Asus drops GPS from tablet spec after issues emerge
Sleeping satellite?
Asus has dropped the word 'GPS' from its Eee Pad Transformer Prime spec sheet after early adopters of the 10in Android tablet found the gadget's satnav tech doesn't work too well.
Forum postings between Christmas and the New Year show a number of Prime owners peeved by the tablet's apparently poor ability to pick up a GPS signal. Their tablets will get a satellite lock eventually, but it takes too long to be of practical use.
During that time, Asus' Transformer Prime page had references to GPS removed, as a host of before and after screenshots posted on a variety of websites, such as Land of Droid, show.
Asus has since confirmed the issue, emailing at least one aggrieved punter to say that the Prime's "metallic unibody design… may affect the performance of the GPS when receiving signals from satellites".
Of course, other GPS-equipped tablets have metal backs and they don't appear to be similarly challenged, so the Prime's GPS woes may run deeper than first thought. That said, some Prime owners have reported that their devices' GPS pick-ups do work as expected.
The 10in Prime is the first tablet to use Nvidia's five-core Tegra 3 processor. ®
Thanks to Rick K for the tip
COMMENTS
Asus have always locked the bootloader
The original transormer had one from release.. it's just that the key was leaked soon after they changed it someone had worked out another way to root (Razorclaw).
That's now been plugged, so you can't root the latest firmware.. and it's the reason I won't buy another Asus tablet. On the original TF, for example, you have to root it to enable wifi channel 12, which just happens to be where the office wifi is, making the stock TF unusable for me. That and proprietary cables, inability to charge off USB (so can't be charged in the car), etc.
FYI, RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook GPS is about the same... i.e. useless
Free advice to get the PlayBook's GPS to lock-on to the GPS satellites:
"Try standing outside, well away from any buildings, trees, or tall grass."
"Try holding it over your head."
"Try standing on a ladder."
...
Oxymoron?
You must be using Mr Shitpeas's dictionary too.
"Unexpected surprise" is a pleonasm.
Locked bootloader for non-3g tablet?
Usually the excuse for locked bootloaders is bending over for the operators subsiding 3d phones and tablets. And for most it is an ok trade-off since you'll get the device cheaper than you would get it else.
But for a wifi-only tablet? Why not start locking asus zenbooks while at it.
This is on the road to be an major PR disaster.
F*U*D?
Hello Mr Shitpeas.
You got your definition of FUD wrong. Both story and comment are pointing out actual facts.
Maybe we need a Shitpeaese to English dictionary. Something you can do in the ample free time you seem to have.
