ASUS Transformer Prime: Back in Select Stores and Shipping

The highly anticipated ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime, is back in stock at select stores and shipping to some customers in the U.S., according to the tech blog, Technorati.

Since pre-orders for the tablet went live in the U.S. last week, many stores--including Best Buy and Amazon-- reported that the majority of shipping for the Transformer Prime would be delayed until 2012.

New reports leaked by select Best Buy outlets indicate that the Eee tablet has been re-stocked in select locations and will be shipping by Dec.30, Technorati reported.

Customers, who ordered the tablet ahead of the holiday season, faced a string of emails from Best Buy and Amazon that stated considerable delays. Amazon showed a back-log of between 4-7 weeks, while Best Buy claimed the gadget would reach customers by the first half of January.

ASUS enthusiasts have been venting their frustration in ASUS forums, saying that they had hoped to get the tablet as Christmas gifts in time for the holiday. Both Best Buy and Amazon are offering their clients full refunds for cancellation of the product.

Here's what ASUS had to say about the delay:

ASUS started filling the inventory pipelines this past week for our new Eee Pad Transformer Prime and will continue to do so on an expedited basis for the foreseeable future. We will reach normal inventory levels in January for the North American market based on current orders and forecasts. Based on forecasted supply schedules to our valued partners we expect pre-order allocation fulfillment to occur shortly and online or in-store availability in the very near future. We will continue to work closely with our partners to fill customer orders as quickly as possible.

The launch was originally delayed after the company recalled 300 of its Eee Pad Transformer Prime Tablets due to Wi-Fi Connectivity issues. The problem was only found in the first batch of tablets sold in Taiwan, according to the company.

Pre-orders for the tablet also opened in the U.K last week priced at £499, but there have been no reports of further delays since the pre-orders went live.

Pricing in the U.S will range from $499 (32GB) to $599** (64GB), with the optional mobile dock accessory priced at $149.

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is the first tablet to herald the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. It is ultra-thin at 8.3mm and weighs only 586g and comes with state-of-the-art SonicMaster Audio technology, an HD 8MP rear auto-focus camera with LED flash. And all with an 18-hour battery-left when combined with the mobile dock.