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Previous Xoom owner with new Transformer; comparrison

I posted this in the stock thread but feel it would be better placed in its own thread to help those who have a xoom and are considering making the jump to the Transformer.
Got my phone order in to TD yesterday and the transformer showed up today!
Screen: Simply looks better however my finger doesnt seem to "glide" as easy as the xoom. However on the flip side I have already noticed less fingerprints.
Audio: not sure where the speakers are but the sound seems more like its coming at you as opposed to the xoom where the speakers were in back facing away from you, much improved.
Responsiveness: Maybe im crazy but the overall response time seems improved, especially when switching orientation. I also especially notice this in angry birds, when I restarted a level on the Xoom there would be a half second pause while it reloaded the level. On the transformer it restarts the level RIGHT NOW. I thought the Xoom lagged a bit because of all the apps I had installed but I have all the same apps on the transformer and have not noticed any lag whatsoever.
Weight: I knew it was lighter but didnt think I would notice. I was wrong, I noticed the first moment I picked it up. Granted I had the 4G Xoom so maybe the cellular radio made it heavier however it is very refreshing to have a lighter tablet.
Camera: This is the one place where the xoom wins, well kind of. Low light enviroments make a low light shot. The Xooms ability to have flash give it the advantage here. However I will say when there is enough light the transformers pictures seem to be a bit more "crisp". Video is the one area where the transformer falls down. The video is laggy (choppy) and I have a feeling this may be something that firmware can fix (Im still on the original factory firmware).
Wi-Fi: I am in the same location as where I had my Xoom tied into my office wifi. The xoom always read 3 out of 4 bars where the Transformer gets 4 out of 4 bars all over the entire building. I really think the Transformer gets better wi-fi reception.
GPS: The GPS radio in the Transformer is just as good as the one in the Xoom. It pickes me up spot on in a building where we have two steel roofs.
On Screen keyboard: I love the transformers on screen keyboard. Its like they actually put some thought into it. Its button placement is much more refined then the xoom. At first I didnt think i would like it but after 20 minutes of use I found myself being much more productive with the new layout.
Market: Both Droid market and Amazon App store immediately downloaded all my old apps so making the switch was cake. I was concerned I would have to individually re-download all my old apps but both app stores did a fantastic job of getting all my old apps.
The basic feel and operation of Honeycomb seems to be exactly the same. I LOVE the floating ice cube wallpaper and noticed on the Xoom whenever I had an animated background it slowed down the tab. This is NOT the case with the transformer, everything still seems fluid even with the animated background. It is not my intent to bash the Xoom but I paid $800 for it and spent half on this device and it honestly feels like a step forward. Granted I dont have verizon access anymore but found I always used wifi regardless.
Add all of this up and then take into factor you can use a dock that will give you full size USB, keyboard, mouse, a Micro SD card slot that actually works right out of the package and you have a no brainer. Absolutely thrilled I made the switch!
EDIT: added info after one full night of playing with it;
Well after a full night of playing with the transformer (as well as doing the firmware upgrade) I did come up with some more input
Audio: As others have stated the overall sound quality from the Xoom speakers are superior. Yesterday when i was playing with the device I was at work and couldnt really turn it up all the way. When you do hit max volume it is not very loud and is very distorted. At normal volume levels I think it sounds better simply because the speakers arent facing away from you. Now since I rarely run the tablet at max volume this shouldnt be an issue
Video recording: Yes the firmware did help significantly but it did not cure the problem entirely. The video now only slightly studders, which is somewhat tolerable. However my Xoom from day 1 took stellar video and never had an issue. Hopefully future updates will eliminate all studdering but for now the Xoom has the clear advantage in this area.
Battery life: Keep in mind I dont have the dock yet but the battery life on the Xoom is definately better. Not by leaps and bounds but it is noticeable. I played on the TF for 4 hours last night doing everything from video to firmware updated and I dropped to 40%. I did this same process when I got my Xoom for approximately the same amount of time and only went down to 60%. Perhaps its the floating ice cube background? Who knows, but for now the Xoom definately has the edge for now.
On screen keyboard: Yes I like the layout better on the TF but the input is slightly slower then the Xoom. Overall the TF seems more responsive but in this department the Xoom wins out. Again, hopefully this is something that is fixed in future updates.
Im trying to be as fair and honest as possible here so that I can help people make wise decisions. From my original post im still sold on the transformer over the Xoom but there are definately things the Xoom does better and vice versa.
Happy Hunting!

03stage2 said:
Screen: Simply looks better however my finger doesnt seem to "glide" as easy as the xoom. However on the flip side I have already noticed less fingerprints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just FYI, this gets better. There appears to be a coating of something on the screen that disappears over time, or maybe the first time you vigorously wipe it down. I was worried because I found my finger skipping across the screen instead of gliding, but now it's normal. Maybe it's from the protective plastic the Transformer ships in.

i heard about that finger glide thing, take a micro fiber cloth make it very slightly damp and wipe the screen down

I'm mad you got yours already! I'm waiting on the UPS guy right now haha.
Thanks for the comparison!

dfin13 said:
Just FYI, this gets better. There appears to be a coating of something on the screen that disappears over time, or maybe the first time you vigorously wipe it down. I was worried because I found my finger skipping across the screen instead of gliding, but now it's normal. Maybe it's from the protective plastic the Transformer ships in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I thought my screen was broken when I first used it.
This changes over time. If it doesn't, a screen protector will solve any problems.

The difference in wifi strength could be due to the fact that the Transformer doesn't have a metal back. I remember when the iPhone 1's had problems cuz of the metal back.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

You forgot to mention a huge selling point: the GREAT price.
I got a TF + dock+ sleeve + 16 GB memory card for LESS than what I spent on the wifi only Xoom.

strikethreeout said:
You forgot to mention a huge selling point: the GREAT price.
I got a TF + dock+ sleeve + 16 GB memory card for LESS than what I spent on the wifi only Xoom.
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Click to collapse
I said in my conclusion that I spent $800 on the 4G Xoom and half on this tab. But youre completely right, even when I add the cost of the dock I am still WAY ahead of the game.

donatom3 said:
The difference in wifi strength could be due to the fact that the Transformer doesn't have a metal back. I remember when the iPhone 1's had problems cuz of the metal back.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some tests last night and my Xoom was getting better wifi performance than my TF. I'm guessing any differences in either direction could be related as much to the router as to the tablet...

03stage2 said:
Audio: not sure where the speakers are but the sound seems more like its coming at you as opposed to the xoom where the speakers were in back facing away from you, much improved.
Camera: This is the one place where the xoom wins, well kind of. Low light enviroments make a low light shot. The Xooms ability to have flash give it the advantage here. However I will say when there is enough light the transformers pictures seem to be a bit more "crisp". Video is the one area where the transformer falls down. The video is laggy (choppy) and I have a feeling this may be something that firmware can fix (Im still on the original factory firmware).
Wi-Fi: I am in the same location as where I had my Xoom tied into my office wifi. The xoom always read 3 out of 4 bars where the Transformer gets 4 out of 4 bars all over the entire building. I really think the Transformer gets better wi-fi reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most of what you wrote, just some clarification on these items:
Audio: I've actually found that my Xoom's audio is higher quality than my TF's. I don't know if there's variability between TFs, but the Xoom's is both richer (more base and midrange, I think) and louder (even without something behind it to redirect the sound forward). I did a test last night and found the TF's speakers to be very inferior to the Xoom's.
Camera: The newest firmware definitely improves video capture, so no worries there.
Wi-Fi: I did a test last night with the Xoom and TF, and actually found the Xoom to perform better. However, there are too many variables to say which is better. The TF's performance is just fine regardless.
And ultimately, the screen is SO much better and the keyboard dock really does seal the deal. For $399, I think the TF is by far the better machine and would be even if the Xoom were the same price.

I believe it is something to do with the Gorilla Glass

wynand32 said:
I agree with most of what you wrote, just some clarification on these items:
Audio: I've actually found that my Xoom's audio is higher quality than my TF's. I don't know if there's variability between TFs, but the Xoom's is both richer (more base and midrange, I think) and louder (even without something behind it to redirect the sound forward). I did a test last night and found the TF's speakers to be very inferior to the Xoom's.
Camera: The newest firmware definitely improves video capture, so no worries there.
Wi-Fi: I did a test last night with the Xoom and TF, and actually found the Xoom to perform better. However, there are too many variables to say which is better. The TF's performance is just fine regardless.
And ultimately, the screen is SO much better and the keyboard dock really does seal the deal. For $399, I think the TF is by far the better machine and would be even if the Xoom were the same price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input. For audio I agree the Xoom had more midtones but to me they were muffled and being priduced by a tiny speaker that has no business trying to replicate those frequencies. The TF is much more treble based and to me sounds better due to that. I still stand by the TF highs sound better overall though.
Thanks for the input on the camera. I see you can manually download the new firmware but my TF is so new I think I will wait for the OTA update as I dont want to risk bricking a brand new device.
Maybe I just got lucky on the wi-fi but it definately gets better signal even at distance. But as another poster stated sometimes wi-fi signal performance isnt always dictated by the using device as much as it is by the router itself.
Damn I love this screen....

wynand32 said:
Audio: I've actually found that my Xoom's audio is higher quality than my TF's. I don't know if there's variability between TFs, but the Xoom's is both richer (more base and midrange, I think) and louder (even without something behind it to redirect the sound forward). I did a test last night and found the TF's speakers to be very inferior to the Xoom's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree too, even the audio out is worse than the xooms. there's just too much emphasis on the highs. it also doesn't get as loud and distorts more at lower levels - this is all through the headphone jack, not onboard speakers.
i was hoping that audio out would be as good as the xoom as i thought the xoom was as good or possibly better than my ipad's output. i'd have to assume it's a software tweek since i'd guess they'd have the same audio processors.
one other thing about the tf - make sure you have fingernails if you like to insert and remove micorsd cards in this unit. i cannot replace my sdcard without something to push it back in after removing it.

Well after a full night of playing with the transformer (as well as doing the firmware upgrade) I did come up with some more input
Audio: As others have stated the overall sound quality from the Xoom speakers are superior. Yesterday when i was playing with the device I was at work and couldnt really turn it up all the way. When you do hit max volume it is not very loud and is very distorted. At normal volume levels I think it sounds better simply because the speakers arent facing away from you. Now since I rarely run the tablet at max volume this shouldnt be an issue
Video recording: Yes the firmware did help significantly but it did not cure the problem entirely. The video now only slightly studders, which is somewhat tolerable. However my Xoom from day 1 took stellar video and never had an issue. Hopefully future updates will eliminate all studdering but for now the Xoom has the clear advantage in this area.
Battery life: Keep in mind I dont have the dock yet but the battery life on the Xoom is definately better. Not by leaps and bounds but it is noticeable. I played on the TF for 4 hours last night doing everything from video to firmware updated and I dropped to 40%. I did this same process when I got my Xoom for approximately the same amount of time and only went down to 60%. Perhaps its the floating ice cube background? Who knows, but for now the Xoom definately has the edge for now.
On screen keyboard: Yes I like the layout better on the TF but the input is slightly slower then the Xoom. Overall the TF seems more responsive but in this department the Xoom wins out. Again, hopefully this is something that is fixed in future updates.
Im trying to be as fair and honest as possible here so that I can help people make wise decisions. From my original post im still sold on the transformer over the Xoom but there are definately things the Xoom does better and vice versa.
Happy Hunting!

03stage2 - In general I agree with your comparison. I've been using the TF and Xoom side by side for the last week.
Battery life: I've noticed the the TF battery drains faster when it's not being used, like overnight. The Xoom seems to use less battery when it's not doing anything. In active usage I haven't noticed a difference, but I use them for different things.
Screen Keyboard: I hated the Xoom OSKeyboard from day one, I almost took it back it was so frustrating. The Xoom does not seem to have the same level of multitouch. The TF keyboard has been much better, I can almost touch type with the TF keyboard.
I've already promised the Xoom to a family member as a gift. Now I'm debating selling the Xoom and giving them a TF instead (assuming I can get my hands on another one!).

wtf you said the TF was good then in blue you praise xoom

jerichoholic said:
wtf you said the TF was good then in blue you praise xoom
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Click to collapse
If you read my comments in the end of the blue I still say the TF is better IMO. However I dont want to be one of those biased folks who simply promote the product they own. As I stated they both have areas that each one does better in but overall the TF still feels like the better choice to me. Also, the TF is so new that i have a feeling allot of the bugs im seeing will be corrected with FW updates.
I would hope that the folks here would benefit more from an honest review rather then sugar coating the review and making it seem like I had my own agenda....

I just wish I could find on in stock anywhere

jerichoholic said:
wtf you said the TF was good then in blue you praise xoom
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Click to collapse
The Xoom has some advantages over the Transformer, obviously. I believe if they were both the same price, it'd come down to the screen.

Mikey450GT said:
I believe it is something to do with the Gorilla Glass
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Click to collapse
I agree.
I have an iPad 2 with its "Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating" and the glass is so smooth and easy to slide your finger on.
I also have an ASUS EP121 Tablet with Gorilla Glass and i did notice a different feel than the iPad 2. It does get better the more you clean the glass.
I haven't got a Transformer yet but since it has Gorilla Glass, it should feel the same as the EP121.
Not complaining, just different technology.

to ppl who bought it

Is it the galaxy better than the xoom? Is it easy to root and change rom? Whats your thoughts
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

Better? That's a matter of opinion. Its lighter and thinner and has a better screen but doesn't have an SD card slot and hasn't been rooted yet.

I don't own the tab yet, but this is an obvious answer. Aside from the USB port, soft touch back, and SD slot, the GTab10.1 is superior.

For what matters to me, it's clearly better. The screen is no question much improved over the Xoom.
It's also lighter in the hand than the Xoom, which is important to me as I read most of my books on electronic devices now.
The Xoom of course has more connectivity. But for me, having an SD card slot and USB connectors vs. Samsung's propriety cable is not really important. And I should mention that the Xoom still doesn't have SD card functionality as far as I know.
I would say the only con that I have noticed is that the Xoom charged quite quickly. The Samsung takes much longer to charge, but seems to hold it's charge much longer. So it's a bit of a trade off there. It shouldn't be a problem as long as you remember to plug it in overnight for instance.

i have both...had both i just returned my 10.1 about an hour ago, and to me the 10.1 is better out the box, but i might have to factor in that my Xoom was HC 3.0 out the box. i was going to return my Xoom that first week until the customization took off and pretty much improved the Xoom in every way, i'm not sure if the 10.1 will receive this support and how difficult it will be without an sd card. the 10.1 is streamed lined, light, with even weight distribution, and the screen is 10 times better than the Xoom's in my opinion.

For me the Tab is surely better than the Xoom. I think the Xoom is also expensive than the Tab. The Transformer vs the Tab is a more tricky choice.

I really hated the Xoom. Has such a thin bezel that is uncomfortable to hold and and too heavy. The screen as so bland and washed out looking.
I also had a Transformer. My opinion is...
Galaxy Tab 10.1 > Transformer > Iconia A500 > Xoom

Had a xoom returned it after a week. So far I'm liking the overall build quality of the GT10.1it just feels really good in my hand. The xoom obviously felt sturdier due to its metal frame but way heavier. The GT screen is way better.xoom always seemed kind of washed out. I returned the xoom because I bought it under contact with verizon and just felt to many pieces of the puzzle were missing for its release. It has the most functionality(in theory, but not in practice) whenever it gets around to allowing you to due what its advertised to. But the GT is flawed at the moment. I use a mac mini but have to boot into windows on it just to transfer files, not cool. I spoke to a samsung tech person directly and was told mac isn't supported at this time. That's just beyond stupid to me. I still hate that there is no native video app for android. How can you sell a device that's main selling point is media and you don't even have a movie/video app out of the box. I feel once the baby is rooted her true beauty will shine. Till then its the same old waiting game I played with the xoom but without the contract.

I'll 2nd (or 3rd) the comments on screen quality. My XOOM's (returned just before June 8) screen was really washed-out - this was a bit of a disappointment for me. I had no real gripe about the weight or thickness, it did feel very sturdy in my hands.
Have not received my GT yet (Tues!), but from what I have been reading, the screen is a nice improvement. We'll see how it feels in my hands once I get it.

I never owned a Xoom, had a Nook Color for about a week before returning it (not fast enough) but I straight up love my GT. Screen is amazing, battery life is stellar, and it's nice and light. It's definitely still feeling a bit underpowered. Some stuttering when adding a new widget/icon to the homescreen and the text input lag in the stock browser. Beyond that though it's great. Just need to get some root access up in this ***** now!

Ravynmagi said:
I really hated the Xoom. Has such a thin bezel that is uncomfortable to hold and and too heavy. The screen as so bland and washed out looking.
I also had a Transformer. My opinion is...
Galaxy Tab 10.1 > Transformer > Iconia A500 > Xoom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think that depends. The keyboard dock and added connectivity of the Asus make it a better deal especially with quad core tablets less than 6 months away. The screen of Samsung might pop more but with oversaturated colors. The Asus screen is still quite great looking as good as ipad2 but higher pixel density.
having built in HDMI and micro SD is nice and the dock has come in quite handy as a stand extended battery and netbook device. Not to mention having 2 USB ports and SD card slot really allows it to import photos videos etc makink it great for travel with a camera etc.
Also paid only 9$ more for tablet dock combo than the grab alone would cost me.
Also right now great Dev support for Asus with root and OC kernels as well as custom Roms
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Canadoc said:
Well I think that depends. The keyboard dock and added connectivity of the Asus make it a better deal especially with quad core tablets less than 6 months away. The screen of Samsung might pop more but with oversaturated colors. The Asus screen is still quite great looking as good as ipad2 but higher pixel density.
having built in HDMI and micro SD is nice and the dock has come in quite handy as a stand extended battery and netbook device. Not to mention having 2 USB ports and SD card slot really allows it to import photos videos etc makink it great for travel with a camera etc.
Also paid only 9$ more for tablet dock combo than the grab alone would cost me.
Also right now great Dev support for Asus with root and OC kernels as well as custom Roms
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree the Transformer is the better deal, however I think those of us looking for just a pure tablet experience really don't care about Asus' dock. 2 devices targeted for different crowds. I had both the TF and iPad2 at the same time, and played with the Xoom for about a week. Although the TF's screen was a bit sharper than the iPad2's, it's black levels were nowhere near iPad2's or the 10.1's. Xoom's screen just isn't in the same playing field. Both TF and iPad2 have terrible light bleed, however the screen on the TF is the dimmest of them all requiring to blast the brightness in daylight making it's light bleed more apparent. Sure, to some 10.1's colors are oversaturated, but Supercurio has already confirmed he can tone down the colors with no custom kernel needed, so that option is nice and he said he tried for the TF but wasn't successful.
USB and HDMI capabilities are also available as add-ons on the 10.1. Of course 10.1 owners are going to have to pay extra (and let's face it, most of us who bought the 10.1 threw out the best bang for the buck state of mind once we started looking into the 10.1), but they also have that option to import movies, pics, etc, making easy to travel with a camera as well.
A lot of people who haven't actually held the 10.1 don't really appreciate the form factor as well. It may not sway buying decisions, but I bet it'll get people's mind thinking "damn, but this one is so light".
Yes, dev support for the Asus is higher. It makes sense since TF was released like 2 months ago and of course has the better price point. But I'm sure 10.1 will be seeing some action once the kernel sources are released.
But to get this topic back on track... To us who bought the 10.1, I feel it's better than the Xoom. I would pick the TF over the Xoom. But I'm sticking with my 10.1.. no light bleed, both speakers work, more detailed (when watching 720p movies) and brightest screen, less glare, better black levels, and of course form factor. I will give it to the TF that it felt a little more fluid while browsing and it's firmware updates were super fast, though.

The Samsung device is great if you want an ipad2 in android clothing.
If you want the functionality and expandability to go beyond a simple tablet experience then TF us way to go. Your description if TF screen makes it sound bad when in fact it is a great screen. Is the Samsun screen better? Yes. By orders of magnitude? No. It it thinner and lighter? A bit. The part you hold on the TF is only 9 mm similar to the 10.1 but it is thicker in the middle.
If you want a device to carry a lot of media with you the tab will fill up.
Have an iPad 1 with most of my photos and music and burned through all 64 gb. 32 is just not doable. 32 plus room to pop in micro sd cards to have more is manageable.

Never said TF was a bad screen in general. Just said compared to the iPad2 (black levels) and the 10.1, it's not as great. Look at my picture below. On the right is the Transformer at 90% brightness, and the left is the iPad2 at 60%. Now look at the actual movie and not the black bars. You'll see they are pretty much the same. Had the Transformer been put at 60% it'd be way dimmer than the iPad2. Now look at the black bars. iPad2 maintains its contrast ratio where as the black bars are washed out on the TF. Also notice light bleed on the TF because it has to be blasted to match iPad2.
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I'll disagree with your by orders of magnitude comment, but it's purely subjective unless you really know what to look for in a screen. My guess is that you haven't played with the 10.1 yet because your posts in this forum are only about the Transformer.. and your other posts are in the Transformer forum.
You make it sound like the 10.1 isn't expandable, when indeed it is. SD card adapter coming out. But to go beyond that, there's the USB dongle which you can hook up a thumb drive, or connect an SD card reader to.

Canadoc said:
The Samsung device is great if you want an ipad2 in android clothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I certainly do not speak for everyone else here, but that's pretty much what I wanted.
And why not? I don't output HD movies to my TV. I don't use more than 32GB on a device that isn't a full-fledged computer or doesn't hold my music; and my Nexus S is my music player right now, so my Tab won't have to deal with that. I don't need to break out a physical keyboard to type out a forum post (normally), and when I do need any of that, I have a laptop running Ubuntu.
The only important accessories that I may need are: a gamepad (Wiimote or other Bluetooth gamepad), something to stand it up every now and then (whatever's around to prop it up against at the time), and if I ever need extra storage or some newfangled USB gadget for tablet, I'll go out and buy that USB connector.
i'm primarily going to using my tablet for online video watching, web browsing and a bit of gaming. When I think of these things, I feel the GT is better suited to my needs, (and supercurio's recommendation helped a lot considering I love his sound and screen work on the Nexus S) and I think honestly that it's the best pure tablet experience. The Transformer is a solid tablet, but it feels like something better suited for those who want a mix of a tablet and a netbook. Which is great for a lot of people no doubt, but I just want a great tablet experience, my laptop serves me faithfully for the other things.

songmeesay said:
Never said TF was a bad screen in general. Just said compared to the iPad2 (black levels) and the 10.1, it's not as great. Look at my picture below. On the right is the Transformer at 90% brightness, and the left is the iPad2 at 60%. Now look at the actual movie and not the black bars. You'll see they are pretty much the same. Had the Transformer been put at 60% it'd be way dimmer than the iPad2. Now look at the black bars. iPad2 maintains its contrast ratio where as the black bars are washed out on the TF. Also notice light bleed on the TF because it has to be blasted to match iPad2.
I'll disagree with your by orders of magnitude comment, but it's purely subjective unless you really know what to look for in a screen. My guess is that you haven't played with the 10.1 yet because your posts in this forum are only about the Transformer.. and your other posts are in the Transformer forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you dont mind the orange skins on people when viewing movies on the 10.1???? Cause that is what I am seeing right now on my 10.1. I bet you have your lcd or plasma on torn mode at home? "more detailed (when watching 720p movies)" compare to what the TF???? You may need to get your eyes check!!!

dazz87 said:
So you dont mind the orange skins on people when viewing movies on the 10.1???? Cause that is what I am seeing right now on my 10.1.
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Click to collapse
That's the auto-tanning (for the melanin-challenged) feature silly!
Lol, supercurio says he'll release a hack for more accurate color reproduction on the 10.1, so I wouldn't say it's a big weakness for long... but yeah, Samsung loves to crank up the saturation on their screens.

I've owned the Xoom, Galaxy Tab 7", Viewsonic G Tablet, Blackberry playbook, iPad 1 and iPad 2 and now the 10.1..
My Xoom experience follows everything else everybody else said... Washed out, low brightness LCD on the Xoom.. the screen really broke the device for me.. In a brightly-lit room, the Xoom was nearly useless! I didn't mind so much the extra weight of the Xoom, I can deal with it.
The screen on the 10.1 is something equal to the ipad1/2 screen, PLS vs. IPS.. I can't really say that Samsung's PLS dominates the LG screen used in the ipad1/2.. I think the iPad screens are fantastic.. I would say both are equal in terms of quality.
Something in the drivers on the 10.1 seem broken tho.. My entire SGT 10.1 experience feels laggy and slow.. Running Angry Birds Rio on the Xoom, the FPS is WAYYY higher than it is on the SGT10.1.. And also with many other games, everything is slowed down on the Samsung.
Feels like Samsung rushed the drivers out the door and left us with a choppy feeling Honeycomb device.
As of today, I think the 10.1 is a halfway broken device.. something is broken inside.. Im sure it'll be fixed quickly, but for now, it's a little disappointing..
The hardware side, the entire device is excellent.. I wish it had a microSD slot though.

songmeesay said:
Never said TF was a bad screen in general. Just said compared to the iPad2 (black levels) and the 10.1, it's not as great. Look at my picture below. On the right is the Transformer at 90% brightness, and the left is the iPad2 at 60%. Now look at the actual movie and not the black bars. You'll see they are pretty much the same. Had the Transformer been put at 60% it'd be way dimmer than the iPad2. Now look at the black bars. iPad2 maintains its contrast ratio where as the black bars are washed out on the TF. Also notice light bleed on the TF because it has to be blasted to match iPad2.
I'll disagree with your by orders of magnitude comment, but it's purely subjective unless you really know what to look for in a screen. My guess is that you haven't played with the 10.1 yet because your posts in this forum are only about the Transformer.. and your other posts are in the Transformer forum.
You make it sound like the 10.1 isn't expandable, when indeed it is. SD card adapter coming out. But to go beyond that, there's the USB dongle which you can hook up a thumb drive, or connect an SD card reader to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off the picture you posted has the brightness cranked on the TF. It is clearly brighter in picture than the ipad. I have done comparison with ipad 1 which I also own side by side with same movie trailer on both and the differences were negligible.
And I don't consider taking a dongle with me as expandable. Unless you intend to keep that dongle attached all the time for the added storage. But wait then you can't charge it or plug it into a TV and run a video off of it.
Had Samsung included a micro SD card and or an HDMI port I would have supported it more. I still say it is an ipad wannabe in android form. No more no less. Not a bad thingbgiven the ipad is the best tablet out right now. But my knock against the ipad is it is a giant iPhone well the galaxy tab is like a giant android phone. It lacks the hardware add ins that give it more functionality. For many is fine. For me it would mean still needing my laptop and phone for.many tasks meaning less use day to day, which was exactly why I gave my wife my Ipad. I was just not using it enough.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

dazz87 said:
So you dont mind the orange skins on people when viewing movies on the 10.1???? Cause that is what I am seeing right now on my 10.1. I bet you have your lcd or plasma on torn mode at home? "more detailed (when watching 720p movies)" compare to what the TF???? You may need to get your eyes check!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Color gamut has nothing to do with detail. When I say detail, its more about sharpness.
Perhaps you should educate yourself a bit more with video terminology.

Acer A510 vs Asus TF300t

I know the Acer A510 has a slightly better (prime comparable) tegra 3 but I don't feel like theres that big of a performance gap. I know that the Acer is $50 more but forgetting about the price, what would you guys recommend considering your past experiences with Acer? Btw the Wifi and Gps issues seem to be fixed according to Anandtech in this version.
Advantage TF300t = screen
Advantage A510 = battery
Thanks in advance and sorry if this post upsets some.

i got the tf300t. the cpu difference isn't as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. the mobiletechreview mentioned that the benchmarks are about the same for this cpu vs the cpu on the prime which is also the cpu on the a510. the battery life is a bigger deal but you still get a decent 8 hrs of usage out of it so thats not too bad. the main thing was the support for asus. they always seem to do updates to fix issues. to me that was the deciding factor. also i can convert this into a netbook with a dock. since i do some work from home, it would be nice to be able to do this on a tablet from the bed with the dock.

jblah said:
i got the tf300t. the cpu difference isn't as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. the mobiletechreview mentioned that the benchmarks are about the same for this cpu vs the cpu on the prime which is also the cpu on the a510. the battery life is a bigger deal but you still get a decent 8 hrs of usage out of it so thats not too bad. the main thing was the support for asus. they always seem to do updates to fix issues. to me that was the deciding factor. also i can convert this into a netbook with a dock. since i do some work from home, it would be nice to be able to do this on a tablet from the bed with the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just grabbed one myself today. I have owned a Viewsonic, an Acer Iconia A500, Iconia A100 and this tablet. This is by far the best so far. The weight is good, yet still feels solid. The sound is what I found to be really good. The Youtube videos I was watching were at 50% volume and plenty loud enough.
I haven't checked much else, but 720p video is stutter free on youtube so far, and of course all the usual apps work: Adobe Reader, Kindle, Estrongs. For the price I'm very happy with it.

How good are viewing angles of A510 compared to tf300?

gaetanolip said:
How good are viewing angles of A510 compared to tf300?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't seen an A510 in person, it is more or less the same as the A500, maybe a bit better. I can still read text when I'm 60 degrees off of being directly above the screen to either side.

I got the 510 yesterday (posted compare/review in 510 thread) and would have got the 300 as well, but Best Buy only has the 16gb version. I ended up getting the 510 and testing the heck out of the display for the 300 (they just put it out). Either case I was only keeping one, none the less.
Build: 510 wins and feels better to hold.
Speed: Both seems the same speed with browsing, media and game emulators like FPSe and N64oid. Due to higher clock, the 510 was a tad faster with MAME Reloaded (like the Prime).
Display: I am biased due to the iPad "3", but for 1280X800 tabs, it seems a tie to me. Contrast is a little better on the 300, but definition seems better on the 510. 510 also seems brighter to me and more natural color. Too subjective to call, so call them a tie.
Speaker sound: 510 is far better
Temps: Perhaps inside the case, both are about the same temperature, but the 510 is warmer to hold on the right side.
Can say that I do not like the location of the USB. The 300 and Prime have an excuse, but not the 510. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SIDE!!!! The caps and exclamation points should represent my feelings.
IMO it is a tie, since for $50 more, you get a bigger battery and USB on the tablet, but have the dock option on the 300 if you want it. Either device rocks.
The one thing that bugs me on the software side with the 510 is that even when using Desktop agent, all browser apps tried go to mobile sites with some sites on the 510, but not on the 300, Prime or Thrive.
I had the same problem with the Droid X 2. These are the only two Android devices out of many I have tried that does this.

muqali said:
I haven't seen an A510 in person, it is more or less the same as the A500, maybe a bit better. I can still read text when I'm 60 degrees off of being directly above the screen to either side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't seen one, then don't comment; especially when you're wrong.
The screen is far superior to the A500's, it has a Tegra 3 CPU clocked at 1.3ghz as opposed to the A500's Tegra 2 at 1ghz. It's internal storage is considerably faster than that used in the A500, it has ICS as default, with the Acer Ring, and generally just outperforms the A500 in all areas.

I can not stand the Ring interface, but do agree the display is better than the 500. Wifi is also FAR better than the 500.
I returned two 500 tablets due to weak wifi range.

FloatingFatMan said:
If you haven't seen one, then don't comment; especially when you're wrong.
The screen is far superior to the A500's, it has a Tegra 3 CPU clocked at 1.3ghz as opposed to the A500's Tegra 2 at 1ghz. It's internal storage is considerably faster than that used in the A500, it has ICS as default, with the Acer Ring, and generally just outperforms the A500 in all areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe he was referring to the viewing angles, in which case he is right. It is more or less the same as the A500 where the picture becomes a bit washed out at a certain angle. It has really good viewing angles just like the A500 though. And it's very rare for people to USE the tablet at any angle where the color starts to fade. The screen is definitely better than the A500 but "far superior" isn't necessarily right. The colors are richer (than the A500) and it is bright, I don't think anyone could possibly complain about it but I think most people would agree the Asus has technically a better screen with deeper viewing angles.

I agree with that too. The 300 has better angles, but the sweet spot angles of the 510 show better clarity and more natural color. Total net result to me is a tie. The 500 has a lot more pronounced screen door lines than the 510, as well as less color, brightness and contrast. 500 to me seems washed out in comparison. I tried two 500s and returned both due to weak wifi range. IMO, the 500 has weaker wifi range than the much maligned Prime.

So, if viewing angles are narrow, can i have problem if i watch a movie with another person (i can't stay straigth to display obviously)?
Inviato dal mio Transformer TF101 con Tapatalk 2

Viewing angles are NOT a problem. At all.

For my use im fine with the A500, the A510 isn't enough of a jump. THe A700 however is, and I am glad they will have faster usb and a full port again. THe 1080p screen is nice, the #d display model nicer.
The price of the A700 however may be another story.

FloatingFatMan said:
Viewing angles are NOT a problem. At all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I've used it propped on my lap, and laying flat on the couch in front on me... my son and I shared it for reading together last night. We we're both able to read without having to move it. I should note that this is all at minimum brightness. In fact, I'm looking for a way to dim it even more... indoors even the minimum seems brighter than I care for. So no, its not IPS, but the display is excellent none the less and provides excellent viewing angles.
Sent from my A510 using xda premium

Display Qualität

Fresh owner of a TF300T coming from an Ipad, since both are IPS Panels im kind of disappointed with the Transformers.
The colours are pretty much washed out and the white is dominating the contrast, its quite a difference to the Ipad.
Can anybody confirm that this is by design, or is it just my personal perception?! Or maybe I've got a faulty device?

I don't notice this issue my angry birds looks as good as the ipad or iPhone. I have a fairly subdued color scheme otherwise though.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

I'll need some more time with the device to be able to say something thoughtful about it, though perhaps I can hook up a colorimeter and give you a scientific measurement..

I have noticed a "washed out" effect on mine as well, but only in two circumstances:
1) When setting the tab to "Power Saving" mode
2) When using Splashtop, either the built-in version or THD

I own both a TF300 and a TF101 and the display on the TF300 does appear a little washed out compared to my TF101.

Totally agree, display quality seems below tf101 and way below the new ipad. highly noticeable. While is not terrible, it's pretty disappointing specially coming from a $400 device($550 total spent w/ dock plus taxes), same as tf101 when was released. tf101 blows away the tf300t regarding quality construction, including the "IPS" screen.
add those cons to the tf300t browser issues, some game compatibility issues with tegra 3 SoC, unexpected app and games shutdowns, occasional flickering on some games and what you got?

Exactly ...the display color on mine is very washed out as well...You Tube Videos and CNN Videos which I just tried today are dismal...Im very dissapointed...I wanted to compare to the 201...but none in the Best Buy...or anywhere else for that matter...Im goin back to compare to other tablets to see the difference...Might go for the 201...I can do an exchange in 30 days...Unless there is a way to adjust these colors...I luv basically everything else about it...Only had it for two days...So we'll see...

Some of the Primes also have washed out colors, especially if you get a warm tone one. The last one I had was cool tone and had excellent colors.

Ready2Mosh said:
Some of the Primes also have washed out colors, especially if you get a warm tone one. The last one I had was cool tone and had excellent colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh...so theres cool tone ones...Somthin I didn't know ...Back to the BB and have them open a few to see the difference...I definitley want the 300...just not one with colors that suck...Thats why I wanted to compare it to a 201...Saw the videos on You Tube...with side by side comparison ...But you can't really tell much when watchin it on a PC...

What do you guys mean by washed out colours? Is it very noticeable? Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA

KindaUndisputed said:
What do you guys mean by washed out colours? Is it very noticeable? Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep very noticeable...Like I said my CNN and You Tube Videos...Are blurred and washed out...
I didn't catch this in the Store...Picked it up Monday ...started playin around with it yesterday and today...Never had a Tablet before...Just Smartphones and of course Laptops and PC's...But the colors on my Samsung Epic 4g Touch pop...That screen is amazin...So far very let down with this screen...as far as Color Display...
Takin it back on the weekend and have them show me a few more to see if this is just a bad one or not...I don't want the Ipad or Acer...But I watched Smackdowns on YT between the 300,201 and the Acer 500 and there wasn't a real bad complaint from anyone about the color on the 300 just the brightness...Im satisfied with the brightness on this one but color ...Forgetabout it...
Im hopin its a bad one...the 700 won't be out to June...Didn't really want to wait...This looked like a good deal...Ill just have to wait and see what happens on the weekend...Their (BB) return policy is great

This thread and other comments about the TF300's display piqued my curiosity, so I stopped in at Best Buy to check it out. This BB had a TF300 and a TF101 side by side, so it was easy to do a comparison to the 101, which I already own and am familiar with.
I set the brightness to max on both tablets and loaded the same websites on each, showing a mix of text and color graphics. The display on the 101 looked exactly as I would expect. The difference was that the 101 was notably brighter than the 300, and probably for that same reason the white background to the text was whiter and the colors a bit more pronounced. I'm not sure how much of an issue that would be if I were looking only at the TF300, since it's still a nice screen, but seeing them side by side I would personally prefer the screen on the 101.

KindaUndisputed said:
What do you guys mean by washed out colours? Is it very noticeable? Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reds aren't really red, kind of washed out orangey red, blues are pale. It's especially noticable with Asus tree wallpaper, the clouds kind of blend into the sky. It's almost like water colors but not quite that bad.
The 300 i'm on now has very nice colors, almost perfect to real life, took some pictures and held my 300 next to the object and it was pretty close to what I saw in real life.
My panel is also cool in color tone, so all the ones I've seen with warm screens are kind of washed out, the ones with the cool tone panels have better color IMO.

All seems good on my end...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA Premium HD app

Thanx for the replies...Went back to BB yesterday...Finally got to see the 201 in the flesh...when compared to the 300 that was next to it, It blew it away for pic quality and video quality...I definitley saw the difference...I like the 300 don't get me wrong...But my 300 had a problem with display in my opinion...Now the 300 I saw there looked better than mine but not better than the 201...Just my opinion...So I returned mine forked over the $127 more countin tax...and Im a Happy Camper...
I guess I got to go over to the 201 Forums...It was a nice visit here although it was short...
Tonite Installin Root Custom Rom and Overclockin..........
Oh Yeah..............................

Got my 8.4 (7.7 previously owned)

Got my 8.4.
What an amazing device.
KK is just awesome. Already rooted, everything runs fine.
Battery seems to last just slight longer than the 7.7 one. (...when it was new, that is)
The display on the 8.4 is very, VERY good for general use and photography (I am a keen advanced amateur, so all tablets of mine are carefully evaluated before buying under that specific requirement).
Unfortunately, it can not measure to the SuperAMOLED+ display on the 7.7 when it comes to movies and video. That darn display is just PERFECT for that particular use, on account of the contrast ratio. Seeing MKV files on the 7.7 is pure bliss.As such, I will keep the 7.7 docked to my AV set up for movies and such
Happy camper!
XK

XDAKhan said:
Got my 8.4.
What an amazing device.
KK is just awesome. Already rooted, everything runs fine.
Battery seems to last just slight longer than the 7.7 one. (...when it was new, that is)
The display on the 8.4 is very, VERY good for general use and photography (I am a keen advanced amateur, so all tablets of mine are carefully evaluated before buying under that specific requirement).
Unfortunately, it can not measure to the SuperAMOLED+ display on the 7.7 when it comes to movies and video. That darn display is just PERFECT for that particular use, on account of the contrast ratio. Seeing MKV files on the 7.7 is pure bliss.As such, I will keep the 7.7 docked to my AV set up for movies and such
Happy camper!
XK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats. I just got mine today. Also have a 7.7..still the best Tab ever. How did you root your 8.4? I read some threads and so far not sure the correct process.. thanks a lot

I had the Toshiba AT270 which had the same 7.7" Super AMOLED+ display. Have to agree with you. It was an amazing display. The irony is, the Toshiba was a huge failure. You could get it as a couple of months ago through Toshiba.com for $220... (It was originally $500). Aluminum back, dock with HDMI, Tegra 3 etc, great tablet. No one bought it.
The Tab Pro definitely has an amazing screen but the AMOLED+ does render video better.
Of course, you get all the haters saying non AMOLED+ is so much better for everything else (usually the rabid Nexus 7 guys who are convinced that the N7 is the best tablet ever made despite it's limitations and numerous build flaws).

VeEuzUKY said:
Congrats. I just got mine today. Also have a 7.7..still the best Tab ever. How did you root your 8.4? I read some threads and so far not sure the correct process.. thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed this to the letter:
http://dom1n1k.blogspot.pt/2014/03/how-to-root-galaxy-tab-pro-84-lte-sm.html
My 8.4 was sourced from Germany.
Baseband version: T325XXU1ANB7
Build Number: KOT49H.T325XXU1ANB7
XK

RobilarOCN said:
I had the Toshiba AT270 which had the same 7.7" Super AMOLED+ display. Have to agree with you. It was an amazing display. The irony is, the Toshiba was a huge failure. You could get it as a couple of months ago through Toshiba.com for $220... (It was originally $500). Aluminum back, dock with HDMI, Tegra 3 etc, great tablet. No one bought it.
The Tab Pro definitely has an amazing screen but the AMOLED+ does render video better.
Of course, you get all the haters saying non AMOLED+ is so much better for everything else (usually the rabid Nexus 7 guys who are convinced that the N7 is the best tablet ever made despite it's limitations and numerous build flaws).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, quite the misconception since the SuperAMOLED+ is excellent or pretty good at everything. The only very minor nuisance with it is that, when working with my photographs, whose masters are in ProPhoto color space but the copies for web use (the ones I actually display on the 7.7) are in sRGB, I have to switch the screen color mode to "Natural" from the usual "Standard", as this last mode makes colors over-saturated.
In this regard, overall, I think I will be better off with less contrast but more accurate colors on the 8.4. Already saw several photos of mine in slide-show mode on the 8.4 and, boy, do they look darn good
XK

XDAKhan said:
I followed this to the letter:
http://dom1n1k.blogspot.pt/2014/03/how-to-root-galaxy-tab-pro-84-lte-sm.html
My 8.4 was sourced from Germany.
Baseband version: T325XXU1ANB7
Build Number: KOT49H.T325XXU1ANB7
XK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much!!! Doing it now

...but Samsung still really has a long way to go.
I can't believe that they actually throw white chargers and (mini) cables together with a black unit in the box of a 500EUR+ device that offers a black or white option.
I don't know if they're blindly trying to replicate what is probably the only bad taste option down at Apple or if they're just being cheap, in their own self-assertive way
XK

XDAKhan said:
...but Samsung still really has a long way to go.
I can't believe that they actually throw white chargers and (mini) cables together with a black unit in the box of a 500EUR+ device that offers a black or white option.
I don't know if they're blindly trying to replicate what is probably the only bad taste option down at Apple or if they're just being cheap, in their own self-assertive way
XK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd. I have two of the Tab 3 - 8.0 models one white and one black. Each comes with a color appropriate charger. The charger for the Tab 3 is identical for the 8.4. I expect they probably had a surplus of white chargers.
Also, really does the color of the charger matter? I never gave it a thought until you mentioned it.

I have both the 8.4 pro and the 7.7 - will never sell the 7.7 even though I hardly use it anymore it basically runs on battery doing nothing for 15 days then I charge it again lol I have never really compared the screens although the screen on the 8.4 is outstanding
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Premium HD app

XDAKhan said:
...but Samsung still really has a long way to go.
I can't believe that they actually throw white chargers and (mini) cables together with a black unit in the box of a 500EUR+ device that offers a black or white option.
I don't know if they're blindly trying to replicate what is probably the only bad taste option down at Apple or if they're just being cheap, in their own self-assertive way
XK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Times have changed. Samsung only cares about making money. Quality control is a thing of the past and whatever saves then a buck rules the day.

I too came from a 7.7 I still have it, and think the screen is amazing. I don't use it at all now, though. The 8.4 screen may not have the same 'pop' as the 7.7, but the clarity, speed and size make it hard for me to go back to the 7.7. The 8.4 is a great tab. It is strange that the 8.4 screen is only 'slightly' bigger, but it feels like the 7.7 screen is tiny by comparison.

RobilarOCN said:
Also, really does the color of the charger matter? I never gave it a thought until you mentioned it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it "really" matter, of course not.
But it just aesthetically looks wrong to see the black tablet plugged into a white cord and charger. Like I have it plugged into something aftermarket, instead of the charger that came in the box.
I noticed it the second I opened the box, and was surprised to see the white charger and cable.

came from 7.7 also and super amoled on 7.7 is still much better when viewing movies and media but alas samsung didnt make a newer super amoled tablet but the 8.4 lte version mostly make up for it with a befier cpu / ram and a bigger screen which i like )

Please use this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2647580
Thread closed.