Earlier, we were informed ASUS decided to ship the Transformer Prime with a 128-bit locked bootloader. Many users were outraged by this bit of information, and they decided to do something about it. A public letter has been written to ASUS and NVIDIA requesting they unlock the bootloader’s they rightfully paid for.
Stating that an unlocked bootloader on the world’s first quad-core tablet would ultimately benefit progression in development, signers of the petition claim full responsibility in supporting their own devices. Many people, including myself, purchase a device because they know it will ship with an unlocked bootloader – and thus support modified ROMs and tweaked kernels. Without the special additions developers bring to the table, some devices wouldn’t last but 4 hours on a single battery during heavy use.
There is no doubt the Transformer Prime is at the top of its class, but there is also no denying its developmental potential. Who knows what a quad-core NVIDIA chip can get pushed to? Yes, those developing know the consequences that may arise during testing, but they were known well before purchase of the device.
Interesting feature … will check back later for updates
When I buy a computer, I expect that I can reload it with Linux or update it to the latest version of Windows when it comes out. Many users do not want to do those things. They feel that they will be getting updates to the system they purchased for as long as they will be using it. I guess I keep my systems longer.
This does not protect Asus from “bricked” systems either. If the bootloader was open, a simple image could be provided to factory restore a tablet in the same way as any other computer. I don’t know anyone that has returned their computer for a software issue like this. Support simply tells them to re-install from the recovery partition or cd.
Treating this like any other computer would be best for the end user AND Asus support.
Once I buy it, it’s mine! I hate how manufacturers try to keep a hold over something that is no longer theirs. Help us out here ASUS and we’ll help you out.
Ill just wait for the xoom 2
If no bootloader is included I WILL take my business elsewhere. I prefer my money go to ASUS for the fine craftsmanship they have previously demonstrated, but if they stray from customer service so will my business stray from ASUS. I currently have a Prime “on hold”…if nothing changes, I will cancel that order.
From Asus FB page:
Regarding the bootloader, the reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers’ requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible. ASUS supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video rental experience. Also, 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.