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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2013
About me: I am a techy 30-something that loves Android, though I own an iPad4 and keep an open mind to all things, including operating systems. My reviews are usually long-winded and sometimes opinionated. I have experience with the new Samsung Note 10.1 (2014), the ASUS TF701 & TF700 tablets, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Nexus, iPad4, Nook Color, Droid RAZR, and a bunch of other random devices that I've rooted for my friends and co-workers. My wife got the new Note 10.1 to replace her old Note 10.1, so "we" decided I can get a new tablet, too, since my iPad4 was part of a hostile-takeover by my 6 year old daughter. I basically could not stand iOS, even with jailbreak and $50 worth of Cydia apps to tweak the OS. Android is the OS for me, or even Windows 8.1. iOS is just too locked down, dumbed down, lowest-common-denominator, made for kids and the elderly (no offense).
Now that you know where I'm coming from......
There are quite a few good tablets to choose from. What makes a high-end tablet worth purchasing? To me, it's the features that make one tablet stand out from the crowd while also being fast for its era. The weight you give each of those various features depends on you and what's important to you. I'll talk about some things that are important to me:
1) The screen is extremely important. You look at it and touch it the whole time you interact with the tablet. This screen is really good, especially for fans of IPS LCDs. Fans of Samsung AMOLED or SuperLCD screens might find the blacks a bit bright, but the contrast levels are still good. The fact that it's IGZO makes it extra sweet (IGZO is supposed to use a lot less battery). The screen appears to be pretty bright, though not anywhere near the 755 nits like I read about (at gsmarena.com I think). There appears to be no one that knows if the glass is Gorilla Glass 2, 3, or Corning-brand at all. No oleophobic coating, meh who cares? My skin is usually so dry that I don't leave fingerprints and smudges on my screen like my wife's constantly-lotioned and extremely soft hands do on her devices. Sharpness: 2560x1600 = 4mp. iPad's 2048x1536 = 3mp. New Surface 2's 1080p = 2mp. Basically 33% sharper than iPad3/4/Air and twice as sharp as 10" 1080p tablets. Same resolution as the Note 10.1 & Nexus 10 with the differences including IGZO technology for the Asus but better color saturation & accuracy and black-levels from the Samsung SuperLCD. And we all know the iPad's screen is still pretty good.
2) Possibly more important is the operating system. For anyone that wants to tweak things or not be overly and unjustly limited by a higher power (Apple), Android is a good choice. Sure, there are limitations in Android and you have to get root access to do things, but at least you can if you want to. And at least the Play Store doesn't censor stuff too much. I like having a choice of launchers that can change the entire look and feel of the device. I like the great keyboard selection and widgets and live wallpaper and a hundred other things about Android. There are advantages and disadvantages to each operating system. Hopefully you can be happy with the one you choose. Or just choose them all if you can afford it, haha.
3) Another item of importance to me is the app selection. The biggest gripe I hear about Android tablets vs iPad is the superior app selection offered by Apple's app store. They say there aren't many apps designed for tablets in Android-land. I think most people that say these things haven't experienced both tablets, though they are still correct for the most part. But they fail to mention how with the iPad, you NEED the app to be made for iPad because the iPhone versions look like absolute garbage on iPad. Most apps on Android are just as good or close enough to the iOS counterpart, but the apps selection for iPads is still superior overall. Some iPhone apps that don't have iPad versions will look better on Android tablets if there is an Android version of that app. There are lots of devs that really fail at making Android apps, so you end up with forced-orientation (usually portrait) with text or buttons that are too small (ESPN I'm looking at you). It's pretty much a toss-up for me - I like both app selections. Sorry Windows RT, but I'm pretty sure your app selection bites. I am curious about Windows8.1 & BayTrail though.
4) Also important to me are accessories and compatibility/flexibility. The killer accessory for the Transformers is, of course, the keyboard dock. Most other tablets can't really compare (see Dell Venue Pro 11 and Asus T100). Sure, there are decent cases with built-in bluetooth keyboards of varying quality, but even the $100 ones don't compare to the ASUS keyboard, and that's not even taking into consideration the extra battery, SD slot, USB 3.0 port, touchpad, and sturdiness of the ASUS keyboard, although this new dock is plastic so it's not as good as previous Asus docks.
The popularity of the iPad results in tons of accessories for it. However, they aren't really accessories I want as much as the ASUS keyboard. For general compatibility, the TF701 is great, especially with the dock. Full size SD card from your digital camera? Pop it in the dock. USB keyboard? Plug it in! USB 3.0 external hard drive? Plug it in already! Wanna play some emulator games with a PS3 gamepad? No problem with the $3 SixAxis app. Good luck doing these things on an iPad. With Jailbreak and BluTrol, you CAN use a PS3 gamepad, but it was a little buggy like a lot of Cydia apps were for me.
5) Price is important, right? The 32GB TF701 is 25% cheaper than 32GB iPad Air & Note 10.1. That's a pretty big difference. That $150 difference is enough to pay for the $140 dock and a 6-pack of your favorite beer (or 12-pack if you like that domestic stuff).
Tweakability is another area of importance for me. This tablet is probably the most tweakable, geek-friendly of them all. It can dual-boot with Ubuntu for crying out loud. I can spend $700 and get a 224GB (32GB internal + 64GB microSD + 128GB SD) tablet-ultrabook hybrid. Or I could get a 64GB iPad with 1/3rd the memory, no dock with keyboard, usb port, sd slot, etc. For those of us that like to have lots of data locally, it's hard to beat this combo. Though for $700, you could get an ultrabook with 256GB SSD or 1TB SATA, but that's a totally different category of machine.
Basically, it came down to the (vaporware?) Nexus 10 (2013), Note 10.1 (2014), and this TF701 if you settle on Android as the OS. OK let's not forget about the Sony tablet too, with its dust-proof water-proof spin on things. But the Sony is half the resolution and much less powerful. The N10-2 isn't even official yet, so I can't really consider it yet. Some people think it will not be created. Other people think Google is going to put out an 8" Nexus instead of the 10" since the first N10 didn't sell very well. So you have to be patient and wait for Nexus news. The Note 10.1 excels in the areas that the TF701 fails in, like 3D performance, trendy design, weight, size, speakers, popularity...but the price is a bit steep. Then there's the iPad Air - it's a nice piece of hardware, that's for sure, but the OS just ruins it for me. The Kindle HDX 8.9" is enticing because I'd love to hold it in one hand in portrait mode, and the HDX has some killer hardware (2560x1600, S800 SoC, nice stereo speakers, etc), but again the OS ruins it and it doesn't appear to be very rootable or ROM-able and no expandable storage. Windows 8 tablets with the BayTrail chip could be pretty cool. I wouldn't mind playing Half-Life 2 and whatnot on a tablet. However, there doesn't appear to be a BayTrail tablet with a 2560x1600 screen, along with other specs they lack. I could handle 1080p on a 10" screen probably if I decide to try a BayTrail machine.
In my mind, the TF701 is a decent choice. Sure, it's not perfect, but none of them are. It all depends on your wants and needs. My need for faster 3D performance caused me to return the TF701 in favor of the Note. But for people that don't care about games or 3D content and find the Note features to be gimmicks, the TF701 might fit the bill.
-----------------------------------
Summary of PRO's and CON's:
-----------------------------------
PROS:
----------------
Specs - Not class-leading in all areas, but overall a great spec list that translates into great performance (sans 3D content) and flexibility
TEGRA4 - It is on par with the other fast SoC's right now except in 3D performance, especially @ WQXGA. The lack of Open GL ES 3.0 compliance is a little pathetic, too, considering the SnapDragon600 is compliant.
Screen - 2560x1600 (WQXGA) is glorious. Hopefully the IGZO technology will provide some good power-savings, but I didn't see any good battery life results in my use of this tablet (from 100% charge to 40% with less than 3 hours of screen-on time on the first full charge, and the screen accounted for 70% of the battery usage). IPS usually translates to very accurate colors, I thought, but the reds especially annoyed me because they were pale and a little orange when using the VIVID setting, and obviously more pale prior to setting it to vivid. Meanwhile the Note's screen seems spot-on for colors (I am used to a very accurate pair of Dell IPS monitors) and is more saturated with better black levels, so be aware that IGZO + IPS might not equal success or good brightness levels or extreme battery savings or perfect colors or dark blacks.
Keyboard dock - This accessory is a selling point for many Transformer customers because it is just a great piece of hardware. Too bad they skimped on it again this year, like last year when they made the battery smaller, causing TF700 users to purchase the TF201 dock since it was compatible with a bigger battery.
Bezel - Still big enough to grip on all 4 sides and no buttons on the face. The Note bezel on the other hand is a lot smaller and has 3 buttons on it, making for awkward positioning of your hands/fingers. I like the bigger TF701 bezel and tapered edges.
Price - 25% cheaper than iPad Air & Note 10.1 @ 32GB, $50 cheaper than the year-old Nexus 10, only $5 more than the Kindle HDX 8.9".
Built-in launcher - It doesn't have a billion gimmicky features like TouchWiz. It doesn't change much, really. I haven't ever used a manufacturer's launcher and actually been satisfied with it, but this one might be okay. I probably will want to change the grid size of the desktop & app drawer, though, so I will probably use Nova. However, those people that never change anything on their devices will get a close-to-Android experience, unlike Samsung TouchWiz & HTC Sense & Motorola Blur (speaking of Motorola, where is their 10" tablet at? Why didn't I even research a single Moto tablet?).
CONS:
---------------
3D Performance - There are many games that perform well and look awesome, but there are also many that hit low FPS levels, like IronMan3 & FIFA14
Size - I don't mind the size, but recent trends will show that the TF701 is dated in its design and retains the design of 2 generations (of Transformers) ago.
Weight - Again, it's not bad. Much easier to handle than the iPad4. However, it's still over 100g heavier than the iPad Air, and 200g heavier than the Kindle HDX 8.9" (unfair comparison perhaps), so it feels like they could have cut some weight somewhere. I am glad they didn't cut down the battery to try and save weight and thickness, though, so this is personal preference I guess.
Speaker - I haven't really tested it out too extensively yet, but it's rear-facing and lonely. It sounds overly bright to me, but not too shrill-like, just lots of high treble and not much bass. I would say not as pleasant as the single iPad4 speaker. What happened to the TF100 front-facing stereo speakers? I want those back, or rather the side-edge mounted stereo speakers like the new Note 10.1 has.
Proprietary port / no microUSB: Cuts down on the convenience factor a little. Even Samsung ditched their proprietary port on the Note 10.1 and uses microUSB. I realize the TF701 needs the docking port for the docking station. However, they could have included a microUSB port somewhere so I could charge it in the dozen places I have microUSB chargers already set up.
Camera - I probably wouldn't use it even if it was good, but ya...it's pretty bad. My Galaxy Nexus took better pics and it's 2 years old. This may need further investigation to prove my initial evaluation, but man these indoor pics I took are grainy and smudgey. The turbo mode is pretty quick and allows 100 pics. I'll definitely take out my Galaxy S4 for those moments where I want to take a pic or movie and don't have a true camera with me.
Boot-loader policy - ASUS provides you with the tool to unlock your bootloader. However, when you do this, it voids your warranty. Even if you get your bootloader back to locked (not sure if you can, maybe with the use of blob files?), your warranty is still void. This actually came in to play with my TF700 after I sold it on eBay. The new owner had the touchscreen go out, so they sent it to ASUS for repair. They got a bill for $280 because I had unlocked the bootloader the day I bought the tablet. I felt bad for the new owner, but that was a risk they were taking when they got a pre-rooted & rommed device. I don't agree with the policy because there is no proof that custom ROMs can damage the device. You could overclock it to a degree where it could harm the hardware, I suppose, but I still doubt that it would cause permanent damage. Either way, I bet 98% of the repairs that aren't covered due to voided warranties were repairs that would have been needed regardless of the bootloader being locked or unlocked.
No Android 4.3 yet - Still at version 4.2.2, which is okay, but it would have been nice to see it launch with 4.3. I hope I don't end up unlocking the bootloader to get a custom 4.3 ROM, then have my screen die and need a $300 repair.
------------------------
UPDATE FROM DAY 2:
Sorry to add to my already absurdly long review, but I felt the need to. I also reduced it, cut some of the fat.
Now that some of the "new toy nirvana" has worn off, I am seeing a little more clearly now. What I've discovered is unnerving for me. Basically, 3D performance is just a tad too slow for a lot of games to be playable. I am on the latest official firmware (build 47). For me, I need to get 30 fps in most games, more for some types of games like driving sims. So I did a comparison of various 3D games, checking framerates on my Galaxy S4 versus the TF701. The screen on the TF701 has twice the pixels of the GS4, so that difference is playing a big role here. However, the GS4 is faster in every single game I tried. Out of the 7 games I tried today, 5 of them were below 30 fps: Asphalt 8 gets maybe 25 fps but is shaky like it needs a gyro deadzone setting, Dead On Arrival 2 (Tegra-optimized) gets a paltry 15 to 20 fps with graphic settings on LOW, FIFA14 is like 20 - 25 fps, IronMan3 was awful, like 10 fps during gameplay, and finally Minion Rush was maybe 20 fps. I haven't rooted my TF701 so I can't install the lone on-screen FPS display app (FPS Meter), but my estimations are pretty accurate (from years of being an FPS-fiend and watching my framerate in most games ever since Duke Nukem 3D in 1995). My Galaxy S4 is about 20% - 40% faster in each of these games, and every other game I tried. I also tried DoA2 on my wife's Note 10.1 and it ran at max settings pretty smoothly, definitely over 30 fps, almost twice the fps of the TF701. I'm sad because I bought this thing for gaming but I can't get over 30 fps in apparently a lot of games. I don't think this is something that software can solve. Sure, the graphics drivers might be optimized or apps might adjust their settings to account for the Tegra4 @ 2560x1600, but for now it's not looking good and might make me return this thing for a refund, which really breaks my geeky heart.
Now that you know where I'm coming from......
There are quite a few good tablets to choose from. What makes a high-end tablet worth purchasing? To me, it's the features that make one tablet stand out from the crowd while also being fast for its era. The weight you give each of those various features depends on you and what's important to you. I'll talk about some things that are important to me:
1) The screen is extremely important. You look at it and touch it the whole time you interact with the tablet. This screen is really good, especially for fans of IPS LCDs. Fans of Samsung AMOLED or SuperLCD screens might find the blacks a bit bright, but the contrast levels are still good. The fact that it's IGZO makes it extra sweet (IGZO is supposed to use a lot less battery). The screen appears to be pretty bright, though not anywhere near the 755 nits like I read about (at gsmarena.com I think). There appears to be no one that knows if the glass is Gorilla Glass 2, 3, or Corning-brand at all. No oleophobic coating, meh who cares? My skin is usually so dry that I don't leave fingerprints and smudges on my screen like my wife's constantly-lotioned and extremely soft hands do on her devices. Sharpness: 2560x1600 = 4mp. iPad's 2048x1536 = 3mp. New Surface 2's 1080p = 2mp. Basically 33% sharper than iPad3/4/Air and twice as sharp as 10" 1080p tablets. Same resolution as the Note 10.1 & Nexus 10 with the differences including IGZO technology for the Asus but better color saturation & accuracy and black-levels from the Samsung SuperLCD. And we all know the iPad's screen is still pretty good.
2) Possibly more important is the operating system. For anyone that wants to tweak things or not be overly and unjustly limited by a higher power (Apple), Android is a good choice. Sure, there are limitations in Android and you have to get root access to do things, but at least you can if you want to. And at least the Play Store doesn't censor stuff too much. I like having a choice of launchers that can change the entire look and feel of the device. I like the great keyboard selection and widgets and live wallpaper and a hundred other things about Android. There are advantages and disadvantages to each operating system. Hopefully you can be happy with the one you choose. Or just choose them all if you can afford it, haha.
3) Another item of importance to me is the app selection. The biggest gripe I hear about Android tablets vs iPad is the superior app selection offered by Apple's app store. They say there aren't many apps designed for tablets in Android-land. I think most people that say these things haven't experienced both tablets, though they are still correct for the most part. But they fail to mention how with the iPad, you NEED the app to be made for iPad because the iPhone versions look like absolute garbage on iPad. Most apps on Android are just as good or close enough to the iOS counterpart, but the apps selection for iPads is still superior overall. Some iPhone apps that don't have iPad versions will look better on Android tablets if there is an Android version of that app. There are lots of devs that really fail at making Android apps, so you end up with forced-orientation (usually portrait) with text or buttons that are too small (ESPN I'm looking at you). It's pretty much a toss-up for me - I like both app selections. Sorry Windows RT, but I'm pretty sure your app selection bites. I am curious about Windows8.1 & BayTrail though.
4) Also important to me are accessories and compatibility/flexibility. The killer accessory for the Transformers is, of course, the keyboard dock. Most other tablets can't really compare (see Dell Venue Pro 11 and Asus T100). Sure, there are decent cases with built-in bluetooth keyboards of varying quality, but even the $100 ones don't compare to the ASUS keyboard, and that's not even taking into consideration the extra battery, SD slot, USB 3.0 port, touchpad, and sturdiness of the ASUS keyboard, although this new dock is plastic so it's not as good as previous Asus docks.
The popularity of the iPad results in tons of accessories for it. However, they aren't really accessories I want as much as the ASUS keyboard. For general compatibility, the TF701 is great, especially with the dock. Full size SD card from your digital camera? Pop it in the dock. USB keyboard? Plug it in! USB 3.0 external hard drive? Plug it in already! Wanna play some emulator games with a PS3 gamepad? No problem with the $3 SixAxis app. Good luck doing these things on an iPad. With Jailbreak and BluTrol, you CAN use a PS3 gamepad, but it was a little buggy like a lot of Cydia apps were for me.
5) Price is important, right? The 32GB TF701 is 25% cheaper than 32GB iPad Air & Note 10.1. That's a pretty big difference. That $150 difference is enough to pay for the $140 dock and a 6-pack of your favorite beer (or 12-pack if you like that domestic stuff).
Tweakability is another area of importance for me. This tablet is probably the most tweakable, geek-friendly of them all. It can dual-boot with Ubuntu for crying out loud. I can spend $700 and get a 224GB (32GB internal + 64GB microSD + 128GB SD) tablet-ultrabook hybrid. Or I could get a 64GB iPad with 1/3rd the memory, no dock with keyboard, usb port, sd slot, etc. For those of us that like to have lots of data locally, it's hard to beat this combo. Though for $700, you could get an ultrabook with 256GB SSD or 1TB SATA, but that's a totally different category of machine.
Basically, it came down to the (vaporware?) Nexus 10 (2013), Note 10.1 (2014), and this TF701 if you settle on Android as the OS. OK let's not forget about the Sony tablet too, with its dust-proof water-proof spin on things. But the Sony is half the resolution and much less powerful. The N10-2 isn't even official yet, so I can't really consider it yet. Some people think it will not be created. Other people think Google is going to put out an 8" Nexus instead of the 10" since the first N10 didn't sell very well. So you have to be patient and wait for Nexus news. The Note 10.1 excels in the areas that the TF701 fails in, like 3D performance, trendy design, weight, size, speakers, popularity...but the price is a bit steep. Then there's the iPad Air - it's a nice piece of hardware, that's for sure, but the OS just ruins it for me. The Kindle HDX 8.9" is enticing because I'd love to hold it in one hand in portrait mode, and the HDX has some killer hardware (2560x1600, S800 SoC, nice stereo speakers, etc), but again the OS ruins it and it doesn't appear to be very rootable or ROM-able and no expandable storage. Windows 8 tablets with the BayTrail chip could be pretty cool. I wouldn't mind playing Half-Life 2 and whatnot on a tablet. However, there doesn't appear to be a BayTrail tablet with a 2560x1600 screen, along with other specs they lack. I could handle 1080p on a 10" screen probably if I decide to try a BayTrail machine.
In my mind, the TF701 is a decent choice. Sure, it's not perfect, but none of them are. It all depends on your wants and needs. My need for faster 3D performance caused me to return the TF701 in favor of the Note. But for people that don't care about games or 3D content and find the Note features to be gimmicks, the TF701 might fit the bill.
-----------------------------------
Summary of PRO's and CON's:
-----------------------------------
PROS:
----------------
Specs - Not class-leading in all areas, but overall a great spec list that translates into great performance (sans 3D content) and flexibility
TEGRA4 - It is on par with the other fast SoC's right now except in 3D performance, especially @ WQXGA. The lack of Open GL ES 3.0 compliance is a little pathetic, too, considering the SnapDragon600 is compliant.
Screen - 2560x1600 (WQXGA) is glorious. Hopefully the IGZO technology will provide some good power-savings, but I didn't see any good battery life results in my use of this tablet (from 100% charge to 40% with less than 3 hours of screen-on time on the first full charge, and the screen accounted for 70% of the battery usage). IPS usually translates to very accurate colors, I thought, but the reds especially annoyed me because they were pale and a little orange when using the VIVID setting, and obviously more pale prior to setting it to vivid. Meanwhile the Note's screen seems spot-on for colors (I am used to a very accurate pair of Dell IPS monitors) and is more saturated with better black levels, so be aware that IGZO + IPS might not equal success or good brightness levels or extreme battery savings or perfect colors or dark blacks.
Keyboard dock - This accessory is a selling point for many Transformer customers because it is just a great piece of hardware. Too bad they skimped on it again this year, like last year when they made the battery smaller, causing TF700 users to purchase the TF201 dock since it was compatible with a bigger battery.
Bezel - Still big enough to grip on all 4 sides and no buttons on the face. The Note bezel on the other hand is a lot smaller and has 3 buttons on it, making for awkward positioning of your hands/fingers. I like the bigger TF701 bezel and tapered edges.
Price - 25% cheaper than iPad Air & Note 10.1 @ 32GB, $50 cheaper than the year-old Nexus 10, only $5 more than the Kindle HDX 8.9".
Built-in launcher - It doesn't have a billion gimmicky features like TouchWiz. It doesn't change much, really. I haven't ever used a manufacturer's launcher and actually been satisfied with it, but this one might be okay. I probably will want to change the grid size of the desktop & app drawer, though, so I will probably use Nova. However, those people that never change anything on their devices will get a close-to-Android experience, unlike Samsung TouchWiz & HTC Sense & Motorola Blur (speaking of Motorola, where is their 10" tablet at? Why didn't I even research a single Moto tablet?).
CONS:
---------------
3D Performance - There are many games that perform well and look awesome, but there are also many that hit low FPS levels, like IronMan3 & FIFA14
Size - I don't mind the size, but recent trends will show that the TF701 is dated in its design and retains the design of 2 generations (of Transformers) ago.
Weight - Again, it's not bad. Much easier to handle than the iPad4. However, it's still over 100g heavier than the iPad Air, and 200g heavier than the Kindle HDX 8.9" (unfair comparison perhaps), so it feels like they could have cut some weight somewhere. I am glad they didn't cut down the battery to try and save weight and thickness, though, so this is personal preference I guess.
Speaker - I haven't really tested it out too extensively yet, but it's rear-facing and lonely. It sounds overly bright to me, but not too shrill-like, just lots of high treble and not much bass. I would say not as pleasant as the single iPad4 speaker. What happened to the TF100 front-facing stereo speakers? I want those back, or rather the side-edge mounted stereo speakers like the new Note 10.1 has.
Proprietary port / no microUSB: Cuts down on the convenience factor a little. Even Samsung ditched their proprietary port on the Note 10.1 and uses microUSB. I realize the TF701 needs the docking port for the docking station. However, they could have included a microUSB port somewhere so I could charge it in the dozen places I have microUSB chargers already set up.
Camera - I probably wouldn't use it even if it was good, but ya...it's pretty bad. My Galaxy Nexus took better pics and it's 2 years old. This may need further investigation to prove my initial evaluation, but man these indoor pics I took are grainy and smudgey. The turbo mode is pretty quick and allows 100 pics. I'll definitely take out my Galaxy S4 for those moments where I want to take a pic or movie and don't have a true camera with me.
Boot-loader policy - ASUS provides you with the tool to unlock your bootloader. However, when you do this, it voids your warranty. Even if you get your bootloader back to locked (not sure if you can, maybe with the use of blob files?), your warranty is still void. This actually came in to play with my TF700 after I sold it on eBay. The new owner had the touchscreen go out, so they sent it to ASUS for repair. They got a bill for $280 because I had unlocked the bootloader the day I bought the tablet. I felt bad for the new owner, but that was a risk they were taking when they got a pre-rooted & rommed device. I don't agree with the policy because there is no proof that custom ROMs can damage the device. You could overclock it to a degree where it could harm the hardware, I suppose, but I still doubt that it would cause permanent damage. Either way, I bet 98% of the repairs that aren't covered due to voided warranties were repairs that would have been needed regardless of the bootloader being locked or unlocked.
No Android 4.3 yet - Still at version 4.2.2, which is okay, but it would have been nice to see it launch with 4.3. I hope I don't end up unlocking the bootloader to get a custom 4.3 ROM, then have my screen die and need a $300 repair.
------------------------
UPDATE FROM DAY 2:
Sorry to add to my already absurdly long review, but I felt the need to. I also reduced it, cut some of the fat.
Now that some of the "new toy nirvana" has worn off, I am seeing a little more clearly now. What I've discovered is unnerving for me. Basically, 3D performance is just a tad too slow for a lot of games to be playable. I am on the latest official firmware (build 47). For me, I need to get 30 fps in most games, more for some types of games like driving sims. So I did a comparison of various 3D games, checking framerates on my Galaxy S4 versus the TF701. The screen on the TF701 has twice the pixels of the GS4, so that difference is playing a big role here. However, the GS4 is faster in every single game I tried. Out of the 7 games I tried today, 5 of them were below 30 fps: Asphalt 8 gets maybe 25 fps but is shaky like it needs a gyro deadzone setting, Dead On Arrival 2 (Tegra-optimized) gets a paltry 15 to 20 fps with graphic settings on LOW, FIFA14 is like 20 - 25 fps, IronMan3 was awful, like 10 fps during gameplay, and finally Minion Rush was maybe 20 fps. I haven't rooted my TF701 so I can't install the lone on-screen FPS display app (FPS Meter), but my estimations are pretty accurate (from years of being an FPS-fiend and watching my framerate in most games ever since Duke Nukem 3D in 1995). My Galaxy S4 is about 20% - 40% faster in each of these games, and every other game I tried. I also tried DoA2 on my wife's Note 10.1 and it ran at max settings pretty smoothly, definitely over 30 fps, almost twice the fps of the TF701. I'm sad because I bought this thing for gaming but I can't get over 30 fps in apparently a lot of games. I don't think this is something that software can solve. Sure, the graphics drivers might be optimized or apps might adjust their settings to account for the Tegra4 @ 2560x1600, but for now it's not looking good and might make me return this thing for a refund, which really breaks my geeky heart.
