Are you a proud owner of ASUS' quad-core Transformer Prime tablet? If so, you may want to fire up the trusty software update feature on your device, as reports are flowing in about a new bundle of software that's making its way to some Primes in the wild today. The update is version 8.8.3.33 and, according to the changelog posted by the folks at ASUS, it packs goodies like improved camera focus, better touch responsiveness and enhanced GPS speed. Want the full list of fixes? Coming right up:
Firmware update:
Improvement:
Not all is sunshine and happiness in Transformer Prime Land, though, as some users have discovered that the device ships with a locked bootloader. A thread over at xda-developers explains that the Prime's bootloader features a 128 bit encryption, blocking owners of the slate from doing things like overclocking it or flash custom ROMs. ASUS has yet to respond to the matter, but some people are taking it upon themselves to try and convince ASUS to unlock the bootloader by taking to Twitter and other social media outlets to voice their displeasure.
This isn't the first time that an Android device manufacturer has had to face an angry hacking community over locked bootloaders, as HTC went through a similar situation in the past. Eventually HTC relented and announced that it would be unlocking the bootloaders on its products due to "overwhelming customer feedback," a claim that it indeed followed through with. Whether or not ASUS will do the same remains to be seen, but it'll certainly be interesting to monitor the situation and see exactly what a dedicated group of Prime owners are capable of. Until then, you Transformer Prime folk should keep an eye out for that 8.8.3.33 update and, once it's installed, let us know how it's working for you.
