Worst launch ever?

[badrew]

I think any launch in which a consumer (namely myself) stays up until 3 am, and still didn't get the order in in time to have one shipped is a pretty lousy launch indeed. I definitely feel scorned by the fact that I barely slept last night so I could have one of these, and it was all a waste.

At the very least, how about a little INFORMATION as to whats going on ASUS? Don't these companies hire people to do press releases anymore? Can't a guy get a TWEET? I'm trying very hard to give you my money. I love ASUS mobos, my ASUS laptop is basically garbage, sent in for repair twice. This tablet is really going to make or break my opinion of ASUS having any business outside printing boards.

 

[Suntan]

Incorrect. ASUS made it a point to give a list of vendors that would have the device on launch date and the fact is that a good numbder of those vendors have not received a single physical unit, online / instore or otherwise.

I won?t disagree that it would have been handled better if they had made sufficient numbers to better meet initial demand. ASUS dropped the ball there.

But a ?scandal,? I think not.

-Suntan

 

[QuantamPulse]

I won?t disagree that it would have been handled better if they had made sufficient numbers to better meet initial demand. ASUS dropped the ball there.

But a ?scandal,? I think not.

-Suntan

True .. I would lean more towards incompetence than scandal.

 

[original00]

Lets put this in perspective. Worst launch ever??You guys do realize that this is Asus we are talking about. Who would have thought this underdog tablet would have so much buzz and hype mostly from word of mouth, blogs and forums like this. This must have blown their widest expectations of launching a tablet so close to the Xoom, I'm sure they're working round the clock to meet the demand. People staying up till 1/2 in the morning for a non Apple product!!! I hope other android manufactures see this and understand that if you make these tablets affordable. people will buy it. You will make up the money you think you'll lose for selling for less in sheer volume.

 

[milominderbinde]

Asus used no advertising budget but has had multiple stories posted in a list of blogs as people have found them.

If the people who wanted them would have just pre-ordered and went home and played with them, how much press would they have gotten?

Like it or not, the way to get people to want something is to tell them that they cannot have it.

 

[axoid]

Like it or not, the way to get people to want something is to tell them that they cannot have it.

That or they go find something else to buy. I was already trying to deside between the Transformer and the Iconia. I liked the transformer for the screen and gorilla glass, but Iconia has the aluminum chassis and built in full usb port.

Asus may have made the choice for me.

 

[Suntan]

That or they go find something else to buy. I was already trying to deside between the Transformer and the Iconia. I liked the transformer for the screen and gorilla glass, but Iconia has the aluminum chassis and built in full usb port.

Asus may have made the choice for me.

The Iconia feels like a good product. Definitely more comfortable to hold than the Xoom. The screen looked pretty good in the store. I couldn?t compare it side-by-side with the Xoom as the Xoom display unit wouldn?t power on, but even at large angles of incidence I didn?t see any noticeable screen inverting on the Iconia.

If a person didn?t have a desire for the keyboard dock, I would suggest that the Iconia might be a better choice than the Transformer.

-Suntan

 

[Suntan]

Like it or not, the way to get people to want something is to tell them that they cannot have it.

I don?t think a company like ASUS is in the habit of intentionally withholding stock to intentionally drive artificial demand up. I mean, there website and customer relations has gotten a lot better in the last couple years, but it is still possible to find a couple of ?Engrish? sentences on their website when you?re looking around it?

Absolute customer manipulation isn?t part of their MO. Not like say, Apple or Sony.

My wager is on one or two marketing middle managers sweating heavily right now while trying to explain to their bosses why they misjudged initial demand so badly.

-Suntan

 

[robmack#AC]

If a person didn?t have a desire for the keyboard dock, I would suggest that the Iconia might be a better choice than the Transformer.

-Suntan

Can you explain why? I've had trouble with Acer products before, never had an Asus laptop, but almost did buy one...

 

[Suntan]

Well, the Acer feels good in the hand. The rounded edges make it much more comfortable to hold than the Xoom (obviously I don?t know how well the transformer feels in the hand) and it is sturdy.

The bezel on the Iconia seems to be in the sweet spot from a size standpoint. Big enough to hold without having your thumb touch the touchscreen, but not too big to make the screen look small (a fear I have of the transformer.)

Lastly, the Iconia has a full USB port on the side, which would allow a person to use USB thumb drives/etc. when you couldn?t with just the Transformer (sans dock.)

I?m not saying equivocally that the Iconis *is* better than the transformer. I?m just saying that it could be depending on a person?s needs.

-Suntan

 

[Cubfan]

I have the Acer, and am waiting to decide whether I will keep it or the Transformer. I have the Asus on order from Amazon, so I will be able to try them side-by-side. One thing is sure, though... I'm not as fond of Honeycomb as I thought I would be.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

 

[mavrrick]

First this is clearly not the worst launch ever. But at the same time this is ASUS and i wouldn't be suprised if these aren't avaliable for some time.

My personal expereince with ASUS in this kind of situation is something that takes me back to when I bought my G73JH laptop from a online retailer. Asus Showed it in November, told the retailers to start pre-orders first of the January of 2010. The intial batch shipped about 4 weeks later. and then nothing for about 6 weeks. I didn't recieve my laptop until sometime in May and I ordered my laptop in the end of Febrary.

So in my mind if you get your transformer in the next few weeks that is absolutely fabulous for ASUS.

Good Luck all

 

[axoid]

The Iconia feels like a good product. Definitely more comfortable to hold than the Xoom. The screen looked pretty good in the store. I couldn?t compare it side-by-side with the Xoom as the Xoom display unit wouldn?t power on, but even at large angles of incidence I didn?t see any noticeable screen inverting on the Iconia.

If a person didn?t have a desire for the keyboard dock, I would suggest that the Iconia might be a better choice than the Transformer.

-Suntan

I went to Best Buy during lunch and they had put the Iconia out side-by-side with the Xoom. I agree, I like the feel of the Iconia over the Xoom. And I don't have any reservations with the screen ether. It was a little hard to compare the screens since the Iconia had a bright outdoorsy theme verses the dark blue theme on the Xoom. It made the Xoom a little less appealing, side by side.

I talked to the guy that manages that department (and made sure that the Iconia would out for me to see today). He said that he got an email this mourning saying that they should expect a shipment of Asus tablets in the first half of May (he told me a date, but I'm forgetting it now). He also said that they are going to move the Xoom out to an isle end cap to compete with the iPAD instead of hiding them back with the netbooks.

Over all, I think the Iconia is what I will get. I'm pretty sold on the full USB port.

 

[varsityhacker]

Funny that some people like the feel of the Acer better then the xoom. I didn't like its feel at all or shape compared to my xoom. To me it felt like a cheap Ipad.

 

[Suntan]

Funny that some people like the feel of the Acer better then the xoom. I didn't like its feel at all or shape compared to my xoom. To me it felt like a cheap Ipad.

To each their own. The stamped tub back shell of the Xoom is not very inviting to me. Although they fine blank the stamping so the edges are relatively smooth, you?re still left with a hard upturned edge to rest your thumb on. That combined with the small bezel can leave big thumbs a little tired after holding it for a period of time.

Also, on the sample I bought, the left side, right below the volume buttons, didn?t match up very well where the stamping met the plastic strip on the top. Not overly noticeable except that is right where your fingers always sit as you are holding it. It became annoying after a couple of days. I noticed the sample at the store recently had the same mismatch, although not nearly as bad as the one I got.

?Of course you?ll tell us the one you have is ?flawless.?

-Suntan

 

[freeky1]

Funny that some people like the feel of the Acer better then the xoom. I didn't like its feel at all or shape compared to my xoom. To me it felt like a cheap Ipad.

I agree! Was at my local Best Buy today, and the Acer looked nice but didn't feel like it had the same build quality as the Xoom. I also like the fact that the Xoom is so easily disassembled and all of the components have separate connections to the board.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

 

[Traxion]

We're talking $600 vs $450... For $150, I could get used to the Acer, and for $200... I could really get used to the ASUS.

 

[dalspartan]

Iconia

Looks to me like the actual delivery time for the Iconia will be about the same as Touchpad.

 

[freeky1]

We're talking $600 vs $450... For $150, I could get used to the Acer, and for $200... I could really get used to the ASUS.

For $190 less than the 32gb wifi Xoom, that Asus would have 16gb of memory and no keyboard. The 32gb Asus is only $90 less than the Xoom. It's really a moot point though, since my job requires a device with mobile broadband, which the Asus does not have.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

 

[bluemarc22]

May 13th

I'm hearing May 13th is when the second shipments are coming in from Taiwan. And we're told Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 is coming June 8th, which is 3 weeks from may 13th. Some people may wait and go with the thinner, lighter samsung ...uhmmmmm food for thought. I really wanted a transformer too, i hear LCD shortages are the cause for production shortages and an unexpectedly high demand for the transformer in the UK (launched there a few weeks ago).