Android: Phone News and Discussion Thread
07-20-2011, 10:21 PM
#3201
Safety Car
Decided to stick with the ASUS. It really came down to cost and practicality for me. The Transformer has a MicroSD card which is far more important on a tablet that's going to be used mainly for watching movies. It also has an HDMI out built in and the extra dock which doubles its battery further and gives it two functional USB ports.
If I were to even get close to the same functionality with the Tab 10.1, I would be nearing the $600+ range with more cables and crap to carry around and it just wasn't practical at that point since I move around a lot. I can get the ASUS Keyboard dock for $125 right now at Office Depot which would put my total to around $450 before taxes. From all the reviews I've read, it came down to form (Tab 10.1) vs. functionality (Transformer) and you really can't go wrong with either one. The thickness on this thing is exaggerated as its still pretty slim for a tablet device. The weight makes it feel solid and I feel like it could take a fall or two unlike the Tab or iPad because they're so slim.
I'm still pre-charging it for first use (ASUS recommends 8 hours before using it) and I'm ready to root this thing. Directions look pretty straightforward as far as rooting goes. I'll probably get it done by midnight tonight and running a custom ROM as well.
If I were to even get close to the same functionality with the Tab 10.1, I would be nearing the $600+ range with more cables and crap to carry around and it just wasn't practical at that point since I move around a lot. I can get the ASUS Keyboard dock for $125 right now at Office Depot which would put my total to around $450 before taxes. From all the reviews I've read, it came down to form (Tab 10.1) vs. functionality (Transformer) and you really can't go wrong with either one. The thickness on this thing is exaggerated as its still pretty slim for a tablet device. The weight makes it feel solid and I feel like it could take a fall or two unlike the Tab or iPad because they're so slim.
I'm still pre-charging it for first use (ASUS recommends 8 hours before using it) and I'm ready to root this thing. Directions look pretty straightforward as far as rooting goes. I'll probably get it done by midnight tonight and running a custom ROM as well.
07-21-2011, 02:36 AM
#3202
Safety Car
Transformer is rooted and running a custom recovery and ROM. 
The guide they have stickied at XDA is outdated. Good thing the new method is by far A LOT easier and much faster.
The guide they have stickied at XDA is outdated. Good thing the new method is by far A LOT easier and much faster.
07-21-2011, 08:04 AM
#3203
Team Owner
Congrats on the tablet.
A coworker was asking me for help with her A500. She was trying to use a USB mobile drive for internet on this wifi only drive. Sadly after verifying on XDA she's returning it as the only functionality is internet browsing but after rooting. She's an older lady so she's returning it because she wanted to have her grandkids play with it while in the car as well. Was a nice tab though.
A coworker was asking me for help with her A500. She was trying to use a USB mobile drive for internet on this wifi only drive. Sadly after verifying on XDA she's returning it as the only functionality is internet browsing but after rooting. She's an older lady so she's returning it because she wanted to have her grandkids play with it while in the car as well. Was a nice tab though.
07-21-2011, 10:14 AM
#3204
Safety Car
Congrats on the tablet.
A coworker was asking me for help with her A500. She was trying to use a USB mobile drive for internet on this wifi only drive. Sadly after verifying on XDA she's returning it as the only functionality is internet browsing but after rooting. She's an older lady so she's returning it because she wanted to have her grandkids play with it while in the car as well. Was a nice tab though.
A coworker was asking me for help with her A500. She was trying to use a USB mobile drive for internet on this wifi only drive. Sadly after verifying on XDA she's returning it as the only functionality is internet browsing but after rooting. She's an older lady so she's returning it because she wanted to have her grandkids play with it while in the car as well. Was a nice tab though.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1178773
07-21-2011, 02:34 PM
#3206
Suzuka Master
Nice pickup on the tablet, let us know what you think about it. While I really havent played with many tablets, just a few the ipad 2 is still best in my mind haha. Thats only compared to the xoom though. But I looked at it when the xoom was brand new and there were really no apps for the tablets in the android market at that time, so it was hard to compare it that way.
I know this ASUS is a lot cheaper than the ipad so thats like comparing apples to oranges.
But let us know how it is for the money.
Also what ROM is going on there
we all know there's no way you are leaving taht thing stock haha
I know this ASUS is a lot cheaper than the ipad so thats like comparing apples to oranges.
But let us know how it is for the money.
Also what ROM is going on there
we all know there's no way you are leaving taht thing stock haha
07-21-2011, 02:49 PM
#3207
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Yea lemme know how the transformer is, been eyeing that one, but might finally pull the trigger on an iPad...
07-21-2011, 02:51 PM
#3208
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Not Las Vegas (SF Bay Area)
Age: 40
Posts: 63,236
Received 2,786 Likes
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Shit was that coupon only for today?
07-21-2011, 03:12 PM
#3209
Safety Car
Its good til the 30th. Staples doesn't have it in store and you can do the kiosk trick but not all managers will approve it. What I did was I went to Office Depot and used the coupon there. The guy talked to his manager and they called Staples to verify the coupon was legit. Thankfully, he didn't ask if they had the item in stock. Office Depot also has a $25 off $100 coupon which you can use to buy the keyboard dock which expires tomorrow. I'm still deciding on whether or not to pull the trigger on that one.
Still running the tablet through its paces. I only had it stock for the 10 minutes I needed to root it. lol.
Still running the tablet through its paces. I only had it stock for the 10 minutes I needed to root it. lol.
07-21-2011, 08:39 PM
#3210
Safety Car
Okay here's my impression on the ASUS Transformer so far. Sorry its kinda long. Note, I'm running a custom ROM (Prime! 1.6 HC 3.1) which comes with some extra features not found in a stock Transformer. As most of you know, I rarely use stock ROMs and the case is the same here. I only used a stock ROM to root and flash onto a custom one so I'm not sure how much more different stock is compared to this custom ROM.
I bought the Transformer for $299 before taxes (and stupid $6 CA e-waste) at OD yesterday. Staples has a $100 coupon and Office Depot usually matches the coupon. I believe most Office Depots should still match it now. So coming from Gingerbread, Honeycomb felt a little different for me. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the no physical button on tablet idea that Google is trying to push with its upcoming devices. I guess its just a hard habit to break when your phone has a hardware button to go Home and I continually try to find the physical home button on the bezel which is nonexistent. I'm sure I'll adjust eventually to it.
The ROM I'm using is pretty smooth all around. The kernel doesn't allow me to overclock but I do plan on playing with the ones that do. They've already been able to push the CPU to 1.7 GHz but I doubt I'd want to go that high without seriously affecting battery life. 1.5 probably sounds good and even then that's overkill for this tablet. I say its overkill because the tablet is already pretty fast. I did get some stuttering and even hung it a few times trying to do a lot of things and its most especially noticeable when playing music. Not sure if this is due to the ROM I'm using or a Honeycomb problem itself as I haven't had much time to research it. If I'm not playing music, I experience no stuttering or hanging so I'm guessing there's a set up going wrong somewhere either by the kernel or the ROM.
Optimized apps look great on Honeycomb. Unfortunately, there's not that many. Hopefully, that will change as time goes on now that Android tablets have 30% of the market share in tablets which is good news for developers. For the most part, the main functionalities (i.e. work related or getting stuff done apps) are already pretty good and/or optimized for Honeycomb. On the other hand, media and games are lacking. I was able to play games made for Tegra phones and regular phones just fine for the majority of them but some just flat out crashed out. Honeycomb does upscale apps for most that don't crash as you can see in the pictures. I would say about 75% of the apps I use on my phone work on the tablet. The other 25% just wont load or don't scale.
Typing with the onscreen keyboard is quite difficult. ASUS provides a modified keyboard with Swype integration but trying to type with the tablet in hand is difficult. Its also due to the fact that the Transformer is wider than the others. I think this is where the 7" or 8.9" factor wins out in terms of portability and typing.
A lot of people say the tablet is fat, but IMO its not at all. Compared to the iPad 2 and Tab 10.1 yes but you also get the comfort that the tablet will most likely survive a drop better than the iPad or Tab. It is a bit heavy but it again, IMO, adds to the solidness of the device. As far as build quality, the tablet is pretty good all around. I do have some light bleed at the bottom from the IPS screen but it doesn't bother me unless I specifically look for it. Apparently, the good transformers are the ones with Serial Numbers B60 and above which I luckily got. If you got anything below, build quality may be mixed.
I'm not much of a mobile phone gamer but gaming on a tablet is a different experience and arguably better. After playing some games on a tablet, its almost a joke that we can get by with playing games on a phone. I was able to test out Fruit Ninja HD, Samurai Vengeance, Plant vs. Zombies and Angry birds (of course).
Cliffs:
The Good:
- Great price compared to other tablets out at the moment
- Interface is nice but coming from Gingerbread, I had to relearn some things
- Screen is pretty good. Its sharp and text look crisp and clear but I miss the deep saturation and contrast in the SAMOLED screens. Hoping someone at XDA will allow control of the colors soon.
- Speakers are decent nothing out of the ordinary that you would expect. Could also be affected by Voodoo Sound as I read the stock speakers were muddy. Haven't experienced it. With headphones, it is excellent with Voodoo Sound.
- MicroSD slot built in
- HDMI built in
- Optional keyboard dock which charges it and gives it another 6-8 hours with two full USB ports making it a netbook sort of.
- Honeycomb also supports USB OTG and allows you to plug in your Xbox/PS3 controller and use it to play your games with emulators.
- Honeycomb optimized apps look good but there's only so many.
The Bad:
- Because the tablet is wider than most others, its quite difficult at times to type on it even with the SwiftKey X keyboard. (On the plus side, its very easy to switch keyboards). It really doesn't matter when you hold it but typing and holding with one hand is a no go.
- Charging by USB port is close to impossible as it only does it when the tablet is powered off at a rate of 4% per hour. What sucks also is that the connector at the bottom is a proprietary connection and so if you break/lose this one, you'll have to cough up another.
- Lots of apps need to be optimized still. Hopefully, Ice Cream Sandwich will help in that regard. Otherwise, most apps are upscaled if they don't crash out.
My verdict:
For $299, you can't go wrong with this tablet. I'd gladly pay for it if it were $349. $399 is a maybe. I say maybe because the Quadcore Tegra Kal-El processors are coming out in the Fall/Holiday season and will wipe the Tegra 2 CPUs. For people who are trying to save money and still be up to date, then this is the tablet of choice. Functionality wise, its excellent. Honeycomb is lacking in the gaming and media aspect but if you don't care too much about that stuff then go for it. If money is of no concern then consider the Tab 10.1 or the iPad 2. If you're looking to play a lot of games and media and want to be on top of that stuff then get the iPad 2. If you don't care about games and media, then the Tab 10.1 as it has a great screen. Samsung did some saturation tricks to their screens to make them look like SAMOLED screens.
Pics in next post let me upload and organize. lol.
I bought the Transformer for $299 before taxes (and stupid $6 CA e-waste) at OD yesterday. Staples has a $100 coupon and Office Depot usually matches the coupon. I believe most Office Depots should still match it now. So coming from Gingerbread, Honeycomb felt a little different for me. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the no physical button on tablet idea that Google is trying to push with its upcoming devices. I guess its just a hard habit to break when your phone has a hardware button to go Home and I continually try to find the physical home button on the bezel which is nonexistent. I'm sure I'll adjust eventually to it.
The ROM I'm using is pretty smooth all around. The kernel doesn't allow me to overclock but I do plan on playing with the ones that do. They've already been able to push the CPU to 1.7 GHz but I doubt I'd want to go that high without seriously affecting battery life. 1.5 probably sounds good and even then that's overkill for this tablet. I say its overkill because the tablet is already pretty fast. I did get some stuttering and even hung it a few times trying to do a lot of things and its most especially noticeable when playing music. Not sure if this is due to the ROM I'm using or a Honeycomb problem itself as I haven't had much time to research it. If I'm not playing music, I experience no stuttering or hanging so I'm guessing there's a set up going wrong somewhere either by the kernel or the ROM.
Optimized apps look great on Honeycomb. Unfortunately, there's not that many. Hopefully, that will change as time goes on now that Android tablets have 30% of the market share in tablets which is good news for developers. For the most part, the main functionalities (i.e. work related or getting stuff done apps) are already pretty good and/or optimized for Honeycomb. On the other hand, media and games are lacking. I was able to play games made for Tegra phones and regular phones just fine for the majority of them but some just flat out crashed out. Honeycomb does upscale apps for most that don't crash as you can see in the pictures. I would say about 75% of the apps I use on my phone work on the tablet. The other 25% just wont load or don't scale.
Typing with the onscreen keyboard is quite difficult. ASUS provides a modified keyboard with Swype integration but trying to type with the tablet in hand is difficult. Its also due to the fact that the Transformer is wider than the others. I think this is where the 7" or 8.9" factor wins out in terms of portability and typing.
A lot of people say the tablet is fat, but IMO its not at all. Compared to the iPad 2 and Tab 10.1 yes but you also get the comfort that the tablet will most likely survive a drop better than the iPad or Tab. It is a bit heavy but it again, IMO, adds to the solidness of the device. As far as build quality, the tablet is pretty good all around. I do have some light bleed at the bottom from the IPS screen but it doesn't bother me unless I specifically look for it. Apparently, the good transformers are the ones with Serial Numbers B60 and above which I luckily got. If you got anything below, build quality may be mixed.
I'm not much of a mobile phone gamer but gaming on a tablet is a different experience and arguably better. After playing some games on a tablet, its almost a joke that we can get by with playing games on a phone. I was able to test out Fruit Ninja HD, Samurai Vengeance, Plant vs. Zombies and Angry birds (of course).
Cliffs:
The Good:
- Great price compared to other tablets out at the moment
- Interface is nice but coming from Gingerbread, I had to relearn some things
- Screen is pretty good. Its sharp and text look crisp and clear but I miss the deep saturation and contrast in the SAMOLED screens. Hoping someone at XDA will allow control of the colors soon.
- Speakers are decent nothing out of the ordinary that you would expect. Could also be affected by Voodoo Sound as I read the stock speakers were muddy. Haven't experienced it. With headphones, it is excellent with Voodoo Sound.
- MicroSD slot built in
- HDMI built in
- Optional keyboard dock which charges it and gives it another 6-8 hours with two full USB ports making it a netbook sort of.
- Honeycomb also supports USB OTG and allows you to plug in your Xbox/PS3 controller and use it to play your games with emulators.
- Honeycomb optimized apps look good but there's only so many.
The Bad:
- Because the tablet is wider than most others, its quite difficult at times to type on it even with the SwiftKey X keyboard. (On the plus side, its very easy to switch keyboards). It really doesn't matter when you hold it but typing and holding with one hand is a no go.
- Charging by USB port is close to impossible as it only does it when the tablet is powered off at a rate of 4% per hour. What sucks also is that the connector at the bottom is a proprietary connection and so if you break/lose this one, you'll have to cough up another.
- Lots of apps need to be optimized still. Hopefully, Ice Cream Sandwich will help in that regard. Otherwise, most apps are upscaled if they don't crash out.
My verdict:
For $299, you can't go wrong with this tablet. I'd gladly pay for it if it were $349. $399 is a maybe. I say maybe because the Quadcore Tegra Kal-El processors are coming out in the Fall/Holiday season and will wipe the Tegra 2 CPUs. For people who are trying to save money and still be up to date, then this is the tablet of choice. Functionality wise, its excellent. Honeycomb is lacking in the gaming and media aspect but if you don't care too much about that stuff then go for it. If money is of no concern then consider the Tab 10.1 or the iPad 2. If you're looking to play a lot of games and media and want to be on top of that stuff then get the iPad 2. If you don't care about games and media, then the Tab 10.1 as it has a great screen. Samsung did some saturation tricks to their screens to make them look like SAMOLED screens.
Pics in next post let me upload and organize. lol.
07-21-2011, 08:49 PM
#3211
Safety Car
Lockscreen:
Optimized Facebook app, Friend Me, that looks pretty good. Makes me want to start using Facebook all over again. lol. It even has a Games section so you can play your Flash Games within the app if you need to follow up on your Farm...
Optimized Twitter app, Plume (formerly known as Touiteur). The interface changes as you click and preview things.
Non-optimized app upscaled:
Homescreen:
Recent Apps:
Split Keyboard with SwiftKey Tablet X
Optimized Facebook app, Friend Me, that looks pretty good. Makes me want to start using Facebook all over again. lol. It even has a Games section so you can play your Flash Games within the app if you need to follow up on your Farm...
Optimized Twitter app, Plume (formerly known as Touiteur). The interface changes as you click and preview things.
Non-optimized app upscaled:
Homescreen:
Recent Apps:
Split Keyboard with SwiftKey Tablet X
07-22-2011, 12:16 AM
#3213
Safety Car
To tell you the truth, I had pretty low expectations about this device. All the threads I read on XDA complained about build issues such as creaking noises, multiple lightbleed issues and other stuff. GPS is a little weak but it works just takes a while to lock. Luckily, it works with my Bluetooth GPS device just like my other Android devices so I'm good with that. Overall, I'm glad I picked one up and I'll most likely pick up the keyboard dock because this video just convinced me that it would be worth it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfkZeIT9qmY
I'm also reading that people are able to plug in 3G USB adapters to add 3G functionality to the tablet. I imagine, 4G wouldn't be that hard either in the future if that route needs to be taken. I don't plan on using either but knowing I can will help futureproof this device. For the time being, I'm just gonna have it tether off my phone if I need to use the tablet outside of my house. I did want to mount it to my car and use it as a full navigation unit like this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrLUmE6EUMs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfkZeIT9qmY
I'm also reading that people are able to plug in 3G USB adapters to add 3G functionality to the tablet. I imagine, 4G wouldn't be that hard either in the future if that route needs to be taken. I don't plan on using either but knowing I can will help futureproof this device. For the time being, I'm just gonna have it tether off my phone if I need to use the tablet outside of my house. I did want to mount it to my car and use it as a full navigation unit like this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrLUmE6EUMs
07-22-2011, 12:45 AM
#3214
Safety Car
Just like I thought, HBO Go and Max Go work fine in the browser. Since the native app doesn't work, just stream it straight from the browser. Thank goodness for Flash.
07-22-2011, 01:35 PM
#3216
Safety Car
Emulators will be the main usage of this tablet for me. Luckily, they all scale and work! The WiiMote also works perfectly so portable gaming on the go without wires is awesome!
07-22-2011, 05:25 PM
#3217
Three Wheelin'
My Samsung captivate keeps going out of service and been on Edge for the past 2-3hrs. I took a drive around for 15-20 mins to try get 3g but no luck. Also I'm only getting 2 bars.
Well now the status of my phone
-Mobile network type shows HSDPA
Well now the status of my phone
-Mobile network type shows HSDPA
Last edited by eccjak; 07-22-2011 at 05:39 PM.
07-22-2011, 08:15 PM
#3218
Great review on the transformer, Michael. You summed up my thoughts as well. lol.
I have some light bleed on the bottom middle in landscape mode. The best thing about the transformer is the keyboard dock. My battery lasts for a few days with daily use of a couple hours. The keyboard is almost exactly like the standard mac keyboard sans a few keys. Really easy to type on. The ability to use usb ports is also quite awesome. The keyboard dock is the reason I chose this tablet over the others.
Typing on the screen does suck. If you use your thumbs, it is really difficult. When in landscape, I put the tablet in my lap and type on it like a regular computer. Still not great, but much easier than thumbing it.
I am running prime 1.5 and have it OC'd to 1500 and it's quite snappy. One thing I don't like is how the file system is setup. The internal memory is the sdcard and when you put in an external sd card that falls under a folder called removable\micro sd. Just makes it a pain when trying to save stuff to the micro sd.
Using splashtop remote desktop on this is great. Especially with the keyboard dock.
Hopefully more honeycomb apps will start showing up soon, that is my biggest complaint so far. Though, that's not really transformer related.
I have some light bleed on the bottom middle in landscape mode. The best thing about the transformer is the keyboard dock. My battery lasts for a few days with daily use of a couple hours. The keyboard is almost exactly like the standard mac keyboard sans a few keys. Really easy to type on. The ability to use usb ports is also quite awesome. The keyboard dock is the reason I chose this tablet over the others.
Typing on the screen does suck. If you use your thumbs, it is really difficult. When in landscape, I put the tablet in my lap and type on it like a regular computer. Still not great, but much easier than thumbing it.
I am running prime 1.5 and have it OC'd to 1500 and it's quite snappy. One thing I don't like is how the file system is setup. The internal memory is the sdcard and when you put in an external sd card that falls under a folder called removable\micro sd. Just makes it a pain when trying to save stuff to the micro sd.
Using splashtop remote desktop on this is great. Especially with the keyboard dock.
Hopefully more honeycomb apps will start showing up soon, that is my biggest complaint so far. Though, that's not really transformer related.
07-22-2011, 09:30 PM
#3220
Safety Car
Great review on the transformer, Michael. You summed up my thoughts as well. lol.
I have some light bleed on the bottom middle in landscape mode. The best thing about the transformer is the keyboard dock. My battery lasts for a few days with daily use of a couple hours. The keyboard is almost exactly like the standard mac keyboard sans a few keys. Really easy to type on. The ability to use usb ports is also quite awesome. The keyboard dock is the reason I chose this tablet over the others.
Typing on the screen does suck. If you use your thumbs, it is really difficult. When in landscape, I put the tablet in my lap and type on it like a regular computer. Still not great, but much easier than thumbing it.
I am running prime 1.5 and have it OC'd to 1500 and it's quite snappy. One thing I don't like is how the file system is setup. The internal memory is the sdcard and when you put in an external sd card that falls under a folder called removable\micro sd. Just makes it a pain when trying to save stuff to the micro sd.
Using splashtop remote desktop on this is great. Especially with the keyboard dock.
Hopefully more honeycomb apps will start showing up soon, that is my biggest complaint so far. Though, that's not really transformer related.
I have some light bleed on the bottom middle in landscape mode. The best thing about the transformer is the keyboard dock. My battery lasts for a few days with daily use of a couple hours. The keyboard is almost exactly like the standard mac keyboard sans a few keys. Really easy to type on. The ability to use usb ports is also quite awesome. The keyboard dock is the reason I chose this tablet over the others.
Typing on the screen does suck. If you use your thumbs, it is really difficult. When in landscape, I put the tablet in my lap and type on it like a regular computer. Still not great, but much easier than thumbing it.
I am running prime 1.5 and have it OC'd to 1500 and it's quite snappy. One thing I don't like is how the file system is setup. The internal memory is the sdcard and when you put in an external sd card that falls under a folder called removable\micro sd. Just makes it a pain when trying to save stuff to the micro sd.
Using splashtop remote desktop on this is great. Especially with the keyboard dock.
Hopefully more honeycomb apps will start showing up soon, that is my biggest complaint so far. Though, that's not really transformer related.
My battery on the tablet has been excellent so far. I've been playing emulators on it, watching some videos and browsing the internet and it still has about 30% battery life at the moment. I've only charged this thing once since the 8 hour pre-charge so I can't complain about battery life at all and should improve more with recharging cycles and future Android/kernel updates and the dock will add some more.
I forgot to add my gripe about the A/C adapter cable being so short. I don't know what ASUS was thinking but the cable is only about 2 feet long so if you need to charge, you're kinda tied down to the plug. Also, they don't sell just the cable separately so you have to purchase the whole adapter unit. For that reason, I bought another wall charger today that cost me an extra $29 since the dock doesn't come with one on its own. I was lucky to get the last keyboard dock and adapter available at my Office Depot. It seems ASUS is in short supply of these things as the adapter is currently $50 on their website. Right now, there aren't any third party adapters either yet so its something to consider.
07-22-2011, 10:01 PM
#3222
Safety Car
Found a working Google Voice apk for Honeycomb!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...5&postcount=75
Now I can send and receive using my Google Voice. You can do it in the browser but this at least gives you notifications. I wonder if GrooveIP works to make phone calls...Lots of stuff to research about Honeycomb. lol. I'm trying to see if I can do the CRT Animation found in Gingerbread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...5&postcount=75
Now I can send and receive using my Google Voice. You can do it in the browser but this at least gives you notifications. I wonder if GrooveIP works to make phone calls...Lots of stuff to research about Honeycomb. lol. I'm trying to see if I can do the CRT Animation found in Gingerbread.
07-22-2011, 10:40 PM
#3223
I forgot to add my gripe about the A/C adapter cable being so short. I don't know what ASUS was thinking but the cable is only about 2 feet long so if you need to charge, you're kinda tied down to the plug. Also, they don't sell just the cable separately so you have to purchase the whole adapter unit. For that reason, I bought another wall charger today that cost me an extra $29 since the dock doesn't come with one on its own. I was lucky to get the last keyboard dock and adapter available at my Office Depot. It seems ASUS is in short supply of these things as the adapter is currently $50 on their website. Right now, there aren't any third party adapters either yet so its something to consider.
Ya, the short cord sucks too. You really can't use it at all when it is charging. Pretty crappy, IMO. It also sucks that I can't use another wall usb plug (the part that goes in the outlet, not the transformer). I plugged the usb end into my kindle adapter when I misplaced my original adapter for a bit, but it doesn't charge.
07-23-2011, 12:57 AM
#3225
Safety Car
So I just came across Thumb Keyboard:
https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result
As you can see you can switch the layouts on the fly with the keyboard image icon which is awesome. You can even create macro/shortcut keys that you can show/hide on the fly as well. There is a single hand keyboard layout that sits on the right hand side of the screen and you can hold the tab with your left hand in the empty space. Pretty smart idea. Much more customizable than SwiftKey X Tablet and half the price. Also has a few themes preinstalled. Recommend it for tablet users.
https://market.android.com/details?i...=search_result
As you can see you can switch the layouts on the fly with the keyboard image icon which is awesome. You can even create macro/shortcut keys that you can show/hide on the fly as well. There is a single hand keyboard layout that sits on the right hand side of the screen and you can hold the tab with your left hand in the empty space. Pretty smart idea. Much more customizable than SwiftKey X Tablet and half the price. Also has a few themes preinstalled. Recommend it for tablet users.
07-24-2011, 02:06 AM
#3226
Suzuka Master
damn so much has happened here haha, i'll read up on that in a bit, but first i need some help.
So I rooted my friends mytouch 4G and got the MIUI on it, everything was great, except one thing which i'll get to in a sec.
His contacts wouldnt all sync to his gmail because they were in some setting, so I transferred all the contacts to the sd card.
Got MIUI working on his phone, and whenever I click export contacts from sd card, it finds the files and starts transferring the contacts and then it says it finished but it actually doesnt and when you try to do it again it says sd card unmounted. A restart will do the same thing. Anyone know whats going on? The phone is not connected to anything btw.
So I rooted my friends mytouch 4G and got the MIUI on it, everything was great, except one thing which i'll get to in a sec.
His contacts wouldnt all sync to his gmail because they were in some setting, so I transferred all the contacts to the sd card.
Got MIUI working on his phone, and whenever I click export contacts from sd card, it finds the files and starts transferring the contacts and then it says it finished but it actually doesnt and when you try to do it again it says sd card unmounted. A restart will do the same thing. Anyone know whats going on? The phone is not connected to anything btw.
07-24-2011, 02:15 AM
#3227
Suzuka Master
here's my new boot animation
but i may switch to this now
which ones better???
but i may switch to this now
which ones better???
07-24-2011, 03:02 AM
#3228
Safety Car
damn so much has happened here haha, i'll read up on that in a bit, but first i need some help.
So I rooted my friends mytouch 4G and got the MIUI on it, everything was great, except one thing which i'll get to in a sec.
His contacts wouldnt all sync to his gmail because they were in some setting, so I transferred all the contacts to the sd card.
Got MIUI working on his phone, and whenever I click export contacts from sd card, it finds the files and starts transferring the contacts and then it says it finished but it actually doesnt and when you try to do it again it says sd card unmounted. A restart will do the same thing. Anyone know whats going on? The phone is not connected to anything btw.
So I rooted my friends mytouch 4G and got the MIUI on it, everything was great, except one thing which i'll get to in a sec.
His contacts wouldnt all sync to his gmail because they were in some setting, so I transferred all the contacts to the sd card.
Got MIUI working on his phone, and whenever I click export contacts from sd card, it finds the files and starts transferring the contacts and then it says it finished but it actually doesnt and when you try to do it again it says sd card unmounted. A restart will do the same thing. Anyone know whats going on? The phone is not connected to anything btw.
07-26-2011, 10:28 AM
#3229
Safety Car
AT&T Galaxy S 2:
More pics in the link. It looks pretty thin even with the keyboard. Wonder how they did that considering most phones with keyboards are brick like.
Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/26/exclus...s-ii-revealed/
More pics in the link. It looks pretty thin even with the keyboard. Wonder how they did that considering most phones with keyboards are brick like.
Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/26/exclus...s-ii-revealed/
07-26-2011, 02:04 PM
#3231
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
07-26-2011, 03:20 PM
#3233
Safety Car
If its still fairly thin even with the keyboard, it could be a bonus for the phone. I mean, a physical keyboard isn't usually necessary for smartphones today but for people who type a lot of emails/text it could be a plus. Also could be useful for emulators/gaming. I guess have to wait and see how slim it is in comparison to other phones out there.
07-26-2011, 03:28 PM
#3234
Safety Car
Hmm...interesting, it looks like there might be a Galaxy S 2 without the keyboard on ATT. Maybe Samsung is targeting both customers. If so, smart move:
Source: http://www.androidcentral.com/samsun...medium=twitter
For those of you feeling a bit disappointed after seeing the keyboard on this morning's Galaxy S 2 device for AT&T, cheer up -- it looks like a more svelte version sans sliding keyboard is coming as well. We had to hide a few details, but this prototype currently in testing is AT&T and Samsung Galaxy S 2 branded, running Android 2.3.4, has a WVGA display, and is "really sexy" according to our tipster. Sounds like the Galaxy S 2 we all know and love. It looks like there will be two awesome choices for AT&T customers soon, and that's the way we like it.
Source: http://www.androidcentral.com/samsun...medium=twitter
07-27-2011, 05:17 PM
#3237
Suzuka Master
I miss my keyboard, I got used to it on my Treo 755 and Pre and am still not a fan of using the touchscreen. My damn fingers are too wide and I hate all the fingerprints I leave behind.
07-28-2011, 03:03 AM
#3238
Suzuka Master
Your transformere looks pretty goog Michael, and I like your boot animation lol
So I may or may not go back to NSCollab which is based off of CM7, MIUI is kinda slow on the nexus S. I guess i can live by the orientation taking forever, but sometimes apps take a while to load and its just a whole lot slower. I'll see if OC it to 1.2 or 1.3 helps it out.
But then again i really like all the features I have on this ROM that I didnt have!
I'll be happy as long as they can improve speed. I'll probably stick with it.
So I may or may not go back to NSCollab which is based off of CM7, MIUI is kinda slow on the nexus S. I guess i can live by the orientation taking forever, but sometimes apps take a while to load and its just a whole lot slower. I'll see if OC it to 1.2 or 1.3 helps it out.
But then again i really like all the features I have on this ROM that I didnt have!
I'll be happy as long as they can improve speed. I'll probably stick with it.
07-28-2011, 07:23 AM
#3239
Whats up with RDX owners?
iTrader: (9)
^ I was running MIUI at 1300 and it was still laggy as hell, and I tried every single overclock kernel available for the NS.
On a side note - The Seidio 3500mah battery is amazing. Im getting two full days of heavy usage. The grippy battery cover is great and, while the added thickness may be a turn off to most people, I like it because I can hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder much easier (and it wont slip with the grippy back)
I picked it up for $58 shipped on Amazon. If you also want the Seidio belt clip, it fits perfectly fine with the extended battery (got that for $18 shipped off eBay). You still have access to the USB and headphone jack and all buttons.
http://www.seidioonline.com/product-p/bacy35ssn2-bk.htm
http://www.seidioonline.com/product-p/hlssn2as.htm
On a side note - The Seidio 3500mah battery is amazing. Im getting two full days of heavy usage. The grippy battery cover is great and, while the added thickness may be a turn off to most people, I like it because I can hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder much easier (and it wont slip with the grippy back)
I picked it up for $58 shipped on Amazon. If you also want the Seidio belt clip, it fits perfectly fine with the extended battery (got that for $18 shipped off eBay). You still have access to the USB and headphone jack and all buttons.
http://www.seidioonline.com/product-p/bacy35ssn2-bk.htm
http://www.seidioonline.com/product-p/hlssn2as.htm
Last edited by civicdrivr; 07-28-2011 at 07:26 AM.
07-28-2011, 11:37 AM
#3240
Safety Car
Your transformere looks pretty goog Michael, and I like your boot animation lol
So I may or may not go back to NSCollab which is based off of CM7, MIUI is kinda slow on the nexus S. I guess i can live by the orientation taking forever, but sometimes apps take a while to load and its just a whole lot slower. I'll see if OC it to 1.2 or 1.3 helps it out.
But then again i really like all the features I have on this ROM that I didnt have!
I'll be happy as long as they can improve speed. I'll probably stick with it.
So I may or may not go back to NSCollab which is based off of CM7, MIUI is kinda slow on the nexus S. I guess i can live by the orientation taking forever, but sometimes apps take a while to load and its just a whole lot slower. I'll see if OC it to 1.2 or 1.3 helps it out.
But then again i really like all the features I have on this ROM that I didnt have!
I'll be happy as long as they can improve speed. I'll probably stick with it.
The Transformer is awesome! I know last week I said I wasn't completely sure if I was going to keep it but I can finally say it was an excellent purchase especially with the keyboard dock. I really think the keyboard dock is what separates this tablet from the others. I can connect any portable external hard drive and expand my storage any time with the USB ports and at the same time extend the battery of my tablet which already gets great battery life on its own. I just bought some USB 3.0 extenders to fix the short A/C cable which I should be getting in the next few days from MonoPrice. Oh, I also bought a rooCase capacitive stylus which should come in today for notetaking. I've already looked at some apps that allows handwriting and typing in the same app. Looking forward to that.
ASUS is also supposed to release their Android 3.2 update today (this is only 2 weeks after the XOOM released theirs for the Wifi version and still non-existent on their 3G version) and Taiwan got it last night making ASUS one of the fastest manufacturers to get updates out for Android which as we all know is a big issue. The other Tabs are still stuck at 3.1 or even 3.0. This gives me high hopes for future updates and considering ASUS is a big company I don't doubt they'll continue to provide these fast updates.
Last edited by CGFebTSX04; 07-28-2011 at 11:40 AM.