ASUS Transformer Prime ICS Update Fail: Tips to Fix

ASUS launched its Android Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Transformer Prime Eee Pad, even before some preordered tablets arrived, but it appears not everyone is getting a taste of its flavor; many are reporting an error message during the update process.

Several XDA- members have reported problems with the update, saying the tablets are displaying a serial number error during the application of the update.

ASUS' technical marketing manager, Gary Key, offered the following solution in the XDA forum:

As for the Serial Number Unknown problem, please try doing a factory reset. If it does not work the first time, after the reboot, please try it again and once at the desktop, wait about 10-15 minutes for the system to sync with the server. So far this has worked for users I am directly assisting at the moment on another forum but it has not worked on two particular units that were returned yesterday.

Key said ASUS would not be issuing further statements until a solid fix is found for the problem. We are not going to lead users down the wrong path, he said.

The ASUS Transformer Prime Eee Pad has encountered several problems since its release, almost two months ago. First, the preorders placed were delivered with severe delays, resulting in some customers receiving their tablets up to four weeks after they placed their orders.

Customers also reported problems with the tablet's GPS performance and were disappointed to find that gadget came with a locked bootloader. While the company said they would work to unlock the bootloader in the future, it blamed the GPS issue on a design flaw.

The ASUS Transformer Prime is made from a metallic unibody design, so the material may affect the performance of the GPS when receiving signals from satellites. Please note that this product is not a professional GPS device, and signal performance can be easily influenced by factors including, but not limited to: weather, buildings and surrounding environments. Please understand there are limitations when using the GPS function, the company said in a statement.

ASUS revealed its next generation of Transformer Prime TF700T at this year's CES event in Las Vegas, blowing away ASUS enthusiasts with its 1920×1200 resolution that beats most laptops. The new TF700T resolution doubles that of its predecessor, which came with 1,280x800 pixels.

The TF700T is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2012, priced at $600 for 32GB and $700 for 64GB, CNET reported from CES in Las Vegas. This could infuriate ASUS customers who only just purchased the Eee Pad Transformer Prime with all its glitches.

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. It seems the TF700T is an effort to address some of the design flaws that prevented the Eee Pad from reaching its full potential.