Asus have released a bootloader unlocker for the Asus Transformer Prime tablet. The apk file was made available today and hackers have pounced on the opportunity to port Ubuntu and CyanogenMod to the device.

Device Unlocker

The device unlocker allows you to use custom ROMs with the Transformer Prime. The unlocker is available for Transformer tablets that run Android 4.0 Icecream Sandwich. But Asus will no longer stand by the device warranty nor will it provide any device specific updates. Asus also warns that users might lose purchased digital content. The notice at download page reads:

Product with the activated App will not be deemed the Original Product; the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product; the software of Revised Product will no longer be deemed the software of the Original Product and can no longer receive ASUS software updates; your purchased digital content may also be affected.

ClockworkMod, CyanogenMod, and even Ubuntu !!

Within hours after the release of the unlocker, the popular custom recovery for Android, ClockworkMod has been made available for the Transformer Prime. This essentially makes way for CyanogenMod onto the tablet as well. This video shows CM9 on the device:

Even an experimental port of Ubuntu is developed by littlesteve who posted this pic to twitter:


It is a great move by Asus and hopefully this will set a trend to make device unlockers available. The choice of operating system on your tablets finally might be your choice after all !!