer's portable footprint. Apple's new iPad 3 adds features and functionality, consciously choosing a high-res display, a more powerful GPU, and a higher-capacity battery over a thinner or lighter form factor. As such, the iPad 3 weighs almost 0.2 lbs. more than Asus' Transformer Prime. That doesn't sound like much, but over an extended period of time, it means the difference between merrily browsing the Web and taking a break (or just wishing we worked out more often).

	iPad 2 (3G)	iPad 3 (4G LTE)	Transformer	Transformer Prime
Length	9.5"	9.5"	10.7"	10.4"
Width	7.31"	7.31"	7"	7.1"
Height	.34"	.37"	0.5"	0.3"
Screen Size	9.7"	9.7"	10.1"	10.1"
Aspect Ratio	4:3	4:3	16:10	16:10
Weight	1.33 lb	1.46 lb	1.5 lb	1.29 lb

Physically, the Transformer Prime is a clear winner. At 8.3 mm thick, it’s the thinnest tablet we've tested, and that's part of what makes it a much more portable option than Apple’s iPad 2 or 3.

Asus' Transformer Prime is designed similarly as its predecessor, facilitating a smooth transition for users familiar with the original. The ports and buttons are all located in the same places, even.

It's still easy to tell the two tablets apart, though, regardless of whether they're turned on or off. Whereas the original Transformer employed an ABS (plastic) molded shell, the Transformer Prime's body is aluminum with a stylish ripple design on the back. Asus' focus on aesthetics is commendable. That's one of those areas where Apple receives all of the glory, and other vendors are doing a much better job of creating usable designs that look good as well. For instance, a micro-texture on the Transformer Prime helps resist fingerprint build-up. Additionally, Asus went a step further and applied a hydro-oleophobic coating to the chassis to repel oil.
Some of the Transformer Prime's other evolutionary improvements include:

• Nvidia's Tegra 3 SoC
• A Super IPS+ display
• A better rear-facing camera

Tegra 3 is the best-supported architecture for 3D gaming on a tablet, with a number of high-quality titles available. Moreover, Asus' emphasis on usability provides other tangible advantages. For example, the Transformer Prime's Super IPS+ mode goes a long way to address readability issues under bright ambient lighting. And if you’re a shutterbug, the relatively large F2.4 aperture, combined with an LED flash and 8 MP sensor, translate to improved image quality.

The new Transformer tablet from Asus costs less—and yet it still manages to impress us. A follow-up to the acclaimed Transformer Prime, the Tegra 3-powered Transformer Pad TF300T is perhaps the best bargain we've ever seen from an Android-based tablet.

The new Android 4.0-powered Transformer Pad TF300T is a plastic-bodied tablet with a 10.1" 1280x800 IPS display aimed squarely at mainstream mobile enthusiasts on a budget. Inheriting the overall design of its predecessor, the more expensive aluminum-bodied Transformer Prime TF201, Asus' Transformer Pad TF300T is probably best described as a version of the company's original Transformer TF101, updated with Nvidia’s Tegra 3 SoC (hence the T at the end of model number).

Case construction of the cost-reduced Asus Transformer Pad TF300T consists of a sturdy ABS plastic shell (similar to the original Transformer TF101 tablet) available in red, white, and blue color options. In keeping with its mainstream-oriented design, the Transformer Pad features a slightly lower-clocked version of Nvidia's Tegra 3, the platform used to power Asus' flagship Transformer Prime TF201.

	iPad 2 (3G)	iPad 3 (4G LTE)	Transformer TF101	Transformer Prime TF201	Transformer Pad TF300T
Length	9.5"	9.5"	10.7"	10.4"	10.4"
Width	7.31"	7.31"	7"	7.1"	7.1"
Height	.34"	.37"	0.5"	0.3"	0.4"
Screen Size	9.7"	9.7"	10.1"	10.1"	10.1"
Aspect Ratio	4:3	4:3	16:10	16:10	16:10
Weight	1.33 lbs.	1.46 lb.	1.5 lb.	1.29 lb.	1.39 lb.

Physically, the Transformer Pad TF300T resembles Asus' Transformer Prime TF201, featuring nearly identical attributes aside from its weight and thickness. At 1.39 pounds, the new ABS-cased TF300T is about one-tenth of a pound heavier than the aluminum TF201, but it also weighs about one-tenth of a pound less than the TF101 it replaces.
The Transformer Pad's heft puts it in the middle of the pack, based on the table above. After spending significant time with Apple's iPad 3, we're convinced that 1.4 pounds is a meaningful threshold. Tablets that cross it are noticeably less comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. Although the plastic TF300T is lighter than the iPad 3, we still feel spoiled after having just reviewed Asus' lighter flagship tablet last week.
Employing a plastic shell introduces certain dimensional changes compared to the TF201 we liked so much, though. Additional curvature in the ABS frame makes the TF300T slightly thicker than the TF201, but a fraction of an inch thinner than the original Transformer TF101. This extra thickness translates to a tablet that's easier to grasp, even if it imparts a chunkier profile compared to the svelte Transformer Prime TF201.

The Transformer Pad TF300T’s layout is similar to its predecessors, employing ports and buttons located in the same places, which facilitate a smooth transition for users familiar with other Asus tablets.

While it's true that Asus' Transformer family shares a common design heritage, the TF300T takes a number of cues from the higher-end TF201. Trace your fingers over the TF300T’s micro-texture outer case finish, for instance, and you discover the same circular weave pattern we pointed out in last week's story, except that it's molded in plastic instead of etched into aluminum.
Aside from utilizing ABS plastic instead of aluminum, the Transformer Pad TF300T has several other features worth highlighting, including:

• Nvidia's Tegra 3 SoC with LPDDR3
• Android ICS 4.0 operating system
• An improved rear-facing 8 MP camera with a fast F2.2 lens aperture
• Asus SonicMaster audio
• 8 GB of Asus WebStorage (for life)
• Polaris Office 3.0, SuperNote 1.5, App Locker, App Backup, MyLibrary, MyNet, and MyCloud

Bundled software is an important part of a tablet's user experience. However, the brief time we had with the Transformer Pad TF300T before the launch forces our focus on the hardware at the expense of the bundled software, which we might cover at a later date.