The Asus Eee Pad Transformer has apparently sold out on BestBuy.com.
Unlike Motorola’s Xoom – which is weighed down by an uber-high price point – the Eee Transformer clocks in at a very reasonable $400.
The device also features some pretty tricked-out specs, including an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 10.1-inch display and 16GB of storage.
Seems like a rather solid deal, which is probably one reason why the Honeycomb-powered Transformer flew off the virtual shelves so quickly.
However, it remains unclear if, as Phandroid’s Kevin Krause puts it, Asus “lowballed” their stock because it didn’t anticipate such a high demand.
Then again, the Transformer has been quite successful in the UK, with its first three production runs having sold out.
Of course, it is currently difficult to ascertain exactly how many units Asus actually sold to consumers, and if the “sellout status” was due to a chronic shortage, high demand – or a combination of both.
Still, it should be noted that there are (unverified) reports of Best Buys throughout the U.S. that don’t seem to have the tablet in stock at all, which seems kind of strange if you ask me.
So I’m guessing the shortage of Transformers is likely due to a combination of various factors, including an attractive price point, high demand and a lack of stock.
One thing is clear, though: the Transformer remains on track to outsell Motorola’s Xoom, which appears to be an abysmal failure.
But can the Transformer take on Apple’s iPad? Well, certainly not by itself.
More Android tablets from different vendors are desperately needed, with stable, rather than buggy versions of Honeycomb.
Yes, the march of the Android tablet has begun, albeit slowly. Achieving critical mass – enough to challenge iOS – may only be a matter of time.
