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Asus Transformer Pad TF300 (photos)

The Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is the new transforming kid on the block. Here are a few candid pictures.

Eric Franklin
Eric Franklin led the CNET Tech team as Editorial Director. A 20-plus-year industry veteran, Eric began his tech journey testing computers in the CNET Labs. When not at work he can usually be found at the gym, chauffeuring his kids around town, or absorbing every motivational book he can get his hands on.
Eric Franklin
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Just the Pad, ma'am

From this angle, the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 looks almost indistinguishable from the Transformer Prime.
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Groovy

The TF300's plastic back has lots of thin grooves, but that doesn't really give it more grip.
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Girthy

The Prime (on the left) is still the thin king. The TF300 (middle) is even thicker than the "now with slightly more girth" new iPad (right).
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Ports

Here's a good angle on the TF300's Micro-HDMI and microSD slots.
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Still melts faces

The TF300 is still powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 and, yes, it still melts faces. Relatively so.
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GPS? No problem!

Some would say the Prime had some GPS "issues." Others would say GPS didn't work at all. Thanks to its plastic body, the TF300 had no problems accessing satellites (when outside) in my testing.
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It's the sun...again.

Without the Super IPS mode from the Prime, the TF300 is much more susceptible to our old tablet enemy, the sun.
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Reflection

When inside, under controlled lighting conditions, you'll thank the tablet gods for glossy screens. Outside, not so much.
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Keyboard! Ba-bam!

The TF300's keyboard dock works pretty much like every other Transformer's, giving you the option to leave touch-screen typing in the stone age. Or, the future, I guess.
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Even more rockin'!

This pic illustrates the now-more-prominent volume rocker.
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Grille slit

The new speaker grille slit replaces the Prime's speaker holes.
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Full USB

A full-size USB port is only available on the keyboard/dock.

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