is a refurb Asus Transformer tablet worth buying?

February 12, 2012 1:35 PM

Android tablet question. Is a refurbished Asus Transformer worth buying?

A computer supplies website I often use (and trust) has a stock of about 20 refurbished Transformers - the original one, not the newest Prime model.

I've had my eye on the Transformer for a while: is the £330 price (usually £420ish with the keyboard dock) worth snapping up, or is there something I don't know/ haven't considered about refurbished devices?

Thanks in advance. I have asked the retailer what exactly they mean by "refurbished" but no response as yet.

posted by altolinguistic to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

I've had refurbished one for about 3 weeks and so far I like it, no issues. My understanding is that refurbished can mean many things depending upon the supplier. You may want to question the website about what it means for these Transformers.
posted by incandissonance at 2:08 PM on February 12, 2012

If it has an Asus warranty, even just 90 days, it may be worth consideration. If it has no warranty or an independent warranty, it is merely used with questionable provenance.
posted by caclwmr4 at 2:14 PM on February 12, 2012

I know nothing about European release dates, but Asus has a 7" quad core with a bonus 550Mhz auxilliary-core ICS tablet due to drop in the US in the second quarter for ~$250.

I'm a huge fan of the transformer, but I wouldn't more than about half retail at this point for an original one.
posted by TomMelee at 2:44 PM on February 12, 2012

Have you checked them out in person (say, at Best Buy)? I only ask because I hemmed and hawed about whether to buy a Transformer or an Ipad for weeks...until I went and compared them in person. The original Transformer was thick and plasticky compared to the Ipad or Galaxy Tab. Once I saw them in person, there was no question it was going to be an Ipad. Still, that keyboard with trackpad option on the transformer is pretty damn sweet, so if its primary purpose is text entry, you're definitely going to be happy with it.
posted by jackbrown at 9:20 PM on February 12, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks, folks. TomMelee, I thought with the arrival of the Prime, the original version would drop in price, but that doesn't seem to have happened here in the UK just yet. There have been supply problems with the Prime, I know that much, so maybe that is keeping prices high.

jackbrown, yes I have been to check them out in person, and I definitely want a Transformer rather than an ipad. The keyboard dock swings it for me.

caclwmr4, they have a 3-month warranty (not sure whether from the manufacturer or from the retailer), which I forgot to mention first time round.
posted by altolinguistic at 1:05 AM on February 13, 2012

Best answer: Argos are selling their refurbished version for about the same price through their eBay outlet store with a 12 month warranty.
posted by Mossy at 4:59 AM on February 13, 2012

Response by poster: ooh, so they are! I didn't know about the Argos ebay store, so thanks for that, Mossy.
posted by altolinguistic at 5:58 AM on February 13, 2012

Response by poster: Update: I think Argos must only have had one, as the deal was no longer available when I came to order it - but I now have one of the Dabs "refurbished" ones and to my untutored eye it looks brand new. The box was a bit tatty but it is otherwise entirely shiny and lovely.
posted by altolinguistic at 4:56 AM on February 23, 2012

I did spend sometime in playing with various android tablets, including Asus Transformer & the latest Transformer Prime. The Prime version is far more superior than the older version. I will not waste my money on an old technology.
posted by asye288 at 5:28 PM on February 25, 2012