ASUS Transformer Prime GPS Extension Kit hands-on
Software updates can only get you so far, and in the case of ASUS' Transformer Prime, they didn't even get it down the street. The Taiwanese tablet has been fighting satellite blindness since its inception -- it was only a matter of time before the Tegra 3 slab caved in and got a prescription. The Transformer Prime GPS Extension Kit was quietly announced on ASUS's member site, a freebie Prime owners could snag for registering their slates. The accessory's promised mid-april shipping date arrived, and so did the kit: read on to see what our newly equipped tablet could see.
The entire "extension kit" consists only of a single dongle that attaches to the tablet's south edge, mimicking the shape of the connector on the Prime's keyboard dock. It isn't a "flush fit" with the units edge, however, as the kit's application page suggested -- though it certainly performs well. Visible space hardware went from 0 to 16 within seconds of attaching the extension kit, instantly making the Prime a viable navigation tool. We did encounter a snag using it however, our tablet would randomly reboot every few minutes while the dongle was attached, though a sticker on the kit's front implores users to update their slate before use. Our tablet is up to date, of course, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a compatibility fix in the coming weeks. Despite matching our Prime's color profile, the dongle is a little on the ugly side, facing its screws towards the user, rather than hiding them on the tablet's back. Hiccups and eyesores aside, the attachment works, plain and simple. It isn't as elegant of a solution as we might as hoped, but at least it's free.
