You have to give Asus props. They are fully supporting and pushing out improvements to their original Transformer TF101. Did you see how low the prices have gotten ($338) lately? It’s a pretty good bargain and the keyboard dock is less than $120 on the big online retailers. That aside, Asus has rolled out ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) update #2 for the TF101.

The update will officially be release 9.2.1.24 and have a few nifty improvements. In a large part this new update improves overall stability for things such as overall system, email app, mynet and mylibrary. We really like the new face unlock feature that comes with this update. There is also a system bar lock to use when playing games.

Again, props to Asus for really being the front runners in terms of updating their previous tablets to run the most current Android OS.

With the mystery around the Transformer Infinity TF700, seeing the final product pages emerge on the Asus site at least shows movement. You can’t expect to hear about the TF700 until the TF300T gets a wider and more complete release. If you think about it, The TF300T is only available in blue with the 32GB storage. The other colors and cheaper 16GB model haven’t made it to market yet. We need to keep the expectations realistic if you’re expecting a quick TF700 release date. Don’t worry we’ll update with any news regarding that!

Good news for those of you with the Asus Slider SL101 because starting today in the USA you’re getting the Ice Cream Sandwich update! Your firmware will be updated to version 9.2.1.21 so you can double check whether you have the update or not.

We’re impressed with Asus and the updates on their tablets. Out of all the manufacturers out there Asus is usually the first to roll out any updates. It’s a good thing because it show they will support their older model tablets and you won’t be left with an outdated piece of technology.

We haven’t been overly impressed with the Slider but certainly with the dropping price and this ICS operating system update, it’s looking like a better option than before.

[read more about this update on AndroidPolice.com]

Asus Transformer Tablets – 10.1-inch

The most current model is the TF300T which is trickling out onto the market as of mid May 2012 and will see wide release by the end of May and into June 2012. It comes in 3 different colors, white, blue and red and has storage of 32GB or 16GB. Price is set at $399 for the 32GB and $379 for the 16GB. The keyboard dock for the TF300T is $149. In some countries you can get the tablet and keyboard in a bundle, but not in all countries. As of May 9, you will see the blue model only for sale with the white and red colors set to be released in June. Overall the TF300 is virtually the same weight and thickness of the prime but is made of plastic to save costs.

A highly touted Asus tablet is the Asus Transformer Prime TF201. It’s about the best looking and best overall Android tablet on the market according to most reviews. With that said it comes with a risk. That risk is with weak wireless signals with GPS and wifi. Asus has gone to the extent of offering a free GPS dongle which fixes those issues. The wifi signal strength in some instances is not great. It’s a risky purchase for that reason. You might be better off waiting for the update to the TF201 Prime which is the TF700 Infinity (release date unknown).

The original Transformer TF101 is cheaper than ever. We’ve seen it as low as $349. You can get the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update which makes this a bargain. It’s not thin or light in comparison to the TF300 but it is still a great tablet option. The keyboard dock you can find for as low as $115 recently.

Asus Slate Tablets – 11.6-inch

If you want a Windows tablet, then the Asus EP121 or business model Asus B121 are your only options. These are not cheap and sell for beyond $1000 even today. Battery life is not impressive and will fetch you about 3 to 4 hours at best. However you get a full power Intel processor which makes the Asus Slate tablets the most powerful tablets on the market. You also get a bluetooth keyboard and folio case as part of the package. It comes with a capacitive stylus which give this tablet a more versatile and business use. The difference between the EP121 and B121 is essentially down to the extra security and data protection on the B121 business Slate. The Slate B121 ships with Windows 7 Professional whereas the Slate EP121 ships with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Asus Slider Tablet -10.1-inch

The Asus Slider SL101 is a novel concept. A keyboard that slides under the tablet. Overall the Slider hasn’t been that well received. Most reviews suggest that it’s a bit heavy and thick. The keyboard is a great feature but the keys are a bit cramped as some reviewers has mentioned. It’s not entirely clear the future of the “slider” design as there hasn’t been any mention of a TF201 Slider model. Perhaps Asus is waiting for a Windows 8 version?

Asus MeMO Tablets – 7-inch

The only MeMO to make it to market so far is the MeMO 171 which is only available in Asia. It’s unlikely to make a release in other global markets.

The MeMO 370T has been unveiled by Asus as CES 2012 but it is not on the market. There are not details about the current status of the 370T at this time.

Although you can currently buy the white and red models, there is no specific shipping date for those. We imagine those other color options will be coming in June, but nothing official on that. For now we suggest getting the TF300 that is in stock which is the 32GB blue model. We’ve also seen a listing for the 3G model, the TF300TG, but like the other color variants, there is no shipping date mentioned. We hope to see more specific dates for Germany releases of those other models and we will update this post with more specific details when they become available.

[more details found on Asus Germany and Asus Germany Facebook page]

What you need to know is that it’s only available through an exclusive deal with Curry’s UK and PC World UK. This exclusivity is only during the month of May. You can currently pre order (check out shopping link on the navigation menu on the right side of our blog —-> or visit our TF300 main page) the blue 32GB model which is bundled with the Transformer keyboard dock for £399.99 right now.

Want to try and win the Transformer TF300 tablet if you live in the UK? A special Asus UK marketing campaign unveiled a contest where you can win the new TF300T tablet and brag about it because you will be the first person in the UK to own one! The winner will be announced May 11th and will ship before that weekend. All you have to do is write something incredible you’re planning to do in the next 2 months in 500 words or less. Then fill out the form details. And yes,  you have to live in the UK to enter!

Check out the Asus Take Center Stage contest here.

The other interesting tidbit in this story is that Asus has a goal to be the largest Android tablet manufacturer in the second half of 2012. Sound lofty? Sure. But think about it. We’re about to see a global release of the new TF300T Transformer 300 Series, in June there will be the Transformer Infinity TF700T, and around the same time there most likely will be a 7-inch Asus tablet named the MeMO 370T. Although there were rumors that Asus wouldn’t release the 370T, I can’t imagine the company having this lofty goal without anticipating releasing their version of the MeMO 370T regardless if they build one for Google at the same time. Given those three stellar tablets, it’s certainly possible that Asus could take the Android tablet crown.

[read more at Digitimes.com]

I’m sure there will be a brand spanking new Asus Slate model. You know. Just the tablet kind of Asus Pad like the EP121 except with the updated Windows 8 operating system. But beyond that I do wonder what Asus might have up their sleeve. They don’t seem to have a shortage of ideas and are willing to push the limit. It’s why I’ve mentioned the possibility of a Windows 8 based Transformer Pad. This is where things get interesting in my mind.

It seems clear to me at least that Microsoft wants their tablets to be referred to as Slates. This begs the question of what series Asus will designate to a Windows 8 Transformer. You know it’s coming, it has to. I personally think a Windows based Transformer Pad is that magic combination which will see it become a sure thing best seller and game changer. Poor Eee PC might just get put on the back burner at that point!

So what makes sense to you? Should it be an Asus Transformer Pad Slate? Should it be Asus Slate Transformer? How about just Asus Transformer Pad (Insert Series Name Here)? Right now we have the 300 series, the Prime series and the upcoming Infinity series. Perhaps suggesting “Slate” would be confusing. It would look something like this: Asus Transformer Pad Slate series. Yay or nay? I’m sure they could just omit “Slate” and have something like Asus Transformer Pad Gravity or something along those lines.

How about your suggestions? Let’s have some fun here while we wait for some Transformer Infinity news!

• Improves system stability
• Improves email stability
• Improves AppBackup App
• Improves MyLibrary stability
• Supports Wi-Fi Direct
• Supports unzip in File Manager
• Add restore tab function in Browser