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Transformer Prime To Get ICS On January 12, Boot Unlocker Coming

Posted by Soulskill on from the more-than-meets-the-eye dept.

symbolset writes "ASUS, maker of the popular Transformer Prime Tegra 3 tablet, announced via their Facebook page that Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will be available January 12th. In addition they are developing a boot unlocker which will void the warranty and break Google movie rentals, but will allow modding. They said, 'based on our experience, users who choose to root their devices risk breaking the system completely. However, we know there is demand in the modding community to have an unlocked bootloader. Therefore, ASUS is developing an unlock tool for that community. Please do note that if you choose to unlock your device, the ASUS warranty will be void, and Google video rental will also be unavailable because the device will be no longer protected by security mechanism.' They also announced an intermediate software update to improve the camera and touch experience, and they're dropping GPS from the feature list for poor performance." Another article argues that the Transformer Prime is an example of ASUS struggling while breaking into a new market.

20 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Under that they have to prove that the 3rd party software broke the phone. Just in a car they can't just you put in a 3rd party radio in and say the engine warranty is void.

    1. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by exomondo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Under that they have to prove that the 3rd party software broke the phone. Just in a car they can't just you put in a 3rd party radio in and say the engine warranty is void.

      The radio doesn't control the engine though, so obviously replacing the radio isn't going to void the engine warranty.

    2. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by DragonTHC · · Score: 5, Insightful

      if you want to use a car analogy, use one that fits.

      If you flash the rom on your ECM and your car stops working, you've voided your warranty.

      --
      They're using their grammar skills there.
    3. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by Moryath · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And yet the car companies have found ways around this.

      One way was, they went to the reporting computers, but refused to release (even for a proper market rate cost) specs and reading programs that would allow the 3rd party service companies to interact with them. So when the 60,000 mile "service engine soon" lie-light came on, if you wanted it to go off, you HAD to pay the dealership a $100 "analysis fee."

      Another way is how Volkswagen works. They simply refuse to sell parts to the 3rd party market, anywhere, and maintain control of certain things (brake pads in the 2008 Rabbit come to mind) with sensor chips "protected by copyright."

    4. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by Mistlefoot · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Per the Magnuson - Moss Warranty Act: "The statute is remedial in nature and is intended to protect consumers from deceptive warranty practices. Consumer products are not required to have warranties, but if one is given, it must comply with the Magnuson-Moss Act."

      So your arguement could be invalidated by "warranty is not given if you change the bios".

      This is not much different then a warranty being voided by the sticker being removed (as when a laptop is taken apart).

    5. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by AmberBlackCat · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Replacing the firmware in a car can cause mechanical failure though, perhaps by causing a transmission to shift gears at the wrong time and strip a gear or making the engine rev too high. Replacing the firmware in a phone isn't going to make an antenna melt or crack the screen. If a hardware component fails that can't be due to a programming error, they shouldn't be able to get out of it by saying "the phone was unlocked".

    6. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by TheInternetGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

      The radio doesn't control the engine though, so obviously replacing the radio isn't going to void the engine warranty.

      That's just not true, any self respecting slash doter would hook their cruise control up to the BPM counter of the Audio system. And then they would pre-calculate a play list which will result in the required speed trough out the planned route.

      --
      If my comment didn't sound as good in your head as it did in mine, then I guess we all know who's to blame
    7. Re:Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by exomondo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Replacing the firmware in a phone isn't going to make an antenna melt or crack the screen. If a hardware component fails that can't be due to a programming error, they shouldn't be able to get out of it by saying "the phone was unlocked".

      Cracked screens aren't usually covered under warranty, but firmware can damage components by forcing frequencies that are not supported by those components, overcharging batteries, etc... Mind you Apple said they wouldn't cover jailbroken devices under warranty but in many cases they still did. So there's probably a good chance that if it's something highly unlikely to have been damaged by firmware they'll still likely cover it, but if you've bricked it you're probably SOL.

  2. DRM Language by exomondo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google video rental will also be unavailable because the device will be no longer protected by security mechanism

    Why do they insist on this kind of language? Why can't they just say that, since the content providers don't trust you, they won't do business with you because they can't assert any control over your device? I know it sounds Stallman-ish but it's not about protecting the device at all, that's an outright lie. And it's not about protecting you either, it's about protecting content providers from you because they don't trust you. They really need to change their attitude towards their customers (not consumers, customers).

    1. Re:DRM Language by steelfood · · Score: 5, Funny

      The DRM is protecting you from watching the sheer dreck that is coming out of Hollywood these days passing for movies. It's protecting your wallet, your time, and in some cases, your sanity.

      How you can find such protections objectionable is beyond me.

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
    2. Re:DRM Language by stephanruby · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Also, this is weird. Netflix and Hulu+ are able to work on rooted Android devices (they may not be able to run on ICS yet, but that's besides the point).

      How come Netflix and Hulu+ have more liberal policies than Google?

    3. Re:DRM Language by QuantumRiff · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You are not google's customer.. You are google's product. Their customers are people that buy ad-words and other advertising to show to you.

      --

      What are we going to do tonight Brain?
    4. Re:DRM Language by exomondo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You are not google's customer.. You are google's product.

      If you are renting movies or buying apps from them then you are their customer, just like if you're a Netflix or Hulu subscriber you are their customer.

  3. Fucking crybabies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A company makes it easy for you to mod their tablet, and all you can do is whinge. Reading these comments, I doubt they will bother next time around.

  4. Re:this must be... by LordKronos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You aren't familiar with the definition of popular that includes so many people preordering that, by the time release day hits, Amazon has a 5-7 week backlog, which continued to grow until Amazon has to stop accepting preorders? Nope, that doesn't sound popular at all.

  5. Just got mine... by Fez · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I just got mine this afternoon, ordered just before Christmas from Best Buy and it came today. So far, I'm impressed with it.

    I will probably not root the thing, and have no interest in custom ROMs, so aside from the impending ICS update it's great for me as-is.

    I've been playing on it non-stop since I pulled it off the charger about 3 hours ago and even with all manner of app installing and game playing it's barely below 75% charge.

    1. Re:Just got mine... by SpazmodeusG · · Score: 4, Informative

      I just got mine this afternoon ... I will probably not root the thing.

      I suspect you feel that way simply because you haven't had enough time to see how limited it is without rooting it. Basically step outside the realm of any task that has an app for it and you'll need to root it. As an example i had to root my Asus Transformer to log in to an openVPN network. It's a fairly simple task that even my phone can do but the Transformer can't do it without root access (yes, it does support l2tp without rooting but i needed openVPN).

  6. just a question, by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is it that they will not let you access their service on a rooted phone/tablet but I can use their service on a Pc which I have admin access to and in the case of browser based delivery such as hulu or netflix I have the source code of the browser through which they send their content that they think they must protect so dearly. What is the deal? I am far more likely to pirate on a Pc then I am on the phone by far.

    --
    ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  7. As a token of appreciation... by api_syurga · · Score: 4, Interesting

    and since I'm on the market for a touch pad device anyway, I'll buy this one, even if don't end up modding it. After the purchase I will inform their customer representative that the decision to buy their device is owed partly of them upgrading to ICS and boot unlocking.

    Voting with my dollars.

  8. Hey tablet vendors - pay attention by gru3hunt3r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey tablet vendors - pay attention, Asus isn't just catering to the home user - they're catering to the corporate IT user.

    Our employees don't need Google videos ..
    But to get OpenVPN on android 4.0 I (currently) need to root it.
    Making rooted devices is incredibly appealing.

    ASUS - Nice job!
    Guess which device just went to the top of our "IT recommended devices" list for employees.

    Can't wait to see it - if this device officially "supports" roots .. in the sense that I don't have to worry about you deciding to remote kill + brick the device then we'll just make this the only device employees can receive reimbursement for.

    God I can't wait for a decent Windows 8 tablet. This android ipad walled garden policies *crap* is so incompatible with the company I work for. While I'm not a microsoft fan, at least they understand business.