Asustek Unveils Transformer Prime Amid Aggressive Goal for Tablet Market

Taipei, Dec. 5, 2011 (CENS)--Asustek Computer Inc. recently launched its Transformer Prime tablets, which are the world's first tablet running on Android 4.0 OS, following its announced goal of competing for No.3 spot in world tablet market against Samsung.

Asustek Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jerry Shen is sanguine about prospect of the company's tablet operation, setting its shipment for 2011 at 1.8 million systems. Industry executives estimated the company's tablet shipment for 2012 at three to four million systems. Totally, the company estimates its 2012 shipment of laptop computers, including tablets, at 22-25 million systems.

Shen vowed that his company will become one of the top tablet brands, next only to Apple (iPad) and Amazon (Kindle Fire). His pledge is considered by some industry executives as a challenge against Samsung, which is now the most popular brand name supplier of tablets only trailing Apple and Amazon.

Transformer Prime tablets are available in entry model that is outfitted with 32G memory and doesn't have physical keypad, and full-feature model that goes with 64G memory and physical keypad. Both models are equipped with Nvidia's quad-core Tegra3 processor. Entry model sells for NT$17,999 (US$599 at US$1: NT$30) and full-feature model NT$23,900 (US$796) apiece.

The price tags suggest the new tablets are not for downscale market and are poised to rival Apple iPad2s, whose entry model goes for NT$15,500 (US$516) and full-feature model goes for NT$21,500 (US$716) in Taiwan.

Asustek executives stress that Transformer Primes outshine Apple and Samsung's equivalents in screen picture and voice quality as well as camera and sliminess features.