Most definitely prone to fingerprints and smudges. The screen really picks them up. The back isn't as bad, but you will get some on occasion.

 

The screen is really prone to prints. If it's any consolation, they give you one of those microfiber towels in the box for cleaning the prints.

 

I thought it was supposed to have a fingerprint resistant coating?

 

Display gets a crazy amount of fingerprints. The rear gets none whatsoever (Champagne Gold - which incidentally is silver. I absolutely hate gold, so it was a relief - I couldn't get gray. But moving out of these parentheses...) and the microfiber cloth works incredibly well. Sounds silly, but I've never seen one pull off prints so well.

 

It does leave fingerprints but I can't really see them when I'm looking at the screen when it's on, can only see the fingerprints when the screen is turned off. Microfiber cloth works great

 

From what I've read (should get mine tomorrow), it's just as prone to GET fingerprints as any other tablet, but they wipe off much more easily. That's good enough for me, because with my OG Transformer wiping the thing is a pain in the rear.

 

Yea, it's pretty easy to clean the screen

 

I seem to recall the Prime had a oleophobic coating on the screen, same as a certain fruity tablet out there. I just looked and couldn't find that on the Asus website, but I see it mentioned in several reviews. My wife has the above-mentioned fruity tablet, and I really don't notice that it cuts down on them. I don't notice them at all while it's in use, and wiping them off is a breeze. I did see you are not supposed to use any cleaners on these screens - just wipe them. Supposedly using a cleaner cuts down on the life of the coating.

~Gary

 

This is the case with most computer screens, it's better to not use any sort of cleaner to clean a computer/tablet/phone screen. Using a microfiber cloth would be the best method to clean the screens

 

^This^

Never notice them while in use only when you turn it off you see'em.

 

A real annoyance to me is finger printing, and by that I do NOT mean the screen. Fingerprints on a touchscreen tablet are a fact of life, and in this the Prime is no worse, and perhaps a bit better than most. Asus used an oleophobic coating that is suppossed to help, and it does... a little. It makes the prints much easier to wipe away in any event, and that is a good thing.

The problem is AsusDesign's "Spun Metal" casing, and granted, it LOOKS superb. It is part of what makes the tablet such a desirable piece. But I had my concerns about it from day one. Does it scratch easily? I would say yes, since several reviewers claimed to have picked up scratches even with gentle handling. "Gentle" is subjective though; one of those reviewers had the tablet resting on the dock, where the sharp front metal edge of the dock was directly in the middle of the back of the tablet.

I was unsure about upgrading from TF101 which I LOVED. The specs had me enthralled, but I was definitely concerned about the "toughness" of the aluminum finish. Then I read that the Oleophobic coating was not just on the screen but on the Spun Metal back and that tipped the scales for me. This coating is part of the reason a lot of people say the "feel" seems wrong. I am not 100% sure what they mean by "wrong", but I think they mean it's too smooth, almost glass-like. This is a big advantage in my opinion, and I love the feel.

What I don't like is the fingerprints. On the back and the dock too. With the textured plastic of the TF101, I could carry it around at work with one hand, and it stayed really nice. With the Prime (I have Amethyst Grey, note that I suspect the Champagne is probably better, but have no evidence other than pictures I have seen) the metal is a fingerprint nightmare!

Even with, or perhaps partly because of the oleophobic coating, the finish shows fingerprints really badly, even if you have super clean hands. It's the worst I have EVER had on any device, I am almost afraid to handle it. I will probably end up dropping it while palming the edges trying not to touch the finish. Maybe I could cover it with prints edge to edge, and they would all blend together, LOL!

As with stainless steel, LemonPledge does a great job of cleaning, polishing the Tablet back, and the dock, with zero abrasives and a tiny bit of wax that will not leave any residue or white powder, leaving a smooth, shiny fingerprint free surface. Just don't use it on the screen.

I'm sick. I need help.